JOSE ROMERO
campus editor
Sacha Baron Cohen returns to his unfortgettable role as Borat in an all new mockumentary to regain his honor and return to his country.
The first “Borat” film is now 14 years old, but Sacha Baron Cohen and his new sidekick, Maria Bakalova, prove the franchise hasn’t aged a day.
It’s apparent Borat 2 replicates the comedic style of its predecessor and delivers. It also introduces new topics and a new character along with it.
Maria Bakalova plays Borat’s daughter Tutar Sagdiyev and manages to steal every scene she’s in with her charisma, wit and delivery, which are comparable to Sacha’s. She delivers the raunchy and satirical comedy expected from the film with flying colors.
The titular character has also returned, and Sacha slips right back into his role with ease. Borat Sagdiyev is just as he was before. His crude remarks and actions in mostly lax environments create hilariously memorable scenes. It’s difficult to tell when Borat and Tutar are in real situations or controlled environments due to the acting prowess on display.
The film also does a great job of explaining a common question a viewer of the original would have.
How is Borat going to walk around in public now that he’s famous? Tutar’s introduction alleviated the issue along with Borat’s suite of disguises.
The reactions garnered from the actions of the duo are the reason to watch. Seeing how different kinds of people interact with the two is worth the watch itself. It also helps that the material used in the film is topical in today’s climate.
From the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to protests, each environment offers these characters different ways to go wild.
However, sometimes when the film is trying to be topical, the jokes felt forced and fell flat. But that doesn’t happen too many times. It’s also worth noting that this sequel doesn’t sting as much as its predecessor. That doesn’t mean that it’s calm by any means, but the first film had more physically recoiling moments.
Borat 2 is a worthy sequel to the comedic classic. Both actors offer a wide range of skill and know-how when it comes to making the audience hold on to their sides. The simplest way to put it is that the film is, “Very nice!”
