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Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, Sayed Badreya, Jason Mantzoukas ... see more see more... , Michele Berg , Liam Campora , Aasif Mandvi , Rizwan Manji , Rick Chambers , Adeel Akhtar , Horatio Sanz , Rocky Citron , Justo Usin , Joey Slotnick , Ian Roberts , Chris Parnell , Jessica St. Clair , David Wolos Fonteno , Anna Katarina , Michael G. Delaney , William Fowle , Bobby Lee , Olek Krupa , Alan Cox , Kevin Corrigan , Mitchell Green , Jenny L. Saldańa , George Bartenieff , Chris Gethard , Fred Armisen , Elena Goode , Dawn Zimniak , Danielle Burgio , Dominique DiCaprio , Maria Victoria Beltran , Aja Frary , Naz Homa , Elsayed Mohamed , Fred Melamed , Sean T. Krishnan , Eliyas Qureshi , Chris Elliot , Jon Glaser , Daniel Burress , Pete Wiggins , Adam Le Fevre , Marceline Hugot , Anthony Mangano , Melissa Francis , Tim J. Ellis , Michael Hardart , Miriam Tolan , Zachary Mackiewicz , J.B. Smoove , Hollis Granville , Ann Dev'Unay , Sondra James , Tara Copeland , Sydney Berry , Kathryn Hahn , Seth Morris , Kate Pak , Regina Anne Rizzo , Tracey Ruggiero , Karl Jacob , Marcia Debonais , Nasim Pedrad , Mousa Kraish , Neimah Djourabchi , Sevan Greene , Nadav Malmud , Fred North , Fred Hanna , William Richards , Marc Wolff , Cordell King , Megan Fox , John C. Reilly

The heroic story of a North African dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed. -- (C) Paramount

Flixster Users

57% liked it

69,826 ratings

Critics

59% liked it

186 critics

R, 1 hr. 23 min.

Directed by: Larry Charles

Release Date: May 16, 2012

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Flixster Reviews (2,628)

  • fb791220692
    May 29, 2012
    fb791220692
    The Dictator contains some very funny jokes. Too bad you have to sit through a bad movie to hear them...
  • aquateen2
    May 29, 2012
    aquateen2
    [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img]

    It's more polished and less outrageous than Borat. But that can be seen as either good or bad, depending on your expectations of Sacha Baron Cohen, personally I laughed a lot. Narratively, it's wildly un... read moreeven, but it's also got a decent script and an expectedly engrossing performance from Sacha Baron Cohen as General Aladeen. Truthfully, I was very hesitant going to see it, and I wasn't expecting to laugh much because of the mixed audience reactions. To be honest I dont know what everyone is complaining about. The Dictator demonstrates Baron Cohen as a comedian, who can write prepared material and execute it with ease. I found the celebirty cameo's amusing and it's more light-hearted approach quite welcoming. I'll admit some of the gags miss the punch line, but it is as a whole, of a higher quality than most churned out American comedies, and doesn't give away all the hilarious moments in the trailer. It's better than Ali G Indahouse and shares, in some ways, a heritage to Borat. Basically, it's a fun comedy flick, and both the political satire and toilet-humour works well. Aladeen motherf**ker!
  • fb1576983399
    May 28, 2012
    fb1576983399
    This movie has a handful of laughs and a decent story, but doesn't have you falling out of your seat. This is just a silly Cohen movie to watch when you have nothing better to do and just need a couple laughs. Don't go in expecting too much and you won't regret it.
  • phubbs1
    May 27, 2012
    phubbs1
    In this overly PC world (and ultra PC UK) Sacha Baron Cohen is an exhilarating breath of fresh air that is most welcome. This new film isn't quite as good as his previous films, 'Bruno' being the best for me, 'Borat' coming second and lastly 'Ali G' but this is only down to 'Ali ... read moreG' needing a better film, the character is probably his best creation.

    As for 'The Dictator' its a stirling effort in harsh political satire, more typical stereotypes and vulgar verbal humour but the approach lets it down. 'Bruno' and 'Borat' were brilliant because they were basically a collection of individual embarrassing real time sketches that humiliated other people of Cohen himself, these were all linked together to make a general plot.

    This new film goes down the route of 'Ali G' by having a rather poor plot, it seems to run along the same lines as 'Coming to America' albeit a completely racist, sexist, bigotry filled version hehe. So the 'proper' story route doesn't really work as well for Cohen's skills if you ask me but there are still some great comical cringe worthy scenes to be seen. The language of John C. Reilly's character in his scenes are really quite unbelievable! your thinking...'should I be laughing at this? is it OK?...hmmm no ones looking, yeah it should be OK'.

