Minions: Mini Boss Search, the new installment in the Despicable Me film series Minions, premiered in China on Friday (August 19) – albeit with a surprising ending. In the new installment, Gru continues to live up to his reputation as a super villain.
Unlike the original, the Chinese version doesn’t have a happy ending: Normally, Gru was supposed to ride into the sunset with his companion, Wild Knuckles. But according to posts and screenshots published on Chinese website Weibo, Gru’s friend Wild Knuckles was caught after a robbery gone awry and jailed for 20 years. He would also discover his “love of acting” and start a theater company. As Gru returns to his family, he counts fatherhood to his three girls as his “greatest achievement.”
Does the Chinese version pursue political goals?
This novel plot was criticized by many fans, even mocked. For example, one user commented, “The real story takes place in a parallel universe.” Others felt that the cinematic adaptation promoted China’s three-child policy as the country sought to increase its birth rate. DuSir, a well-known film blogger from China with more than 14 million followers on Weibo, called the changes “outrageous”. In one article he asked the question “How weak and clueless do you think our audience is?”.
Despite the heavy criticism of the fifth part of the Minions film series, the blockbuster is said to have already made a huge profit. According to reports from the Deadline website, the plant grossed a pandemic-record 21.74 million yuan (about $3.2 million) on its first day in China.
“Fight Club” has also undergone a change
China is not exactly unknown for its strict censorship regulations. At the beginning of the year, the American film “Fight Club” from 1999 was changed. Instead of the protagonist blowing up several skyscrapers – as in the original – the viewer receives the message that the authorities have won and saved the day via an overlay. A violent shitstorm was then triggered: director David Fincher and author Chuck Palahniuk described the act on the part of China as “dystopian”.