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Capone's ass is sore from loving BRÜNO so much, too much!!!
Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here. A review of Sacha Baron Cohen's latest sort-of documentary BRÜNO featuring a character that brings out the very worst in American behavior and prejudices is set loose on the world this weekend, and while there are many differences between the flaming Austrian fashion show host Brüno and Kazakhstani traveler Borat (or the British hip-hop wannabe Ali G, for that matter), it's the things that are similar to Cohen's other characters that make the film work so well despite a few shortcomings. With the very clear objective of finding the ultra-shallow and the wildly homophobic in the world today (Brüno does travel the world a bit in this film), Cohen is a master manipulator and instigator; he also feeds off other people's discomfort, and I completely understand how addictive that is, because I certainly enjoy watching it. And while a review for this film could easy just be me describing or transcribing joke after joke, I'm not going to ruin any more of the fun than the trailer already has. Well, maybe a little. First of all, there are things in this movie that I didn't know you could show in an R-rated movie, and most of them have to do with big mostly erect penises. Most comic actors might make one joke per movie that involves someone catching him in a compromising position that could be interpreted as gay. Ha ha, big laugh, very funny, because of course no comic actors are gay. But Cohen's Brüno bathes naked in those moments, and he would be exceedingly disappointment if his gayness came across as anything but authentic. He has determined that every gay man is looking for sex all the time and that every one wants to be a star. Or, more precisely, he's determined that that's what much of the world thinks of gay men. He flaunts his designer fashions, loose and free attitudes, and sexual aggressiveness to anyone willing to look at him, including a group of four of the scariest hunters I've ever seen, soldiers at a boot camp, church leaders who specialize in de-gay-ification, a frenzied audience of wrestling fans, an angry daytime talk show crowd, and even Republican Congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul. The level of anxiety I felt at times watching BRÜNO was immeasurable. Still, the film is a lot more scripted than Borat, which isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's just different. While BORAT had something resembling a loose story about man making his way across America to meet Pam Anderson, BRÜNO's objectives seem a little less clear. He wants to be a celebrity for some reason, and the result is a series of disconnected pieces connected by Cohen's narration that seems to serve no other purpose than link the segments. There are also perhaps a few too many scripted moments between Brüno and his assistant Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten), which are still funny but clearly not made up spontaneously. The two have something resembling lovers' quarrels, but they aren't a fraction as interesting as the encounters Brüno has trying to solve the Middle East peace crisis, or searching for exactly what his charitable cause will be to make himself cool in the eyes of the world. In a particularly despicable meeting with an agency that helps celebs find charities, Brüno inquires about what the new trendy charity is: "Clooney has Darfur. What is DarFive?" Cohen doesn't seem as willing to drag innocent victims into his fun and games, which isn't to say a few folks don't get caught in his crossfire. He seems more intent on going after establishments and large groups of frightfully bigoted people. The aforementioned wrestling scenes starts up as a very funny experiment, but quickly degenerates into one of the ugliest displays of mob behavior that you'll ever see on film or anywhere else. Cohen lingers on the crowd's reaction to seeing two men kiss and slowly begin to undress, and he might as well have flashed, "Vassup, USA!" during the prolonged sequence. It's not one of America's finest moments, for sure. For those who are curious, the version of the film I saw did have the LaToya Jackson interview taken out, which I'm kind of bummed about, but I completely understand. I'm sure the exchange will show up on the DVD in a few months, and the film certainly doesn't suffer from lack of laughs because of it. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to find two consecutive minutes of BRÜNO where you aren't laughing. Cohen and his BORAT director Larry Charles have again assembled some fantastic footage that emphasizes both Cohen's abilities as a comic writer and a man who knows how to think and react to any situation or danger with comic timing fully intact. This movie is wall-to-wall laughs. Yes, there are huge sections of the film that are exceedingly stupid, but that doesn't mean you won't lose yourself in giggle fits. The film ends with a song, a tribute to Brüno and his never-ending quest for greatness and some level of stardom. Won't you help this gentle Austrian achieve his lifelong goal to conquer the world one nation at a time like his countryman, Hitler? Make BRÜNO your charity of choice, today. -- Capone capone@aintitcoolmail.com
Readers Talkback
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Wow, I hope you took it like a man.
