(Left to right) John Cena and Awkwafina in “Jackpot!” Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. Copyright: @ Amazon Content Services LLC.
With “Jackpot!”, which will air on August 15 on Prime Video, Paul Feig returns to the action comedy territory that has already served him well in productions such as “Spy: The Secret Service” and “The Heat”.
But his latest film, like some of his other recent works, was released directly to streaming, which shows how difficult it is for filmmakers to get into theaters when there aren’t major franchises or independent films. Still, the film is quite entertaining.
Does “Jackpot!” win the movie lottery?
(Left to right) John Cena and Awkwafina in “Jackpot!” Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. Copyright: @ Amazon Content Services LLC.
While the film doesn’t always take advantage of the satirical nature of its story, focusing instead on wild action and gags, it certainly offers enough to keep you hooked. At times it feels like the improvisational style favored by Feig means a lot is thrown at the wall and not everything works, but there is a solid level of jokes here.
Related article: Paul Feig talks about “Jackpot!” and working with Awkwafina and John Cena
“Jackpot!”: Screenplay and direction
(Left to right) Director Paul Feig, John Cena and Simu Liu in “Jackpot!” Photo credit: Image courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. Copyright: @ Amazon Content Services LLC.
Writer Rob Yescombe’s backstory is dedicated to writing video games, and there are moments where “Jackpot!” definitely has that vibe – it provides a strong sense of progression as Awkwafina and John Cena’s characters fight their way through various levels of enemies trying to defeat them and win the money instead.
But it provides enough framework for Feig and co. to attach a lot of jokes to (and the original concept is good and funny), and although many of the stunts were probably only worked out after the script was available, the basic ideas are a lot of fun.
Feig has worked with action before – notably in “Spy,” which remains one of his best films – and he respects both the suggestions and skills of his stuntmen and the willingness of his actors to bring the comedy across.
Still, there are moments where you feel like he just let Awkwafina in particular scream while chaos ensues around her, and one or two scenes could have benefited from careful editing.
“Jackpot!”: Performances
(Left to right) John Cena and Katie Awkwafina in “Jackpot!” Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. Copyright: @ Amazon Content Services LLC.
The focus here is clearly on Cena and Awkwafina, with welcome, crazy support from Simu Liu as the company’s security agent who is up to more than he would like to admit.
But around them, Feig – who has worked on series such as “The Office” – is building a first-class comedy ensemble with people he knows can convince even in the smallest roles.
Awkwafina as Katie Kim
Awkwafina stars as “Katie” in “Jackpot!” Photo credit: Image courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. Copyright: @ Amazon Content Services LLC.
Awkwafina came from YouTube and made a career stealing scenes as a supporting actress in films like Crazy Rich Asians. Her special energy may not always be a natural choice for leading roles, but here she is embraced as a frustrated actress and out-of-towner who can’t quite grasp what’s happening to her.
And she works beautifully alongside Cena; the energy of their buddy comedy is tempered by moments of vulnerability, and they give themselves over fully to the film’s madness.
John Cena as Noel Cassidy
(Left to right) John Cena and Katie Awkwafina in “Jackpot!” Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. Copyright: @ Amazon Content Services LLC.
For a long time, it looked like Cena would simply follow in the footsteps of wrestlers and later actors like Dwayne Johnson, but in recent years Cena has begun to emerge as a vanity-free, dedicated combination of muscular action star and class clown.
Roles in projects like “Peacemaker” and most recently “The Bear” have shown his versatility, and while “Jackpot!” doesn’t quite require the same level of acting, it’s still a solid role for the actor.
His Noel is a welcome mix of tough guy and soft heart, dedicated to saving lives for reasons that become clear later in the film. And as mentioned above, he works really well with Awkwafina, keeping up with her comedic energy level.
Simu Liu as Louis Lewis
(From left to right) Agent Hoyt (Monique Ganderton) and Louis (Simu Liu) in “Jackpot!” Photo: Amazon.
Some may wonder where the sequel to Shang-Chi is when they see Liu and Awkwafina on screen together, because they really do work well together. In the role of Louis, Liu shows that he hasn’t lost his comedic talent (since he started on the Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience) by playing the cleaning corporate villain who makes his money protecting lottery winners.
Ayden Mayeri as Shadi
(From left to right) Shadi (Ayden Mayeri) and DJ (Donald Elise Watkins) in “Jackpot!” Photo: Amazon.
Ayden Mayeri relishes what could be her breakout role as the witless, vengeful Shadi, a wannabe artist who runs possibly the worst Airbnb in Los Angeles. Along with her bumbling boyfriend DJ (Donald Elise Watkins, who is also funny), she’s more than just a one-note comedy character and develops into a real villain as the story progresses.
Supporting Actor
(Left to right) Murray Hill and Dolly De Leon in “Jackpot!” Photo credit: Image courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. Copyright: @ Amazon Content Services LLC.
Feig’s eye for talent (both established and new) serves him well in this film. The amusing opening scene, featuring a former lottery winner and the seemingly harmless grandmother who hunts him down, features stars like Seann William Scott and Dolly De Leon. You could see it as a parody of action movies or something that would happen on Saturday Night Live, but it successfully introduces you to the world of the film.
“Jackpot!”: Final Thoughts
(From left to right) Noel (John Cena) and Katie (Awkwafina) in “Jackpot!” Photo: Amazon.
Would “Jackpot!” have really worked if it had been released in theaters? Comedies have definitely had a tough time in recent years, with many movies moving to the streaming world. And despite the huge success of films like “The Hangover” and even Feig’s own “Bridesmaids,” it was always going to be a riskier proposition for studios.
Nevertheless, in its current form it is definitely worth a look and will definitely make you smile.
“Jackpot!” receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
“Take the money and run.”
66
1 hour 47 minutes15 August 2024
What is the plot of “Jackpot!”?
In the future, a new “grand lottery” has been created in California – the catch: the winner must be killed before sunset to legally claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot. When Katie Kim (Awkwafina) moves to Los Angeles, she accidentally finds herself in possession of the winning ticket. Desperate to escape the hordes of jackpot hunters, she reluctantly teams up with amateur lottery protection agent Noel Cassidy (John Cena), who does everything in his power to get her to sunset in exchange for a portion of her winnings. However, Noel must contend with his cunning rival Louis Lewis (Simu Liu), who also wants to pocket Katie’s commission at any cost.
Who is in the cast of “Jackpot!”?
- Awkwafina as Katie
- John Cena as Noel
- Simu Liu as Louis Lewis
- Seann William Scott as a robust man
- Dolly de Leon as Grandma Tala
“Jackpot!” premieres on August 15 on Prime Video.
Other films by Paul Feig:
Buy Paul Feig films on Amazon
Please click on the video player below to watch our exclusive interview with director Paul Feig about “Jackpot!”
