Trailer For Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator, In Which He Plays A Gaddafi-Like Ruler, Looks Amazing

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by Jon Bershad | 12:39 pm, December 14th, 2011

» 12 comments

We don’t post too many movie trailers on this site (just campaign ads horribly edited to look like them), but this one certainly caught our attention. Sacha Baron Cohen AKA the Hairy Chameleon (a nickname I just made up) has done a pretty great job so far of making satires that perfectly parody elements of our society. Borat took on American xenophobia and ignorance of foreign cultures while Bruno tackled homophobia. His skill at choosing timely targets appears to be as strong as ever as the trailer for his latest movie, The Dictator, arrived today. In it, Baron Cohen plays General Aladeen, a dictator of a fictional Middle Eastern country very much like any of the rulers who seem to be dropping like flies these days.

The new movie drops the mockumentary/prank element of Baron Cohen’s last two movies and goes for a straight narrative, which is probably a good thing (no matter how big a beard he grows, people kind of know what he looks like now). Still, his pointed and sometimes tasteless sense of humor remains in check. For example, at one point in the trailer, Baron Cohen’s character visits America and is advised by a smiling John C. Reilly that he should try to visit the Empire State Building “before you or one of your cousins takes it down.” Yikes.

And Baron Cohen hasn’t completely left out the use of real world elements. The trailer employs some well-chosen and well-edited clips of President Obama and Hillary Clinton to make it absolutely clear just who the movie is parodying.

We’re pretty excited about this. In fact, this is the first time in a while that the appearance of the great Sir Ben Kingley in a comedy hasn’t filled us with dread. We don’t want to set our expectations too high, but we’d love to see Baron Cohen pull off some kind of modern day The Great Dictator.

However, this movie, presumably, will have much more male full-frontal nudity than Charlie Chaplin ever used.

Watch the trailer below:

(h/t HuffPo)

Muammar Gaddafi, Sacha Baron Cohen, The Dictator

http://twitter.com/jtanglewood76 realist

Scripted? Eh, where is the “reality” part? Lame.
Anonymous

I loved Borat’s first film, absolutely hated the second (literally can’t stand watching it), this one looks pretty good. As horrible as it was in real life, for comedic value I hope he includes the ‘ending’ (stick)
Anonymous

liked borat, bruno was ok but it was pretty much all gay jokes. Hopefully he goes the extra mile with this one.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LDO6LIQBI2JQ4Q5MWLWBKGKSJY bensanity

I can’t help but think how Mediaite would portray this if it had been a Muslim portraying a Jewish leader. But I guess then Hollywood wouldn’t greenlight that film
http://twitter.com/TommyBennett Tom Bennett

Cohen is a brilliant satirist. period.
Anonymous

The only good thing about this “story” is that it acts as a warning for those of us who wish to avoid this movie.

For that, thanks!
Darr247

Heh… Kingsley was in Hugo with Sacha, too.
Anonymous

Looks about as funny as getting thrown off a horse onto a bed of spikes.

“Mr. Cohen sir I’m so sorry to bother you but we need you to get out of your Olympic swimming pool sized- vat of cash for a few minutes and help us make the next lame rehash. It’ll only take 10 minutes we’ve already made the rough outline we just need your tacit approval via a series of semi-conscious nods of the head. We’ll take care of everything else”

“OKAI”

“Hahaha he said it in the Borat voice. HAHAHAH well done Mr Cohen you’ve still got it sir! AHAHAH *10 mins of fake hollywood exec laughter*”
Anonymous

Cohen is obsessed with everything Arab and everything Muslim, somewhat of a racist one would have to think

Having said that, Kadhafi was one of a kind, Cohen’s satirical portrayal would not be far off from the real character
http://twitter.com/martingorilla marty

Ah America – birthplace of AIDS
http://profile.yahoo.com/HQCQAYNWNSX6VAVJ63HXKTNR3E Tim1974

I am sick and tired of all the male frontal nudity only. It has become a huge double standard. If there is not an equal amount of female frontal nudity I won’t be seeing this piece of garbage and I hope many non emasculated heterosexual males will skip it also. It is about time that there is some nudity equality !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://profile.yahoo.com/BTA4X7DG66UEP6YDQ4NZZQDIBY Atif

He is known for playing four characters, and three of them are Muslim — all the butt of his jokes. Pretty racist to me. As Chomsky has said, the Arabs are the only people one can be racist againt today in America.