The 2024 film Jackpot! has John Cena, Awkwafina and an apocalyptic prize, of sorts. This action comedy proves that once again, Cena has comedic chops for days. *And if you re-read the first sentence, you will see that, yes. I am a poet and I know it.*
The story
In the future, the state of California (Of course it’s California.) institutes a “deadly”lottery. If the general population can kill the winner before a deadline, the killer(s) get to collect the prize. This purge like scenario is a lot more targeted but essentially the plot point is the same. Killing is legal once the winner is announced.
This new jackpot”law” creates companies that specialize in getting the winner to the deadline for a stipend.
Former child actress Katie returns to the west coast. After the death of her mother, she envisions restarting her old career. She inadvertently enters the jackpot lottery and wins.
Enter Noel. A lottery protector who promises to keep Katie alive long enough to collect her money.
The main Cast
John Cena is Noel. The earnest and somewhat downtrodden protector.
Awkwafina is Katie. The actress trying to restart her old life but older.
Simu Liu is Louis Lewis. A top earner in the protection game. A character you are going to love hating.
Seann William Scott is “Rugged Man.” The first jackpot winner in the film. He does not last long.
Behind the scenes
Director Paul Feig and writer Rob Yescombe take Jackpot! and run with it. This is clearly not Shakespeare and the material does not take itself seriously at all. UK writer Yescombe is making a broad stroked effort that relishes in American greed. Feig slaps the viewer in the face repeatedly with characters that no one can actually relate to.
Awkwafina is funny as Katie. The only issue I have with her is that she sounds like Natasha Lyonne. John Cena is the standout here. He manages to give Noel a surprising amount of depth. No mean feat when you are in a film filled with two dimensional characters existing in a two dimensional world.
The Verdict
Jackpot! gets a solid 3.5 stars. This is clearly not an effort that will make you think. It will, however, entertain you. If you are a Cena fan, or Awkwafina fan, it is enjoyable enough. It just isn’t deep. The movie is currently streaming on Prime.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.