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But I'm worried about the scripted elements. I think the real shock element is the genuine reactions of the various victims.
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this stuff will make you a goddamned sexual tyranosaurus...just like me!
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uncomfortableness of real people. This is why I can't stand this kind of movie.
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like it needs more explosions for a summer movie. It had to be said...
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bruno tackles homsexuality and borat tackled all sorts of things, ali g can tackle race. trifecta complete.
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thats what makes it funny when people are uncomfotable about things that should be acceptable..thats what cohen is saying..that there are some people who are still living in the 1860s and puritan times.
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On the show, but the trailers and what not have not been doing it for me. Hopefully its good.
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...but it sure smells good!
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http://tinyurl.com/llghd9
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...homophobic statement in this review's headline?
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Ohhh man great movie that was.
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oh wait, no it's just cheap. This and Borat are turkey shoots, and everyone knows turkeys are easy and stupid targets. I applaud Cohen for finding a way to make money off of what anybody else would, at the very least, get physically hurt over. <P> This is circus sideshow stuff, things you would have expected to crop up on Jerry Springer in the early 90's. <P> The apocalypse is nigh. 2012.
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Can't wait to see this. <br> <br> And Soylent, no the apocalypse is NOT nigh. Our calendar ends ever Dec 31, doesn't mean that's when the world ends.
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Saw it on Tuesday night. <p> But there's EASILY gaps of more than two minutes where you're not laughing. <p> When it's funny, it's REALLY funny. I laughed so hard I was gasping for breath and saw spots in front of my eyes. But it's not consistent all the way through. <p> The Ron Paul bit was funny but only at the very end. The Harrison Ford "interview" wasn't, though what happened immediately after it was amazing. <p> And things like the bit where Lutz and Bruno are rocking OJ to sleep, (it's a sight gag) were worth a smile, but not much of a laugh. <p>
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I have added more 'o's to your name to signal that I was pleased with your work.
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Really? So when Paula Abdul is uncomfortable about sitting on mexican people used as furniture, she shouldn't be?
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I figured your disagreeing with me was more for my word choice. The 2012 campfire story has the world ending on Dec. 21st, 2012. We won't even make it to the 31st. <P> Hookhand and heavy telephone breather will make a cameo.
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A stranger coming up and acting incredibly strange (such as undressing in front of you) and you reacting with shock is not unexpected. I disagree with people saying this movie exposes homophobia. Bruno goes WAY over the top to shock. He presses buttons...gets a reaction...and stupid critics thinks this "exposes the racist, homophobic and shallow heart of America." Shut up.<p>Now don't get me wrong, I do think it's funny. I just don't agree that Bruno exposes anything other than a normal person's discomfort with in-your-face uber-gay antics.<p>You wanna talk homophobia? Talk about every other talkbacker who whines "gaaaaaaaY!" at any mention of "300."<p>This movie is nothing more than a very expensive episode of "Candid Camera." Nothing wrong with that...I liked "Candid Camera."
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Maybe not as strong as Borat because of the similarities in presentation. You cant help but feel the novelty is wearing off. But there is some huge laughs to be found. One in particular at a swingers party had me jumping out of my chair from laughing so hard!
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Why is this being excised fro mthe film? WHY? Nobody going to see this movie gives a rat's ass about offending Michael Jackson or his family. Whatever.
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Nothing that I've seen (Borat, Ali G or Bruno) is funny at all. It's actually really stupid and much of it feels staged. But I blame my lack of plebian tastes as it seems most of the cretins on this board will like it. Sorry, but ass and 'kugelsack' jokes stopped being funny at 8. Where is the next Peter Sellers?
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It wasn't removed to avoid offense. It's just that simply keeping it reminds the audience of his death, and that would possibly kill any comedic momentum they had going. It would be like telling someone the funniest thing that ever happened to you, and right in the middle you say, "This next part happened just after John Lennon was shot."
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Couldn't agree more. A guy comes up to you and starts waving his ass in your face or crotch and you act surprised and annoyed and it's all "You're a homophobe! Why do you hate gay people!"
