The new film from comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, in which he returns to the persona of the hapless rapper Ali G, has drawn a lukewarm reception from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the review aggregator, Ali G Indahouse has earned 50 percent approval based on the first 18 reviews. That score may change as further reviews come in.
For Cohen, this is not only a return to his old character but also his first work as a director. The film is made in his familiar manner, with pranks on real people who are unaware they are taking part in a shoot.
The film's initial rating trails his earlier work. Borat (2006), for example, holds a score of 90 percent based on 219 reviews, and its 2020 sequel stands at 85 percent from 306 reviews. Even the less successful Brüno (2009) has a rating of 68 percent.
The plot follows Ali G, whose fame is a thing of the past, as he learns that his girlfriend is pregnant and travels to America to win back his glory. There, the hero from the early 2000s collides with the modern world. The Ali G character first appeared on British television in 1998. In 2002, a feature-length film, Ali G Indahouse, had already been released.
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