Movie Review: THE DICTATOR

Any viewer even vaguely familiar with Sacha Baron Cohen's work in similar, hilariously, politically incorrect atrocities (for most, BORAT comes to mind) would have walked into THE DICTATOR rightfully expecting to laugh hysterically and shake their head disapprovingly, sometimes simultaneously. If that viewer paid the price of admission with that knowledge, then this film satisfies those conditions as only Baron Cohen can; if not, that misguided viewer would probably have been more than a little surprised.

It is impossible to review THE DICTATOR, as with every film starring Sacha Baron Cohen, through a traditional lens.  The movie is short but seems to drag, there is little to no complexity to the plot, and there is zero character development to speak of.  In traditional terms, this is an absolutely terribly made movie and is scarcely defensible.  A purist, like my father, who several years ago walked out of BORAT halfway through, should not deign to watch cinema of so little virtue; often, the traditional critic does not condescend to watch Sacha Baron Cohen's movies at all, except perhaps to write a scathing, uncomplimentary review.

All of that is beside the point:  THE DICTATOR, as well as all of its predecessors, is not meant to be viewed through that traditional lens.  It's meant to make the audience, or at least the members who don't have the maturity to know better, laugh.  All of the films shortcomings and the considerable number of jokes that cannot be described except as floundering duds (though they are outnumbered) are water under the bridge.  In the course of 83 unproductive, essentially wasted minutes, I laughed and laughed often, was on occasion excruciatingly uncomfortable, and was at least twice completely disgusted; that is, the movie achieved its end.  I knew walking into the theater what to expect, and every expectation was fulfilled.  I laughed when Baron Cohen, as Admiral General Aladeen, poured urine all over representatives of the United Nations, laughed at an insensitive AIDS joke, and laughed somewhat more uncomfortably at a borderline antisemitic wisecrack or two; this is where the value of the film begins and ends.

This is not a defense of THE DICTATOR as an excellent movie.  It isn't an excellent movie.  I'm not sure it's even a good one.  All that the previous three paragraphs are intended to point out is that the movie serves its purpose and is in line with anyone's reasonable expectation of what it should have been.  This is by no means a fulfilling film to watch and doesn't deserve to be considered along with films that are.  Some might want the hour and a half that they spent watching this movie back the second they walk out of that theater.  But while you're watching it, THE DICTATOR is, at least in parts, hilarious.  For the right viewer, and at seventeen I am probably the right viewer, it is worth the price of admission.  I rate the movie 6 out of 10, but the degree to which you enjoy it really depends on your personality and mood.  If you really don't have anything better to do, and can withstand the occasional offhand joke that might offend you personally, I recommend that you check it out.