Oh, the good ol' China which is the number one country in Asia and the third most powerful nation in the world, with its communist regime and totalitarian government rules its people with an iron fist made of propaganda and censorship of free speech. But well it's got a great big economy and a chain of movie theatres that bring forth a lot of income to anyone who releases a movie based on the regimes' narrative. Here's Our Take on How CHINA is Talking Control Over Hollywood!?!
It is a well-known fact that American moviemakers bootlick both the Hollywood and the Chinese markets to get their pockets filled, after all, "CASH IS KING!". But there is a cost to be paid, that is the artistic value or the ingenuity of a creator to make his films with free speech and freedom to imagine and put in elements that he feels is good for the film without any censorship or any hindrance.
Many films have great potential, as they are adapted from a novel or a reputed director but to produce such films there should be a good return on investment as well. So, the Chinese influence is a necessary evil that showers the producers with money, so let's take a glance at films that had potential but became mere advertisements for Chinese propaganda 😤😩:
6. X-Men: Days of Future Past
Plot
Assuming that mutants might pose a threat to humanity someday, Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) develops the Sentinels which are enormous robotic androids that can detect the mutant gene characteristic to the mutants and X-men and eliminate that person. The Sentinels have now adapted and evolved into highly efficient killing machines. With mutants now facing extinction, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) shoulders the responsibility and volunteers to go back in time and rally the X-Men of the past to help change a crucial moment in history and hence save their future.
Verdict
This movie got a lot of people riled up during its trailer release but a lot of scenes had been cut, and excessive violence has been decreased because it's a big no-no in China. Apart from that, not a lot had been cut from the film but a completely unnecessary plot has been taken to Hong Kong and a new character Blink has been played by a very prominent Chinese actor 'Fan Bingbing'. The fact that the American movie industry desperately tries to appease the Chinese is just 😟.
Chinese Bootlicking - 6/10
5. World War Z
Plot
When former U.N. investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family get stuck in some heavy traffic, he senses that it's not an ordinary traffic jam. His suspicions were confirmed when, suddenly, the city erupts into chaos and destruction is inherent all around him. A lethal contingent or virus, spread through the means of a bite, is turning normal people into something vicious, aggressive and wild. As the pandemic threatens to eliminate humanity by the thousands, Gerry leads a worldwide search to find the source of the infection and report his findings which might put an end to this.
Verdict
Chinese Bootlicking - 8/10
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4. Doctor Strange
Plot
Dr. Stephen Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) life takes an overhaul when a car accident injures him and cripples him of the use of his hands. When modern medicine fails him, he looks for healing, and hope, in a mysterious escapade. He quickly learns that the enclave where healing is offered is at the front line of a battle against some mysterious unseen dark forces hell-bent and ardent on destroying reality. Before long, Strange is forced to choose between his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer ever to exist.
Verdict
We all know how famous Marvel is and apparently how much income the franchise brings, but unfortunately after Avengers getting 1/3rd of its income from China even Marvel had to stoop down in its standards to appease the Chinese government. The Ancient One is Doctor Strange is supposed to be a Tibetan Monk but has been changed to a Celtic woman cause China does not identify the sovereignty of Tibet (*hmph fragile egos). According to the comics, Doctor Strange's origin story revolves around him going to Tibet to meet this monk but all that has been erased to get a few more pennies from the Chinese film market.
Chinese Bootlicking - 8.5/10
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Plot
After Elizabeth, Will, and Captain Barbossa rescue Captain Jack Sparrow from the land of the dead, they must face their enemies and long time nemesis Davy Jones and Lord Cutler Beckett. Beckett, now with control of Jones' heart, forms an alliance with him in order to reign over the seas and wipe out the Pirates. Now, Jack, Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth, Tia Dalma, and crew must call the Pirate Lords from the four corners of the world, including the infamous Sao Feng, to a gathering to discuss about their survival. The Pirate Lords which includes Jack Sparrow, want to release the goddess Calypso, Davy Jones's damned lover, from a trap they set for her out of fear, in which the Pirate Lords must get together the 9 pieces that bound her by ritual to undo the spell and release her in hopes that she will help them fight. With this, all pirates will stand together and will make their final stand for freedom against Beckett, Jones, Norrington, the Flying Dutchman, and the entire East India Trading Company.
Verdict
One of the crucial characters in the film played by Chow Yun-Fat's role has been cut in half and the Chinese blamed and criticized the American film industry for vilifying and demonizing the Chinese by portraying the actor with scars and an ugly outlook, I mean cmon how are pirates supposed to look like Victoria secrets models or what? How is portraying an accurate role demonizing the Chinese? This sheds a light on how the Chinese scrutinize the movies that are to be played in their country. I won't blame the film per se as it not their fault but I'm utterly disappointed to see free speech suppressed.
Chinese Bootlicking - 7/10
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2. Iron Man 3
Plot
Suffering from worry and insomnia since saving New York from destruction from an intergalactic army, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), now, is more dependent and obsessed with the suits that give him his Iron Man persona, so much so that every aspect of his life is affected and is controlled by them, including his relationship with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). After the malicious enemy known as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) reduces his personal world to rubble, Tony must rely solely on instinct and wit to defeat his motives and protect the people he loves.
Verdict
Robert Downey Jr. and his Iron Man series gave birth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it today but that was short-lived. The antagonist or the main villain was supposed to be Mandarin who is Chinese by origin and has a lot of character depth to him that makes him stand out. He is like the Joker to Batman, just imagine many of us don't even realize what we've missed because of this. And the iron man series also came to a halt because of how awkward the film is. Instead of a mastermind villain with so much depth, we got Trevor Slattery who is a literal guy that plays the puppet of being the Mandarin. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined with this one!
Chinese Bootlicking - 9/10
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction
Plot
After the tedious battle between the Decepticons and Autobots that levelled Chicago, humanity thinks that all alien robots are a threat no matter which side they are on. So Harold Attinger, a CIA agent, establishes a threat eliminating unit whose sole purpose is to seek out the aliens. But it turns out that they are helped by another alien robot who is searching for Optimus Prime. Cade Yeager, a "robotics expert", buys an old truck and upon examining, it turns out to be a Transformer. When he powers it up, he discovers it's Optimus Prime. Later, men from the CIA unit show up trying to find Optimus. He helps Yeager and his daughter Tessa escape but is pursued by the alien robot. They escape and Yeager learns from some technology he took from the CIA unit that a technology magnate and defence contractor named Joshua Joyce is a component of what is going on, in order that they attend to determine what is going on.
Verdict
Chinese Bootlicking - 10/10
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