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The Dictator

What it's about:

General Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) is the leader of the fictional state of the Republic of Wadiya. His nuclear weapons programme has left the United Nations feeling nervous. They invite the dictator to talks in New York with the hope of signing an agreement that will ensure peace. However, once they get to the US his cousin and lieutenant Tamir (played by Ben Kingsley) has other plans and orders his kidnapping while he signs away Wadiya's oil deposits. Aladeen hides his identity on the way to reclaiming his throne.

What we thought:

Sacha Baron Cohen has done it again. His type of comedy has been unsettling the status quo since Ali G made the town of Staines famous. Cohen's movies are crack-a-minute type of comedy that leaves even the most open-minded souls cringing at their profanity and general anti-social behaviour.

Every joke or insult one has ever wished to throw at the likes of Saddam Hussein, Gaddaffi and Ben Ali, is likely to be in this movie. There are no sacred cows and even the West gets a bashing in a speech at the end of the movie when Aladeen sarcastically ridicules democracy.

He tells the audience at the press conference to continue supporting democracy because a select group of elites will keep making the decisions on their behalf. It is a hilarious speech that is cut short by the emergence of love interest Zoey (played by Anna Faris) who has come to stop Aladeen.

He changes his speech to speak about reconciliation and peace and ends up as a hero in the eyes of the West. However, this only comes after he has offended everyone he meets.

The Dictator is not witty comedy in the league of movies like Due Date and The Hangover movies.

Rather, it is crude comedy in a league of its own and maybe a bit like our own Leon Schuster’s movies that deal with the same (toilet) issues. It is more political and pokes fun at current events that one can easily interlink between the movie and the depicted situations.

The dictator, Aladeen, is a mix up of the world’s most notorious political figures which makes for hilarious viewing once one realises the same qualities in the character. The movie caters to anyone who likes their comedy less intelligent and grosser. However, anyone with an intact sense of humour will enjoy it.

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