President Barack Obama called 'monkey'

North Korea fires verbal volley at US in war of words after screening.

North Korea has blasted US President Barack Obama as a "monkey" encouraging cinemas to screen a comedy featuring a fictional plot to kill its leader, and threatened "inescapable deadly blows".

The isolated dictatorship's powerful National Defence Commission (NDC) also accused the US of "disturbing the internet operation" of North Korean media outlets.

The country suffered internet blackouts this week, triggering speculation US authorities may have launched a cyber-attack in retaliation for the hacking of Sony Pictures - the studio behind North Korea comedy The Interview - which Washington says was carried out by Pyongyang.

The NDC accused Obama of taking the lead in encouraging theatres to screen The Interview on Christmas Day. Sony had initially cancelled its release when major US theatre chains said they would not show it, after threats to movie-goers from hackers.

"Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a monkey in a tropical forest," a spokesman for the NDC's policy department said in a statement published by the North's official KCNA news agency yesterday.

"If the US persists in American-style arrogant, high-handed and gangster-like arbitrary practices despite [North Korea's] repeated warnings, the US should bear in mind that its failed political affairs will face inescapable deadly blows," the NDC spokesman said.

He accused Washington of linking the hacking of Sony to North Korea "without clear evidence" and repeated Pyongyang's condemnation of the film, describing it as "a movie for agitating terrorism produced with high-ranking politicians of the US administration involved".

The movie took in a million dollars in its limited-release opening day, showing in about 300 mostly small independent theatres. It was also released online for rental and purchase.

The film, which has been panned by critics, has become an unlikely symbol of free speech thanks to the hacker threats that nearly scuppered its release.

'Right to object'

Despite on-demand availability, American crowds still flocked to theatres to catch showings of The Interview on Friday.

The film made just over US$1 million ($1.3 million) in ticket sales from 331 theatres, according to distributor Sony Pictures.

Many theatres reported sold-out showings but reviews have been mixed.

Variety critic Scott Foundas said 'North Korea is right to object' to the film before warning readers eager to see the film that "an evening of cinematic waterboarding awaits". He also called the picture "about as funny as a communist food shortage".

The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy declared the picture "wildly uneven"and 'has the comic batting average of a mediocre-to-average Saturday Night Live sketch'.

Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers praised Seth Rogen and James Franco's work: 'The Interview hits the sweet spot for raunchy fun and spiky lampooning because Franco and Rogen are effing hilarious and fearless about swinging for the fences.'

-AAP