It seems like only yesterday when a bigoted Kazakh reporter stormed America, camera in tow.
Sacha Baron Cohen's "Borat" became a sensation in 2006, taking the "Candid Camera" template and giving it an R-rated makeover.
Rude. Crude. Hilarious.
Cohen tried to shame American culture via his gonzo, quasi-unscripted encounters. Instead, he often showed how patient and kind the average American can be when confronted by mentally unwell visitors from other lands.
Either way, the British comedian cashed in on the film's success by starring in a series of increasingly unfunny films.
- "Bruno"
- "The Dictator"
- "The Brothers Grimsby"
He fared better in smaller roles — think "Talladega Nights" and "Sweeney Todd" - but lost a major gig along the way. He was originally slated to play Freddie Mercury on screen, but the actor had "creative differences" with the surviving members of Queen.
Still, the further he got from the original "Borat," the less funny he became. That proved true with "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," a dour sequel stricken by Trump Derangement Syndrome.
We needed a true "Borat" sequel in 2020, not a Joe Biden SuperPAC contribution.
This year's "Ladies First" seemed like the end of the line for the former funnyman. He played a male chauvinist who suffers a bonk on the head and wakes up in a matriarchy. Who could have predicted that Cohen would headline a woke, laugh-free comedy that went straight to Netflix?
Sad.
Except Cohen has one more trick up his sleeve. He's revisiting "Da Ali G. Show," the rap-based series that put him on the pop culture map for a new comedy coming October 23.
"Ali G. Who Iz I" finds him playing his rapper alter ego in another mockumentary effort.
The trailer isn't exactly a laugh riot, but Cohen fans can see plenty of R-rated potential. The problem isn't time passing Cohen by, but his political influences.
The original "Borat" proved his anything-goes style can be hilarious. In recent years, the British comic sided with Big Tech censors and failed to fight back against woke overreach. Instead, he demanded major platforms like Facebook and YouTube ban President Trump for good following the Jan. 6 riots.
Hey Mark Zuckerberg, [Jack Dorsey], [Susan Wojcicki], and [Sundar Pichai], Donald Trump just incited a violent attack on American democracy. Is that FINALLY enough for you to act?! It's time to ban Donald Trump from your platforms once and for all!
Some free speech advocate.
The new film could have a decidedly political bent. That's been common in recent Cohen productions, including his Showtime series "Who Is America?" The show lasted just one season and relentlessly attacked conservative guests. Both parties should be open to satirical swipes, but Hollywood's absurd imbalance in that arena got worse thanks to Cohen.
You can't blame the comic actor for going back to the well given his extended slump. The good news? The film will be released in theaters, not relegated to Amazon Prime.
The bad news? Cohen hasn't been fall-down funny in a very, very long time.
