The Interview - The movie that North Korea declared "An Act of War"

So there's this movie coming later this year where the plot is about a couple of online talk-show people being recruited to assassinate Kim Jong-Un.

In ironically what is probably the greatest source of publicity the movie could have possibly gotten, Kim Jong-Un has recently stated that if the US does not act more like North Korea and prohibit the movie from being released, it would be considered an 'act of war' against the country.

Oddly enough, the fact that Kim Jong-Un wants this movie banned makes me actually want to consider seeing it despite the fact that under normal circumstances I'd be inclined to just laugh about the concept and let it slide by without paying much attention to it.

So it's basically a talk show version of Zoolander with the world leader being a real person? And N.K's ruler wants to make an idiot of himself by declaring a MOVIE an act of war?

That's just rich.

Well, anything that pisses off the North Koreans is fine by me.

While the "Act of War" description is a little over the top, I can't help but think that if the most recent film at Cannes involved an assassination plot against Obama, that there wouldn't be more than a little protest and scrutiny from the United States intelligence services. After all, the Secret Service investigates every assassination plot claim, no matter how outlandish.

I disagree that it's over the top considering that Kim Jong-Un quite literally stated that if the US allowed the movie to be released that it would be considered an unacceptable act of war.

Not to mention that I recall hearing about how during the Bush Administration, there was at least one movie that posited the idea of Bush getting assassinated, and I don't recall there being much protesting about that movie.

What is this? A game of Civilization V? lol

1) Does anyone else remember a movie starring Gregory Peck as a scientist who is going to go to China and so he is recruited by the CIA before he goes and they implant a listening device in his skull so he can spy for them? They also implanted a bomb in his head and when they find out he is going to meet Chairman Mao, they consider just blowing them both up. It was called "The Chairman" and part of me deep down believes that this film is the result of an aborted remake.

2) I can see the comedic possibilities of sending an egotistical American celebrity interviewer to a country as ridiculous as North Korea. But involving Seth Rogan and James Franco and what I saw in that trailer brings in a comedic sensibility unsuited for the task. It also looks suspiciously like they have a large budget.

3) I believe in the Big Book of Ethics, you lose your right to umbrage at people casually humouring themselves at the thought of murdering you when you have murdered all your cousins and use artillery as a form of execution. Oh no, my mistake. Artillery is OK, it's the flame thrower that the Oxford BBE has a problem with.

Bawwww! Kimmy how many times have your fat ass threatened us and not made good on the threat? Hell, Team America was a satire on your papi and he ain't do shit about it. You want to come after us? Go right ahead and say hi to our nukes ya dumb fat fuck.

I was talking with friends earlier and we took a moment to examine the implications of such a situation for curiosity. Let the Fridge Horror begin...

Well, the US can't stop the film; They'll look like N.K. has them by the ballsack and there'd be so much controversy if they do that. On the other hand, if they don't do anything, this'll all just come up again when the movie comes out and all N.K. has done is made sure that EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER is going to see 'The Movie N.K. declared war over'. And no doubt that'd possibly make things worse assuming N.K. decides to TRY and push back.

Though, let's face it, N.K. is that annoying kid on the playground that's stupid with his group of friends and threatens to beat the other kids up but never actually does so. If a War were to happen, I don't think it'd be on the levels of Vietnam or anything, but war is still war.

Now, let's think about if N.K were to start a war over this (though, I think we all highly doubt they would considering how silly that sentence sounds), first off, even if its a Curbstomp, people are still dying because of a stupid raunchy James Franco and Seth Rogan comedy film that I don't think would be smart enough to be that great. The idea of people dying over this leaves a horrible taste in my mouth, regardless of what 'side/nationality' they are.

Assuming a war were to happen, regardless of the outcome, I'd imagine a ton of people would have the idea 'They launched a war because of our media and that lead to people dying so we need to be more conscious of our films/books/video games and CENSOR EVERYTHING!'. And that's almost never a good idea.

I do find it hilariously ironic that, in making this war threat, He just ensured that this movie will probably be remembered for a long time and will surely win back its budget REGARDLESS of the quality of the actual film. He probably just gave this movie better publicity than its marketing department could even have a wet dream over.

@ lancesolous 13

It was stated a while ago that North Korea is inferior to us military-wise in every way.

North Korea is basically that school bully who thinks he's better than everyone else, when he is really one of the most laughed at members of the class.

As for the film itself, it basically looks like a live action Team America World Police.

Agreed, but war is still war and people would still end up dying most likely.

There's not gonna be any consequences over this (and there shouldn't be), but I find it kinda tactless. They couldn't have waited until he was dead?

Well, tactless has been known to sell...

