The biggest issue with The Dictator is a lack of conviction. This is a new character for Sir Sacha Baron Cohen, and you can tell throughout that he hasn’t fully fleshed him out in the same manner he did with Brüat. Because of that, The Dictator character doesn’t seem as sure-handed as his Ali G Show characters, which I feel makes it the slightest entry of his three American theatrical releases (it is better than the Ali G movie).

 

What’s good here is that Sacha proves he can work within the constraints of a completely scripted film. Maybe there was some improv-play between actors, but the scenes play as if they’re almost entirely staged….and that’s good. Also, he does a fine job pushing the edge of the PG-13 comedy. I know this is R rated, but cut 1-2 things and it could’ve been just as good in real money-making territory (at least it’s more R rated than Bridesmaids). Maybe it’s just my affected youth, but I didn’t find any of the humor as offensive as Brüno or Borat. I mean if Fat Limbaugh can get air-play, it’s about as R rated as THAT shit….with some FUCK bombs dribbled throughout….and a dick…..and milked breasts. So…yeah.

 

 

The movie is essentially the greatest Daily Show sketch or Onion article ever made, and that’s mainly because it has the balls to just come out and say goofy shit instead of coyly poking fun at something like Jon Stewart going “See…see…see….look how dumb that is,” like a pussy. Also, it’s funny…which is something the Onion has never been interested in. It’s brisk as fuck, gets your ass in and out before you’ve had a chance to fart up the seat and make the next person wonder about the weird smell. And I dug that. Comedies have been Apatowed too much these days and feel the need drag it on past 90 minutes for whatever reason. Also, it has a cinematic sense to it, something most comedy directors outside of Todd Phillips and Adam McKay don’t feel is important. The way they shot New York was at times, beautiful. You KNEW that was the real deal, not some fucking pisshole 4-block town that was standing in for New York like that Avengers thing.

 

 

Speaking of the epic scale….there is one letdown. Brother SBC was on Howard Stern and claimed he had never seen Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. Yeah yeah….and I haven’t taken a shit in the past 3 hours either. I’m not saying this is a complete knock-off, it’s a slight knock-off…..and there is a crucial speech at the end that made me think SOMEONE writing this fucking thing loved that Chaplin classic. And it’s the location of that speech that’s a letdown….after all this large scale shit, this big closing moment takes place in what looks like a fucking Residence Inn conference room. I wish they had gone more epic and kept that giant ass New York scale.

 

 

I mean, this fucking thing had all the makings of another Love Guru….it even has some of the same co-stars. But SBC was smart, he kept the budget small, put some thought into the character and stayed focused. You’ll laugh a lot during this movie and you won’t be quoting it to death like Borat, which is nice. You’ll probably forget most of the jokes….they’re mostly quick jibs here and there and funny little practical things, that come and go quickly. Which is good, America’s gonna need a good laugh after they realize Avengers pretty much destroyed American cinema as we know it.

Also, in the end The Dictator has an appropriate message….how we’re all just sorta fucked.

 

Bale bless.