“The Interview,” the 2014 movie starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, was originally scheduled to be released in theaters Christmas Day. However, complications arose. As the movie revolves around the plot of assassinating the current leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, Sony Pictures received threats from North Korean hackers to shut down the release of the movie to theaters. Several big movie theater chains like AMC backed out of showing the movie out of concerns for patrons. Placated, the Guardians of Peace contacted Sony once more and said that Sony could now release the movie if Kim’s death scene was not “too happy.”

“The Interview” has been shown in select theaters around the country as well as released in online formats.

Sony Pictures’ pulling the plug on the film release has been criticized by many Americans, including President Barack Obama. USA Today reported Obama as saying, “Because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don’t like or news reports that they don’t like.”

However, “The Interview” is not a documentary or a news report. It is a thinly veiled proclamation of American superiorism disguised as a poorly written comedy. And “poorly written comedy” is putting it nicely.

“The Interview” received a 51 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 52 percent rating on Metacritic, and only two out of five stars on Common Sense. It’s safe to say that nobody is missing much by not watching the movie. Perhaps they are actually saving a few brain cells by avoiding the movie altogether.

Though some claimed Sony Pictures lost millions of dollars by not releasing this movie, it is likely they made more money from people who wanted to see the movie for its controversy than for true quality. If not for the United States’ love of ridiculing Kim, the average American would easily realize how poor a film it really is.

There have been plenty of movies about the fall of Adolf Hitler, just as there have always been movies about American men overthrowing a dictator and saving the day.

The difference in those cases is that Hitler is not still the head of Germany, and the dictators portrayed in those movies are all either dead or fictitious. Kim is still very much alive. While I would take him out of power if I could, I cannot agree with the assassination of Kim in the movie. Showcasing the murder of a country’s current leader is simply ignorant. This is no different than North Korea making a movie about the assassination of our own president.

“But our president isn’t a dictator!” one might argue. That doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if he is good or bad. What matters is that he is a world leader and such a brazen act could inspire war if not at least high tensions in an already tense situation. It doesn’t matter if he is good or bad.

The United States’ relationship with North Korea is already strained enough, and we don’t need Seth Rogen’s pitiful attempts of comedy making it worse. Films that deal with heavy subject matter should be treated with respect. The oppression and suffering of the North Korean people is not a thing of the past; it is a serious, ongoing plight. It is shameful that anyone would try to make light of it with this movie.

Some people have claimed that Sony Pictures is weak for giving in to the hackers’ demands to not release the movie.

“We can’t give in to the threats of terrorists,” critics claim. “We can’t be intimidated into silence! We have freedom of speech!”

It’s true. Under the Constitution, United States citizens do have freedom of speech. We have the right to assemble, the right to bear arms, the right to petition, etc. Freedom of speech covers all of these.

However, according to the United States court system, the First Amendment specifically does not include the right “to incite actions that would harm others,” such as yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theater.

Before “The Interview” was even released in theaters, Sony Pictures received threats to “Remember the 11th of September 2001.”

North Korea’s threats have almost always been empty, but this movie could in no way help our relations. Though a lot of major theaters pulled the plug on showing it, theaters that showed the movie were in danger. Though some may think it’s “giving in to the threats of terrorists,” terminating a movie release is not exactly a loss when it comes to public safety.