It makes sense that comedies have become streaming fodder. It’s too bad, since I have fond memories of big giant comedy moments in theaters with my friends. But, movies like Jackpot! can still be released on a streamer, and slowly gain a following and become sensations in a new way, right? Though, I don’t think this one is gonna become the next Superbad. Sorry Awkwafina/John Cena.
We’re in 2030 California. Desperate for revenue, the government started issuing the biggest lottery in the state’s history. Thing is, if you kill the winner, YOU get their prize. This is the environment Katie (Awkwafina) decides its time to resurrect her child acting career in. After getting got by her AirBnB host Shadi (Ayden Mayeri) and a casting call, down in the dumps Katie finds out she’s the big winner of the multi billion dollar lottery…meaning all that attention she immediately starts getting becomes a perfect capper on her LA waking nightmare. Until, Noel (John Cena) shows up by her side, offering protection for a cut of the earnings.
The director of Jackpot! is Paul Feig. Yes, that one: the Bridesmaids, Heat, Spy guy. The last few of those films have big action set pieces, which have enamored the comedic director for some time now. As such, he really takes a lot of time to make the action in this movie work. For the most part it does, as Feig injects a welcome dose of humor into the shenanigans. Being in LA, Katie is well versed in movie fighting (should have been a bigger joke runner, but still solid) and uses it to phantom hit people from time to time. There’s hints of zombie like swarming of the crazed wanna be jackpotters hoping to take out our heroine. We even get a car chase, and a funny spin on a death defying aerial fight for the final act. Feig almost feels like he’s auditioning for something else with Jackpot!: he’s openly talked about wanting to make a James Bond film.
With Feig’s mind concussed from the fighting, the rest of the cast feels like the only direction they got from him was “Be Funny, Go!” That means we hit the Jackpot! of comedic styles in their own little movies. Awkwafina and John Cena try their best to manufacture some banter, but it goes the way of those withering diversions bogging the plot down, with Awkwafina motormouthing and John Cena affable doofusing, basically their comfort zones. Ayden Mayeri’s bits are a nice respite as the vapid AirBnB host who’s brain has been melted by Los Angeles living. Becky Ann Baker is always welcome doing sweet devious mom type. The big swings are the cameos as expected. The opening one is right at home doing an over the top action hero, and the surprise one in the middle is maybe the biggest laugh, with how willing they are to put on the weirdest persona possible and sacrifice themselves on the alter of dignity for a joke, bravo. As little mini scenes, Jackpot! works a bit more than it doesn’t, but none of it ever coagulates into a full feature film. And why does Simu Liu get saddled with these humorless bad guy parts? He’s much more interesting than that.
Honestly? This is good to know. This is Paul Feig on autopilot: a mediocre sorta funny film that will will the long term clip game but no one will ever watch the movie on Amazon Prime after a few months, getting buried in the algorithm. Can we get this guy his Bond so he can give a crap again about being a comedy filmmaker please? I don’t want the great funny directors to all fall by the wayside.