By Alex Gilston August 15, 2024
Winning the lottery and billions of dollars is a dream most people would love to live. But what if for the entire day after you win, everyone was out to kill you to steal it all? That’s Jackpot!, the newest film from the director of Bridesmaids, Paul Feig. There are some silly laughs to be had, but with straight-to-streaming action comedies being a dime a dozen over the past few years it’s hard for Jackpot! to tread new ground. That being said, a comedy version of The Purge movies on paper sounds like a lot of fun, and Jackpot! proves that it is.
Synopsis
Set in the near future in Los Angeles, Katie Kim (Awkwafina) is an aspiring actor who has traveled to Hollywood to kick start her career. It all goes awry however when she accidentally enters herself into the lottery. Katie is shocked when she wins and even more so when random strangers around her start trying to kill her. When Noel (John Cena) drops in and offers his protection, Katie must either escape LA or survive until sundown and keep the money.
Review
Paul Feig is no stranger to the action comedy, having directed two of the most popular outings of the 2010’s The Heat and Spy. Jackpot! isn’t as savvy as the former and most certainly isn’t as funny as the latter. On top of that it feels very much like a Paul Feig film, and he does have a fairly high hit rate but there's only so many times you can do similar things without it starting to get boring. Still, a Paul Feig film is an enjoyable one most of the time, but Jackpot! might not be the kind of playground for taking risks.
Jackpot! has an all star cast led by Awkwafina and John Cena. Their chemistry on screen together carries the film. It’s not just their back and forth banter and quips, but also the fight choreography they engage in with each other. They have a symbiosis that manifest itself in a hilarious violent dancing. John Cena shines the most here though and it's a testament to his acting chops that he takes a role and gives it 1000% in the weirdest and funniest ways.
Simu Liu is a fairly lacklustre villain as the private protection agency CEO Louis Lewis. By trying to match the energy that Awkwafina and John Cena give off effortlessly, he’s left lagging behind hamming it up in a bad panto villain kind of way.
Whilst it doesn’t hit the heights of its comparables, Jackpot! is still a decently fun way to spend your Friday evening. It has got a bit of everything to please an eclectic crowd. Jokes, fights, John Cena, Machine Gun Kelly getting shot with wasp venom, and all kinds of kooky characters wielding a plethora of crazy weapons. But if you’re looking for something revolutionary, you might have to search elsewhere.
Star Rating
Jackpot! is out now on Prime Video
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