Written By | Entertainment Desk
Sacha Baron Cohen's long-teased comeback arrived on October 23 amid a boycott campaign, a split on Rotten Tomatoes and a release so small it barely counts as one.
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LOS ANGELES
Nearly two decades after he was retired, Ali G is back. Sacha Baron Cohen's mockumentary Ali G: Who Iz I? opened in theaters on October 23, backed by Amazon MGM Studios, and the first reaction has been anything but warm. Reviews are divided, a campaign is urging cinemas not to show the film, and the studio appears to be treating the release as a brief event rather than a blockbuster rollout.
A comeback built on stunts
The character first appeared in 1998, starred in the 2002 film Ali G in Da House, and was retired in 2007. The revival was teased in July with a stunt at Wimbledon, where Baron Cohen, 54, pretended to sell weed. It was classic Baron Cohen: a character appearing in a public setting and letting the spectacle do the marketing.
But the campaign has also drawn criticism that has followed the character since its debut. A 2000 report on Black comedians' perspectives called Ali G an "alibi for racism," and critics of the revival say the new film "enforces racist stereotypes." Complaints cited by the Daily Beast target the character's fake dreadlocks and Rastafarian hat, and his declaration that he aspires to be an "absent" father.
The boycott
In August, Variety reported on a campaign asking theaters not to show the film. NewsCord, a media bias organization, says nearly 56,000 people have joined. Baron Cohen has answered in his own way. In character as a representative of a "Campaign for Ethical Comedy," he mocked the effort in a satirical video posted October 7: "Consider, contextualize, consult community, and obtain consent before you laugh."
He also wrote on X that he "thought I'd play it safe and bring this guy back," framing the backlash as a product of "political correctness." After the Variety report, according to the Daily Beast, he posted a 2023 video from the March on Washington anniversary, blocked comments, and said: "The power of unity is exactly why those who stand in the way of equality and freedom seek to divide us." Whether that is satire, deflection or both is part of the debate.
What the critics say
The reviews have not helped. Showbiz411 reported a Rotten Tomatoes score of 50 percent on October 22, adding that top critics scored it much lower. Variety wrote: "The film has a few scattered giggles, but it's dawdling and cumbersome, and far less 'relevant' than it thinks." The Guardian's verdict: "If you liked Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G the first time around, you'll like this less." The Globe and Mail called it "laugh free." Deadline, by that column's account, was more positive, giving it a "fresh" rating.
The Showbiz411 columnist, Roger Friedman, went further, calling the film "rude and offensive, and not well directed" and saying it has "none of the charm of a 'Borat' movie." That is one writer's view, and critics are not unanimous, but the consensus is clearly mixed at best.
A release that barely exists
The rollout is as notable as the reviews. Showbiz411 reported that Amazon is running the film in about 23 theaters for three days, a figure the author says is not officially listed, and that there is currently no plan to stream it on Prime Video. If accurate, it is a striking choice for a character with this much name recognition: a comeback designed to be seen quickly or not at all.
There are reasons a studio might choose this path. A short run limits exposure to a boycott and to weak word of mouth, and it turns the film into a now-or-never event for fans. It also limits the damage if reviews sour further. The risk is that audiences read the small release as a lack of confidence.
The bigger question about legacy comedy
Ali G: Who Iz I? lands in a moment when studios are mining old characters for new profit. The questions it raises apply well beyond this film. Can a character created in 1998 survive the culture it once satirized? Does a satirist's intent protect a joke whose target is contested? And when the creator says his critics are the real punchline, does that settle the matter or sidestep it?
Baron Cohen's career has always depended on provocation, and his defenders see the backlash as the point. His critics see a character whose original premise has not aged well. Both camps are visible in the response to this release.
What this means for you
If you want to see the film, you may have to act fast, since the run is described as one weekend in a small number of theaters. If you would rather wait, there is no confirmed streaming plan, so patience may not pay off soon. And if you are weighing the controversy, the reviews and the boycott campaign are easy to read side by side before you decide.
Either way, it is a useful case study in how a studio handles risk: a famous name, a divisive character and a deliberately small footprint.
The bottom line
Ali G is back, but not in the way a conventional comeback would suggest. With a 50 percent Rotten Tomatoes score at last report, a boycott campaign nearing 56,000 supporters and a three-day theatrical window, the revival feels less like a victory lap than a gamble. Baron Cohen has built a career on making audiences uncomfortable. This time, the discomfort may be the studio's. For now, the verdict belongs to audiences, and they have only a weekend to give it.
