Less funny than you'd expect

Rating: 5/10 (31 March 2007)

Being familiar with Ali G and having seen many of Borat's TV appearances, I went into this movie with high expectations, not least because the reviews were ecstatic. However, overall I was disappointed. There were several moments of hilarity, but too often tempered by long-winded set-ups, tedious plot driving dialogue or let down by the fact that the victims of the comedy didn't really deserve it. Lampooning some cartoonishly clichéd rednecks or genuinely terrifying churchgoers is funny, if easy, but being rude to a sweet old couple doing their best to run a charming guest house just seemed misplaced. Generally, the shorter the clip the funnier (and the DVD extras are some of the funniest bits) but, whilst capturing Pamela Anderson in a sack may sound funny, I thought the execution left a lot to be desired, and was nowhere near as funny as the TV show.