The Dictator (2012)

Sacha Baron Cohen's fourth film, The Dictator is unfortunately more of a slapstick comedy than a political satire. It follows a despot from a fictional country in the middle-east who is summoned to New York for developing nuclear warheads. The comic material is centred around cultural and political differences and serves as a heavy-handed argument against oppressive regimes. Certainly funny throughout, the film suffers from the usual Cohen problems; it lacks subtlety or depth and frequently becomes silly. Music is noticeably absent here and a politically-charged soundtrack could've really helped during the more ridiculous moments. Still, it's a guaranteed laugh at least the first time around.

6/10