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Most people have by now come across British comic sensation, the utterly irreverent Ali G, via his videos such as the hilarious 'Ali G Aaiiee'.

We've cringed with glee as he's shredded a wide variety of people and institutions to pieces without batting an eyelid, from stuffy English politicians to animal rights protesters, gangsta rappers to Posh 'n Becks. We've also laughed ourselves silly at his outlandish hip-hop outfits and white gangsta-rapper mannerisms, and his punctuating of his sentences with a surplus of wicked's, boyakasha's and massive's.

And now, with 'Ali G Indahouse', Ali G — a.k.a. Sacha Baron-Cohen — makes his big-screen debut.

'Ali G Indahouse' opens in South Africa on Friday, July 19, but has yet to open in the US. However, one suspects that American audiences, with their fragile self-image and post 9-11 political correctness, are not going to take too kindly to Ali G's wildcard brand of humour — that is, if they can even understand him, having trouble as they generally do with any language that isn't American.

Unlike the Ali G videos, which consist of a series of interviews between the comic and various individuals, the film has a plot. But consistent with his character in the videos, Ali is mostly unemployed bar posing as a garage DJ or dealer or gang leader, and is, of course, still completely sex-obsessed, constantly making lewd references about his insatiable "beast" among other crudities. He is rude in the extreme, but also unbelievably funny.

Filmed in Los Angeles, London and Staines, the movie takes Ali from the ghettos of Hollywood to the Houses of Parliament (via Staines' high street and his gran's house, where he lives), taking the piss out of everyone and everything that comes his way. The plot, roughly, sees our Ali become the unlikeliest hero yet when he finds himself having to resolve one of Great Britain’s biggest national and political scandals. He is, of course, abetted by his fellow gang members, the West Staines Massive, and Julie (Kellie Bright), his long suffering girlfriend.

Also starring are Martin Freeman ('The Low Down', 'The Office') as WSM sidekick Ricky C, Michael Gambon ('Sleepy Hollow', 'Charlotte Gray') stars as the Prime Minister, Charles Dance ('Hilary and Jackie', 'Gosford Park') plays the scheming Chancellor of the Exchequer and Rhona Mitra ('Hollow Man', 'Party Of Five') his personal assistant Kate. There's also a guest appearance by uber-babe and supermodel Naomi Campbell!

The film was co-written by Sacha Baron-Cohen and Dan Mazer and was produced by Working Title Films (who brought us ‘Four Weddings and A Funeral’ and ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’). In South Africa it has an age restriction of 16.