Top 10 Scenes in Kids Movies That Had to be Censored

“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)
One of the most controversial censorships in movie history belongs to Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” In the original cut of the iconic bike levitation scene, the government agents are wielding shotguns. For the movie’s 20th anniversary release, Spielberg ensured the weapons would be turned into walkie talkies with some digital magic. However, this alteration, and many others introduced in the anniversary edition, were widely critiqued. Spielberg himself later said that he regretted having made the weapon swap in the first place. The guns were reimplemented in future releases, and the 20th anniversary version is no longer being circulated.

“Lilo & Stitch” (2002)
Following this movie’s release on Disney+, fans made a rather startling discovery. As they remembered it, one scene had Lilo run and hide inside a dryer. That’s definitely not something any kid should try at home! In the version on the streaming platform though, she hides not inside a dryer, but behind some kind of cupboard with an empty pizza box. Fans weren’t misremembering, and this isn’t a case of the Mandela effect. Lilo did indeed hide inside a dryer in the original, but it was replaced with the cupboard on home video in the UK. It was this version that later made its way onto Disney+, confounding fans around the world.

“The Muppet Christmas Carol” (1992)
While there are countless adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” out there, the Disney Muppets version holds a special place in the hearts of many. But that hasn’t stopped the censors from performing some post-release tampering. The musical Muppet Bobby Benson is notable for the cigarette that is constantly sticking out from his mouth. Bobby appears in “The Muppet Christmas Carol” leading a choir of kids on the street where Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present are. And sure enough, his signature cigarette is placed firmly between his lips. However, it was nowhere to be found when the movie was put on Disney+, presumably so as not to encourage folks to smoke.

“Agent Cody Banks” (2003)
A James Bond-style movie for the younguns, “Agent Cody Banks” retains that franchise’s sense of excitement while significantly toning down the violence and explicit puns. But there is still violence, and enough of it for the BBFC to demand a change. The BBFC is the British Board of Film Classification, and they’re essentially responsible for rating movies in the UK. “Agent Cody Banks” was given a 12A for “moderate violence and mild language.” This basically means you can watch it alone if you’re at least 12 years old. But to warrant the rating, a scene in which a double ear clap is performed needed to be removed. Otherwise, the movie would have received a 15.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze” (1991)
The second “Ninja Turtles” film had a lighter tone and less weapons, but there was still something that caught the BBFC’s attention. Back in 1975, the British Board of Film Classification instituted a blanket ban on certain weapons used in martial arts, including nunchaku. As a result, a scene in which Michelangelo wields sausage links like nunchucks was censored to appear less threatening. According to the BBFC, the food item could easily be mistaken for real nunchucks and therefore needed to go. This piece of censorship was lifted in the 2002 DVD.

“The Emperor's New Groove” (2000)
Disney isn’t shy about censoring their movies. One scene in “The Emperor's New Groove” shows Kuzco flinging a little rock at Pacha’s head. The scene itself doesn’t play out in a particularly brutal manner. The rock lands with a comical “thunk,” Pacha doesn’t appear hurt, and the whole thing is played for laughs. Still, the concept itself was seemingly deemed too violent, and the movie was therefore censored for both Blu-ray and, later, Disney+. In the altered version, Kuzco throws an acorn instead. Otherwise though, the scene plays out exactly the same.

“The Santa Clause” (1994)
This movie is a Christmas classic and is enjoyed by many year after year after year. However, fans may not know that they’ve been watching a censored version for some time now. In the original cut of the film, Scott makes a joke to Laura and references an adult phone number. The only problem was that this was a real number that led to a real adult business. And yes, children called it, perhaps not knowing exactly what they were getting themselves into. Needless to say, there was outrage. Disney subsequently axed the line from the bulk of home videos, and it still appears censored on Disney+.

“Shrek 2” (2004)
This franchise became famous for its use of crude humor and the clever subversions of time-honored fairy tale tropes. “Shrek 2” embodies this tradition when Fiona acts as though she’s going to embrace Prince Charming, only to knock him out with a swift headbutt. The BBFC apparently didn’t like this particular show of violence. The distributors ultimately altered it, swapping the headbutt out in favor of a karate chop. This was probably done in order to achieve a U rating, indicating “universal.” Otherwise, the film likely would have been rated PG. The karate chop was present both in the theatrical version and the DVD in the UK.

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988)
While an enormous critical and commercial success, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” was the recipient of some significant controversy. The movie’s release on LaserDisc gave people the ability to watch it one frame at a time, and they uncovered a rather salacious secret. Curious viewers notably slowed down the scene in which Jessica Rabbit is thrown from the crashed car, revealing individual split-second frames that seemingly show her uncovered nether region. Though it’s impossible to discern at regular speed, the scene still garnered enough attention that it was changed. Now, Jessica’s red dress covers the entire area in question.

“Aladdin” (1992)
This Disney classic has been censored for decades. In fact, the only year in which it wasn’t censored was 1992, when “Aladdin” was first released to theaters. The opening song, “Arabian Nights,” drew criticism from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee for some problematic lyrics. Following the very public controversy, Disney had the words altered in the film. This in turn became the de-facto official lyric. The line has remained altered ever since for home video, streaming, and soundtrack releases. If you’re familiar with the Broadway adaptation, you’ll notice that it also retains the change. Indeed, these lyrics are the ones most people know best!