"Minions" film: Evil always wins everywhere

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Scene from »Minions 2: In Search of the Mini Boss«: New ending for China

Photo:

IMAGO / Universal Pictures / DreamWorks

Foreign films in China have long been scrutinized for references to issues uncomfortable with the ruling Communist Party.

Taiwan is one of them, as well as the Dalai Lama and human rights.

In recent years, China's Film Review Board seems to have broadened its remit to ensure films are delivering the right message -- and one that's not seen as harmful.

This can be a problem when the central character in a film is a villain.

That's how it is in »Minions 2: Mini Boss Search«: The animated film is a prequel that tells the story of young Gru, the master villain from the »Despicable Me« series.

The authorities' solution: Individual postscripts were added to each character, cut into the credits.

Post-prison sentence for Wild Knucklecracker

One of the cards states that Wilder Knucklecracker, young Gru's older criminal mastermind, was later jailed for 20 years for attempting to commit another crime.

Before the credits roll, he just drives off towards the horizon.

The postscript to Gru states that he will give up evil, join the good guys and, his greatest achievement, be the father of three daughters.

The real story, as told in the original 2010 Despicable Me movie, is a little more complicated.

In it, Gru adopts three orphans as part of his plan to steal the moon as the ultimate crime.

But the orphans who see him as a father soften his heart.

Censorship instead of FSK rating

Chinese film bloggers pointed out the credits panels in social media messages, and received mixed reactions.

Some saw the attachments as an overreaction to an animated comedy.

Others said they showed the right values, especially for children.

"I don't think the ending with the positive energy was needed at all," said one moviegoer. "It's completely unnecessary."

"Positive Energy" is a motto that emerged about a decade ago in China and was endorsed by the CCP to spread encouraging messages in media and artworks.

This is how the China Media Project describes it, which monitors trends in the media.

The agency responsible for film censorship did not respond to faxed questions, nor did the distributors respond to emails.

In China there is no age classification system like in Germany by the FSK.

Instead, the authorities are asking production companies to delete or change positions that are considered inappropriate.

»Minions 2: In Search of the Mini Boss«, which has grossed 114 million yuan (16.5 million euros) at the Chinese box office since its launch on August 19, is far from the first film in which the Chinese bodies have changed the end.

In the 2018 film Peppermint: Angel of Vengeance, the main character, played by Jennifer Garner, is a murderess who ends up handcuffed to a hospital bed.

A well-meaning policeman hands her the key.

In the final scene, the bed is empty and the handcuffs are swinging on the railing.

The cut Chinese version ends with the woman in bed before she gets the key.

feb/AP