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You both make excellent points. This is not social commentary/satire. This is using the critique of social issues as an excuse to laugh at people being in uncomfortable in outrageous situations. Even if it was genuine social commentary, it would not be necessarily fair one. The responses to his antics that we see are hand picked by Cohen because they represent an extreme; he is only going to use the clips of people who react the way he wants them to react. Ever see Jay Leno's "Jay Walking"? He make it seem like everyone he talks to is dumb. How many scores of people answer the questions correctly? He never tells you or shows you them. He only shows the ones who are clueless. The only thing Cohen is interested in is his own self promotion; that he does this at the expense of the emotional discomfit of unwitting people and under the label of social commentary is pathetic.
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Dec 21, 2012 is the date the Mayan calendar ends, thus some loonies are saying it's the end of the world. My point is our calendar ends every Dec. 31, but it doesn't mean the apocalypse.
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You mean to tell me someone made a film by producing a lot of footage, and then edited out the least entertaining pieces? Oh. My. God.
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All of my supporting arguments are in Harry's Review TB for BRUNO and not being one to beat a dead horse, I'm not going to re-post them here but I thought after the numerous posts here to the contrary of SBC's talent, those of us who disagree should be represented as well.
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SBC is not social commentary and anyone who says it is is merely trying to justify liking him. I think SBC is funny, I thought Borat was funny, the TV show was funny, but social commentary it's not. If anything, he provokes and keeps stereotypes alive by only showing the reactions that incense and by making his characters so overly and flamboyantly stereotypical for the sole purpose of provoking a reaction to suit his needs. Yes, he's funny. And yes, the movie will be funny just as Borat was, but the fact that so many compassionate and tolerant reactions will be left on the cutting room floor just so he can paint America in a bad light stinks of the worst kind of racism...his own. <br> <br> And is tolerance a good thing? Is a utpoian society one in which we all just simply "tolerate," or, put up with everyone else's behavior? To me, tolerance is the main catalyst for division and segregation in society today. The only thing worse than tolerance, of course, is intolerance, don;t get me wrong, i do understand that. However, to tolerate someone's behavior, choices, or lifestyle is to perpetuate and keep alive our differences by the very act of acknowledging them by tolerating them. <br> <br> I know this is turning into a rant and is going way off topic but it bothers me when people ask for religious, sexual, and gender tolerance. How about acceptance and grace? Cohen exposes intolerance but does it by being intolerant himself, therby, flushing himself and his audience down the same toilet he aims to expose. Then again, what do i know? I'm just an American and if you watch and believe Cohen's movies you would no that means I am an intolerant, racist, and homophobic hate-monger.
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Creating a film that is piece of fiction by editing out scenes that are later deemed unnecessary is entirely different than what Cohen is doing here. Any film that is trying to comment about a social reality, but edits out segments that do not fit a preconceived agenda is at its best disingenuous and at its worst, propaganda. If Cohen is simply trying to get laughs at people at their expense then that is what he is doing. Fine. Don't, however, try to pass the film off as some kind of legitimate commentary of our society.
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Well, I respectfully disagree. The only sex I saw in the movie was between Leonidas and his wife and the orgy in the Persian camp that tempted the deformed soldier (I don't count the rape of Gorgo as sex). I didn't see any man love. In fact, Leonidas went out of his way to mock Athenian "boy lovers."<p>The men were in great physical condition because they were emulating beefed up comic book versions of history.<p>If anything, the only thing "300" fetishized was slo-mo hand-to-hand combat. But hey, movies are subjective to a point.
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I never did claim that his films are revealing commentary. I take them at face value. They are comedies. The only thing remotely revealing about them is that they show us behavior that although we know exists, we are rarely able to witness it and to such an extreme. Big deal. However, that doesn't discount the skill that Cohen (and those that he works with I guess) has to conceive and pull off these situations. He improvises and turns the screws more and manages to stay perfectly in character. Comparing that to Jay Walking is kind of dumb.
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I wasn't a big fan of Borat. I didn't see all the hoopla. It had some funny moments, but it felt drawn out. The stuff I saw in the trailer was funnier than anything in Borat.. so does the whole movie live up to that same standard?
