A typical high-concept comedy in the traditional sense, which features Awkwafina and John Cena, Jackpot by Paul Feig could have been easily pitched between the late 1990s and early 2000s. In the near future, the California lottery introduces a new rule that allows anyone to kill the holder of a winning ticket as long as they don’t use a gun and then claim their winnings. It is also a satire mocking people’s fascination with fame and money, as well as an expression of anxiety about changes in the recent economy. The film has little connection with these great aims but becomes more of an action-comedy flick that keeps gesturing at its relevant social content that it seldom can touch upon properly. Thankfully, however, both protagonists make it into some enjoyable time.
The movie primarily follows Katie (Awkwafina), a former child star who gave up on her acting career so she could take care of her mother. After her mother dies, she returns to Los Angeles to try acting again without knowing about California’s new lottery rule. One day when Katie needs clothes from her horrible Airbnb host (played hilariously by Ayden Mayeri), she mistakenly takes the host’s lotto ticket home with her. Consequently, she won millions of dollars becoming the ultimate treasure for all those LA citizens wishing to get hold of this prize.
Just when Katie seems doomed, Neil (Cena) literally drops in to save her life. So he agrees to protect her for a small price as long as she lives until she takes home all the prize money. To do this though Katie must survive until sunset navigating through Los Angeles while holding off everyone else.
Paul Feig is one of the most interesting comedy directors of our time. He directed several beloved comedy shows during those years such as Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000), Undeclared (2001-02), Arrested Development (2003-06), and the U.S. version of The Office (2005-13). Like many other creatives on these series he has since had a successful film career; his third movie, 2011’s Bridesmaids, was both popular with critics and audiences alike and helped establish the template for his subsequent releases. Whenever Bridesmaids becomes mentioned, it raises memories of similar films like The Heat or Spy that are known to contain a lot of heavy improvisations; this is what he specialized in when making high-concept action comedies.
This is certainly where Jackpot falls among them all. While the fight scenes are good, there is no cohesive link between action and comedy. Often they are two different movies. Even though there are some jokes such as Awkwafina needing to brawl her way through two new roommates in a wax museum or John Cena holding Awkwafina piggyback style as he battles attackers, the film’s action does not align itself with its humor.
In contrast to the hilarious car chase scene found in films like What’s Up Doc? or 21 Jump Street that always consider how to make a funny punch line out of an action scene, Jackpot loses its comedic focus from time to time throughout the movie. They were fun even if they lacked unity or refinement within their plot development.
As with any movie by Feig, the central focus is on the actors and his direction of them, making Awkwafina and John Cena an amazing duo to watch. Awkwafina is mostly known for comedy among many viewers, but she’s got a really terrific range as evidenced by her incredible dramatic turn in The Farewell.
Here though, she gets to play the comedic straight-man similar to what she did in Quiz Lady which was underrated last year and it suits her well. Awkwafina knows how to sell a reaction in naturalistic and relatable ways. She also holds her own here in the action scenes. If Marvel Studios does manage to get a Shang-Chi sequel – Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings off the ground, hopefully more action will be given to Awkwafina.
Meanwhile, John Cena continues his amazing run as one of the greatest wrestlers turned actors today. By ridiculing his ridiculously large size he has created his own niche in acting. He looks like a gigantic cartoon character; so grotesquely muscular that it becomes impossible not to perceive him as unreal at times but he can spare himself for laughter even if this requires being made fun of by others. At other times though he shines through deeply emotional states such as those witnessed in Peacemaker or Jackpot where he has a few nice scenes. In terms of range alone, Cena might be the best wrestler turned actor ever. Jackpot shows him reveling in comedy and also pathos when we see beyond just muscles and entrance music into who he actually is.
Another notable mention is Simu Liu who worked with Awkwafina before on Shang-Chi and The Legend Of Ten Rings. Here, however, it’s both characters that serve as foils against each other with Liu playing both sides against one another within his role. But could Henry Cavill have reached superstardom had they not portrayed superheroes, and have the features which suggest that he might be a better pitch for a villain? Barbie from last year and now Jackpot have seen Liu do well as overconfident characters which serves to enhance his antagonist roles just as Cavill’s intense starette plays a big part in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
Although it is an action comedy; you could also say it functions as a biting satire if you care to look closer. It touches on many topics from society’s obsession with fame to the level of depravity people are ready to sink in greed but without saying enough about them. For instance, its socio-political commentaries like The Purge series do take on the rich people at their heights who utilize 24 hours of killing in order to keep the lower class oppressed and further their self interests. It is unfortunate though that Jackpot ends up punching down.
But this Amazon Prime movie talks around currency issues such hyperinflation, economic instability, or capital politics but never actually talks about them. Jackpot vaguely acknowledges corporations exploiting human desperation but makes no doubt where it stands as far as the narrative goes – poor people trying out their luck for millions. Like us playing scratch-offs, for example. An opposite view of A Modest Proposal attack on rich by satire seems implied by this film which appears much like an upside-down version of Swift’s 1729 essay in which poverty-stricken Irish eaters suggested eating their own kids to settle hunger problems caused by British oppression
The first few minutes of Jackpot show that the lottery was designed this way to increase participation in the game hence, people reached this point. Instead of looking at how organizations take advantage of people’s worst conditions caused by them, and corporations placing their evil practices on individuals, the movie suggests people are so desperate for fame and profit that they can even eat one another to achieve that which is contrary to what the world it is set in.
This however does not mean that Jackpot is a completely bad movie; in other areas it is a passable comedy. Even though it veers away from being funny its action sequences are sometimes impressive. However, all performers do their job fine here making a simple fun film with occasional gags. No one involved here made the best film ever but they also didn’t make the worst either and it’s worth an hour and a half of your time.
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