The Dictator

Aladeen for Business

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Rated: R  Strong crude and sexual content, brief male nudity, language and some violent images
Release Date: May 16, 2012
Runtime:  1 hr 23 mins

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Director: Larry Charles
Writers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer
Cast:  Sacha Baron Cohen, Jason Mantzoukas, Ben Kingsley, Anna Faris, Chris Parnell, John C. Riley

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SYNOPSIS: Supreme Leader Aladeen of the North African country of Wadiya travels to New York to address the United Nations and ends up double-crossed and homeless by his closest advisor.

REVIEW: Director Larry Charles. a long-time collaborator with Sasha Baron Cohen who directed both Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Kazakhstan and Brüno, returns to take charge of Cohen's latest project as the misunderstood dictator of the small oil-rich North African country of Wadiya. Written by Cohen, and EuroTrip writers Alec Berg, David Mandel, and Jeff Schaffer, Cohen scraps the faux-documentaries of his past in favor of a scripted story.

Admiral General Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen, Hugo) has grown up from an early age as the dictator of the coastal oil-rich North African country of Wadiya. Undeterred by the United States of America's mandate to search the country for weapons of mass destruction, Aladeen travels to New York City with his advisor Tamir (Ben Kingsley, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time) to address a session of the United Nations. When an assassination attempt on Aladeen's life fails, he finds himself without a beard and outside his entourage. In fact, a stand-in has taken Aladeen's place and is scheduled to act as a puppet to sign a democratic constitution in three days. The real Aladeen must endure the companionship of feminist, eco-friendly, vegan grocery story and caterer entrepreneur Zoey (Anna Faris, What's Your Number?) and former Wadiyan Head of Nuclear Science Nadal (Jason Mantzoukas, Baby Mama) in order to get an opportunity to switch back with his double and regain control of his country.

A fan of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Kazakhstan, but not a fan of Brüno, I went into the theater unsure of what to expect from Sacha Baron Cohen's latest effort. His first large scale scripted film that follows in the same style as Borat and Brüno, Cohen takes on the bigoted, power-hungry role of Supreme Leader Admiral General Aladeen of the North African country of Wadiya. Cohen takes his role of dictator seriously - seriously funny. He is so ludicrous in his perception of his kingdom and the world outside his kingdom, its at times hilarious. He is so enamoured with himself that he thought it a good idea to change over one hundred forty words in the Wadiyian to English language dictionary to his name. So when you go to the doctor to hear the results of an HIV screening, the results could be Aladeen or Aladeen. And when his nuclear head scientist doesn't understand Aladeen's argument to make the nuclear warhead pointy at the top, he gives his security detail the throat-cutting high sign to have the man executed, in the most silly evil dictatorial way he knows how.

When a scripted effort, Cohen surrounds himself with a cast of capable supporting players. Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley emotes minimalism with his understated portrayal of Aladeen's second in command with aspirations of selling the nation's oil reserves for his own ends. Anna Faris brings her bubbly wide-eyed ideals to her granola, vegan, unshaven pit role of Zoey. Chris Parnell provides the blow-by-blow color commentary of the dictator's actions at home and abroad from behind a news desk.  The head of Aladeen's security while in Manhattan, played by John C. Reilly, wears a earbud and his hatred for everything un-American on his sleeve, to comic effect. Jason Mantzoukas, who plays the former Wadiyian head nuclear scientist Nadal and current Wadiyian patriot who just wants to build a uranium-filled bomb, plays well with Cohen's Aladeen, especially when they take a tourist helicopter flight around the city. And Cohen entertains us with a duel role of both the misguided dictator Aladeen and an even more ignorant and naive shepherd-turned-body double Efawadh.

The story seems to serve as a reason for Cohen to embody a man who can rant about the inferiors and about Americans and American politics in general. Cohen's Aladeen does may some relevant and compelling arguments as to the parallels of democracy and dictatorships. Of course, those arguments come between full frontal male nudity and comments about dirty lesbians. But there is a shell of a romance in there as well. For an iron-fisted leader of a nation, Aladeen is a man with impossible wealth and no restrictions who really just wants to cuddle. All the money in the world may get Megan Fox (and many others) into his bed, but that money will not fill up the loneliness in his heart. Faris' Zoey may win his heart because of her ideals and her no nonsense approach to dealing with Aladeen and his idiosyncrasies.

The Dictator is a silly and raunchy exploration how some Americans see parts of the world and how some of the world see the United States. If you are a rabid fan of Sacha Baron Cohen's work and personas, The Dictator is a film for you to put on your 'to see' list. I found myself laughing in spite of myself. Some of the jokes land like a SCUD missile, but others 'paint' the funny bone like laser-targeted bunker busters!   