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"homosexuality should be accepted by now" thing. I don't accept child molestation, nor do I plan to anytime soon (no matter how degenerated society becomes) and homosexuality is just another form of sexual perversion.
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I dont think its real social commentary. Of course, his movie probably relies on the existence of homophobia, but he probably has to keep rolling the dice until he gets someone who falls to the stereotype. So, it probably isn't useful as any kind of commentary. It's just for giggles.
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Yeah, maybe I should have worded that better.<p>Mein Gott...If we're not carefull, there's the new AICN catchphrase.<p>"Okay Harry, knock off the slo-mo hand to hand with Robert Rodriguez!"
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You're a douche. You're probably one of the butthurt people that gets offended because the film has penises and makes fun of you in particular.
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How else can you explain such unabashed neanderthal-esqe hatred and ignorance? Equating with homosexuals with child molestors? Sexual perverts? The lady troll doth protest too much methinks. Whatsamatter gigantanus, trying to erase your guilt after the handparty you gave yourself while watching "HEAVY INTO JEFF" for the thousandth time? Take a dirtnap, dirtbag.
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Uh dude, there is a HUGE difference between child molestation and homosexuality. The two sexual behaviors can't be compared. Child sexual abuse has nothing to do with homosexuality or heterosexuality for that matter. Sex between adults is consensual, whereas sex between an adult and a child is not. A child does not have the intellect or physical ability to refuse unwanted sexual advances from an adult. <P> You can more easily make a comparison between rape (heterosexual or homosexual) of an adult and the rape (heterosexual or homosexual) of a minor. Whether the abuse is male on female, female on male, male on male or female on female has no bearing on the issue at all.
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I didn't say you said it was revealing social commentary. Others did as a way of justifying humor at the expense of the uncomfortableness of others. My comparison to Jaywalking was not meant to say that Cohen's movies and a skit on Leno are the same thing, only as another example of how the media manipulates reality yet presents that manipulation as reality. In the case of Leno, people are generally stupid and in the case of Cohen, people are generally homophobes or whatever social critique he hides his self promotion behind.
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it just felt way too thrown together for my tastes. Borat had a lot of focus. Bruno has next to none. I'm all for shooting fish in a barrel, but Bruno just needed to be a bit more cohesive ... http://tiny.cc/MPPLh
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...to not want to watch two men kiss and undress? What the fuck? Really? Cause I don't want to watch that either. <P> I WILL see this movie because I'm a fan and I don't mind given the context... <P> But I don't want to be out in public and be anywhere near two men making out. <P> It's disgusting. <P> The Gaystapo in this country is getting out of control.
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gigantis2000 is a charter member of NAMBLA
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bestiality - can't relate to members of own species pedophilia - can't relate to members of similar age homosexual - can't relate to members of same sex homosexuals get so butthurt when they're reminded there's something wrong with them
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And the fact that homosexual behavior occurs in many nonhuman and so nonsentient, unable to choose as we understand choice, species, means what? It means homosexuality is a deviation from the typical, but not unnatural.
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HAHAHH. OH MY SIDES!!!!
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Bestiality and pedophilia are about power, like rape. The victim cannot be a fully informed partner, for several reasons. Homosexuality is not about power.
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When it comes to both Bruno and Jay Walking, I don't think that either one of them is actually trying to present a reality. I don't think the creators of them ever try to elevate the material to that degree. It's more of a "God just LOOK at what we caught on film! And it was REAL!" In this case, "real" just means "not acted." Hell, America's funniest home videos does the same thing, and it never claims that America is country of ball-hitting morons. With all that in mind, I think you are perfectly in your right to dislike that style of comedy (which I just compared to AFV. You're welcome). But now it kind of seems like your beef is more with what some fans are saying about it. While I can understand your frustration, ultimately it's a fool's errand. 1) Not even every fan thinks of Bruno that way. 2) Even so, loathing fans shouldn't become loathing the material itself. If that were true, I'd hate Star Wars.
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but I'm not really into that sort of comedy when scripted, either.
