Pakistan censor board bans GI Joe: Retaliation. PHOTO: FILE
Karachi based Atrium Cinema posted on it's facebook page on Friday said that the film, due for release on April 5, 2013, will not be screened due to restrictions by the censor board.
Responding to queries, the cinema explained that the film had been censored due to initial scenes depicting Pakistan as a failed state and fictionally portraying foreign invasion of Pakistan’s nuclear installations.
The movie starts with the protagonist framed for stealing nuclear warheads from Pakistan, a sequence which has brought the ire of Pakistani authorities.
It is a sequel to 2009's GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. The movie has non-stop action which got a little over whelming for many critics.
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do you remember the film AMERIKA, where the russians take over America. They had to ban it, coz in Pakistan you cannot make a movie about corruption and the corrupt politicians. In most hollywood movies the Pakistanis are portraid as nuclear scientists
@Super Star: no only bollywood/indian movies and seriously u guys make some worst movies in the words of the sane , they are so unintelligent
@Adil Uddin: - " but those who have not visited Pakistan will easily believe that we are a medieval country" have you ever visited/ stayed in the .Tribal belt ( including where the state has no writ) ?
@Nazim Khan: BTW how would this prove them right? What a normal man would understand by your statement is that : If we ban the movie, our nuclear asset would be stolen. Makes no sense.
I believe Bollywood should be banned because of its low quality film making and low standard when it comes to veiling its chauvinism behind art. Conversely, Hollywood is very open and can also be seen criticizing America, American foreign policy and history (like, in Lincoln).
Indians are always busy perpetuating the myth of Indian infallibility and defending actions of Indians as the supreme moral authority but only after they come to know of such an action having been taken by an Indian.
If an Indian trolls finds out that their countrymen are raping people, including those of a foreign nationality (like themselves as most of the trolls here had relinquished their Indian passports to obtain better ones), they would defend it or blame it on the Pakistani establishment for throwing aphrodisiacs over the Wagah border, and rape would somehow become something everyone has to live with including developed nations (this implies that India is not one, but they are, so it's fallacious).
Now, if this was the case in Pakistan and there was a foreign tourist raped in Pakistan, they would blame the Pakistani establishment for throwing aphrodisiacs from the Wagah inside Pakistan, and rape, would have been the most despicable thing in the world.
Indian values are almost always dependent on how they evaluate an event when it comes to Pakistan. Their plans to do away with Pakistan will make it difficult for them to formulate opinions in the future in that they won't know if the Sethusamudram project being halted or continued has an impact on Pakistan or not.
It is good to see Pakistan in a movie, and as a nuclear power in a Hollywood movie.
Appears Pakistan is competing with Iran for number of movies banned because they offend the honor of the state - doesn't matter that it's obvious fiction. What's really dumb is that the mere banning makes an otherwise lousy movie a "must see" which seems counter productive. Pakistan has enough problems without wasting resources on taxpayer funded movie critics.
@S:
Shooter Bourne series Syriana The War Within Apocalypse Now Dr. Strangelove Deja Vu Lions for Lambs In the Valley of Elah
There are plenty more movies which show US gov't or its agencies in bad light.
Shall be banned in the cinemas but shall be played on English channels on cable,for instance,Star Movies,,Star World,HBO,WB,Filmax with Urdu dubbing,etc etc and shall be available in CDs and DVDs easily in Pakistan and by these sources shall be easily watchable.......
Those who banned this movie, are those who thinks that this STATE is still not failed :D Come on! Grow up....
@Mj: Because those films are made by there own directors but in the end every movie shows USA winning the battle
@Chunky Lafanga: But still if it is against us then it should be banned every country in the world ban those things which are against them.
good step ... it should be banned !!!!
good step ... it should be banned !!!!
It's fiction for god's sake....and don't be hypocrite...film cud reflect the truth too...i heard such idiotic voices when slumdog released(though it didn't get banned but i m not satisfied with censor board in india and every religious community whose sentiments get hurt by whatever they watch in movie....dont know they watch movies to get entertain or get hurt..)...if we have slums then why shud we get embarrassed if it gets shown....same applies elsewhere...with embroilment between taliban,extremist etc and pak army....nuclear warheads are not safe...we shud learn to own our situation...
Movies are known for shaping public opinions and this movie is meant to develop minds of the masses with an idea shown in the movie. This may later prove handy if such mission by the USA is in pipeline.
One question from those who criticize banning this movie in Pakistan: would you like to watch some video in your home that is disgraceful to your own family? we never consider Pakistan as our home and Pakistanis our family. Thats is why we are being degraded everywhere. Think over it!
