The "Banned & Unrated" Blu-ray edition of The Dictator (2012) offers a significantly expanded version of the film compared to its theatrical release. Version Comparison The primary draw of this release is the "Banned & Unrated"
cut, which adds substantial content that was too crude or explicit for the theatrical "R" rating. Theatrical Version Unrated Version Approx. 83 minutes Approx. 98 minutes (1h 38m) Key Differences Standard R-rated humor.
Over 15 minutes of additional footage, including extra sexual content, extended dialogue, and deleted scenes. Blu-ray Technical Specifications Retailers like list the following technical details for this 2-disc set: Amazon.com Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy. 1080p High Definition; Widescreen.
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French, Spanish, and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital. Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Region A/1 (North America). Amazon.com Special Features
The Blu-ray includes several extras that provide a deeper look into the film’s improvisational style: Amazon.com.au Deleted and Extended Scenes:
Over 30 minutes of footage not included in either the theatrical or unrated cuts. Music Video: "Your Money is My Money." Larry King Interview:
A satirical in-character interview with Admiral General Aladeen. Behind-the-scenes outtakes and mistakes. Amazon.com.au Content Advisory
While the theatrical version was rated R for strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity, language, and drug use, the Unrated version The Dictator -2012- BluRay UNRATED
contains even more extreme examples of these elements. It is intended strictly for mature audiences Common Sense Media added to the unrated version?
Review: The Dictator (2012) – Banned & Unrated Blu-ray Edition Released at the peak of Sacha Baron Cohen’s fame, the The Dictator - Banned & Unrated Version
Blu-ray brings the controversial 2012 comedy to home screens with a significant amount of content that didn't make the theatrical cut. Unlike Cohen’s previous "guerrilla" hits like Borat and Brüno, this film follows a fully scripted narrative while maintaining his signature brand of offensive, boundary-pushing satire. The Unrated Cut: What’s New?
The "Banned & Unrated" edition is the main draw for this release, offering a version of the film that runs approximately 15 to 20 minutes longer than the 83-minute theatrical version.
Extended Scenes: Much of the added runtime consists of extensions to existing jokes and dialogue.
The "Banned" Content: The most notable addition is an outrageous, over-the-top fight scene between Admiral General Aladeen and a "well-endowed" female assassin—a sequence widely considered too crude for the original R-rating.
New Characters: Characters like the "Busty Heart" and a longer appearance by Larry King are exclusive to this version. The "Banned & Unrated" Blu-ray edition of The
Cruder Humor: The unrated version leans harder into gross-out gags and sexual content, including an extended love scene between Aladeen and Zoey. Technical Specs & Performance
Reviewers from sites like High Def Digest and Hi-Def Ninja highlight the following technical aspects:
Video Quality: The 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer is generally sharp and colorful, particularly during the vibrant scenes set in the fictional Republic of Wadiya. However, critics note that the added unrated footage occasionally shows a slight dip in visual consistency compared to the theatrical footage.
Audio Quality: The disc features a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The audio shines during the "Wadiyan" versions of popular songs like "Let's Get It On" and "Everybody Hurts," which fill the soundstage effectively.
The "Banned" Tag: The box art specifies that the "" in "Banned" refers to the theatrical version being banned in countries like Malaysia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. Bonus Features
While the unrated cut is the centerpiece, the Blu-ray includes several additional supplements:
Verdict: Sacha Baron Cohen’s most accessible (and rewatchable) satire, made better by the unrated cut. Review: The Dictator (2012) - BluRay UNRATED Verdict:
While Borat grabbed headlines for its cringe-inducing realism and Brüno pushed the boundaries of shock value, The Dictator stands as Sacha Baron Cohen’s most structured, scripted, and arguably funniest narrative film. The BluRay UNRATED release is the definitive way to watch it, offering a few extra minutes of gloriously offensive footage that fans of the genre will appreciate.
The Film: A Scripted Masterclass in Absurdity Moving away from the "mockumentary" style of his previous works, director Larry Charles and Baron Cohen deliver a straightforward fish-out-of-water comedy. It tells the story of Admiral General Aladeen, the supreme leader of the fictional North African Republic of Wadiya, who is stripped of his power and identity while on a trip to New York.
The shift to a scripted format allows for tighter jokes and a surprising amount of heart. It borrows heavily from classic fish-out-of-water tropes (think Coming to America meets The Great Dictator), but the filter of Baron Cohen’s unhinged creativity makes it feel fresh. The film is unapologetically offensive, targeting everyone from feminists and environmentalists to the political elite, but the stupidity is so gleeful that it’s hard not to laugh.
The "UNRATED" Difference For the BluRay release, the "UNRATED" tag isn't just a marketing gimmick—it fleshes out the world of Aladeen.
BluRay Audio & Video Quality The 1080p transfer is excellent. The film has a vibrant color palette—specifically the lavish, gold-laden interiors of Aladeen’s palace and the sun-bleached streets of Wadiya (actually Morocco). The contrast between the bright palace scenes and the gritty, gray look of the Brooklyn "organic grocery store" setting is sharp and clear. The DTS-HD Master Audio track handles the dialogue crisply, which is crucial for a comedy heavily reliant on delivery and accent work. The soundtrack, featuring an odd mix of Middle Eastern pop and generic hip-hop, thumps nicely during the party scenes.
Special Features The BluRay comes packed with a solid array of extras:
The Bottom Line If you found Borat too uncomfortable to watch, The Dictator is a safer bet because it’s fiction—you know everyone is in on the joke. It is a relentless barrage of one-liners ("Why are you guys so anti-dictators? Imagine if America was a dictatorship...") that serves as a perfect vessel for Baron Cohen’s chaotic energy.
4/5 Stars Highly recommended for fans of raunchy, un-PC comedy. The UNRATED BluRay is the superior version, providing the unfiltered vision that the theatrical release had to tame down.
If you search for "The Dictator -2012- BluRay UNRATED," you are likely looking for specifics. Here is a breakdown of the key differences between the standard theatrical cut and the UNRATED version available on BluRay.