    I enjoyed it but its not the best he's done, the beginning was good when he was all powerful and the sequences where he is getting used to life not being all powerful were also good but it lags through the middle and the happy-ish ending spoils it a little. End of the day you all should know what to expect from Cohen and you all know he doesn't beat around the bush, this guy has balls!. Its offensive and in your face so only watch if you like the guy, simple really.
  • fb1038944442
    May 25, 2012
    fb1038944442
    The Dictator is a grab bag of vulgar, often hilarious comic set pieces, most of which hit their target and many which miss by miles. Sasha Baron Cohen's first all scripted film suffers from the lack of 'comedy docu-verite' which worked to such effect in Borat, and to a lesser e... read morextent in Bruno.

    It's the story of a brutal North African dictator Colonel Admiral Aladeen, who is giving a speech at the U.N. in New York. The plan is to have him assassinated, by the CIA, which fails. The plot is hatched by his right hand man, his disloyal cousin Tamir (Ben Kingsley). He will be switched and replaced by an ignorant lookalike goat loving shepard (Cohen again) who will do his cousin's bidding. In this case,the plan is sell out the oilfields of his country to evil corporate interests. Of couse the assination fails, and Aladeen is befriended and falls in love (sort of) with an organic grocer hippy chick with unshaved armpits (Anna Faris). The story is taken up with Aladeen, now beardless, learning what life is like for average joes and his bungling as he plots to regain his throne.

    The target is an obvious one, and hitting it is like shooting fish in a barrel. The inspirations for the lead character, (Ghadaffi, Jong Il and Saddam) are gone, so the humour is actually quite safe and easy. Further, Cohen doesn't touch the Islamic issue with a ten foot pole, (short of a few Bin Laden references) and though I understand why he chose not to tread in this minefield, it does feel like the film is missing something. Cohen uses pidgin Hebrew to replace Arabic, but no attention is drawn to it, so it never gets edgy. Further, the brutal dicatator is revealed to be a paper tiger who has never actually made good on his desire to put any of his enemies to death, despite his bad intentions. This defangs the bite of the humour considerably.

    Director Larry Charles has a deft hand with humour and does as well as possible. Supporting actors Kingsley and Faris do professional, effective work but are not that memorable. The supporting characters who shine are uncredited John C. Reilly as a gung ho torturing CIA agent, and Jason Mantzoukas as a disgraced and subversive nuclear scientist.

    The Dictator is full of great jokes and physical and bathroom humour. When jokes don't work, which happens frequently, just wait, something funny will come along before you know it. Overall the tone is patchy and the ryhthms are inconsistent, but whatever does work is still funnier than nine out of ten of filmed 'comedies' that are released by Hollywood. If you've never seen Baron Cohen in action, it's as good a place to start as any. It will be interesting to see what Sasha can possibly take in his next film outing. It will have to be something pretty fresh.
  • fb100000145236770
    May 24, 2012
    fb100000145236770
    "Borat" is one of the funniest movies of the last 10 years, and anytime Sasha Baron Cohen makes a movie, I'm so there. I thought "Bruno" was ok, but I knew he would be back and better, and sure enough he did not fail. "The Dictator" is the story of a dictator from Wadya named A... read moreladeen(yeah, like Aladdin). He comes to America to a U.N. conference to denounce democracy, when he is betrayed. His beard is shaved and a double is put in his place to sign over a new constitution for Wadya, and to implement democracy. He then befriends a woman name Zoe(Anna Faris) and sets off to stop the imposter and make sure that democracy will never happen in his beloved Wadya. If you are offended easy or are sensitive in any way, then do not(I repeat DO NOT) watch this movie. But, if your like me and find humor in all things taboo(sex, religious, racism, sexism) then this is the perfect comedy. Goes perfect next to "Borat" and "Bruno" as both a satire and comedy. I laughed throughout the entire movie, even the music is hilarious. So far, this is by far the best comedy of 2012, and will be hard to top. Want to spend 80 minutes laughing, then this is a good movie to do it to.
  • fb733768972
    May 24, 2012
    fb733768972
    "The Dictator" is rude and offensive 24/7, while still offering a nice helping of Sacha Baron Cohen on the big screen once again. Straying away from his original mockumentary style of filmmaking, he comes on with all barrels blazing, playing a dictator in which everyone in the ci... read morety of New York seems to hate. He is replaced and sentenced to death in order to bring to the people what they want. What the problem for the city is, is that he did not die and now he must devise a plan to get back into his final speech, that will give America what they want, or make them hate him forever. I must say that I laughed pretty hard during this movie, but it didn't move at a fast enough pace for me. "The Dictator" is not much of a film, but it will sure make you laugh!
  • helpahorse
    May 21, 2012
    helpahorse
    Adding review later.
  • fb100002384654145
    May 20, 2012
    fb100002384654145
    Basically Sacha Baron Cohan's version of Adam Sandler's "You Don't Mess with the Zohan". The comedy is just as vulgar and deliberately offensive to everyone as audiences have come to expect from a Cohan effort, but the humor is very uneven. The movie contains hilarious moments ... read morelike a helicopter scene or when Aladeen finds himself delivering a woman's baby. However, the movie contains just as much un-funny bits, like the cliche Middle East gags or the forced celebrity cameo's. The plot holds very little surprises and the film reaches cringeworthy levels of heavy-handed sentimentality during Aladeen's climactic emotional speech. Luckily the movie is only 84 minutes, so it doesn't overstay it's welcome.
  • moonrivers
    May 20, 2012
    moonrivers
    I missed out on the Borat phenomena and the whole Bruno thing, but had heard about it, and so expected to be laffing tears here ... surprise. Many celeb cameos later (and even Anna Faris!) and still I was nodding off. Heavy commercial saturation often is a bad review tell, and ... read morehere it tells the truth.