Indian content on TV is legal which is affecting our society... And this movie illegal.. Wow give it a break !!!
@S: Escape from NY, Escape from LA, I Am Legend, World War Z.
Though at present it is only a theme of a film for the time being but the fact of the matter is that Pakistan has more than 300 nuclear warheads and it is on the verge of collapse. We know very well that 20 to 30 Taliban fighters could make 350 soldiers of Pakistan Army surrender their weapons in South Waziristan; the terrorists could control the General Headquarters of Pakistan Army for more than 20 hours; they could successfully attack the biggest naval base of Pakistan Navy: Mehran and destroy Pakistan's naval assets; they could attack Kamra and Peshawar Air Base; Blow up FIA, ISI and Police buildings. What is the guarantee that 10,000 soldiers of Pakistan Army could successfully guard Pakistan's more than 300 nuclear assets against the terrorists' attack?
The sooner you get used to it the better. That's who Pakistan is now in the world. Through no fault but your own.
@S: dude have u ever watched the hunger games. hhahahah burn
Have some self respect and one should try not to loose it
I just watched it. Trust me guys, you're not missing much. The movie isn't exactly Oscar material.
Give us a break; is this all the censor break has left to do? So what if they're depicting us that? Just look at the plethora of American TV shows/movies that are based on their own fictional rogue agencies/agents/hypothetical international incidents, including yes nuclear blasts (just to give example, the hugely popular 24 TV series).
@MJ which movie depicted usa as a failed state?
It's not just a fiction movie. It's a message from US. Whatever they show in the movies becomes reality later. Wake up guys.
Honestly,which was the last Hollywood movie which potrayed muslims or muslim countries in good light???
Look at the movies in past ten years Kingdom,Body of Lies,Spy Game,Black Hawk Down,Taken and Taken 2,Zero Dark Thirty,A Mighty Heart,Argo,Munich.Hurt Locker etc etc...OMG.my head is spinning
But for Pakistanis,its always Bollywood which shows them in bad light,but atleast we do make movies which show the other side too....
On the bright side,Reluctant Fundamentalist is going to get released soon.The trailer looked promising.
I hate Dwayne Johnson as an actor but, Damn, its a must watch now.
its just a movie, in the first GI Joe movie I believe the President of the US was assassinated was the movie banned then? No. Then there is Olympus Has Fallen which portrays an attack on the White House was the movie banned then? No. As for Bollywood they actually do "propaganda" movies where they show Pak Army/ISI in bad light.
In other news, GI Joe 2's popularity has soared by 200% in Pakistan all thanks to censor board of Pakistan.
Well one must watch the documentary titled 'Reel Bad Arabs' by Russia Today in order to know the deep and old relationships between Hollywood and United States' political establishment. It's a fact that many Americans who have not travelled in any other region, have got a very bad knowledge about other societies. For instance, when it comes to Pakistan, Afghanistan or Middle East they would easily believe that people travel with swords, guns and on camels in these nations.
In their movies they have picked on many other nations too including French, Chinese and Russians. So banning the movie in Pakistan doesn't make sense. But one must not forget how movies and shows shape public opinions. I watched the movie Devils Double too and I guess the sole purpose of the movie was to justify the invasion on Iraq and the subsequent genocide of 100s of thousands of people over there by USA and its allies. I don't want to comment about how Indian media will look at it (as if we don't know about their hostile nature when it comes to Pakistan),but those who have not visited Pakistan will easily believe that we are a medieval country.
awwww
@Super Star: Stop Hollywood too? Dude apparently music and entertainment are 'Haraam' in Islam....
by banning this movie we will prove that they are right
why they are putting restriction on the film when what is being showcased is reality.
Oh dear! better not watch the movie as it may become true!
honestly censor board needs to get a life, like its really difficult to get a 100 rupee DVD and watch it at home!
Pakistanis are at the receiving end of Bollywood ( Ek tha Tiger, Agent Vinod ) and also Hollywood with recent films like Zero Dark thirty and this GI Joe action movie. I find many Pakistanis complaining about how Bollywood gives Pakistanis and Muslims a negative image so it should be banned in Pakistan. What would they say now ? Stop Hollywood too?
Hide your head in the sand and pretend that the world around you does not exist.
'The movie has non-stop action which got a little over whelming for many critics.' ...oh my! nicely done et ;)
Pakistan is featured in many TV shows and films nowadays.
Moving up in the world but in a negative way.
It's just a fictional movie. I don't understand why we have to be so sensitive about our military installations and status of the country. Plenty of movies depict US as a failed state/on the verge of collapse and yet are never banned there.