Catholic News Service
Given the graphically scatological and sexually degrading humor comedian Sacha Baron Cohen showcased in his two previous feature films — 2006′s “Borat! Cultural Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” and 2009′s “Bruno” — it would seem a tad unrealistic to hope that his latest picture, “The Dictator,” might avoid an unwholesome hat trick.
Such reckless optimism would be misplaced. A shift from the hidden-camera, ambush-style satire that characterized Cohen’s earlier efforts to a more traditional scripted offering does nothing to prevent his signature antics feeling tedious and recycled. Nor, for that matter, does the change in format involve any corralling of their waywardness.