The Dictator(2012)

R
Rated R for strong crude and sexual content, brief male nudity, language and some violent images
1h 23m
- Comedy

Release Date: May 16, 2012 | Wide

The heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.

Official Website

Releases

Original Release | May 16, 2012

View Advanced Data Watch Trailer Watch on

Box Office Results

Results

Opening Weekend US & Canada:
$17,435,092
Total US & Canada:
$59,650,222
Total International
$119,729,311
Total Worldwide:
$179,379,533

Current Showtimes

Your Location or

(U.S. Only)

Director & Top Cast

Larry Charles
Director

Rocky Citron
Baby Aladeen

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital,Datasat,SDDS

Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English,Hebrew,Arabic

Summaries

Plot Summary

For years, the North African Republic of Wadiya has been ruled by Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen), a childish, lecherous, misogynous, anti-western and antisemitic despot who surrounds himself with female bodyguards, refuses to allow Wadiyan oil to be sold internationally and is working on developing nuclear weapons. 2yrs ago Aladeen had ordered the execution of the head of his nuclear division, Nuclear Nadal, when Nadal failed to deliver a pointy missile argued about the merits of a round head missile with Aladeen. After the United Nations Security Council resolves to intervene militarily, Aladeen travels to the UN Headquarters in New York City to address the council. Shortly after arriving, he is kidnapped by Clayton, a hit-man hired by his treacherous uncle Tamir (ben Kingsley).Clayton was hired as Aladeen's head of security in US by Tamir. Tamir had earlier failed in an assassination attempt on Aladeen in Wadia when a hit-man killed Aladeen's body double by mistake. Tamir then replaces Aladeen with a mentally challenged political decoy named Efawadh, whom he intends to manipulate into signing a document democratizing Wadiya and opening the country's oil fields for business. Aladeen escapes after Clayton accidentally burns himself to death, but his huge beard has been shaved off by Clayton, making him practically unrecognizable. Aladeen borrows some clothes & goes to the UN HQ & finds Tamir bringing in his decoy. Aladeen realizes it was Tamir's treachery all along.Aladeen encounters activist Zoey (Anna Faris) & introduces himself as Allison Burgers. Zoey offers him a job at her alternative lifestyle co-op. Aladeen refuses the offer and travels to New York's "Little Wadiya", located near the Marcy Avenue station, which is populated by refugees from his country. There, he encounters "Nuclear" Nadal, the former chief of Wadiya's nuclear weapons program and head procurer of women, whom Aladeen thought he had previously executed, working at the 5th Avenue Apple store. Nadal explains that Wadiyan rebels infiltrated his intelligence unit, sending into exile all the people he had ordered to be executed. All these people now live in NY & run hate Aladeen clubs.Meanwhile Tamir declares that the new constitution will be signed in NYC Lancaster hotel in 3 day's time. Nadal promises to help Aladeen thwart Tamir's plot and regain his position as 'rightful' dictator, on condition that Aladeen makes him head of Wadiya's WMD program again. Aladeen agrees and accepts Zoey's job offer, as she is catering at the Lancaster hotel where the signing is to occur & has a security badge that can get her into the hotel. Aladeen grows closer to Zoey after she refuses his sexual advances and teaches him how to masturbate, and then falls in love with her while watching her boldly and passionately tell off a police officer after Aladeen is arrested on his NYC Helicopter city tour, when he implies that he is going to recreate 911 in 2012, when in reality he was simply talking about the Porche 911 latest edition released in 2012.The day before the CEO of Lancaster hotel is about to visit Zoey for an inspection, Tamir sends an assassin to eliminate Aladeen. In the fight, Zoey's preparations are destroyed & the CEO takes his catering requirement to Zoey's rival. Aladeen is devastated as he no longer has access to Lancaster hotel. He takes charge. Turning around Zoey's struggling business, Aladeen begins imposing strict schedules on everyone, forming a personality cult around Zoey and intimidating an inspector into giving the store a good review. However, Aladeen's relationship with Zoey becomes strained after he reveals his true identity. Zoey hates Aladeen for all he stands for. After acquiring a new beard taken from a corpse, Aladeen infiltrates the hotel and tells Efawadh to leave. At the signing ceremony in NYC, he tears up Tamir's document in front of the UN delegation and holds an impassioned speech praising the virtues of dictatorship, drawing unintended parallels to current issues within the United States.However, upon seeing Zoey in the room, he declares his love for her and, knowing Zoey's strongly-held views, vows to democratize his country and open up Wadiya's oil fields for business, but in a way where the general populace will benefit. Angry with Aladeen staying in power, Tamir attempts to assassinate him, but Efawadh jumps in front of the bullet and survives as it is his job "to be shot in the head".A year later, Wadiya holds its first democratic elections, although they are rigged in favor of Aladeen (having now added the titles President Prime Minister to his previous Admiral General). Afterwards, he marries Zoey but is shocked when she crushes a glass and reveals herself to be Hebrew. Scenes during the credits show Aladeen's convoy, now consisting of Eco-friendly cars, visiting a reinstated Nadal, and later Zoey revealing in a television interview that she is pregnant with the couple's first child. Aladeen responds to the news by asking if Zoey is having "a boy or an abortion".

Storyline

The Republic of Wadiya is ruled by an eccentric and oppressive leader named Hafez Aladeen. Aladeen is summoned to New York to a UN assembly to address concerns about his country's nuclear weapons program, but the trip goes awry. — Sam Aladeen is the ego maniacal dictator of Wadiya who's hated by practically everyone in his country, even his confidants. He goes to New York to speak at the assembly about his country's nuclear weapons. But suddenly someone assigned to protect him, grabs hims and shaves off his trademark beard and was about to kill him when something happens and he escapes, He tries to go to the UN but his people have placed a double in his place and he speaks to the UN announcing he plans to turn Wadiya into a Democracy. Aladeen tries to go in but is kept out. He is taken in by a woman who was there protesting Aladeen. She gives him a job which is foreign to him. — rcs0411@yahoo.com When the UN threatens the nuclear program of the Republic of Wadiya, dictator Hafez Aladeen decides to go to New York to make a speech in the assembly. However, his minister Tamir is plotting a scheme to topple Aladeen and sign multimillionaire contracts with foreign oil companies to make him a tycoon. Tamir hires torturer Clayton to kill Aladeen, but he fails and the dictator flees without his long beard. Aladeen unsuccessfully tries to reach the Lancaster Hotel and he meets the owner of the store of natural products Zoey, who is protesting against the presence of Aladeen in UN. She believes that he is a refugee from Wadiya and brings Aladeen to her store to help him to cater the hotel. He stays with her while he tries to find a way to break in the hotel with his comrade Nadal. — Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Admiral General Aladeen is one of the world's last standing old school dictators. Enjoying near unlimited wealth thanks to the company's vast producing oil fields, he rules his country with an iron fist whether it's executing anyone who he doesn't agree with, changing 300 words in his native language to his last name, or staging an Olympics where he wins every gold medal, he might be one of the world's most dangerous men. When the UN threatens sanctions against his country, the North African Republic of Wadiya, he has no choice but to come to New York City to address the UN Council. While here, General Aladeen is ritualistically stripped of his power by a rogue CIA official and cast out into the city of Manhattan, where he goes from ruthless dictator to being another face in the crowd. Along the way, he meets a woman named Zoey who runs an organic health food store, and runs into a borough of New York that is essentially full of the people he supposedly executed several years ago. Could Zoey be the key to him getting back into the game, or will Wadiya be stripped and sold to the highest bidding oil company? — halo1k 1 more All