JACKPOT!

Jackpot! is a fun film thanks to the great pairing of Awkwafina and John Cena who have an enjoyable comedic banter between them, that easily elevates a simplistic and uneven screenplay into a fun yet generic summer action comedy streaming flick.

Paul Feig has made some of the funniest comedies in recent memories with hits like Bridesmaids, Spy and The Heat, working with some of the best comedic actresses in the business like Kristen Wiig, Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Emma Thompson, Maya Rudolph, and Rose Byrne, while also discovering that some of Hollywood’s biggest names are secretly hilarious like Jason Statham and Chris Hemsworth. For his latest film, he is teaming up with John Cena and Awkwafina for an action packed comedy, Jackpot!, which finds Awkwafina as an unknowingly winner of a deadly lottery and Cena as the man trying to see that she lives to enjoy her winnings. There is no question that Feig, Awkwafina and Cena are a great trio to bring this story to life, but a restrained screenplay that fails to fully utilize their comedic abilities prevents the film from being as notable as Feig’s long filmography of stellar R rated comedies.

On their own, Awkwafina and Cena have made a name for themselves within the comedy genre. Awkwafina is known for her improvisation talent and has stolen the spotlight in films like Crazy Rich Asians and Jumanji: The Next Level, while Cena proved he was more than just a wrestler when he unleashed a comedic fury in Blockers and continued to keep audiences laughing in The Suicide Squad, Vacation Friends and Peacemaker. It comes as no surprise that they are funny on their own in this film, even if the screenplay serves them up weak jokes to deliver, while they both do their best to sell the jokes. But, when Awkwafina and Cena are playing off of each other, the film finds its spark. Awkwafina and Cena have a playful banter that gets their characters through the outrageous situations they find themselves in, making simple one liners hilarious and embracing the absurdity of the story to great comedic effect. They effortlessly elevate the screenplay when sharing the screen, which luckily is for more than half the film, easily making this one film you will want to check out if you’re a fan of either Awkwafina or Cena. But, at the same time, it does leave you imagining what a truly killer comedic pairing Awkwafina and Cena would have been in a stronger film.

Being a comedy, there is some serious talent in the supporting cast with the likes of Simu Liu, Sean William Scott, Dolly de Leon, Michael Hitchcock, and Ayden Mayeri. It was great to see Scott in a major film again, as it has been a while since he has been featured in a comedy, though both him and de Leon are severely underused despite starting the film off with a bang. Hitchcock has fun moments whenever he pops up on screen, while Mayeri helps to deliver some of the funniest moments of the film as Katie’s sleazy Airbnb host. Liu, fully embracing his bad boy era, is fine, though given the charisma he has shown in other roles in films like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Kim’s Convenience and Barbie, it is a lacking performance from him to say the least as he comes across as a stereotypical potential bad guy.

There is an intriguing premise to Jackpot! that brings a high stakes, action driven story as Awkwafina’s Katie finds herself the target of all of Los Angeles. Never for a moment does the film not fulfill its shorter runtime, making for a solid streaming film that can be enjoyed from home. Woven into the story are some humorous moments, but at the same time, the screenplay feels safe even with the film’s R rating. The jokes often feel restrained, never going as far as they could have with the scenarios presented, keeping both Awkwafina and Cena from truly embracing their comedic talents. As for the action, the same thing applies. Yes, there are some fun action moments, but it never becomes an action spectacle during these sequences that the story allows for. It feels as if the film is trying to both be a hilarious R rated comedy and an action extravaganza, but by straddling both genres, it doesn’t do justice to either of them.

If watched in the right circumstances and with proper expectations, there is some good fun to be had with Jackpot!. Awkwafina and John Cena make for a great comedic pairing that instantly becomes the highlight of the film, while Paul Feig’s direction allows their pairing to be used to the fullest extent. Though, the screenplay holds the film back from reaching its true potential as it tries to be two things at once, but fails to become either of them as a result. With the star pairing of Awkwafina and John Cena, you will be laughing in Jackpot! even if it does not live up to the true potential of the comedic talents of Paul Feig, Awkwafina and John Cena.