Jackpot! (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – Set in a very near future where a Grand Lottery has been founded in economically struggling California. The only caveat? If you want to legitimately claim the award, you must murder the winner before sunset.

My Take – As there has been a decline in studio comedies in recent years, it came as exciting news when it was announced that Paul Feig, the comedy maestro known for the likes of Bridesmaids, Spy, The Heat, A Simple Favor, and the all-female Ghostbusters, was working on a new action comedy.

By taking the concept of The Purge series, adding a jackpot element to it, this latest Prime Video release sees the director switch up his formula by crafting stunt-intensive set-pieces where the action itself makes you laugh. Resulting in a pulpy action comedy that is breezy and fun to watch to on a lazy afternoon or night to pass the time away.

Yes, it’s not groundbreaking material and could’ve explored its concept and the implications of it more thoroughly, especially the horror of it, but it delivers where it counts. The action is quick, the dialogues are mostly witty, the screenplay pacey, and the cast is particularly fantastic.

Indeed, Awkwafina and John Cena have a dynamic that works well, bringing an authenticity that keep us engaged, even when the plot becomes too predictable. The pair surely makes the supremely dumb action comedy more enjoyable than it has a right to be.

Set in the year 2030, four years after a great depression led to the creation of ‘The California Grand Lottery,’ which not only awards million dollar prize to its winner, but also allows others to kill them, without the use of guns, and claim the prize instead before sundown.

The story follows Katie Kim (Awkwafina), a former popular child commercial actress, who arrives back in town hoping to catch a big break after she took off a few years to take care of her sick mother. And when she accidentally obtains the winning ticket of $3.6 billion, she falls into the crosshairs of everyone in the city.

Fighting for her life, she is rescued by Noel (John Cena), a kind hearted freelance bodyguard who is willing to keep her alive until sundown, for 10% of the profits. With time ticking down and the stakes ramping up, they eventually must also deal with Louis Lewis (Simu Liu), the head of a much more successful and lucrative protection organization. All Katie wanted was to be a star and now for the rest of the day, everyone wants a piece of her.

The rest of the frenetically paced film basically plays like a live-action cartoon, with the pair relentlessly pursued by hordes of normal-seeming citizens who turn into bloodthirsty would-be assassins at the drop of a hat. It’s all tremendously silly but somehow it works, thanks to combat choreography that would make Jackie Chan proud and the introduction of a premiere new comedy team, Awkwafina and John Cena.

That the two are able to go through their ultra-violent paces while simultaneously delivering a steady stream of wisecracks and one-liners is one of the film’s chief pleasures. It’s all the more fun because Noel comes across as a nice guy, a sensitive type who sincerely wants to help people but also happens to have the ability to pummel them into submission without breaking a sweat.

This one also winds up being one of those films where the actors tried a dozens of jokes and the editor went with the best ones, although the outtake-loaded end credits suggest funnier options existed. In a way, it’s fitting that Katie’s survival depends on how well she can think on her feet, considering how heavily the film also relies on improvisation.

Sure, by the time it reaches its conclusion, you’ll be as exhausted as the characters, as the manic proceedings inevitably start to feel repetitive. But along the way there’s plenty of fun to be had, especially if you’re willing to put your brain on hold and embrace your silliness of the proceedings.

Performances wise, Awkwafina manages to balance drama and comedy effectively as she has proven to before, while John Cena continues to surprise as an actor, showing that he has more to offer than just his physical presence.

Simu Liu is kind of wasted here, but nevertheless uses his natural charm to be sinister in a role that lets him have some fun with it. Ayden Mayeri is a standout here, excelling not only at retorts, one-liners, and giving her scene partners a leg up, but also with the couple of physical-comedy bits she’s given.

In smaller roles, Seann William Scott, Dolly de Leon, Donald Elise Watkins and Murray Hill play dialled-up caricatures. The Machine Gun Kelly cameo is hilarious. On the whole, ‘Jackpot!’ is a dumb yet fun buddy action comedy bolstered by the Awkwafina and John Cena team up.