Yarrr! Pirates 3 censored in Chinese theaters
As regular readers of Variety magazine, Shanghaiist was not surprised to read that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, which opens today in Chinese theatres, has been slightly cut-down by government censors.
While this is usual for international movies playing in China, Shanghaiist wasn’t too happy to find that half of superstar Chow Yun-fat’s scenes, in which he plays a Singaporean pirate,were cut out. According to official sources on China Film, the scenes that were cut involved “too much violence and horror,” such as a scene of Chow reciting a poem from eighth-century writer Li Bai called "The Moon Shining Over the Mountain on the Border." Another scene that was removed focused on Chinese architecture.
These scene cuts bring up the question of whether the Chow's depiction of the Chinese came into play in the censoring decision.
We at least hope the cuts aren’t terribly edited. Past blockbuster movies we’ve seen in Shanghai cinemas, such as King Kong and Harry Potter 4, were also censored, and featured abrupt mid-scene cuts and numerous jumps right to the middle of action.
More info, and some spoilers, at East Day.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End opens today, Tuesday, June 12, in cinemas all over Shanghai. For a list of movie theaters in Shanghai, go here or here.

