After a protracted pit stop at the film censors, Mission Impossible III finally hit cinema screens last night -- dirty laundry and all.

The Tom Cruise blockbuster, part of which was filmed in Shanghai, was due to be screened in May, but was delayed after coming under the scrutiny of the state film authorities.

Some media reports said censors were not happy with unflattering scenes of Shanghai that included old people playing mahjong and underwear drying on bamboo poles.

At Shanghai's premier yesterday at the Shanghai Film Arts Center, however, the mahjong and laundry were still there as in the original version, although they were only on screen for a few seconds.

The movie's distributor said that the only changes were at the end of the movie.

Wang Huifang from Huaxia Film Distribution said some scenes of only a few minutes in length and actors' lines had been cut or changed near the end to give the movie a tighter and clearer story line.

"Basically, the movie is objective regarding Shanghai," said Steven Qiu, who attended the premiere. "I liked the action part and the beautiful night view of the Bund."

Last November, Tom Cruise and director JJ Abrams arrived in Shanghai for about 10 days of shooting in the city and in Xitang, an ancient water town in Zhejiang Province. The film includes a shot of Cruise jumping from the top of a building in Pudong and him fighting with a bad guy on the rooftops of Xitang.

City cinema owners hope the local flavor will make the movie a box-office hit here.

"It will be particularly popular in Shanghai for its strong affinity with the city, and the large local fan base of the 'Mission Impossible' series," said Wu Hehu, deputy director of Shanghai United Cinema Lines, the city's major cinema chain.

Fans of the franchise said they were just pleased the movie had opened.

"For us what matters is that this third installment of the 'Mission Impossible' series is still exciting," said Zhang Jian. "And because the movie has some strong Chinese elements, you can see what Western people think about our city and culture."

Editor: Donald