Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations
Titles are a dynamic part of any creative work, especially when it comes to movies. They can be easy, literal, straightforward (Titanic) or symbolic, dramatic, creative (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Regardless, the objective of a movie title is to summarize in some way what that film is about, be it literal or otherwise.
Of course, what some titles mean in one language, isn’t always easily translated into another language. This is especially true when people try to translate the title without any knowledge of what the movie is about.
The following is a list of some of the worst movie title translations ever to get Lost in Translation.
1. Pretty Woman
This was translated into ‘I Will Marry A Prostitute and Save Money’ in China. Well, I guess they did watch this movie before translating at least.
2. The Matrix
The French called this sci-fi movie ‘The Young People Who Traverse Dimensions While Wearing Sunglasses’. Definitely literal.
3. Leon (or The Professional)
The Chinese decided on ‘This Hit Man Is Not As Cold As He Thought’ for this title. Which I guess is true.
4. The Full Monty
Once again, China comes up with a great title, ‘Six Naked Pigs‘.
5. Girl, Interrupted
In Germany, they came up with ‘Cuckoo‘. I’m sure that goes over well with the feminists and women lit majors.
6. Thelma and Louise
I guess they don’t like surprises in Mexico. They called the movie, ‘An Unexpected End‘.
7. Nixon
‘The Big Liar‘ in China. I think this one was personal.
8. Hot Shots!
I guess they didn’t think the movie was all that great in the Czech Republic. They went with, ‘Warm Shots‘ instead.
9. Army Of Darkness
Oh Japan…’Captain Supermarket‘. It actually kind of seems appropriate.
10. Knocked Up
‘Slightly Pregnant‘ in Peru. Do they have varying degrees of pregnant in that country?
11. Boogie Nights
‘His Great Device Makes Him Famous‘ in China. Yes. Well. OK, I’ll give you that one.
12. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
In Israel, they went with a more localized food option with, ‘It’s Raining Falafel‘
13. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Italians were not as creative, but they got the job done with, ‘If You Leave Me, I Delete You‘.
14. Leaving Las Vegas
Japan gave us, ‘I’m Drunk and You’re a Prostitute‘.
15. Junior
Is Arnold Schwarzenneger not popular in China? They called the movie, ‘Son of Devil‘.
16. The Sixth Sense
I guess the Chinese hate surprises even more. They called the movie, ‘He’s A Ghost!‘
17. Risky Business
I wonder if China views all of American public high school systems this way with, ‘Just Send Him To University Unqualified’.
18. Drive Angry
Actually, I think Thailand is better at titling a Nic Cage film than Hollywood. In Thailand this movie is called, ‘Super Speeding Cleaning Evil Accounts‘
19. The Shawshank Redemption
I really don’t get what China was thinking with, ‘Excitement 1995‘. Excitement wasn’t exactly the mood of the film, and the movie didn’t even come out in 1995. It was released in 1994.
20. The Pacifier
‘A Supertough Kangaroo‘ in Spain. Is it the fact that Vin Diesel looks like a kangaroo? Does he look like a kangaroo??
Sources:
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RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/3xtRNRIY
RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/m3WXYLNQ
Hi, I haven’t seen the last film you mention, The Pacifier, but I have to say that the word ‘canguro’ in Spanish doesn’t only mean kangaroo. It can mean babysitter. In this particular case I think it would be more appropiate.
Looks like someone tried to put one over on you for #2. The French title of “The Matrix” was just “Matrix.” Nothing about dimensions or sunglasses.
Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/aqJg095N by @lackuna #xl8
Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/aqJg095N by @lackuna #xl8
RT @linguagreca: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/7dCb7Keh by @Lackuna #xl8
RT @LinguaGreca Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/IYBsabme by @lackuna #xl8 #t9n
RT @LinguaGreca Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/IYBsabme by @lackuna #xl8 #t9n
RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/3HeE6DvG #xl8
RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/MTPY4ZOf
Hot Shots in Czech was “Horuce Strely”, which is literal translation of “Hot Shots”. No way it was Warm Shots.
‘Dirty dancing’ in Polish was translated as ‘Spinning sex’…
I have to admit that Chinese translation of ‘Pretty woman’ made my day
With “Slightly Pregnant”, you’re quite oblivious to sarcasm, aren’t you?
The “Chinese” Boogie Nights poster is actually Korean, which leads me to believe you just made up the translation.
The Korean text also reads “Boogie Night”
This article is largely recycled from this Huffington Post article. All I had to do was google ‘funny movie translations’ and it was one of the first hits.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/30/lost-in-translation-the-f_n_303747.html?slidenumber=3#slide_image
Yes, spanish title for the pacifier is more “a supertough babysitter” (un canguro superduro). We have a thing here of making film titles rhyme and it can get pretty lame. By the way, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind was called “Forget about me” in Spain.
The Boogie Nights’ poster is in Korean actually…
Try Polosh titles, may sound funny. “Die Hard” is known as “Szklana pułapka” in Poland and it literally means glass trap.
RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/2SlItdXJ #fb
RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/2SlItdXJ #fb
Ikke lett å oversette filmtitler. The Matrix – The Young People Who Traverse Dimensions While Wearing Sunglasses http://t.co/YFeXHJPA
As a Chinese, I found that half of the Chinese translations mentioned in this list are not true.. For example, the translation for the Sixth Sense in Chinese is “the Sixth Sense”…
Also translation for “Nixon” in Chinese is “Conversation with Nixon”.. Man, most of these “funny” translations are probably just made up..
http://t.co/7elAdSNy http://t.co/wj2jRLIe
Traducciones de película… ¡de miedo! (via @CMCTranslations): http://t.co/WyRi5tNf
Site amenicano lista piores traduções de títulos de filme. "Ligeiramente grávidos" está na lista… http://t.co/0IKkE8ew
Site amenicano lista piores traduções de títulos de filme. "Ligeiramente grávidos" está na lista… http://t.co/0IKkE8ew
@pablovillaca As piores (ou mais incríveis) traduções de títulos de filmes: http://t.co/Kux38c5I
@pablovillaca As piores (ou mais incríveis) traduções de títulos de filmes: http://t.co/Kux38c5I
The Chinese title for "The Sixth Sense" was "He Was A Ghost" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ http://t.co/TVOsJmWA
The Chinese title for "The Sixth Sense" was "He Was A Ghost" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ http://t.co/TVOsJmWA
TIL that chinese title for "6th Sense" was "He's a Ghost" http://t.co/iZIbNlnc Comments: http://t.co/mHtGBIbS
TIL that chinese title for "6th Sense" was "He's a Ghost" http://t.co/iZIbNlnc Comments: http://t.co/mHtGBIbS
TIL that chinese title for "6th Sense" was "He's a Ghost" http://t.co/iZIbNlnc Comments: http://t.co/mHtGBIbS
TIL that chinese title for "6th Sense" was "He's a Ghost" http://t.co/iZIbNlnc Comments: http://t.co/mHtGBIbS
TIL that chinese title for "6th Sense" was "He's a Ghost" http://t.co/iZIbNlnc Comments: http://t.co/mHtGBIbS
Like if you think this article is an absolute travesty
A travesty there aren’t more films listed. Hilarious.
Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/2GECrE3e
hahahaha #16 is pricelessly awesome. RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/N7RBVMH6
Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/7AgQxagL
Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/1Ef4eee5
RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/m3WXYLNQ
Worst or Greatest Movie title translations http://t.co/M5j4dYn5 #18 ‘Super Speeding Cleaning Evil Accounts‘ is my fav @todd_farmer
"I Will Marry a Prostitute and Save Money" and other interesting movies http://t.co/JxPGn2br
An entertaining link
http://t.co/qeJU4AqI
As far as the two Japanese entries go, while “Captain Supermarket” is indeed the Japanese title of Army of Darkness (literally, it’s the English words “Captain Supermarket” written using one of the Japanese syllabaries), the Japanese title of Leaving Las Vegas is just “Leaving Las Vegas” (again, just the English words written out in the syllabary). Which isn’t to say that titles of foreign movies are always just transcribed word for word or that there aren’t some ridiculous ones out there. The tiny 2000 American superhero comedy film The Specials, for example, is titled “Men in Spiders” in Japan, apparently in an effort by the film’s distributor to capitalize on both the Spiderman and Men in Black crazes of the time. The Japanese title of Grumpy Old Men is “Lovely Old Men.” Generally, though, it’s movies from previous decades that got retitled, some in actual Japanese, while the titles of recent movies are left as-is (except for the dropping of prepositions, plurals, and other little tidbits – the latest Transformers film was titled “Transformers: Dark Side Moon”).
RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/oiZBAJXp
‘The Young People Who Traverse Dimensions While Wearing Sunglasses’ and other awesome movie title translations. http://t.co/yzYZCkNO
‘The Young People Who Traverse Dimensions While Wearing Sunglasses’ and other awesome movie title translations. http://t.co/yzYZCkNO
‘The Young People Who Traverse Dimensions While Wearing Sunglasses’ and other awesome movie title translations. http://t.co/yzYZCkNO
‘The Young People Who Traverse Dimensions While Wearing Sunglasses’ and other awesome movie title translations. http://t.co/yzYZCkNO
Leaving Las Vegas in Japan was called "I'm Drunk and You're a Prostitute." Now that's got international appeal. http://t.co/tKoAkdO0
Regarding no 10: Ligeramente also means “flippantly” in Spanish, which fits the whole movie, sadly.
Translation…win!! Movie titles translated into foreign languages. http://t.co/8dNt1OXv
RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/h60uVeLx
I am fluent in Mandarin Chinese, none of the titles he provided matches with the actual Chinese tranlated title, not even one.
RT @Lackuna: Worst (or Greatest?) Movie Title Translations http://t.co/m3WXYLNQ
http://www.lackuna.com/2012/03/07/worst-or-greatest-movie-title-translations/
Titanic only has one ‘n’…
Movie title translations are the best! http://t.co/Gnq1AOAt
Movie title translations are the best, especially when they're made up! http://t.co/Gnq1AOAt