Plot
The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.
Release Year: 2012
Rating: 7.2/10 (5,221 voted)
Critic's Score: 59/100
Director:
Larry Charles
Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley
Storyline Haffaz Alladeen is the bizarre dictator of the oil-rich African nation of Waadeya. Alladeen is as egotistical and ruthless as dictators come, executing anyone who disagrees with him using his signature "head chop" signal. Alladeen is summoned by the UN to address their concerns about his nuclear program.
Writers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen
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Aladeen
/
Efawadh
Sayed Badreya
-
Omar
Michele Berg
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Aladeen's Mother
Rocky Citron
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Baby Aladeen
Liam Campora
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Aladeen Age 6
Aasif Mandvi
-
Doctor
Rizwan Manji
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Patient
Rick Chambers
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Newscaster Voiceover
(voice)
Elsayed Mohamed
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Wadiyan Olympic Official
Adeel Akhtar
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Maroush
Horatio Sanz
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Aide on Balcony
Ben Kingsley
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Tamir
Elena Goode
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Virgin Guard
Nazanin Homa
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Virgin Guard
Dawn Zimniak
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Virgin Guard
Trivia: Episode #17.100 reveals Aladeen's first name to be Shabazz.
Quotes:
[from trailer]
General Aladeen:
Is there any way you could lend me some money? Maybe... 20 million dollars?
User Review
Its funny but you might feel guilty laughing and you will need a shower afterwards
Rating:
I saw a preview screening of this in London.
As expected from Sacha's previous outings and trailers, this film is in
extremely bad taste with plenty of filth, blatant offence (disguised as
naivety) of every race, gender, age, animal, disability, sexual
orientations, terrorism and politics. Sacha gets away with it because
no one is left out. No one, including white folks and straight men.
Actually, I lie. I don't know how the hell he gets away with it. The
important question is, though, is it funny? Yeah...mostly.
There are enough roll in the isle moments to make this worth the ticket
but there are also plenty of misfired jokes too, some of which really
makes you groan but that's to be expected for a relentless joke firing
machine which incidentally has (perhaps mercifully) a short run time of
84mins.
Another burning question I ask myself, while watching this is do I feel
guilty laughing at some of the offencive jokes? Yes I do, my guilty
conscience raises its ugly head but then I realise (or perhaps I'm just
making excuses) that I am laughing at the Dictator's naivety and
hilarious sense of misplaced morality while others around him frown at
his demeanours.
This is a departure from the Borat, Ali G, and Bruno stable. With those
previous films, real people are sought after and ridiculed by
scrutinising their reactions and moral bases. This film, however is
purely fictitious, Naked Gun style comedy very much similar to Eddie
Murphy's Coming to America with obviously a lot lot less subtlety.
However, Sacha's Dictator has pretty much the same political
correctness that Borat has but with more hilarious Dictatorship
cravings such as executing anyone that annoys him.
A good supporting cast thankfully gives this zany film a little bit
more variety, particularly Anna Francis, comically playing off the
Dictator's character who frankly dominates almost every frame (as I
guess a dictator would). John C Reilly also gives a short but hilarious
turn. And then there are a few special cameo celebrity guest
appearances (or victims, rather) sprinkled around.
There are a couple of moments political satire that stands out in
hilarity and I wish there was more of it. Alas, it seems vulgarity is
more favoured.
So if you have no guilty conscience, welcome vulgarity and all things
"un-pc" with open arms, do not despise Sacha Cohen Baron and are
willing to kiss his armpits (last one is optional), then I reckon you
will enjoy this film. For me, filthy films are not my normal cup of
tea, nevertheless I did enjoy this but I need a long shower after
watching it.
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