By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
I did not know that the new Awkwafina/John Cena movie, “Jackpot!” was set in the future. That tells you something about the state of the world today because I thought a movie about people that kill each other for a lottery ticket was happening right now. Of course, in California (har har, eye roll, nod, lol. Actually, I don’t really think that kind of thing about California!).
Anyway, I had this notion. So I was truly surprised when the movie, which was released on Aug. 15 on Prime Video, started and words popped up to explain this (I thought we’d just dive right into this current-day scenario). Seems that to make money (that’s the purpose of the lottery already, but to make A LOT of money), just two years from now, California creates “The Grand Lottery.” So see, I wasn’t that far off. The actual story, though, takes place a few years later, in 2030, when this is an established thing and everyone is on board with it. Let me tell you what they’re on board with: killing. No real bullets are allowed (rubber bullets, a-okay). Knives are fine. Poison. Anything, really. Everyone has a computerized ticket and when you apply your fingerprint, you find out if you won. Then, the rest of California has until sundown to kill you and take your jackpot.
Somehow, Awkwafina’s character, the very alliterative Katie Kim, has come from out of town, and due to the fact that she was caring for her dying mother, has no clue about the Grand Lotto. Along with the hordes of greedy bloodsuckers more than happy to kill you for your jackpot (it’s officially condoned, after all—it’s fun!), a thriving business of people to protect the winners from the greedy bloodsuckers has arisen. John Cena, who plays Noel, is the dime store version of this, in a tacky suit, highwater pants, and his usual dorky haircut—he’s more or less the same character from “Suicide Squad” but more human, like he can’t hit things with his head quite so well, but he still does (he even wears a U.S. flag helmet here). I should add, I’m just repeating what they say in the movie that his haircut is dorky.
Noel (John Cena) and Katie (Awkwafina) in JACKPOT! (Image courtesy of Prime Video.)
Simu Liu, or Louis, heads the deluxe version of this protection service, like the kind the Kardashians would use. Really, it’s all free money, since the winners pay these protectors a portion of their lotto jackpot, money they don’t have yet anyway. And probably won’t. Cuz they’ll be dead. Liu, and I think many people will agree with me, is naturally snarky and therefore predisposed to play a villain from now till forever. He’s smooth, and looks fantastic in a James Bond villain suit and surrounded by henchmen inside of a mega high tech complex. You don’t have the least doubt he is the slimy one, whilst it’s hard to be sure about anyone else. Innocent Katie, whose first few days in Los Angeles is just a roller coaster of crappiness, isn’t sure if she can trust Noel, for instance. I mean, he’s probably just playing her, right? Saying he’s offering protection but right at the last second before the buzzer rings, he’ll knock her off, right?
From left: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, director Paul Feig, and John Cena at the Los Angeles premiere. (Image courtesy of Prime Video.)
That would have been a good story, too, but it would have decimated the feels of the movie, which okay, I’m not sure if we need, per se, but they’re nice. Katie has never been able to trust anyone, see. She had a career once, but had to put it aside to take care of her mom, and now she feels like a loser. She has no one. And the deadly lottery is just the icing on the cake.
Let’s talk about Awkwafina. First, you should know this person has real skillz. She’s not just a wacky comedian, she can play serious roles, and has. She’s done talk shows, she’s educated (including in Mandarin and classic literature), she’s a musician and a rapper. Part Chinese and part Korean, she grew up in Queens. She cleans up nice, yet more often than not, she plays a goofball. “Jackpot!” was weird because it was like the character of Katie was part Awkwafina and part not, and it was hard to go back and forth. She was also part ninja and part not. Half the time, she is bumbling about with an exaggerated clown walk. I mean, yeah, the large flat hip hop shoes and hip hop clothes do lend themselves to being clumsy when called to fight for your life.
Anyway, my point is I didn’t understand how Katie from the countryside had kung fu moves. That’s all I’m saying. And then went back straight afterwards to being goofy. She was resourceful AF and then she was completely clueless. She was tough and then she was sad. Okay, it’s not every day (unless you’re in California) that you have to fight off an entire city, so she’s allowed some inconsistencies, I guess. What I loved about “Jackpot!” was that, for Noel and Katie, money was not important. Yeah, it comes in handy but not enough to die for. And, dystopian and disappointing as it is, I do think “Jackpot!” is pretty realistic as to the numbers. I think the vast majority would murder for those lotto ticket winnings, particularly if encouraged to do so. We’ve seen it. We’ve seen people murder when encouraged to do so. And so, it really is a gamble as to who, if anyone, is going to be on your side and actually help you. When they do, you should dang well stick by them, and I’m so glad that Katie shows herself to be a loyal friend.
Kai can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.