Yeah… <1950s style computer clicks and whirs> I’m a little unclear on how this flick’s lottery system is supposed to save the economy. Seems like mixing The Lottery with The Purge wouldn’t work as an income generator. But… pshaw, I say! It’s just an excuse for the Funny Purge starring the Least Likely to Survive.

Jackpot(!) is an action comedy where California has a new lottery system where, if you win, your fellow citizens can hunt you down and kill you for the winnings. Awkwafina plays a woman who accidentally wins and relies on a good natured goofball played by John Cena to save her.

Yeah, don’t think about the plot logically. What’s the point?

Awkwafina can be hit or miss in her movies and she can be here too. But enough hits this time that her goofball energy won me over. And she’s supported by just as much a goofball John Cena who is totally in on the joke. The two of them are very funny together with their random, tossed-off one-liners and fun action set pieces. Absolutely some of the jokes don’t land and maybe the alternate takes in the end credits would have been better. But enough landed for this comically challenged audience member to have had a very fun (and surprising) time.

Also, Simu Liu has a part in the film… and anything he and Awkwafina can do together to stay in the limelight for Shang Chi 2 is smart, I guess. He’s having fun too, especially with his Cena interactions. He doesn’t move the needle, but it’s nice to see him.

I’m giving this flick a high score but it’s on the low side of said score. There’s plenty of jokes that don’t land but there’s enough that do. I had a very fun time with this very silly movie and that’s what counts. Both Awkwafina and Cena are just screwing around and the action set pieces are pretty good and energetic. It’s a surprisingly good flick.

Score: 85