Dear Dictator (2018)

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Young actress Odeya Rush seems like she could follow the trajectory of a Mila Kunis - type actress comedienne. She's pretty, gifted and fun to watch, as her facial expressions and moody teenager, deadpan humor are deftly handled. Some of the interactions between her and the mother were genuinely funny. I think the life she injected in her lines is why the film (and its trailer) appear promising at outset. However, the film ends up being worse than a typical "reality" tv series, and of course, even less realistic. Attempts to address morality and equality are overshadowed by some really weird stunts that are more awkward to watch than they are funny. Seriously, she throws a used tampon at somebody and then gives a girl a thong - wedgie to the point of tearing the undergarment out of the girl's pants. That's the kind of thing that might be good enough for a stupid viral YouTube video, but it doesn't belong in a movie. It no longer shocks us or even entertains us to see things like that, if it ever did. I think Odeya's talent deserves a better frame than this trashy drama. And I don't need to say what everyone has already said about Michael Caine. We are all shocked that such a fine actor would lend himself to this. His acting is not bad as "The Dictator" but he cannot rescue the movie from its poor storyline and excessive failed attempts at comedy. The film tries to be shocking, I guess, with the above mentioned scenes and also some explicit foot licking. It tries to be relevant, hip, and interesting to teenagers or whatever, duh. But the people who produced this don't seem to know what makes a good movie, or they don't care. Big names don't save films like this - it only adds up to wasted talent.

I think there is a special post-BS 2018 stage that some people have come to, that you may have to be in to enjoy this movie. That having been said, I enjoyed it. Was going in hoping for light fun B movie and was not disappointed. I saw they murdered this movie on tomatoes, which is silly, cause not terrible. Probably it's also notable on afterthought that it was not overly cliche anywhere I recall.Maybe the first intro to dictator scene could have been done a tad better.The two starring ladies were believable and fun, and Michael Cain did it just right as far as I'm concerned.Not the blockbuster of the year or anything, but I laughed enough times for it to be worth it.

If there was ever a send up of Fidel Castro then this is it. Shame about the rest of the film - not half as funny as it could of been.. As a Castro lookalike he is brilliant but when he saved and went "Mexican" what were the filmmakers thinking. When Micheal Caine made Jaws 3 he admitted it was to build a house - so poor was the film but the paycheck is a different matter. With this he either made a conservatory or bought a new car. I doubt if the budget spread to another house.

I saw the previews to this and thought it might actually be a cute movie... i was wrong. When I see Jason Biggs I think of the funny scenes in American pie, this movie had nothing funny. Katie Holmes was just not convincing and I found her character a bit disgusting. I can't believe Mr. Cane agreeded to do this film. In all it was a good movie to waste time to but just wouldn't recommend.