Da Ali G Show (2000–2004)
9/10
Talented Improvisor, and Great Character Sketches
5 December 2009
At this point in his career, Cohen has made a movie for all three of the characters who are frequent in this show, and I have to say that I prefer all of their appearances in Da Ali G Show to their full-length movies, although that may be because they work better in this setting. The show has no real determination to establish and maintain a followable plot-line, and it ends up as a collection of short segments from each character every episode. This allows Sascha Baron Cohen to remain calm, clear-headed, and to really fire on all cylinders with the sometimes improvised, always hilarious sketches.

The show is comprised mostly of interviews arranged for in the field, but Ali G does have studio interviews where he asks others to come to him and discuss controversial topics. The premise of the show is basically the humor behind a clash of culture, and we frequently see the characters in situations where they simply do not belong. Ali G and Borat both have a kind of ignorant edge, making them totally absorbed into the culture they're used to and at times lethal around people with different backgrounds. Bruno plays a lesser role in the show, and really isn't one of my favorite characters all together, but his goal is basically to surround himself with people unaccustomed to gay culture and to make them writhe in discomfort.

Borat's interview with a dating service and Ali G's forum on porno and abstinence are absolutely hysterical, and Ali G even has an interview terminated for "stupidity".

I think that this show, more than any of the movies displays the characters in their best light, and also shows more than anything how talented Sascha really is. There were times when viewing this show that I stopped laughing prematurely to acknowledge how truly impressed I was that he was able to keep a straight face while unleashing absolute nonsense based on real (albeit exaggerated) stereotypes.
9 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed