In loving memory of Kim Jong, this film follows Dictator General Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) as he risks his life to protect his country, Wadiya, from becoming a democracy at a time of nuclear threat to the world. Far out in the Aladeen desert in a facility overrun by cows his nuclear physicists are constructing a warhead. This time pointed since the last one was round and that physicist lost his life by the command of General Aladeen. Warheads are more threatening pointed rather than round, making more of a statement to the world that Wadiya means trouble.
General Aladeen always travels with a double since his life is always in danger of assassination. His guards are all hot women and he does with them as he pleases especially in his royal bedroom surrounded by stuffed exotic animals. There goes the loyal animal audience but then again that is only one of many political and social groups this film is out to offend for the glory of a strong box office. Something I doubt it will see since word of mouth will not be as strong as the amount of sex General Aladeen had with United States celebrities like Megan Fox, Lindsey Lohan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, just to name a few!
ABN, like our CNN, announces that General Aladeen and his aid Tamar (Ben Kingsley) will be traveling to New York City to meet with the United Nations about signing a constitution to claim Wadiya under the rule of a democracy. One problem, someone is out to kill General Aladeen and switch his body so as to sign the constitution, something the Dictator had no intension on doing. Escaping his torture, the General is stripped of his beard and clothes, found walking the streets of NYC. While watching his idiot impostor pose as the General he creates a riot which leads to him meeting Zoe (Anna Faris) who owns Free Earth Collective and of course is a true democratic supporter.
His impostor is staying at the Lancaster Hotel and General Aladeen needs a way in with the help of a dead man he once knew in Wadiya and possibly the woman with the hairy armpits, Zoe. He has three days to plan a way in but while spending time in Brooklyn he not only begins to understand the American way of life, birth, sex and love but also that underneath that hard posterior of his there may just actually be a nice guy. Maybe! Well one year later life in Wadiya has truly taken a turn for the better or worse!
I can’t say I was disappointed that the film is short since it doesn’t quite measure up to his other comedies. Yes he pokes fun at every political and social aspect in the world, sometimes going a bit too far but then again it would not be a Sacha Baron Cohen film he didn’t attack every country, race, religion, gender, orientation, the list could go on. Of course he once again flashes the jewels and I must say the birth scene is quite interesting to say the least. Opps I got a call let me check my vagina! The humor is somewhat dry and always harsh but I must admit the best moments are in the trailers and some of those moments are not even in the film. The films direction and writing seems a bit amateurish in its delivery but the photography and score is well done. Overall I thought the film lacked good dialogue and fluidity making it come across as if it were rushed into a theatre release date.
Cohen just didn’t seem on his mark with this one from his accent to his demeanor it all seemed a bit lackluster compared to his other works. Faris is always a treat for me but the relationship between her and Cohen seemed a bit strained and uncoordinated at times. Kingsley is truly a favorite of mine in the acting category but I think his talents were truly wasted here. There are a lot of cameos, news clips and references going on throughout the film but throughout it all I’d have to say don’t run out to spend your hard earned American cash to sit in a theatre for less than an hour and half to watch something that’s worth waiting for on DVD. Written and somewhat complimented for his many political statements about mankind but I can only give this film one and a half paws out of four. An animal lover myself of course, the stuffed exotics were a bit much, more so than his relevant statements about mankind’s stupidity. I wonder what PETA will have to say. I’m Jon Patch.
