I'm old enough to remember watching Da Ali G Show on HBO back in the early 2000s. Back then, a lot of the comedy Sacha Baron Cohen was doing was beyond outrageous.
Well, just recently, I watched Cohen's new movie, Ali G: Who Iz I? with my Prime subscription, and I have some very, very mixed feelings about it.
On one hand, it feels like we never left the 2000s, which is a good thing when this movie hits. But on the other hand, it feels like we never left the 2000s, which is a terrible thing when this movie falters. I'll explain.
First Of All, I Did Laugh. A Lot
Here's the thing about Sacha Baron Cohen: if he makes a comedy, there's a high probability that I'm going to laugh, A LOT, and Ali G: Who Iz I? is no exception. In fact, one scene in particular had me laughing so hard my stomach hurt.
In the scene, Ali G is making an apology video in which he uses A.I. to splice in the likes of Biggie and 2Pac, which is silly in itself. Then, he splices in Moses, Greta Thunberg, and Adolph Hitler rapping on a microphone, and I had to wipe my eyes. I was crying so hard. Mind you, Ali G showed this to a room full of people with different religious denominations, and one by one, everybody left the room. Pure gold.
There are other funny moments, too. That said, some of the “humor” in this movie is awful. This goes back to my earlier comment about how this movie feels like it comes right out of the early 2000s, as some of these jokes regarding race and sexism feel super dated.
This movie also feels fake at times - even more so than Cohen's other flicks. Even though there's a whole section in the credits showing the people who weren't in on the joke, it still feels too ridiculous to believe any of it, which brings me to my next point.
This One Feels Even More Scripted Than Most Of Cohen's Other Work
Sacha Baron Cohen is famous and has even been labeled ‘a thirst trap’ at times. So, I have a hard time believing that so many of the people involved in this story aren't just actors. Because come on now. Are you really going to tell me that people like A$AP Rocky and George Santos never heard of Ali G before?
In fact, that might be why Cohen takes on two new characters in Dr. Nira Cain-N'Degeocello - who's an annoying anti-appropriator - and Colonel Errab Morad - who's an Israeli counter-terrorist expert with nefarious intentions.
That said, a big problem with these characters is that they make the film seem even more scripted than other films in the past, like Bruno and Borat. That’s because there’s much more of a narrative in this one, and seemingly, a lot less spontaneity from those who are the butt of the jokes.
In that way, it's hard to suspend my belief that most of the events in this film are not just scripted, which robs it of the usual Sacha Baron Cohen humor and flair. At least for me, anyway.
In The End, Ali G Still Remains My Least Favorite Of Cohen's Characters
So, while this movie did make me laugh at times, next to 2002's Ali G Indahouse, it's my least favorite of the Cohen stable of movies, those being the two Borat films and Bruno. This just reminds me that Ali G is my least favorite of Baron's characters.
In fact, I'm surprised that I laughed as much as I did given that I generally don't find Ali G funny as much as I find the responses he elicits from his interviewees. In that way, the movie is hilarious at times, but cringe at others. So, if you're looking for a good comedy in the current release schedule, then I guess you could do worse.
