Borat Subsequent Moviefilm — On Amazon Prime Now
By Paul Hall
It’s been 14 years since Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) stormed the shores of the United States from his Kazakhstan home. He came to report on America, but got sidetracked. Now, after years spent in a labor camp for the disgrace he caused his homeland, Borat has been released and sent back to the United States to deliver a gift to the U.S. government in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
Yep, that’s the full title, and it has eaten up most of the words I’m allotted to write about the film for space reasons.
Wait, luckily, I have been allotted room for a couple more words, so as Borat might say, “Very nice.”
This time, Borat’s journey sends him to Texas with the goal of delivering a gift to Mike Pence — Vice President Mike Pence. The gift was a famous Kazakhstan monkey that, unfortunately, failed to complete the trip to the United States. The journey was, however, made by Borat’s daughter, Tutar (Maria Bakalova), and together the father-daughter pair will deliver a different gift — one that Borat expects will be acceptable to all involved.
Full disclosure, I thought the 2006 Borat was quite funny and laughed out loud often, even if I felt like I needed a shower immediately after my screening. After the success of the first film, it was natural that a sequel would come to pass, but the now-recognizable Borat can no longer catch as many people by surprise. The opening sequences of the new film show just how noticeable the character is and demonstrate the need for the introduction of Tutar to carry the bulk of the film (as well as for new disguises for Borat).
Bakalova is the good news in the film; she is fresh and portrays the naïve innocence of her 15-year-old character. She steals most of the scenes she is a part of, regardless of the setting. Unfortunately for me, she is one of the few bright spots in a film that just doesn’t compare to the original.
While the first third or so of the film has some funny, irreverent and raw moments, it loses its way with nonstop attempts to attack one side of the political spectrum at every turn.
But it is not just the political bent of the film that felt like it didn’t work. When the original film was released, we were in a different world, and much of what may have been funny then has changed over the years and just become uncomfortable.
Liberals will love the film, conservatives will hate the film and both of those responses will come from people who haven’t seen it. We all like a good meme, and this movie has plenty, but as far as originality and fun, this is not the Borat whose company we enjoyed years ago.
Instead of belly laughs, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (the shortened version of the title), elicits more cringing and only a few chuckles along its journey.
Paul’s Grade: C+
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Rated R
Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova
Director: Jason Woliner
