He pushed the envelope and then some with Ali G, Borat and Brüno. And now Sacha Baron Cohen's topping himself with his most audacious character of all.
The first trailer for the funnyman's latest comedy, The Dictator, invaded the Web today and by the looks of it and an appearance from Megan Fox, you'll either die laughing or want to toss him in a military prison for going too far.
So what does Baron Cohen have up his sleeve this time around?
That all depends on his mood as the comic genius forgoes the hilarious mockumentaries that marked his previous box office blockbusters for a more straightforward flick that finds him playing General Aladeen, the outlandish, maniacal leader of a fictional, third-world African nation—a thinly veiled sendup of the tyrannical, and frequently bizarre behavior of the late Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gadhafi among other targets.
The teaser kicks off with soundbites from President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton among other world leaders warning of a tyrant who must be brought to justice.
Enter Baron Cohen as Aladeen, with a beard that would make Osama Bin Laden jealous, as he heads to New York in a Coming to America-style setup, only here he's risked his life to ensure democracy never comes to the country he so lovingly oppressed, per the movie's summary on IMDb.
Hijinks ensue, of course, with a helping hand from sidekicks John C. Reilly and Ben Kingsley. The general also enjoys a hotel room romp with Fox playing herself and poking fun at—yes—the Kardashians. Just don't challenge him to a foot race!
The Dictator, directed by Larry Charles (Borat), hits theaters on May 11.