Customer Reviews

The Dictator (DVD + Digital Copy)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

While The Dictator maintains it's satire with a rude & crude approach to it's humour, which won't be to everyone's tastes, it's very much more conventional as a movie than Sacha Baron Cohen's predecessors in Borat & Bruno. In that is very much more a structured movie with a traditional plot with a beginning , middle & ending, as opposed to the TV camera crew following a set of outrageous moments with random people.

The plot is quite simple, Sacha Baron Cohen plays the eccentric dictator of the North African nation of Wadiya, Aladeen. While his 2nd in command who should had been the next in line to the throne, Tamir (Ben Kingsley -Gandhi), plots to overthrow him. As his latest assassination attempt fails , Tamir decides to take Aladeen out of his comfort zone to America, to address the United Nations, and have him assassinated there, while Aladeen's double will make Wadiya a democracy on World T.V & profit from the oil rights himself. But things don't go quite to plan, as a de-bearded Aladeen runs amok in New York to great comical ends, in a life affirming experience as he meets & falls in love with the beautiful hairy boy child Zoey (Anna Faris -Scary Movie). Comedy & mayhem ensue as Aladeen runs into people with totally different beliefs to his own.

Overall i found The Dictator to be an hilarious movie with many comedy set pieces, i felt offended & shocked in places but i couldn't help but laugh, although some of the jokes fell flat, like the Wadiya meaning of positive & negative for example. On the flip side it was very clever & great satire on real life. The running jokes in the film had me in stitches, especially Bobby Lee (Harold & Kumar) as the Chinese delegate who has a penchant for American Hollywood actors who will do anything for money apparently. And Aladeen's own trophy wall of celebs, with cameo's by Megan Fox & Edward Norton bringing this to fruition. John C.Reilly (Step Brothers) as a racist US government agent, had an hilarious torture scene with Aladeen. Sacha Baron Cohen is hilarious in the lead, while Ben Kingsley's role is quite reserved in comparison, yet his gravitas is welcome to give the villain that serious edge required to counterbalance things & Anna Faris is right at home with her comic rapport with Cohen.

In conclusion, i found the more traditional film approach of The Dictator an easier transition back into the genius of Sacha Baron Cohen's work. For those who prefer his more edgy Bruno/Borat shock T.V style this may seem like Sascha selling out to Hollywood with a mainstream approach & probably be a little disappointed. Recommended.

The Dictator did not get good reviews from the critics but I found it very funny and had some real truths between the lines. In my opinion it beats the Borat films. It was funny and had a story line which supported this type of humour. Dont pe judge the film by its title. Its not just taking a pot shot at the obvious but just about everyone in the political spectrum. Great Film, saw it in Cinema and thats why I wanted a copy so I could have a good laugh now and again.

I'm a big Cohen fan. I really enjoy all his characters and all his movies. In my opinion he is the Charlie Chaplin of today. Yes, Chaplin was a genius and a better filmmaker, but Cohen is (for me) the only comedy actor that sends a deep and true message throw his jokes.

The extended cut is great and it's worth to see 15 more minutes of General Aladdin and his hilariuos adventures. You really get two movies for the price of one.

The cover is great, the sound and image are perfect and the extras add, even more, to thos great comedy.

I've already seen it a dozen times and i pretend to keep on watching these movie every time i need a good laugh.

i believe that the quality off this product is really good. it comes with a paper sleeve to slot the plastic case of the disc into.

A few funny moments and to my mind a relatively original idea but for me it wasnt a laugh out loud film. Not as good as his others.

A classic film. Bad taste. Bad jokes. Top performance. Loved it.

In terms of cringe worthy did he really say that, it falls half way between Borat and Bruno

Really funny film, would highly recommend it to anyone who liked Borat and/or Bruno. A truly great story on the life of Admiral General Aladeen.

Some Hollywood careers are nothing more than a flash in the pan, but when that flash consists of a few $5 million paycheques, actors probably don't mind so much. Sacha Baron Cohen is an actor whose US career threatened to become a Borat size 15 minutes of fame, but some dalliances into musicals and straight movies have helped him calve out his own niche. Therefore, why go back to something like `The Dictator', a film that incorporates the crass humour of `Ali G' and `Bruno' once more, but with a difference?

Whilst Cohen's most famous creations make fun of real people, `The Dictator' is a straight comedic movie. It is the fish out of water tale of Aladeen, dictator of The Republic of Wadiya, who finds himself abandoned and beardless in the USA. Imagine `Coming to America', but with Eddie Murphy playing fewer parts and even more off colour jokes. As a comedic presence Cohen is once more brilliant. He is a comedic method actor, really immersing himself in the role. Some of the best moments in the film feel adlibbed. Aladeen and Nadal's, a former Wadiyan nuclear scientist, conversations are amongst the funniest things in the film.

It is the more structured elements that fall flat. `The Dictator' follows the same rom-com plotline of the likes of `Crocodile Dundee', but wants to be edgy. Following this well-worn path is not going to make you stand out. Anna Faris is also poor in the movie; her comedic chops are being increasingly hampered by what appear to be her growing lips. It is the set piece moments in the film, reminiscent of `Borat', which makes it worth watching; the helicopter ride or trying to shimmy between buildings. The story elements of the film are poor and detract from the comedy.

Large portions of `The Dictator' are set in New York and that city always looks good in BluRay. The extras are also fun as many of them show Cohen staying in character.

It's very silly but my lads found it funny. There are some rude bits with references to masturbation and sex so don't just show it to visiting kids without checking with parents, some people would be offended. Mine (14 and 12) laughed so much and haven't yet turned into society-ruining monsters so I'm fine by it. They still quote from it and fall to pieces. I laughed at some bits, but tired after a while. Then again I'm an old git. Steve Riches, Northampton, UKJ.

great DVD great fun for all .
amazing film and the we loved it
and would watch again & again