The so-called Guardians of Peace, after hacking Sony Pictures' employees' emails in an attempt to get The Interview pulled from theaters, had threatened terrorist action referencing 9-11. This caused all the major theater chains to back out of playing it, which in turn caused Sony to pull it altogether. Later, independent theaters who remained determined to show The Interview were once again permitted to do so.
When tickets were made available by the Alamo Drafthouse chain, I bought tickets for my brother and I to see it on the day after Christmas at the Alamo location in Ashburn, VA. Not long after I made that purchase, it was announced that the movie would be available on Google Play, YouTube, Xbox Video, and a website made by Sony itself. Had I known about the online distribution, I could have saved a couple bucks and an hour-long drive. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our experience, and in a small way we stood up for our American right to free speech by watching a film where Seth Rogan and James Franco plot to assassinate the leader of North Korea.
The question that remains is, is this controversial movie even any good? If Sony had known the trouble it would cause them, would they have greenlit it in the first place?
To the first question, yes, I found it to be a very funny and sometimes thoughtful movie, but some of the raunchy humor and violence became gratuitous. Ever since Pineapple Express, Rogan and his writing/directing partner Evan Goldberg have been fascinated with having an ultraviolent climax to their action packed comedies. It's not the blood itself that bothers me, but the clash in tone; are we meant to laugh as a man gets his fingers bitten off, assuming that he's the equivalent of a cartoon character? Come to think of it, he didn't seem to be in much pain in the next scene so maybe that answers that.
These filmmakers are also fond of homoeroticism, sexual mishaps, and anal retention (I am not referring to attention to detail). These moments may bother some, but I thought they were handled in hilarious ways that made me shake my head with a chuckle. There is a funny cameo at the very beginning that will make you wonder "how the hell did they convince him to say that?"
I'm going to lightly spoil the movie, so skip the next paragraph if you plan to see it.
What would most upset the country of North Korea about The Interview is not the simple fact that the plot involves killing Kim Jong-un, but how the movie goes out of its way to make their revered leader look flawed and... human. And the ending depicts something happening that might actually occur in that country if its citizens realized that the Emperor (in one shot, quite literally) has No Clothes. It's not his death that ends up mattering, but the exposing of lies he and his allies have told the population in order to stay in power.
So it may be a dumb Rogan/Franco movie, but it also has something to say. It's not the greatest satire ever made, but if you can stomach the shock value, and/or you believe no art should be censored for political gain, it's worth checking out.
As stated above, you can watch The Interview at several places online, each charges $5.99:
http://www.theinterview-movie.com/
Or, find it in a theater near you. The Alamo Drafthouse played some decades-old Korean propaganda before the flick, as well as exclusive messages recorded for the chain by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg, so those were interesting features. Watch out for tigers.
EDIT: Of course now, you can just stream the darn thing on Netflix.
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