Pullout of ‘Uncharted’ receives mixed reaction (Sabong News)
Author
Neil Ramos
Date
APRIL 28 2022
The recent pullout from cinemas of the Hollywood film “Uncharted” as ordered by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) — upon the request of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) — has received mixed reaction.
While many agree with the DFA’s concern about the film’s use of an image showing China’s nine-dash line being “contrary to national interest,” there are a few who thought the pull-out either too much or too late.
Note the film, starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, and Antonio Banderas, as released by Columbia Pictures, opened here last February, but is no longer available in theaters.
Said one fan, “Langya laging huli ang MTRCB at DFA.”
Another netizen asked, “Paano nakalusot iyan, in the first place?”
Some also questioned why the MTRCB actually waited for the DFA to make a request before acting on the matter.
When sought for a comment, Atty. Mamarico Sansarona Jr., MTRCB executive director, belied accusations they acted late.
“We received the letter from the DFA Mar. 14, we issued the cease and desist order Mar. 15, it was only a day later,” he said. “People think we acted late only because the DFA issued their (press) release last April 27. Everybody thought that was the same date the film was pulled out from theaters.”
Sansarona, however, is not keen on discussing why they acted only upon the request of the DFA or why the said scene escaped their scrutiny.
Meanwhile, there are those who seem to not understand the need to actually ban the film.
A tweet read, “It’s just a movie! Not even a good one! The MTRCB is just searching for any rationale to achieve a facade of relevance.”
Another thought it clever to post an illustration of a map showing China’s nine-dash line, urging other to re-tweet the same in order “to scare” the MTRCB.
This is not the first time that the DFA sought to prohibit the screening of a Hollywood movie around these parts relating the same issue.
In 2019, it also requested the MTRCB to pull out the DreamWorks animated feature “Abominable” after a scene purportedly showed a map that highlighted China’s nine-dash line.
