Iffy for 16+
More envelope-pushing humor from Borat comedian.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Borat creator Sacha Baron Cohen's comedy The Dictator is extremely crass, politically incorrect, ridiculous, silly -- and quite funny. If you have a thick skin, you can't help but laugh at Cohen, who this time doesn't mine the humor found in punking unsuspecting people but instead gets guffaws by playing an extremely over-the-top dictator with campy relish. Expect tons of swearing (including "f--k" and derivations thereof, as well as many derogatory/racist terms) and sexual jokes/references, as well as topless women and a brief flash of full-frontal male nudity. As always, Baron Cohen doesn't shy away from stereotype-based humor that's likely to offend; instead, he embraces it.
- Families can talk about deliberately offensive humor. Does Baron Cohen's brand of stereotype-driven, purposely offensive humor have a larger point, or is it just meant to shock viewers into laughter?
- For all its jokes, does The Dictator have any underlying truths about politics and government?
- How does The Dictator compare to Baron Cohen's other films? Which style do you prefer?
The good stuff
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Messages: Believe it or not, there is a bit of a life lesson amid The Dictator's crude content, rampant stereotyping, and all-around wackiness -- basically, that you shouldn't write anyone off entirely, because in rare cases, there may be hope for even the people who seem the most extreme.
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Role models: Zoey is kind and passionate about human rights and the environment. She's a curious love interest for a dictator, that's for sure, but she certainly has that proverbial heart of gold. Aladeen himself, on the other hand, is offensive, sexist, selfish, violent, and arrogant -- though he's also clearly intended to be a larger-than-life parody. And there's a ton of stereotyping/humor designed to mock specific groups; it's all intended for laughs, but it's guaranteed to offend some viewers.
What to watch for
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Violence: Cartoonish violence with lots of talk (and gestures) about killing people, but no gore. Some scenes involve assassinations and include references to genocide. Aladeen brandishes weapons, and there's a scene in which instruments of torture are discussed at length for their effectiveness. Aladeen is ruthless and quick to order the death of those who have failed him, but not all of his orders are carried out.
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Sex: Aladeen is randy, and so is The Dictator. One scene shows brief full-frontal male nudity; women are also shown topless, and scenes depict masturbation. Lots of references to/suggestions of one-night stands and various sex acts. An early scene shows Aladeen having sex with a famous actress in a prostitution-like exchange; she's very skimpily dressed.
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Language: Language includes frequent use of words including "s--t," "p---y," "f--k," "c--k," "d--k," and "a--hole," as well as tons of derogatory/racist terms.
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Consumerism: Lamborghini, Exxon, BP, Rolex, Polaroid, and a few other brands/labels are name-dropped or shown.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: People drink champagne and other cocktails and liquor at parties. Some smoking shown.
Fan Reviews provided by
5
Hilarious!!! by mavram
This movie is hilarious and loads of fun. You have to have an open mind and a great sense of humor to see this movie and love it. I thought it was clever, very funny, and thoroughly entertaining.
4
The Dictator by missdianahuang
The movie in the beginning played what the trailers showed. However, it was a pretty good movie overall. It created lots of laughter in the theater and was a funny movie in general. I enjoyed the movie & I would say, GO WATCH IT!
1
No Go by zohreh1486
I'm a huge fan and this movie was a complete let down...
5
Fantastic movie: The Dictator by belferradj
My wife and I went and saw this movie yesterday in Torrance Del Amo movies complex. It was the most hilarious movie I have ever seen. My wife and being originally from Algeria, could relate so well to everything that went on and of course to all the nuances made throughout the movie, the traditional characteristics shown throughout, and more than anything else, the attitudes portrayed and the plots...We were also ecstatic that most of the music was sung by Algerian musicians who specialize in Rai music. The movis IS REALLY FANTASTIC!!!!! My wife never cried so hard in her life, we continued laughing driving home and even when we woke up this morning, remembering some of the scenes.
IT IS A DEFINITE MUST SEE!
This movie is going to win big at the next Oscars for sure!
3
just see the trailers by Mr. Newsom
All the best parts were in the trailers. It's hard to laugh at a joke you've already seen ten times. Also a bit preachy. Mildly funny.
4
Enjoyable. by bc6hix
Gratuitous nudity...check
Stupid humor...check
Great movie....check
It was definitely worth seeing, especially if you like low brow humor. And The Dictator also sported a lot of social commentary, in a light hearted way. One of the best movies for this year.
4
Enjoyable-- a straight up comedy with a point. by jjr1567
This is a straight forward comic movie, no ambush interviews, or outrageous characters trapping people into absurd situations, but a standard, and very funny, satire, with a point to make (as all good satire must do). Somewhat unfortunately, many of the funniest moments lost their impact because they were seen in the trailers (the trashcan thrown into traffic, the helicopter scene, etc). The movie is sloppy enough that anyone could enjoy it, and smart enough for those following the news to appreciate the points he is making.
5
One of the funniest movies ever!! by nng
The trailers don't do this movie justice...it was FUNNIER than I had expected, and was so hilarious I couldn't stop laughing/crying. Every minute/moment was full of witty jokes, yes racial jokes but hilarious, mocking/emphasizing racial notions, just overall HILARITY and stupid funny entertainment. The best part was that it wasn't just stupid humor, it was stupid humor done intelligently, and so well and it made the movie so entertaining hilarious and enjoyable. cohen mocked and used every racial or racist concept possible, but did it so well. It was over the top funny crazy funny on another level movie... the concept of a 'stupid guy' playing the dictator's double made it even crazier as cohen even played himself, playing the stupid guy imitating the dictator...every minute of this movie was over the top crazy funny...don't miss it and it's not one you just want to check out once....
5
Loved it!!! by LatinDancer_Khan
Some of the things that was said are pretty typical of the region and it's just so funny to me that how it was mentioned. After I watched the trailer I knew I would want to watch it. My Jewish friend didn't seem to like it so much. She thought it was ok, but I definitely give it 2 thumbs up.
Couple of parts of the movie was a bit weak, but over all it was really good.
If you haven't watched it, you should definitely go -- just to laugh and enjoy a good evening.
3
The Dictator was "Okay"..... by renatadash
The Dictator was better than the two other movie flops we saw this summer (What to Expect When You're Expecting and Rock of Ages) but it was only "okay". Parts of it were pretty funny and we laughed quite a bit, but it could have been so made so much funnier. There was a birthing part that was really weird and rather gross and inappropriate that really didn't add anything.
Overall, it was really "okay". Not fantastic, but not a total waste. Not a waste of money to see it, but it also wouldn't be a bad idea to wait to see it on DVD if you want to see it.