At first glance, The Dictator may seem like the same old same old from Sacha Baron Cohen – like his previous movies Borat and Bruno, it too has a heavily-accented foreigner with a knack for inappropriate behaviour and shocking statements running amok in America.
But while this story of arrogant North African despot Admiral General Aladeen, stripped of his identity (and magnificent beard!) and forced to fend for himself in New York City, may cover somewhat familiar territory, it also shows that nobody does it better than Baron Cohen, who has an uncanny ability to navigate the boundaries of bad taste – and occasionally cross them – without alienating the audience. That said, a few folks may take offence at The Dictator's more outrageous moments but any worthwhile comedy is always gonna ruffle a few feathers. For the most part, though, this is a wildly funny culture-clash comedy with an adorably anarchic and irreverent streak.
