Inappropriate Scenes Cut From Popular Kids' Movies
Kids' movies can be downright raunchy, violent or rude. That shouldn't come as a surprise—the adults roped into watching children's flicks with their families need to be entertained too, after all. But sometimes things go a bit too far and scenes need to be trimmed from the final cut. From overtly sexual references to uncomfortable and decidedly weird situations, here's a look at some scenes cut from kids' movies could have taken each flick in a much darker direction.
Zootopia (2016) - Taming party
You might know Zootopia as the relatively happy-go-lucky tale of a young rabbit named Judy Hopps who doggedly pursues her dream of becoming a police officer. She gets mixed up with debonair con artist fox Nick Wilde, and the pair team up for a joint investigation as Judy searches for a group of animals that have mysteriously gone missing. Eventually it's discovered that they've gone feral—back to their wild roots, potentially upsetting the fragile interspecies harmony that Zootopia depends on.
One particularly disturbing scene was removed from the final cut, according to a report by /Film, in which Judy and Nick find themselves guests at a so-called "Taming Party," where young animals are gifted with special shock collars that zap them when they reveal too much "emotion" or get too excited. Presumably understanding that it might have terrified children to see adorable animated animals shocked into obedience, the filmmakers left it on the cutting room floor.
Bambi (1942) - Bambi's mother's corpse
Most of us remember Bambi's mother being shot and killed only a few minutes into this Disney classic, and it's a devastating enough scene on its own without having to worry about additional depressing moments. The pain of losing his mother to a hunter haunts Bambi throughout his early life, and it's traumatic even to watch as an adult. It could have been a much harsher scene, however, as the script originally called for the hunter to drag her dead body away and for an anguished Bambi to find the impression in the snow where she'd fallen after being shot. Wisely, Disney decided against delivering that extra-harsh dose of reality to generations of younger viewers.
Frozen (2015) - Elsa's Interrogation
Frozen is a modern classic. Kids everywhere know the words to "Let it Go" by heart, and although Elsa's icy powers are undeniably threatening, she's a sympathetic character you can still root for when you see her love for her younger sibling Anna. It was a deliberate decision to ensure Elsa remained this way—which is why the filmmakers removed one specific scene depicting an "interrogation" of sorts between Elsa and two Arendelle soldiers, during which the two are trapped in ice and tortured for information regarding Anna's whereabouts. Elsa was also originally intended to create a vicious army of snow monsters—all of which would have created a different image of the character.
It's important to remember that originally, Frozen was meant as an adaptation of the original tale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. In light of the harsher source material, it would have made perfect sense to cast Elsa in more of a villainous role—but the film wouldn't have been the family-friendly blockbuster we know and love.
The Santa Clause (1994) - 1-800-SPANK-ME
Seeing Tim Allen transform into Santa Claus by way of rapidly gaining weight, changing his attitude and getting acquainted with the North Pole's business operations was a touchstone of childhood for many '90s kids. The Santa Clause is a modern Christmas classic, but if you ever saw the film in theaters, you might have heard a rather raunchy joke that sailed right over most kids' heads. In the scene, Allen's character makes a reference to an obvious phone sex line, saying he "knows all about" 1-800-SPANK-ME. Kids actually started calling this line in real life after hearing the joke, which forwarded to an actual adult hotline. Needless to say, this scene was removed after kids racked up phone charges (to say nothing of the therapy bills they inevitably incurred later in life). The offending gag was later removed from the home version of the film.