The Dictator (2012 film) comparisons to the Marx Brothers' "Duck Soup" and Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator"." The film has officially been banned in Tajikistan, described as "unlikely" to be shown in Turkmenistan, shortened to 71 minutes by the censorship in Uzbekistan, and banned from screens two weeks after its premiere in Kazakhstan. In Pakistan, only the censored version has been released. Rumours were circulating that the film has been also informally banned from showing in Belarus, but state officials denied this referring to deficiency of properly equipped movie theaters suitable for showing the film distributed exclusively in digital format. The film was also
The Dictator (2012 film) countless talk shows, I feared the movie would feel like déjà vu. But no. He establishes a claim to be the best comic filmmaker now working. And in a speech about dictatorships, he practices merciless political satire." "Slant Magazine" conversely concluded, "bound to be one of the year's biggest comedy letdowns, "The Dictator" doesn't so much stir hot-button issues as showcase a great satirist off his game." Keith Uhlich of "Time Out" approved, giving it four stars out of five, and calling the opening scenes in the film "a brisk, hilarious jeremiad" and its ending monologue "a rousing, uproarious climactic