Borat is the funniest movie ever (no exaggeration)

Rating: 9/10 (18 November 2006)

Had I seen Da Ali G show even once before in my life, I may have had some inkling as to what to expect when seeing Borat. Having thus far avoided all that is HBO, I had no idea. It just had a funny name and lots of good press, so it seemed like it was worth a shot. It was on the cheap night, so I really couldn't be too disappointed. Now the word 'disappointed' being even remotely associated with Borat seem like pure lunacy. Borat elevates itself above even the slightest comparison with fellow gutbuster Jackass Two, proving itself to be simply the best comedy made in years.
If you never watched the show (like me), Borat makes sure to get you acquainted relatively quickly with a tour of Kazakhstani TV talking head Borat's world. Borat lives in a poor village, associates with the town rapist, is considered rich for having a clock radio and occasionally plays ping pong at the local rec center. He is dispatched to America by his producers in order to bring back information to benefit his country. Along the way, he catches an episode of Baywatch, and makes it his mission in life to steal the virginity of Pamela Anderson.
If that last sentence didn't clue you in, the movie is not meant for the plot. It boils down to a horny Kazakhstani guy wanting in Pamela Anderson's pants. That's the whole fun of the movie. We follow Borat from place to place as he chases Pamela Anderson and tries to get footage for his documentary at the same time, all the while exposing just how stupid the American public is. We have him exposing pretty much every person in the South as a gay-hanging bloodthirsty redneck in just one scene, for example. If this movie wanted to be completely political, it could do so and be quite riveting.
However, Borat hardly tries to be political. It tries to just be as funny as humanly possible, and it does that incredibly well. This is basically all due to Sacha Baron Cohen, who plays Borat as such an absolute idiot that you still love him despite him being a completely racist and ignorant prick. How he manages to completely disappear into the character, I may never know. Even more amazing is what the reactions he manages to get out of people (all supposedly unaware, although common sense tells us that there was some staging involved), which are all absolutely perfect.
What exactly Borat does is best left to you to find out, as giving it too much of a description might just ruin it. Suffice to say that Borat is the flat out funniest movie I have ever seen. I have never laughed so hard in my life, and then still been able to laugh at it simply by remembering the gags. Some of it is pure lunacy, but a lot of the movie is borderline genius. There's a lot of it in bad taste (such as Borat talking about vaginas or wrestling with a naked fat man with little superimposed black bars), but if you can stand it, those bits prove to be the funniest in the entire movie.
I know this review is shorter than normal. Simply put, I don't want to spoil anything. The movie is all the better if you know as little as possible. I have seen Snakes on a Plane, Accepted and Jackass Number Two in theatres this year and I laughed more at this than all of them combined. Hell, this is comparable with Airplane and Blazing Saddles, basically becoming an instant comedy classic. Don't waste any more time reading reviews, get out there and see Borat immediately. Just don't forget your friends, because that'll make it all the better.