Sacha Baron Cohen's latest comedy caper 'The DICtator' hits screens worldwide this week, and predictably, some critics have taken issue with its subject matter. The movie is billed as the "heroic story of a North African dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed", and early reception suggests the film itself is rather more shocking than the relatively tame trailer.

Claudia Puig of USA Today commented, "While tastelessness is rampant and the humor uneven, The DICtator also has its moments of slyly clever satire". Salon.com's Andrew O'Hehir echoed the remarks, writing, "Although the character of Aladeen seems awfully predictable by Baron Cohen standards, the movie itself veers from one hilarious, absurd and patently offensive setup to the next..." Baron Cohen took the decision to promote the film in character, with his creation Admiral General Aladeen going up against journalists and the press junkets. It was a tactic that seemed to the work for the British comedian, as a series of scripted responses enabled him to promote the wackiness of the movie with bizarre soundbites and quotes. During an interview with the UK's Sun newspaper, 'The DICtator' was asked how he would deal with the inevitable queues for Londoners during this year's Olympics, to which he replied, "I have only ever had to deal with queues of people wanting to leave my country. My system of entry to Wadiya is simple - girls, usually Victoria's Secret models, 'fall asleep' in a club in Miami, then wake up in my palace"

Sacha Baron Cohen's next project couldn't be more different from his latest movie. He'll team up with 'The Kings Speech' director TOM HOOPER for a movie adaptation of the drama -musical 'Les Miserables'.