Hollywood is sending in the clowns.

With their silly hairdos, goofy voices and bizarre costumes, only the red noses are missing from the summer season's first comedies.

Adam Sandler was first, playing an Israeli commando who loves Daisy Duke jean-shorts and hairstyling in "You Don't Mess With The Zohan," which opened last week. Mike Myers follows June 20 as a spaced-out mystical life coach in "The Love Guru."

The two "Saturday Night Live" alums have proven track records for delivering audiences to their oddball characters, but recent comedy has been ruled by the realists: regular-guy schlubs in "Knocked Up" and "Superbad," and the sarcastic pregnant women of "Juno" and "Baby Mama."

"Audiences are responding to this idea of characters they think of as being like them," says Steve Vineberg, author of "High Comedy in American Movies." "I think people are tired of padded-out "Saturday Night Live" sketches. It takes a really clever vehicle to extend that kind of comedy."

Turnout from the built-in fan bases for Sandler and Myers will be crucial to making "Zohan" and "Guru" successful, says Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. "Sandler is a summer institution," he says. "But I'm not alone in saying (last year's) 'I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry' was one of his least-spectacular efforts. This time he's developed a real character. It's different than just playing himself. That didn't turn out so well for (2000's) 'Little Nicky,' but at least the accent is less grating this time."

Sandler faced competition from the animated family comedy "Kung Fu Panda," which topped the weekend box office with more than $60 million, compared with $38 million for "Zohan."

"The Love Guru" may have a bumpier ride, with Myers up against Steve Carell's "Get Smart." Says Bock: "That will hurt both the films a little bit. 'Get Smart' has more marketing muscle behind it, so I suspect that will open larger."

There's a risk of both "Zohan" and "Guru" ending up like Will Ferrell's "Semi-Pro," which grossed only $33.5 million. It was a case of a star going back too often to a formula that worked before. (It had the added problem of being R-rated, which prevented the juvenile humor from having a juvenile audience. "Zohan" and "Guru "are both PG-13.)

Richard Lanoie, who co-runs www.TheSeriousComedySite.com, says he's among those weary of the goofball genre, but he says "Zohan" seems to be a break from the kinds of characters Sandler has been playing. "The premise sounds original enough," he says. "If I went with somebody who talked me into it, I think I'd go."

As for "The Love Guru," that isn't even on Lanoie's radar. He groans when reminded of it: "That's a wait-for-the-DVD second choice on a bad night."