Entertainment giant Sony on Wednesday released online “The Interview,” the movie that has outraged North Korea for lampooning dictator Kim Jong-Un, giving an early Christmas present to US viewers.<\/p>\n
The madcap, irreverent R-rated comedy was available for rent in the United States from 1800 GMT on several platforms, a day before a limited release in about 200 cinemas on Christmas Day.<\/p>\n
It was being distributed on Google’s YouTube for a $5.99 rental fee, on the Google Play app for Android devices and on a dedicated website, seetheinterview.com.<\/p>\n
A bawdy, expletive-laden tale full of sexual innuendo and scatological humor, the film’s future had been in doubt after Sony said it was canceling the release after an embarrassing cyber-attack on its corporate network and threats against moviegoers.<\/p>\n
The US has blamed the hack attack on North Korea, and President Barack Obama has threatened reprisals.<\/p>\n
But Sony also came under fire from Obama and free speech advocates for pulling the film, and the studio quickly performed an about-face.<\/p>\n
While some US movie theater chains got cold feet after anonymous online threats, a limited number have agreed to show the film from Thursday.<\/p>\n
Starring American comic actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, the film is a silly, low-brow romp about a CIA plot to assassinate Kim.<\/p>\n
A kind of a cross between a slapstick James Bond movie and “Hangover,” it is aimed squarely at an audience (most likely teen boys) out for a fun but vacuous night at the cinema.<\/p>\n
Almost two hours long, the film depicts how girl-chasing, hard-partying, always fashionable tabloid TV presenter Dave Skylark (Franco) and his bro-romance producer (Rogen), score an exclusive interview with the leader of the world’s most reclusive state.<\/p>\n
That’s when the CIA steps in and presents them with a plan to kill Kim.<\/p>\n
Once in in Pyongyang, however, Skylark begins to bond with Kim over basketball, Katy Perry songs piped into his Russian-made tank, and margaritas served during a drug-fuelled evening with a bevvy of naked beauties.<\/p>\n
There are shots of a naked Kim’s backside, and he’s portrayed as a man deeply scarred by never winning his father’s approval and determined to show the world how tough he can be.<\/p>\n
Eventually even Skylark learns the truth about the regime’s brutality, and he sets out to take down Kim by exposing him as a liar during his live interview.<\/p>\n
“Kim must die — that’s the American way,” says Skylark, as the plot is hatched.<\/p>\n
Much has been made of earlier trailers that showed Kim’s head exploding in a bloody climax, but in the online version that was obscured as he was instead consumed in a ball of missile fire.<\/p>\n
“It has always been Sony’s intention to have a national platform on which to release this film,” said Sony Entertainment chairman Michael Lynton said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“It was essential for our studio to release this movie, especially given the assault upon our business and our employees by those who wanted to stop free speech.”<\/p>\n
“Merry X-mas MERICA!!!! THE INTERVIEW IS LIVE!!!!!!!!! Watch it,” Franco said in a message on his Twitter account.<\/p>\n
Rogen apologized to Canadians that it was not yet available for download in his native Canada “BUT will be soon. We are working on it,” he promised.<\/p>\n
“I need to say that a comedy is best viewed in a theater full of people so if you can, I’d watch it like that. Or call some friends over,” Rogen said in a separate Tweet.<\/p>\n
Russell Brand, who shares the same vein of humor, rejoiced on Twitter “saying celebrate freedom and Christmas by watching The Interview.”<\/p>\n
“Do not attempt to assassinate anyone — it’s pretend,” he added.<\/p>\n