Pah-lease. If North Korea decided to be suicidal and actually declare war (well, another war, given that technically, the Korean War is still happening), no sane person is going to blame the movie.

No one in their right mind is going to say "You know, this all could have been avoided if only those guys hadn't made that stupid movie and provoked North Korea." Instead they will be saying "If only North Korea had pulled its head out of its own behind long enough to realize that declaring war on the US is a certifiably 'really bad idea'."

Call me cold, but if it weren't for the possibility of China getting involved and making it a much bigger mess than it had to be, I could almost probably say that North Korea deciding that dying was a good idea would actually be a good thing in the grand scheme of things. The Korean War would officially be over for good after the inevitable curb stomp, the people of North Korea would be free from the tyrannical rule of the closest thing the world has to a real-life version of Latveria, and while they certainly couldn't be reunited right away, it would enable the eventual reunification of North and South Korea after the North has finally be fixed up enough that it wouldn't crash the South in the process.

It would certainly be a long-term fixer upper project, but long-term I think that finally having a legitimate reason to curb stomp North Korea and kicking out the currently leadership would beat leaving things as they are.

But lets face it, North Korea is never actually going to declare war on the US and make any kind of actual aggressive action worth going to war over based solely on a dumb comedy flick.

edited 25th Jun '14 10:19:06 PM by TheSpaceJawa

The country of North Korea as a whole, probably not. Kim Jong-Un himself, on the other hand...

edited 25th Jun '14 10:20:59 PM by Mort08

"No one in their right mind is going to say..." I never said it was a rational thought and I've met some VERY stupid people...

Any Chinese involvement would be on the US/South Korea side not the Nork side, the Chinese government have made it very clear that they are A: not happy with the Nork government in general and B: Will only stand by North Korea in a defensive war.

But yeah, North Korea isn't going to declare war over this (well it might declare but not do anything), now they might do something small, close some join zones, shell a patch of disputed water or expel some embassies, but that would be it.

Although, regarding North Korea as the ineffectual bully on the playground, the school shootings have proven that, if you keep discounting that person, eventually they may decide to make a point. And given they've had nukes possibly since 2009...

Nukes that are barely nukes.

The bombs we dropped in WW 2 are several times more powerful than anything they've developed.

Still going to suck for anyone they decide to nuke.

Assuming they can hit their target, of course.

Bah. Nukes do not need to be air dropped, launched by missile or anything like that. Just put one in an ISO container, load that on a hired cargo ship and berth it at the biggest freight terminal in the target country of your choice and make it go boom by radio control after the GPS tracker hooked up to the beacon in your ISO container says that it has reached its destination.

Even the Norks could do that.

North Korea is all bark and no bite.

They can't break these nuts and can't touch my country. Kimberly is like this bitch Inknew in high school who regularly talked shit about everyone. I punched him two times in the duration of a semester.

Sure but that requires a peace time enviroment (a cargo ship from North Kroea isn't gonna find port anywhere if a war starts), none of the many intelligence agencies watching North Korea noticing that something is going on and for nobody to get suspicious when a freighter from North Korea decides to go to a non-allied country.

I'd be surprised if freighters went from North Korea to anywhere but China, Iran and Cuba, I'd be even more surprised if such freighters could get anywhere near a western port without being checked.

I mean I guess they could use that trick to nuke the Panama Canal or something, but why would they? Why would they surprise nuke anywhere? North Korea survives by sitting in the sweet spot between "weak enough to invade" and "massive enough threat that it would be worth the damage to be rid of them", it moves to far one way or the other and Pyongyang is getting flattened.

Edit: I just found this[1] ship tracker, now I doubt it's complete, but it looks reasonably filled in, if I can watch what ships dock in North Korea from my study than you can get someone at the CIA does the exact same thing.

edited 26th Jun '14 7:59:05 AM by Silasw

Who says nukes have to go off when folks are already chucking bombs and shells at each other? Or even that there has to be a declaration of war or anything that primitive?

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. If your tech guys give you nuclear devices that can't be air dropped or delivered by missile reliably yet still can go bang and you are pissed enough at someone to use them, berth a freighter at a freight terminal port and make it go boom.

Plus I did specify "hire" a container ship. I didn't specify who from. Or where it would be loaded. And nope, I wouldn't use a North Korean port either, not when there are ports in China that are available, and when the Chinese border guards are as corrupt as the rest of the establishment and getting the container, or containers if I really wanted bang for my buck, into the country for trans-shipping would be really piss easy.

Bolt from the blue attacks, on the lines of the one I described, are some intel analysts' worst nightmares.

edited 26th Jun '14 8:11:19 AM by TamH70