Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The Dictator (2012)

This is topic The Dictator (2012) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 05-31-2012, 02:39 PM:

After surviving an assassination attempt before a UN speech, the brutal dictator of Wadiya hides out in a Brooklyn health food store, where he falls in love with the owner and plans his revenge.

I’m going to reveal one joke in this movie to make a point: the dictator General played by Sacha Baron Cohen has a Nintendo Wii. One of the games is “1972 Munich Olympics” where you score points by kicking down doors and shooting Jews. If you are bent over with laughter at that you’ll have a fine time at this picture, because nearly all of the humor exists at that level of sledgehammer tastelessness. There isn’t a shred of real wit in the whole movie. Cohen doesn’t really recognize any boundaries with his material, and while there are some laughs here, humor based on misogyny, anti-Semitism and just plain sick crap can only go so far before it becomes embarrassing to watch. I’m not sure that’s a real comedy triumph. After awhile you wind up pretty numbed by it all, and the film plays long even at just 82 minutes.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-31-2012, 02:53 PM:

quote: Mark Ogden
the dictator General played by Sacha Baron Cohen has a Nintendo Wii. One of the games is “1972 Munich Olympics” where you score points by kicking down doors and shooting Jews.

That's not very believable at all. I mean, what videogame actually uses a score-based system any more? Oh wait, I guess it's technically a sports game.