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DON'T LISTEN TO THESE FREAKS WHO CONDONE HOMO SEX. IT'S DISGUSTING AND PERVERTED AND THE LORD WILL PASS JUDGEMENT ON ALL WHEN HE RETURNS. <P> BTW, MY ASSHOLE IS GAPING OPEN AND READY FOR YOU WHENEVER YOU'D LIKE TO PLOW YOU FUCKING TWAT.
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...ALL ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF MATCHING THE SHOES WITH THE BELT. UNTIL ALL OF YOU GRASP THIS MOST BASIC OF CONCEPTS YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO CALL YOURSELF A PROPER FAGGOT.
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too bad with all the stunts he's done, his dick probably fell off.
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Borat was good .. I watched Ali G for a while and liked almost everything I saw from Cohen. He is balancing on passe and stupid .. but I think he TRIES to
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July 10, 2009, 3:24 p.m. CST
shakira, hitler was a bit of a tyrant, bleach your arshenhalla
by ironic_name
this dweeb has the same 5 jokes. fail.
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Thanks for making my point so succinctly. Now you can go back to chuckling at Will Ferrell.
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Thank God I'm black.
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You're a fucking idiot. Everyone on the religious right acts as if they are the downtrodden ones, suffering under the lash of prejudice from the godless heathens who now make up the majority of the population.<br><br>NO.<br><br>It is not your/their place or right to deny groups of people what have been recognized as fundamental and inalienable rights of all people. Your kind is on its way out, and good fucking riddance.
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You don't need to accept it. You only need to acknowledge that your acceptance, or lack thereof, is utterly irrelevant.
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Right next to OJ
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I actually wasn't expecting it. The PR has been repetitive and reviews patchy. But it's as good as Borat, easily and yes similar. It's not a treatise on homophobia so CHILL OUT. It's just a very very funny movie. No question.
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It's too easy to mock rednecks and the like, I can turn on the news and look at real life to realize how homophobic people are: http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_12790543
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I mean I voted for him after all. He's so cute and little. I wanted to rescue him from that hotel room. But still I loved the movie too. And during that party I was like "How is this an R?" I'm glad that wasn't a sign of me being behind the times. Did the MPAA forget to watch it or something? I came out of this movie in love with SBC. He is one bold motherfucker. Clothes-eating bears ftw.</p> <p>I thought the storyline involving Lutz was about how Bruno changed as a person. That he was just totally superficial and wanted to be famous in the beginning but then he wound up with a "plain Jane". I mean there are too many great things in it to mention but the ending was the perfect capper. You know who playing the you know what while sitting on a you know which. Yeah I can't really spoil endings. It makes me feel evil. I'm giving this movie a 10. I just had one continuous laugh through the army scene. Never stopped that whole time. If "Queer as Blazes" isn't the new "Sugar Tits" I'll sue. XD</p>
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HIs best role was the King in the original Madagascar. Borat was marginally funny at times. Sorry, this film wasn't funny at all. I walked out halfway through it, having had enough, no longer needing to suffer through the annoying shtick of it all. I laugh more watching old episodes of Two and Half Men.
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Not buying it, sorry. Over-hyped in your face Johnny One-note. Jim Carrey w/ a limey accent, if that. So-?
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Dont get so up in arms and uppity. It is a non taste movie as advertised. Can we not get over this sex thing. Why do we have to concentrate on how anyone likes it in the sack. Homo is funny to hetro, hetro is funny to homos. Big ffing deal. There is much more important things in life. Our god will deal with us individually.
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I laughed the entire time. Non-stop. Also, I didn't notice a TON of nudity. Lots of black bars were used, once again. Did they change it from the advanced screenings?
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The MPAA is staffed by very right-wing ultra middle aged christians, aka closet homosexuals. When they see something at a screening that slightly threatens their comfort level with their carefully constructed heterosexuality, they strike it down with blinding fury. But when it gets to the point where it's a non-stop barrage of homosexual content, they subconciously drop into the 'masturbating to gay porn while the wife and kids are at the bible store' mindset. They are still guarded enough to hold back a visible erection in the screening room, but deep down inside they like it so much they forget they're supposed to be criticizing it's moral destructiveness.
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-you took it up the ass for this movie-? re-read the title of this here article and you tell me-
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is abooB!
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