Each Sacha Baron Cohen Character Ranked Worst To Best

5. General Aladeen

The Dictator had some great moments hidden within it. John C Riley's torture scene was fantastic, and quite a few of Cohen's one-liners worked. Overall, however, it fell flat compared to the standard quality of the comedian.

Usually, when he attacks politics and ignorance it is done so in a less conventional way. The problem with General Aladeen is that the concept of a dictator is a little too generalised, overall lacking real character, leaving it all feeling a little too simple. There is nothing about the character that feels special - he's just a power hungry politician.

Typically at the climax of Cohen's films, his characters have learned a lesson and genuinely changed, but this one doesn't. Whilst General Aladeen claims to have learned about democracy and plans to alter his governing methods, it's apparent that this isn't really true. Although that may be the films intention: to show how those in power will never honestly give it up. It makes the journey of the film feel hollow, and viewers can question whether anything they went through was worth it.

Overall it had a bit of promise and some well-executed scenes, but Aladeen is definitely Cohen's weakest character, due to a lack of development and an absence of good humour.