BEIJING (AP) — The latest “Minions” movie deftly sends a message to Chinese audiences that audiences in other countries won’t see — crime doesn’t pay.
An afterword added to the version in Chinese cinemas said a villain who ended the film as a free man was later jailed for 20 years.
Foreign films have long been targeted by China for their references to topics sensitive to the ruling Communist Party, such as Taiwan, the Dalai Lama and human rights. In recent years, the China Film Commission appears to have broadened its remit to ensure films deliver the right message, rather than being seen as harmful.
In a movie with a villain at the center, that can be a challenge. Minions: Gru Rise is a prequel that tells the early years of Gru, the bumbling criminal mastermind of the Despicable Me animated series.
Solution: Add a separate afterword about the character, a series, interspersed with the credits at the end.
Some say Wild Knuckles, an older, mentor-like villain to the younger Gru, was later jailed for 20 years for trying to reoffend. Before the credits, he was just driving into the suburban horizon.
Gru’s afterword says he renounced evil and joined good, and his greatest achievement was the father of three daughters.
The actual story told in the original 2010 version of Despicable Me is a bit more complicated. Gru adopts three orphaned daughters for a conspiracy to steal the moon. But the lovely orphans, seeing their father in him, melted his cold heart.
Chinese film bloggers pointed to the postscript added to the social media post, which drew mixed reactions. Some say these additions are an overreaction to animated comedy. Others said they showed the right values, especially for children.
“I don’t think positive endings have to exist at all,” said one fan, Jenny Jane. “It’s totally unnecessary.”
According to the China Media Project, which monitors media trends, positive energy is a slogan that emerged in China about a decade ago and was promoted by the Communist Party to drive uplifting messages in media and the arts.
The China Film Bureau, which oversees the film commission, did not respond to faxed questions. Distributors China Films and Huaxia Film Distribution did not respond to emails.
China does not have a movie rating system to assess whether a movie is suitable for different audiences. Instead, authorities are asking producers to remove or change content they deem inappropriate before the film is approved for release.
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” has grossed 114 million yuan ($17 million) at the box office since its August 19 release in China, and it’s not the first time Chinese authorities have changed the film’s ending.
In the 2018 film about vigilantes, Mint, the protagonist is handcuffed to a hospital bed. A sympathetic detective gives her a key, and in the final scene, the bed is empty, handcuffs swinging on the railing.
The truncated Chinese version ends with her still in bed, before she gets the keys.
