Jackpot!

Directed by Paul Feig, Jackpot! is set within a near future in which lottery winners are legally hunted for their prize money – with the movie following one such winner (Awkwafina’s Katie) as she and a bodyguard (John Cena’s Noel) attempt to avoid the murderous advances of hundreds of armed pursuers. It’s an oddball, almost nonsensical premise that’s employed as a springboard for a predominantly tiresome and tedious actioner, as Feig, working from a script by Rob Yescombe, delivers a frenetic endeavor that’s rarely (if ever) as funny or thrilling as one might’ve anticipated – with the arms-length atmosphere perpetuated by Feig’s ongoing reliance on eye-rollingly broad comedy and underwhelming, far-from-exciting bits of violence. And while Cena is, from time to time, relatively charming here, Awkwafina’s nails-on-a-chalkboard turn goes a long way towards perpetuating the increasingly intolerable atmosphere – with the picture taking a turn for the worse (much worse) once it enters its interminable third act. The end result is as misguided and lackluster a contemporary comedy as one can easily recall, which is a shame, certainly, given the potential afforded by Cena’s presence alone.

*1/2 out of ****