The trailer looked promising, the basic setup is that Nobby (Sacha Baron Cohen) is a dimwitted English slob and his long lost brother Sebastian (Mark Strong) is a secret agent. They find each other after nearly 30 years and hi jinx ensue...I'll admit I thought this looked funny, but I was wrong...very wrong.Let me start by saying that inside (deep inside) this movie there is a decent spy movie that examines in fine dramatic prose, the relationship between two brothers torn apart by circumstance and reconnect against a thrilling tale of intrigue. All of the flashback sequences of their childhood are engrossing and the child actors do a great job. The spy tech and an awesome first person sequence early in the film are smart and very well executed.
The problems come from Cohen and his once edgy humor. Nearly every joke fell flat to me, they seemed desperate for laughs, grasping at every gross out scenario. Nobby is at times so dumb it actually takes you out of the movie and although Sebastian is much easier to take there are times when the film jumps the proverbial shark or in this case F***s the proverbial elephant.
It's a shame because there are gripping scenes that are suddenly undermined by Cohen with a firework up his butt, or Strong covered in semen. Every ounce of good the movie has is suddenly sucked away like poison from a testicle. What's worse is the non physical jokes are way behind the times (Daniel Ratcliff and Vin Diesel jokes anyone?).
The actors seem like they are all doing this film because they owe someone a favor, with the exception of Baron Cohen who seems like the kid sitting under the playground eating worms to try to impress people. This is made all the sadder because there is a crazy amount of talent in this film. Isla Fisher, Rebel Wilson, Penélope Cruz, Gabourey Sidibe and Ian McShane all have roles in this clunker!
The bottom line is don't see this film. It was bad even by Borat standards.
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