I am marginally interested in this movie, if only because I had to pass by the set for a couple weeks on my walk home from work a couple summers ago. I always like to see how they transform familiar places into unrecognizable ones in the movies (and its been happening a lot recently where I live). That said, I'm vastly disappointed in general about the sheer number of remakes, sequels and prequels that have been made in the last several years. Fewer original films are getting made right now than any time that I can remember, and its getting on my nerves. I haven't heard about the North Korea thing; if its true, that is bullshit. In the 80s, we always the Russians as built in enemies (or South Africans in the case of Lethal Weapon!). It worked for the script because American were very skeptical and uneducated about life in Russia, and they were our military and economic rival. In that way, I guess it worked as propaganda, too, because it helped to us to dehumanize them even more. In this case, I wonder if some of the investors also are exporters or importers of some sort and decided they didn't want to upset their cash cow. Or, perhaps China is becoming a big movie market and they thought it would be banned by the sensors there. Either way, it seems like a gutless decision and completely changes the plausibility of the movie. NK doesn't have the resources to invade us, so its not scary. The original was scary because it was so possible. What a bunch of bullshit.
As for the remake, it is a "bunch of bullshit". North Korea? There is no doubt that many movies of the 80's worked in favor of a larger propaganda machine. As a 10 year old kid, I completely bought in to all of this. WOLVERINES!