Elaine HuangIs UrbanWire the only one to think that Hafez Aladeen is actually a word play on Half-ass Aladdin?
The scene where star Sacha Baron Cohen as the heavily bearded despot in The Dictator rides a camel with an entourage looks like it was ripped off Disney’s Aladdin, who was also known as Prince Ali in the cartoon, a possible nod to Cohen’s first comedic role as Ali G.
This could all be a case of over-analysis, of course. Because while wit, under the guise of stupidity, and satire have been ingredients of earlier Cohen characters like Brit white rapper Ali G, Kazakhstan Borat and Austrian Bruno, much of the laughs have also been milked by desperate sight gags as Borat’s mankini and politically incorrect jibes such as the flamboyant homosexual, Bruno.
More of where that came from are obvious in The Dictator, which casts the Cambridge grad turned comedian as the military head of Widiya, a made-up North African country.
Directed by Larry Charles, the man also behind Borat and Brüno, this Cohen vehicle, promises more side-splitting humour. However, Cohen has surpassed himself again, making The Dictator his best comedy film.
Though Aladeen is anti-Western, in his quest to stop democracy from coming to his beloved country, Cohen tells MTV News in an interview done in character done as publicity for the movie that he is a huge supporter of Snooki, a cast member of MTV hit reality show, Jersey Shore, and his favourite American star is none other than the infamous Kim Kardashian. The irony, wit and lack of political correctness spread throughout the movie (Aladeen, “Ah, America – The birthplace of AIDS!) leaves UrbanWire eager for more of these humourous tidbits.
The catchy soundtrack in the movie, ‘Aladeen, motherf*cker!’ plays in the background as the oppressive ruler of Wadiya rides a camel down 5th Avenue, New York. The sheer incongruity of the scene is an example of the ridiculous satire that director Charles is capable of showing us.
Leaving his majestic palace to address the council at the UN Headquarters, while the whole world crosses their fingers and waits in anticipation that he will suddenly embrace democracy, Aladeen gets kidnapped, replaced with an imposter, and his beard is shaven off. Without his signature frizzy facial hair, the tyrant is just another Wadiyan on the streets of America on a journey to regain his rightful position.
Though not great or particularly impressive, it is hilarious. Perhaps a tad too relatable, compared to the likes of Kim Jong-Il and Saddam Hussein, the despot has absolutely no regard for anyone else’s opinion. He does, however, have a mind to be diplomatic about it in front of his subject, smiling at them but as he walk past them, he does a little signature hand gesture, ordering them to be beheaded. He almost prides himself on being prejudiced towards everyone else, playing violent virtual games with Semitics as targets and reproaching Zoey, a woman who ends up being a integral part of his life, to shave her armpits.
If you’re looking for a brilliant plot or anything more sensible, you can keep your money for another movie. The Dictator is as obvious as it sounds: crude, crass and laugh out loud hilarious. Don’t bother buying popcorn though; you’ll be too busy cackling with laughter at Aladeen’s silly antics such as when he attempted to throw a baby girl into the bin, looking very disappointed, to even munch on anything.
The Dictator has been rated M18 for sexual humour and nudity. To be taken with a truckload of salt, the comedy treads on very sensitive topics such as racism, sexism and civil rights with wit and satire.
Rating: 3/5
Release Date: Jun 14
Runtime: 83 mins
Language: English
Genre: Comedy
Director: Larry Charles
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Fred Melamed