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‘Borat’ sequel light on laughs, humiliation

Few comedy ideas have aged more poorly than Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat.

Cohen’s 2006 film was shocking, outrageous and frequently hilarious as the British comedian’s Kazakhstan-immigrant character exposed the ignorance and prejudice in some folks and, just as often, how people are willing to go along with the most ridiculous antics rather than risk offending.

Social media and the last four years have rendered Cohen’s comedy all-but-irrelevant.

We don’t need Cohen to expose our racist uncle / cousin / high school friend. He gleefully and willingly posts 10 things per day on Facebook that makes him look worse than any of Cohen’s victims.

And while it might be shocking to hear the crowd at an anti-mask event chant that journalists should be “chopped up like the Saudis do” — something that happens in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” — is it really any worse than some of the things chanted at 45’s rallies?

The premise for this sequel has Borat returning to America to deliver a bribe to Vice President Mike Pence so Kazakhstan’s leader can curry favor with the current administration like other dictators do.

When the initial offering doesn’t make it to America intact, Borat hopes to bribe the renowned ladies man (whose lust is so strong, he can’t be left alone in the presence of another woman) with his 15-year-old daughter (Maria Bakalova). But first she must undergo a makeover to make herself desirable enough to catch his eye.

Watching Cohen fish for laughs at the expense of low-hanging fruit — Instagram influencers, plastic surgeons, debutante consultants, etc. — is a joyless exercise, and the new “Borat,” which premieres Friday on Amazon Prime, spends too much time doing just that.

The comedy only works when the target is big enough to be worthy of Cohen’s ridicule. And when a movie is as successful as “Borat” was in 2006, earning $128 million domestically and more than $260 million worldwide, that element of surprise is harder to execute.

There’s a bit (teased in the trailer) involving Pence at the Conservative Political Action Conference that doesn’t amount to much, although I guess it’s an encouraging sign that a comedian with an anarchistic streak can’t get any closer to someone with Secret Service protection.

The movie’s Oh-my-I-can’t-believe-they-pulled-that-off moment involves someone else close to the president’s inner circle. Critics are encouraged not to reveal any spoilers, so I won’t name names, but let’s just say America’s … comes off more like America’s lecher.

That scene is sure to get most of the attention in an otherwise forgettable film. And one of the perks of “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” premiering on a streaming service is that viewers can skip to about the 1-hour-and-17-minute mark and save a lot of time.

There are a couple funny ideas in that first 75 minutes, like Borat’s daughter watching an animated film called “Melania” that portrays the first lady’s life as if she were a Disney princess. And there actually is a comedic payoff at the end of the film that ties some of the earlier bits together.

But this Borat is a memorable five-minute movie short instead of a worthy “Moviefilm.”

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