The Dictator (DVD REVIEW)
The Dictator
DVD Review
by Kam Williams
Mockumentary Features Sacha Baron Cohen as Ruthless Middle East Tyrant
Admiral General Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) is a Middle Eastern megalomaniac who rules the
mythical Republic
of Wadiya with an iron
fist. The ruthless tyrant has been in power since the age of 7, much to the
chagrin of his envious Uncle Tamir (Ben Kingsley), who secretly covets seizing
control of the oil-rich kingdom.
However, Aladeen is well aware that
he has any number of enemies that might want him dead, given his anti-Semitic, anti-Western and anti-democratic attitudes.
Therefore, he often
employs a look-a-like to pose as a militaristic Muslim monarch in public, while
he hypocritically pursues the decadent private life of a materialistic playboy,
dating pop icons like Megan Fox, Katy Perry and Halle Berry.
But a rude awakening awaits Aladeen
in New York City
where he is kidnapped by a hit man (John C. Reilly) hired by his uncle and
replaced by an impersonator before he has a chance to deliver an address to the
United Nations. After escaping, he soon discovers that no one in Manhattan believes that
he’s really the Mad Dog of Wadiya.
So, he ironically ends up dependent
on the charity of Zoey (Anna Faris), a human rights activist who was part of a
demonstration protesting his arrival in the Big Apple. The plot thickens when
Aladeen is forced to see how the other half lives. The question then arises
whether he will finally develop empathy for the common people he so heartily
despises.
That is the
deliberately-preposterous premise of The Dictator, the latest mockumentary
starring the terminally-irreverent Sacha Baron Cohen. To give you an idea of
how this flick stacks up against the naughty bad boy’s earlier offerings, it is
far funnier than the abysmal Bruno (2009), yet fails to match the incessant
hilarity of the brilliant Borat (2006).
Nonetheless, the movie has no
shortage of memorable moments, from the opening credits dedication ”In loving
memory of Kim Jong-il” clear through the closing credits scene where the
patrilineal protagonist asks his pregnant wife whether she’s “having a boy or
an abortion.” The picture’s politically-incorrect brand of tomfoolery is
typified by the skit in the trailer, where Aladeen shoots his competitors to
prevent them from passing him on the track while running a 100 yard-dash.
As long as you’re open-minded enough
to stomach shocking displays of ethnic intolerance and stereotyping like Asians
being teased about confusing the letter ‘l’ with the letter ‘r’, Arabs being
referred to as sand monkeys, and Jews having urine poured on their heads,
you’re apt to get a kick out of this equal-opportunity offender.
Very Good
(3 stars)
Rated R for profanity, violent images, crude humor, ethnic slurs,
graphic sexuality and full-frontal male nudity.
Running time: 83 minutes
Distributor:
Paramount Home Media Distribution
2-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Unrated version in
HD;theatrical version in HD; deleted and extended scenes; Larry King interview;
“Your Money’s on the Dresser” music video; and more.
To see a trailer for
The Dictator, visit:
1 comment:
I saw this movie in theatres and thought that it was pretty good then, though you are right about it offending EVERYONE. Recently a co-worker at Dish and I happened to be talking about it, and we couldn’t stop laughing at every scene we mentioned. Maybe it is one of those movies that are better on the 2nd or 3rd viewing. I think I’m going to order the Blue Ray version from Blockbuster @Home today so I can watch it again. That way I can check out all of the extras without having to actually buy the Blue Ray.
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