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WORTH:  Matinee or Rental

21 Jump Street

Vulgar and Hilarious

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Rated: R  Drug material, crude and sexual content, pervasive language, some violence and teen drinking
Release Date: March 16, 2012
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins

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Director:  Phil Lord, Chris Miller

Writers: Michael Bacall, Jonah Hill, based on the television series created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell
Cast:  Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, DeRay Davis, Ice Cube, Chris Parnell, Ellie Kemper

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SYNOPSIS: A pair of over enthusiastic and underachieving are demoted to a defunct police program where they are sent undercover as high school students to discover the source of a synthetic drug ring.

REVIEW: From Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the directors of the soon-to-be classic Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Am I kidding? You be the judge), takes a shot at their first big-screen non-animated adventure. Based on a script and story by Michael Bacall (Project X) and Jonah Hill, and sourced from Stephen J. Cannell and Patrick Hasburgh's 1980s Fox television series of the same name, will 21 Jump Street be a bulls eye or miss the mark entirely?

Insecure geek Schmidt (Jonah Hill, The Sitter) and slacker jock Jenko (Channing Tatum, The Vow) graduate high school without going to prom. Schmidt didn't have a date and Jenko was barred from attending. A few years later, they find themselves face to face again as they both sign up for the Metropolitan City Police Department academy. Schmidt excels at the paperwork, while Jenko uses his muscles and athletics to overcome the obstacle course and shooter ranges. Knowing they can't graduate without the expertise of the other, they team up to get to graduation. Their dreams of car chases, gun fights, and explosions are short-lived as they are assigned to bicycle patrol. When their first bust goes without Miranda and the perp is set free, Deputy Chief Hardy (Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation) demotes the pair to a revived cancelled undercover program due to their youthful appearance headquartered at 21 Jump Street. After a drug-related death of a high school student, Captain Dickson (Ice Cube, Lottery Ticket) assigns Schmidt and Jenko to go undercover as brothers in the same high school to root out the drug's dealers and supplier. Because of a screw-up, Schmidt is put into the breeze classes like Drama and Photography, while Jenko is put into AP Chemistry. Along the way, Schmidt finds himself out of his element as he cozies up to the popular Eco-cool crowd with Eric (Dave Franco, Fright Night) and Molly (Brie Larson, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). Jenko has the same issues while running with the geek squad including members like Zack (Dax Flame, Project X).

If you are looking for the 1987 Fox television series 21 Jump Street that you grew up on, or watched in syndication, you will be both pleased and disappointed. Sure, cops with young-ish looks are thrust into undercover work at the high school level. The tone of the film is completely different from the TV series, leaning to the vulgar and the hilarious over actual dramatic substance. In fact, while keeping with some of the same concepts as from the show, the writers (including Jonah Hill) actually poke fun at those same concepts as well. A cool classic car is included, but Deputy Chief Hardy makes a funny and obvious reference to old retreaded ideas, and chemistry teacher Ms. Griggs (Ellie Kemper, Bridesmaids) and Mr. Walters (Rob Riggle, Big Miracle) have obvious reactions to Jenko's chiseled muscle presence.

Jonah Hill brings his signature style to the role of Schmidt, channeling a bit of Superbad and The Sitter. He's fun to watch, with good comic timing and hilarious wide-eyed expressions. Channing Tatum flexes his comedy muscles as Jonah's athletic straight man, surprising me with his likability beyond his romantic and dramatic efforts. Dave Franco, younger brother to James Franco, carves his own path as the shark-smiled snark drug dealer who, unlike many of his brother's stoner roles, does not use his own product. Riggle tries to be the mature one as one of the teachers, voluming down his manic nature a notch or two. Also notable is Ice Cube's Captain Dickson who embraces the angry African American police captain stereotype.

21 Jump Street is a hilarious farce that pays homage to the Stephen J. Cannell source material. Typical genre stereotypes are embraced or put on end. Throughout the film, laughter follows hilarious disgust and funny prat falls. Filled with phallic references, dry humping, coarse language and some nudity, fans of The Hangover and the American Pie series will be doubling over in laughter at this re-envisioned take of the original. As evident from the trailer, even Holly Robinson Peete makes an appearance with a reprised role of Officer Judy Hoffs.  

21 Jump Street is a great enjoyable surprise. I knew from the trailers that it was angling for action comedy over young action drama, but I left the theater with a smile on my face and good things to say. The R rating is warranted and proves that the film is not for the youngest of crowds, but even those kids who managed to get into the audience enjoyed Hill on the high school stage in tights and wires. 21 Jump Street is not what we remember from 1987, and is better for it. I wonder when the Richard Grieco Booker movie is scheduled to come out to the silver screen?

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WORTH: Matinee and DVD