The Dictator

Play trailer

The Dictator

R

2012

1h 23m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

219 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Gen. Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) has ruled the oil-rich North African country of Wadiya since the age of six, when 97 stray bullets and a hand grenade killed his father in a hunting accident. After an assassination attempt takes the life of yet another body-double, Tamir (Ben Kingsley), Aladeen's uncle and most trusted adviser, convinces Aladeen to go to New York. Unfortunately, Aladeen has a less-than-friendly reception from exiled Wadiyans, who want their country freed from his despotic rule.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Wildly uneven but consistently provocative, The Dictator is a decent entry in the poli-slapstick comedy genre.

Read Critics Reviews

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

09/01/2018

I think I can feel it disappearing from my mind even as I am trying to remember it... It's Baron Cohen going at 50mph rather than 100mph.

Go to Full Review

J. Hoberman

Tablet

05/03/2016

The problem is that, unlike Ali G, Borat, and Brno, Aladeen is less a force of nature than a scripted performance.

Go to Full Review

Jenny McCartney

Daily Telegraph (UK)

06/01/2012

1/5

Both the laughter and the satire had crawled off and quietly died.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

10/19/2022

1.5/4

Laughs are few and far between, which comes as a surprise given how Borat and Brüno managed to be two of the most riotously funny movies you’ll ever see.

Go to Full Review

James Croot

The Post NZ

02/07/2022

Overall The Dictator lacks the wit, invention and spontaneity of Baron Cohen's earlier work...

Go to Full Review

Owen Nicholls

NME (New Musical Express)

05/13/2021

The over saturation of marketing stunts certainly didn't help the appeal but politically and comedically you'll find more to think about and laugh at during a single half hour on The Daily Show or The Colbert Report.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Enrique R.

@EnriqueRamosLovesMovies 2d

One of the most dumbest things I’ve ever seen!

See more

leo J

@leogrim Apr 12

this movie was promised to me 3,000 years ago

See more

Lukas W

@RT88776949 Apr 11

A movie for the "you cant say this anymore crowd" Just a bunch of loud, dumb jokes stitched together with no real point. The humor tries way too hard to be shocking but just ends up being repetitive and kind of embarrassing. Sacha Baron Cohen basically does the same thing he always does, but less funny this time. The story is forgettable, the characters are annoying, and by the end I was just waiting for it to be over. Definitely not worth the time.

See more

Jack F

@MovieFan111 Mar 23

It's weird, uneven, and really raunchy, but it was funny in its own way.

See more

Lola V.

@meowLola Mar 14

Very funny and exactly what she would expect from Sasha Baron Cohen.

See more

Linn E

@Linniamer Mar 5

At this day and age it would not seem as funny. The movie is super funny and also a bit emotional, him going from one person to the other. Maybe the acting is not ABSOLUT perfect but still, the emotions and laughes i get is enough to award this a 4,5 star

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Larry Charles

Director

Sacha Baron Cohen

Gen. Aladeen

Anna Faris

Zoey

Ben Kingsley

Tamir

Jason Mantzoukas

Nadal

Kevin Corrigan

Slade

The Dictator: Official Clip - The Vegan Jihad

1:42

The Dictator: Official Clip - The Aladeen Law

1:22

The Dictator: Official Clip - Nuclear Nadal

2:12

The Dictator: Official Clip - Death to Aladeen

2:12

The Dictator: Official Clip - Delivering Love

2:13

The Dictator: Official Clip - Seducing Megan Fox

1:44

The Dictator: Official Clip - You're Making a Fool out of Me!

2:13

The Dictator: Official Clip - You Need to Touch Yourself

2:13

The Dictator: Official Clip - A Snag on the Zipline

2:02

The Dictator: Official Clip - The Helicopter

2:10

View more videos

Top Five

85%

64%

Top Five

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Top Five

I Heart Huckabees

63%

75%

I Heart Huckabees

Watchlist

Marci X

8%

29%

Marci X

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Marci X

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

57%

82%

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Gen. Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) has ruled the oil-rich North African country of Wadiya since the age of six, when 97 stray bullets and a hand grenade killed his father in a hunting accident. After an assassination attempt takes the life of yet another body-double, Tamir (Ben Kingsley), Aladeen's uncle and most trusted adviser, convinces Aladeen to go to New York. Unfortunately, Aladeen has a less-than-friendly reception from exiled Wadiyans, who want their country freed from his despotic rule.

Director: Larry Charles
Producer: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer, Anthony Hines, Scott Rudin, Todd Schulman
Screenwriter: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Scott Rudin Productions, Berg Mandel Schaffer, Four by Two Films
Rating: R (Language|Brief Male Nudity|Some Violent Images|Strong Crude & Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 14, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $59.6M
Runtime: 1h 23m