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Ridiculous Overseas Rip-Offs of American Films

By Ben Joseph July 16, 2007 896,525 views
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Be proud, America! Sure, other developed nations outgun us on every front from health care to sex robots (thanks, Japan), but when it comes to popular culture, other countries can't get enough of our shit. However, as they say: Give a man a fish, and he'll be fed for a day. Teach a man how to make local reproductions of a fish at a fraction of the cost of the American original, and you'll get, um, one hilarious-looking fish. Flailing metaphors aside, check out the 10 most ridiculous overseas "re-imaginings" of American classics.

"Thriller" (India)

Pros: The singer is clearly a sex symbol is his own land, and gives hope to paunchy, jheri-curled men everywhere. Also, the video's a harsh reminder of everything that was good and bad about LSD.

Cons: There is only one person in the world who can dance like Michael Jackson without looking like a seizure victim. We'll give you a hint: It's not this guy. Also, we're not afraid to say it: All the zombies from the third row on back are pretty much just phoning it in here.

Highlight: Around 2:47 he breaks into a horrific leg-locked dance-walk with a hideous twitch:

When he first twitches, you think something's gone horribly wrong with his nervous system, but then he does it a couple of more times and you realize he's doing it on purpose.

Conclusion: A pleasantly zaftig imitator makes up for his paunch by bringing the whole affair in at a svelte three and a half minutes.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (Japan)

Pros: In 1946, Japan authored a new constitution. One of its provisions was that all fictional characters must be able to turn into robots, which in turn can combine into a larger, more powerful super-robot. Of all the provisions of historic legal documents, this has been deemed the most awesome.

Cons: Land of the Rising Sun? More like "Land of the Rising Destroying My Precious Childhood Memories." Shredder doesn't cry, dammit!

Highlight: You think the song is going to mercifully end at the 3:07 mark, but showing an indulgence worthy of Use Your Illusion-era Axl Rose, the producers opt instead to launch into a second chorus that was very clearly improvised on the spot:

Go, go Turtles! / With an overwhelming, surprising transformation! / …Our hearts combine and the miracle fusion body is awakened!"

Conclusion: An utterly heartbreaking revision of our youth, yes, but it is still, like Domino's pizza to an anthropomorphized amphibian, strangely appealing.

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219 Comments

Gosh, I actually feel pity at all of you who had to sit thru the indian ones.. But being Indian, i've grown to love all the epileptic fits that define our dance. It's actually quite fun :D

5/21/2009 10:32:05 AM
purplebrains

many of the lnks dont work. you gotta provide me sum bettr material cracked..... i wanna laugh too!

4/16/2009 11:45:17 AM
pacey

So many bad links!

4/8/2009 6:56:28 PM
Mr_Dread

As far as I know, Demstar, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are American. The original comics were written by two Americans.

4/8/2009 12:44:39 PM
tamago

And another thing...the Beatles are from the UK!!! Why does this article have 'American' in it? It should be 'Western'.

3/31/2009 2:31:31 PM
DemstarAus

Teenage mutant ninja turtles was originally Japanese wasn't it? If anything, the Japanese should be writing an article about how much the ripped off American version sucked! :P

3/31/2009 2:28:08 PM
DemstarAus

@mirielle: The books were published in the UK originally (1997 vs. 1998 for the first one) and picked up by the American publisher because they were already successful over here. The films however were US/UK co-productions and as this is an article about films they're not out of place on the list.

2/23/2009 1:11:03 PM
szaleniec

"the whole fight for demmocracy that bush started a little better"

Stupidest comment..ever

2/11/2009 7:30:14 AM
Ohmysyriana

WOW watching mickey mouse and a little girl talking about annihilating jews makes me understand the whole fight for demmocracy that bush started a little better... on the other hand it doesnt seem like blowing them up is going to solve this problem...

2/4/2009 8:19:51 PM
hannarchist

Oh christ it warms my heart to see nerds trying to fight lost battles for the tripe on this list.

2/2/2009 10:09:38 PM
Dark

Actually, the "Turkish Star Wars" is not a rip-off of Star Wars, it't a ripoff of Star TREK, just like the other one. However, the lower one on the list is meant to be serious, the #1 on the list is a parody, so it's meant to be ridiculous.

1/30/2009 12:53:44 AM
300_dalmatians

Ummmmm...... The Japanese TMNT was not a rip-off, and it was not ridiculous. BTW they did not turn into robots, it was a super-hero transformation.

1/29/2009 7:18:45 PM
XaceBefree

to sagert: harry potter and the beatles aren't american, but those movies are.

1/29/2009 8:14:26 AM
badbadplatypus

PLEASE read my Saw FanFiction!

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4637854/1/Saws_End_A_Dangerous_Burden

"Saw's End: A Dangerous Burden," by TwistedSaw55

http :// www .fan fiction. net/s/4637854/1/Saws_End_A_Dangerous_Burden

Having learned that Hoffman is Jigsaw’s apprentice, Jill Tuck is on his trail. Will Hoffman escape yet again, or will the games finally come to an end? Either way, their lives will be forever changed when they learn the truth of Jigsaw's ultimate plan! Nothing is as it seems!

htt p ://www .fan fiction. net/s/4637854/1/Saws_End_A_Dangerous_Burden

1/8/2009 5:05:43 PM
TwistedSaw

since when are the beatles or harry potter american?

1/5/2009 3:53:19 AM
sagert

Does anyone else see some massive similarities between the diction choices in the Turtles theme shown here, and the old Power Rangers theme from the original show? "Go Go Turtles", "Go Go Power Rangers", same sort of back beat, same endless repetition ... I wonder who the person is who's getting rich off recycling these things?

1/4/2009 6:01:30 PM
Childe

Oh, and concerning Harry Potter, I am ashamed that the United States has embraced it so lovingly. What a piece of hackneyed crap.

1/4/2009 11:56:01 AM
Aubieguy333

Decimator, that's why right in the video it says "We will annihilate the Jews?" Last time I checked, "annihilate" is just a more impassioned way to say "exterminate."

1/4/2009 11:54:18 AM
Aubieguy333

You people are idiots the palestinians arent trzing to exterminate the jewish race. They are not terrorists they are trying to resist an illigal military occupation. Thez are under the threat of ethnic cleansing.

1/4/2009 11:06:42 AM
Decimator3000

Saint Mutation!(japanese turtles)
Doesn't turkish Dorothy look like a s**t from cheap porn? aslo she is not 12 hmmm.
mmm palestinians

1/4/2009 1:10:44 AM
ELFfromToronto

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