The comedic talents behind "Pineapple Express" and "This Is The End" have decided to take a stab at geopolitical commentary, and it's already getting the kind of reaction you'd expect.
"You are entering into the most dangerous country on Earth." (Via Columbia Pictures / "The Interview")
"The Interview" stars James Franco and Seth Rogen as a talk show host and his producer who are recruited by the CIA to assassinate North Korea's head of state Kim Jong-un after they land an interview with the so-called Glorious Leader.
The film's first trailer was released last week, and to no one's surprise, North Korea isn't thrilled about the premise. An unofficial spokesman for the regime provided the following, somewhat bizarre condemnation of the movie to The Telegraph:
"There is a special irony in this storyline as it shows the desperation of the US government and American society. ... A film about the assassination of a foreign leader mirrors what the US has done in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. ... And let us not forget who killed [President John F.] Kennedy – Americans. ... In fact, President [Barack] Obama should be careful in case the US military wants to kill him as well."
So ... that's a one star review, then?
The spokesman went on to denounce Hollywood movies in general as "full of assassinations and executions," saying he much prefers wholesome British films like the James Bond series. (Via The Guardian)
Which is a bit odd, since the 2002 Bond film "Die Another Day" was censured as "dirty and cursed" by the regime for casting North Korea as the bad guys.
But the spokesman did diplomatically suggest Kim Jong-un would probably watch "The Interview" when it comes out, which prompted Rogen to tweet his regards to the dictator.
"The Interview" is facing some more coherent criticism from Western media. As The Independent notes, "Some film critics [are] saying that the decision to make a comedy based on the assassination of another nation's leader is 'extremely irresponsible.'"
"The Interview" is slated for an Oct. 10 release. So far, Dennis Rodman has yet to comment.
