Synopsis: "A down-on-his-luck inventor turns a broken-down Grand Prix car into a fantastical vehicle for his children, and then they go off on a magical adventure to save their grandfather in a far-off land."

Edit summary: This edit significantly cuts down the musical numbers (only kept You Two, Candy Factory, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and King's Birthday), tones down the slapstick a bit, reduces the creepy childcatcher scenes, and various other trims to bring down the rather chunky length to something that doesn't require an intermission break. The only one I'm sad about losing is the carnival dance song (the song is silly but it was fun to watch as a kid), but that sequence really breaks up the flow of the early story and is an easy cut to save time without impacting the plot.

Synopsis: "A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome."

Synopsis: "Follows Vince, a desperate former popstar who dreams of making a comeback. An impromptu jam session with autistic young drummer Stevie sparks an unexpected friendship between the two misunderstood musicians."

Edit summary: Trimmed a bunch of the drum circle and music industry scenes to make the film more character and relationship focused.

Synopsis: "When a group of mercenaries attack the estate of a wealthy family, Santa Claus must step in to save the day (and Christmas)."

Edit summary: Stripped out all the silly dialogue aimed at teens and cheap laughs, and as much of the overacted family drama as possible, focusing the film primarily on Santa and the little girl. Small cuts to remove the shots that telegraph upcoming action, and removed the overly-long Tinkerbell sequence at the end.

Synopsis: "After a highly unusual zombie saves a still-living girl from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion events that might transform the entire lifeless world."

Edit summary: Fix a couple continuity errors, and strip out a couple corny action sequences and stereotypical tropes.

Even though the edit is small in terms of minutes cut, it does make a huge difference to the vibe and flow of the film. Cutting the shoehorned action unfortunately removes most of the tension, and rearranging the scenes in a more logical way makes it seem like a much simpler story since it isn't being interrupted.

I like the unique story, but it does feel a bit too quick and light in places that should matter - like the end of three days, and the final bonies fight. They should have beefed up those moments rather than shoehorning in the unnecessary moments cut by this edit.

Synopsis: "When the 243-year-old Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman) discovers his health is failing, he turns over his fantastical toy store to his manager, Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman), a talented pianist and aspiring composer who isn't sure she's ready to take the reins. Since the store reflects the energy of those who run it, Molly must work to lift her spirits and help the shop recapture its magic. Jason Bateman co-stars."
(Synopsis compliments of Netflix)


Edit summary: Removed all the "chapter" interruptions that take you out of the story, and all associated voiceovers, and reduced the role of the bookbuilder and the lonely kid.

Synopsis: "Luther is a brilliant but emotionally impulsive detective who is tormented by the dark side of humanity while hunting down murderers. He must grapple with the intensity of both his job and his personal life as the two become intertwined."

Edit summary: Follows the Luther and Alice plot arc that's the heart of the series, cuts off the later seasons that are more standard police procedural.