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"THE DICTATOR"
(2012) (Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley) (R)


Alcohol/Drugs Mild
Blood/Gross Stuff Extreme
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude Extreme
Frightening/Tense Scenes Minor
Gun/Weapons Heavy
Imitative Behavior Extreme
Jump Scenes Minor
Music (Scary/Tense) Minor
Music (Inappropriate) Extreme
Profanity Extreme
Sex/Nudity Extreme
Smoking Moderate
Tense Family Scenes Moderate
Topics to Talk About Heavy
Violence Heavy


QUICK TAKE:
Comedy: A totalitarian dictator is replaced with a doppelganger who threatens to sign an agreement that will bring democracy to his beloved oppressed country.
PLOT:
Admiral General Aladeen (SACHA BARON COHEN) is the tyrannical leader of the fictional North African country of Wadiya. He loves being dictator. It means he can rig his country's Olympics and Golden Globes so that he is always the winner. His second-in-command, Tamir (BEN KINGSLEY), though, secretly despises him and seeks to have him kidnapped and murdered on a visit to New York City and replaced with a body double (also COHEN). His goal is to seize control of the country so he can sell its valuable oil contracts to the highest bidder.

Tamir allies with a bigoted American security operative (JOHN C. REILLY), who looks to torture Aladeen first before killing him. The plan backfires and Aladeen escapes. Shorn of his beard, though, no one recognizes him as the world's last great dictator. He is eventually taken in by Zoey (ANNA FARIS), a short-haired ultra-liberal who owns a health-foods store and is always organizing protests. She gives him a job and even bails him out of jail when he is mistaken for a terrorist.

Aladeen wants to take back control of his country before Tamir turns it into a democracy. He enlists the aid of Nadal (JASON MANTZOUKAS), the former head of Wadiya's weapons program who he once tried to have executed. At the same time, he finds himself falling for Zoey and questioning what kind of a leader he really wants to be.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Older teens might be drawn to the film's outrageous humor.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For strong crude and sexual content, brief male nudity, language, and some violent images.


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