Reason Writers at the Movies: Peter Suderman Reviews The Dictator
Reason Senior Editor Peter Suderman reviews Sacha Baron Cohen's new comedy, The Dictator, for The Washington Times:
Finally, a movie for people who think the best way to make fun of Osama bin Laden is with poop jokes. Granted, that's not all "The Dictator" has to offer: There are also jokes about torture, terror, racism and Brooklyn enviro-hipsters, as well as just about every possible sexual and scatological function imaginable — and perhaps a few that aren't.
There's something for everyone to laugh at in Sacha Baron Cohen's new film, or at least something to be offended by. As often as not, the movie doesn't seem to grasp the difference. Not chuckling at jokes about beheading? Don't worry, before long you'll have the opportunity to laugh at full-frontal male nudity. And if that doesn't tickle your funny bone, there's always a series of comic riffs on female armpit hair, some silly wordplay, and a smattering of pop-culture references. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll cringe.
"The Dictator" takes a throw-feces-against-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach to comedy. Some of it works. Some of it, however, kind of stinks.