We tend to define a movie's success mostly by how it performs in American theaters, but
big-budget films can live or die by how well they do overseas.
Still, while Hollywood is becoming more aware of global audiences, there are still plenty
of movies that simply don't go over well in certain countries.
Consequently, some of your favorite films have been banned internationally for a variety
of reasons.
From unanticipated cultural insensitivity to uncomfortable reminders of real-life violence,
here are some films you've probably seen that were banned around the world.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
The biggest problem for American audiences with Kingsman: The Golden Circle was probably
Channing Tatum's minimal screen time.
But the government of Cambodia had a very different issue.
According to their culture ministry's film department, the film's use of Cambodia for
the villain's headquarters contributed to the world's negative impression of Cambodian
organized crime.
Worse, the villainous hideout closely resembles Ta Prohm, a well-known Cambodian temple.
The film's setting led to Cambodia completely banning any screenings.
But considering that the Kingsman series is a pastiche of James Bond films, you could
say that cultural insensitivity is just part of the genre.
Zoolander
Ben Stiller has a knack for playing bizarre narcissists, and his role as Derek Zoolander
ranks among the most outlandish.
From life-and-death catwalks to Zoolander getting brainwashed into trying to assassinate
the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the film is dripping with absurd humor.
Unfortunately, though unsurprisingly, some of that humor didn't quite land with the Malaysian
government, which banned the film from release.
It wasn't just the assassination plot that put Zoolander in hot water, it was the reason
for it: the prime minister is targeted because he wants to put an end to Malaysian sweatshops.
Making light of working conditions was unsurprisingly offensive to the real Malaysian government,
and the film was promptly banned.
Malaysia wasn't the only country upset, as its neighbor Singapore also banned it as well.
"You're dead to me boy."
The Wolf of Wall Street
Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street is packed with drug-filled escapades, explicit
love-making scenes, and colorfully profane dialogue.
It even holds the record for the most uses of the f-word in a non-documentary, with 506
instances in total.
It's excessive in the truest sense, and it's easy to understand how it could possibly offend
audiences.
It's unsurprising, then, that Wolf of Wall Street was censored, edited, and banned in
multiple countries.
Nepal and Malaysia banned it outright, while India, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon
all cut scenes.
Singapore restricted showings to less than a dozen theaters, but that didn't stop it
from coming in first at their box office.
Ultimately, the film was a critical and commercial success, despite, or perhaps because of, the
controversy.
"The show goes on!"
"This is my home!"
Shrek 2
It can be very tricky to translate comedy into a different language.
You have to match the style and tone of the original while also adjusting cultural references
to ones that your new audience is more likely to understand.
Unfortunately, the Hebrew translation of Shrek 2 contained a joke so controversial that the
film was banned in Israel until the line was removed.
In the original English-language version, a character threatens to castrate Puss in
Boots.
"Neuter him right here.
Give him the Bob Barker treatment!"
Suspecting that Israeli audiences wouldn't get the reference, the translation team changed
the line to "Let's do a David D'Or on him."
D'Or is an Israeli singer known for his high voice, but he didn't find the joke funny,
and he successfully managed to get a court order issued that banned the film from theaters
until the offending line was removed.
The Hunger Games
There's a very fine line between tasteful symbolism and straight-up gore when it comes
to depicting violence on screen.
While there isn't an objective answer to where that boundary lies, it's true that the US
tends to accept violence in movies more readily than other countries.
Vietnam, for instance, banned The Hunger Games for its violent imagery.
The film's Vietnamese premiere was delayed before it was ultimately banned altogether.
According to the country's National Film Board,
"The bloody scenes may be acceptable in America, but in Vietnam, they're too violent and ruthless."
Despite the ban, some Vietnamese fans announced they planned to see the film in nearby Cambodia
or Singapore.
Borat and Brüno
Some films are so willfully controversial that it's no surprise when they get banned.
Sacha Baron Cohen might be an expert on that, as 2006's Borat and 2009's Bruno both prompted
outcry worldwide.
Each film follows outlandish characters in outrageous, often offensive scenarios.
Borat was unsurprisingly banned from Kazakhstan for its offensive portrayal of the country.
"Over here, our town kindergarten."
It was also banned in Russia as well as multiple Arab countries.
Bruno fared slightly better, but not by much.
Ukraine banned it for its highly explicit content, while Malaysia banned it for pretty
much the same reason.
Despite the bans, both films managed to gross many hundreds of millions worldwide.
Deadpool
In 2016, Deadpool became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time worldwide, despite
a pretty significant handicap: it was denied release in China due to its extreme levels
of violence.
The film was deemed to be so constantly violent that there wasn't any way to censor it while
retaining the plot.
While it's impressive that Deadpool made so much without any Chinese revenue, it's a real
shame for Chinese fans who weren't able to see the Merc with a Mouth on the big screen.
"Maximum effort."
Luckily for a few fortunate filmgoers, Deadpool eventually did premiere in China, although
not as a full release, as it screened at the 2018 International Beijing Film Festival.