US Movie Review: "The Interview" (2014)

Got a chance to watch it tonight.  I had basically zero expectations. I assumed it would be a lot of stupid jokes, bad language, and probably a bit racist too.  Despite that,  I wanted to see it because A) I'm fixated on all things North Korea,  B) I actually liked "This is the End", also featuring Rogan and Franco, quite a bit... C) its my Patriotic duty to punish those Sony hackers for trying to silence free speech! :-P

So now that I've seen the film, I have to say surprisingly its not that bad!  (not THAT bad.... which is not the same thing is as saying its good). 

You basically get exactly what it advertises, and exactly what you're expecting. Lots of stupid jokes, some sex, some violence and a stupid, simple plot about trying to assassinate Kim Jong-Un. 

The thing that probably bothered me most about the film was that at no time does anyone in the film realize that Korean people have their family name first (Kim) and their first name after that (Jong-Un).

I have to say I thought the guy who protrayed Kim (Randal Park), did a great job, although he doesn't look that much like Kim.  If I were him I'd be careful opening my mail box for a while though.

On that note, I can TOTALLY see why the NK government would go to such lengths to stop this film from being made.  Unlike other movies that have North Korean villains (James Bond films, the re-edited to not be China version of the Red Dawn remake, etc) this film goes way beyond and specifically attacks, mocks and trashes the Great Leader #3 himself. 

Here's a clip from an article about how this film is going to be used -

• "For me, it wasn't a comedy -- more of a bombshell, because of the way it made fun of Kim Jong-Un," Park Sang-Hak, who defected to the South in 1999, told AFP.But that is precisely the reason that Park, who leads a group of activists that regularly attempt to airdrop anti-Kim leaflets into North Korea, is planning to launch gas-filled balloons over the border carrying some 100,000 copies of the film on DVDs and USB memory sticks.
  

• To see Kim portrayed as an object of ridicule -- rather than the infallible, all-powerful leader depicted in state propaganda -- would be nothing short of a revelation for most North Koreans, Park said. http://news.yahoo.com/interview-no-laughing-matter-n-korean-defectors-094238316.html
  

Now that I think about it... I wouldn't be surprised if the US Government was secretly behind this one,  probably one of the silence money men behind the producers was Uncle Sam himself. :-P

I'll give it a fresh 6/10!