By Jacob Cameron

What would you do for 3.6 billion dollars? That’s the question that the film Jackpot! tries to answer. The film contains considerable talent; it is directed by Paul Feig and starring Awkwafina and John Cena. This is combined with a premise that is cut from the same cloth as Demolition Man, The Hunger Games, and The Purge. All of these elements ultimately add up to a fun film; but has little to no substance.

Jackpot! takes place in Los Angeles in the year 2030. Katie Kim, played by Awkwafina, is a former child star returning to the City of Angels after years of personal turmoil. In the near future, California will hold a statewide lottery called “The Grand Lottery” in which the winner must survive until sundown in order to claim their billions. Katie Kim is the lucky, or in this case unlucky, winner of 3.6 Billion dollars. Kim must stave off the entire city to keep her money. With the help of a hobbyist bodyguard named Noel, played by John Cena.

What makes Jackpot! fun is when the film leans into its ludicrous premise which is a rare feat. There are a few action sequences that are fun to watch: one that takes place in a karate dojo and one taking place in an abandoned theater stick out in this regard. There appear to be some actual sets used and practical stunt work that looks quite good. CGI does play a role in these sequences but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment as a whole. Look out for a car chase involving Cena, Awkwafina, and some crazed bikers.

Awkwafina is an actress with a filmography that is very much a mixed bag. She can be a good actress; see Lulu Wang’s The Farewell for proof. In this film, her character is likable if not stupid at times. It takes Katie quite a bit of time to grasp the gravity of her predicament which proved to be a drag. John Cena is the highlight of the film. His good-natured Noel provides genuine laughs and satisfying moments throughout.

Despite this being billed as an Action Comedy, the movie is surprisingly light on the laughs. It’s doubly surprising when considering the director, Paul Feig, has directed funny movies in the past such as 2013’s The Heat and 2015’s Spy. Most of the humor of the film consists of references to pop culture or improvised comedy. A lot of this humor just came across as desperate.

The biggest issue comes from the lack of investment in the premise or any subtext that might have spun out from an exploration of the premise. The film feels a little like watching the setting of 1993’s Demolition Man crossed over with the premise of The Hunger Games with the anarchy of The Purge. These films said profound things; Jackpot! feels empty. The main villains of the film were missed opportunities for subtext. For example, Louis Lewis, played by Simu Lou, runs a security company that “protects” lottery winners. His motivations are easily explained and figured out. At the end of the day, Jackpot! is a fun and breezy movie. But there could have been so much more to this movie than surface-level jokes.

2 ½ stars