View All The Dictator Reviews

Critic Reviews

David Denby
May 22, 2012
David Denby, New Yorker

The film has a vicious edge that the Marx Brothers didn't have, and it's too low-minded to achieve their enchanting blend of anarchy and surrealism. Full Review

Joe Morgenstern
May 17, 2012
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Now [Cohen is] turning material both fresh and rancid into tepid gruel. Full Review

Peter Rainer
May 17, 2012
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

On the laughmeter The Dictator is closer to Borat than to the misfired Bruno, which is to say it's funny for about half of its brisk 83 minutes. Full Review

Dana Stevens
May 16, 2012
Dana Stevens, Slate

Most of The Dictator had me neither laughing nor shocked, but just staring at the screen in anxious is-that-all-there-is? silence. Full Review

Christopher Orr
May 16, 2012
Christopher Orr, The Atlantic

A bit scattershot and schticky, the film never quite settles into a consistent comic rhythm. Yet for fans of Baron Cohen's work there are plenty of moments of crass hilarity. Full Review

Randy Cordova
May 16, 2012
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic

For the most part, the movie's rhythms feel slightly off -- there are long stretches without a laugh -- and there is a mean-spirited air to the whole thing. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 16, 2012
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The Dictator starts at outrageous and rockets on from there. Screw the occasional sputter. Full Review

David Edelstein
May 16, 2012
David Edelstein, NPR

The Dictator is loose and slap-happy and full of sharp political barbs and has funny actors moving in and out - and at a lickety-split 83 minutes, it doesn't wear out its welcome. Full Review

Colin Covert
May 16, 2012
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Sacha Baron Cohen's third starring feature, and the first to be fully scripted, is sharp as a scimitar in one scene and wobbly in the next, but it's unfailingly audacious. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
May 16, 2012
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

For once, Baron Cohen has a real script and a supporting cast as skilled at improv as he is. And those complementary elements make a difference. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • General Aladeen: What are Civil Rights?
    • Head Nuclear Scientist: They're hilarious, I'll tell you about them sometime.
    • Zoey: Take out the trash.
    • Aladeen/Efawadh: [throws trash can at taxi cab]
    • Tamir: [to Aladeen] You're wearing Crocs?
    • General Aladeen: I love it when women go to school. It's like seeing a monkey on roller skates -- it means nothing to them, but it's so adorable for us.
    • Doctor: I have some Aladeen news, and some aladeen news. what would you like to hear first?
    • Patient: Aladeen news.
    • Doctor: The aladeen news is that you are HIV aladeen.
    • Store Customer: God, the police are such fascist bastards.
    • Aladeen/Efawadh: Yes, and not even in a good way.
Submit a Fact | View All

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The Dictator Trivia

  • Adolf Hitler banned this Charlie Chaplin film in Germany and all countries occupied by the nazis. However, Hitler did view the movie twice. Upon hearing this, Chaplin said, "I'd give anything to know what he thought of it." Which movie was it?  Answer »
  • Who played the dictator "father" in the sci-fi action flick 'Equilibrium'?  Answer »
  • What was the first dialogue film for Charlie Chaplin?  Answer »
  • In The Last King of Scotland, the dictator Idi Amin (played by Forest Whitaker), was accused of doing what to their enemies?  Answer »
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