Jackpot!
Awkwafina and John Cena charm their way out of an uninspired script
Awkwafina and John Cena fight off script problems and assailants in Paul Feig's Jackpot!
In the very near future, California solved its cost-of-living crisis with the Grand Lottery. But if you win the Grand Lottery, your challenge is just beginning. You see, if you win the lottery, a drone starts following you around broadcasting your location.
Why?
Because if someone else who plays the lottery can find you, they can kill you and take the prize. There are a few rules: No guns and you can forfeit your prize/preserve your life if you make it out of LA County. Everyone in California knows the rules, and most are thrilled to take their chances with the lottery.
Katie (Awkwafina), sadly, has just moved back to California in hopes of reviving her child acting career. She’s got no idea about the Grand Lottery, which is a problem because she just won it. Now all of LA is attempting to kill her and Katie would just like to know what is wrong with everyone. Her one ally is Noel (John Cena), who is trying to start a “lottery winner protection agency”.
Can she trust Noel? Or is he yet another opportunist waiting to stab her in the back?
On the surface, there’s a lot to love about Jackpot! Cena and Awkwafina are both capable comedy leads with a sweet, genuine chemistry that makes their friendship believable. The film is directed by Paul Feig, who’s made a career out of taking silly comedy concepts and refining them into something smart and hilarious. Jackpot! also has plenty of fodder to sink its teeth into, with a concept that was meant to mock the trajectory of our late-stage Capitalist society.
…so what went wrong?
The problem isn’t with the performers. Cena and Awkwafina do their best to create appealing characters that are both funny and sympathetic. Neither is stretching beyond their “brand”, Awkwafina is the awkward smart-ass and Cena is the sweet but slightly dim goof, but their brands are both popular for a reason. The film wisely doesn’t try to foist any romantic storyline on the duo, which leaves their dynamic breezy. In fact, most of the laughs garnered in the movie seem to be dragged out of the script by Cena and Awkwafina who are doing everything they can to find a laugh.
So the onus of this low-effort comedy lies with Feig, who seems to be floundering with this film. Everything about this film is a bit off-kilter. The jokes aren’t timed well. The pacing is erratic. Even the resolution feels abrupt. It’s confusing that a man who can crank out gems like Spy and A Simple Favor feels utterly lost while telling a story.
The script (which Feig did not write, the blame for that sits with Rob Yescombe) is a string of cliches and concepts that sort of link together, but not in a meaningful or interesting way. There are a few good images, some amusing action sequences, and the rest…is filler. Yescombe is the writer of several video games, which makes sense because every line of dialogue feels like it’s leading you to a cutscene. The movie isn’t so much a story as a filler between action sequences. Ironically, the concept of Jackpot! would have probably made for a more entertaining videogame — at least then you could button-mash and help John Cena beat up people.
While certainly not impressive, Jackpot! isn’t a high crime either. It’s a middling work from a cast and director that can do better. But for a free movie on Amazon Prime, it’s par for the course. It’s also a fine choice to leave on in the background while you do laundry or doomscroll on your phone.
Verdict: This movie isn’t exactly the golden ticket.
Jackpot! is rated R and available on Prime.
