Stars: 3/5
Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) is back in America, but the country has changed since he was here in 2006. Borat is on a mission to save the reputation of Kazakhstan by delivering a monkey to President Donald Trump. His plans change when his daughter, Kutar (Maria Bakalova), arrives in America instead of the monkey.
The sequel still has the same strategy as “Borat.” Go up to random people and embarrass them on camera. Some scenes are funny, and some are just outright insane.
The new film still has some of the magic that “Borat” had. Cohen is still able to bring the worst out of people with Borat. People would say outrageous things because Borat confirms and encourages their own thoughts and actions.
Although this film was different Cohen was able to find three people who were actually decent. He creates the scenes in the most outrageous and offensive way possible, but the kindness and compassion of those three women was what made the film special. One showed patience and compassion toward a stranger who is being forced to do plastic surgery. The other two showed patience to Borat who walked into a synagogue dressed in an anti-Semitic caricature.
There is hope that there are decent people out there who will stand up for others.
I did think the film was good, but not that good. I understood the jokes, but it felt like most of them fell flat. Sometimes the delivery just did not work for me. I will admit that the first film is better than this sequel.
I still appreciate shining a light on the disinformation that plagues our society. It’s a real issue that needs to be presented, and Cohen approaches it in a comedic way.
It’s still worth the watch, but I was disappointed at the end. It seems like the sequel will be a soft introduction to the character of Borat, but I think the real substance of what Cohen does best is displayed in the first movie. The audience sees the magic of improvisation and method acting that Cohen is so good at.
Cohen is still the best when it comes to the work that he does, but “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” doesn’t highlight all his greatness.
Rev Rank: Borat takes audience through America during a pandemic and election year
November 4, 2020