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Critics Consensus: Wildly uneven but consistently provocative, The Dictator is a decent entry in the poli-slapstick comedy genre.
Critic Consensus: Wildly uneven but consistently provocative, The Dictator is a decent entry in the poli-slapstick comedy genre.
All Critics (217) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (124) | Rotten (93) | DVD (1)
The film has a vicious edge that the Marx Brothers didn't have, and it's too low-minded to achieve their enchanting blend of anarchy and surrealism.
Now [Cohen is] turning material both fresh and rancid into tepid gruel.
On the laughmeter The Dictator is closer to Borat than to the misfired Bruno, which is to say it's funny for about half of its brisk 83 minutes.
Most of The Dictator had me neither laughing nor shocked, but just staring at the screen in anxious is-that-all-there-is? silence.
A bit scattershot and schticky, the film never quite settles into a consistent comic rhythm. Yet for fans of Baron Cohen's work there are plenty of moments of crass hilarity.
For the most part, the movie's rhythms feel slightly off -- there are long stretches without a laugh -- and there is a mean-spirited air to the whole thing.
Assuming you're not easily offended, The Dictator is laugh-out-loud comedy at its best.
It might seem that here, Baron Cohen is doing nothing but poking fun at a couple of dead dictators. But their spirit is alive and well across the Middle East. And his satire can hit home.
You know what you're getting into with Sacha Baron Cohen, and you either find it funny or you don't.
I think I can feel it disappearing from my mind even as I am trying to remember it... It's Baron Cohen going at 50mph rather than 100mph.
Somehow the movie, while still making sure to offend any given demographic, rights itself by becoming of all things, a romantic comedy cum political satire.
The most offensive thing about this film is that it completely lacks a sense of humour.
This time Cohen didn't meet idiots as a fake character, exposing their bigotry but instead made a real film with a bit of a plot and actors. The humpor is still the same. Imagine every insulting stereotype about arabs, terror and dictatorship but also body openings and sex and it's probably in this film. That's sometimes cringe worthy and sometimes hilarious. The biggest surprise is "Aladeen's" speech about why the USA is even against dictatorships. That's incredibly smart, spot-on and, sadly, horribly current.
Super Reviewer
Boring. They missed a great opportunity here.
In this overly PC world (and ultra PC UK) Sacha Baron Cohen is an exhilarating breath of fresh air that is most welcome. This new film isn't quite as good as his previous films, 'Bruno' being the best for me, 'Borat' coming second and lastly 'Ali G' but this is only down to Ali G needing a better film, the character is probably his best creation. As for 'The Dictator' its a sterling effort in harsh political satire, more typical stereotypes and vulgar verbal humour but the approach lets it down. Bruno and Borat were brilliant because they were basically a collection of individual embarrassing real time sketches that humiliated other people by Cohen himself, these were all linked together to make a loose general plot. This new film goes down the route of Ali G by having a rather poor plot, it seems to run along the same lines as 'Coming to America' albeit a completely racist, sexist bigot filled version. So the proper story route doesn't really work as well for Cohen's skills if you ask me but there are still some great comical cringeworthy scenes to be seen. The dialect/language of John C. Reilly's character in his scenes are really quite unbelievable! you're watching and thinking to yourself, should I be laughing at this? is it political...ah who cares. I enjoyed it but its not the best he's done. The beginning was good when he was all powerful and the sequences where he is getting used to life not being all powerful were good but it lags through the middle and the happy-ish ending spoils it a little. End of the day you all should know what to expect from Cohen and you all know he doesn't beat around the bush, this guy has balls!. Its offensive and in your face so only watch if you like the guy, simple really.
Unwatchable. And I love Sacha movies.
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