I watched Arthur and the Minimoys (as it was called 'round these parts) a few years ago, and I loved it. The sequel just came out, and I plan on watching it, so I thought I'd watch the first one again, to refresh my memory, and to get in the mood. So I downloaded a DVD rip, American/UK version, released as "Arthur and the Invisibles," and what the hell am I watching?
Where has half the film gone? What is this thing? What is this thing?
The best jokes are gone, half the plot is missing, what's left is a retarded mess, it's all over the place, and the stuff wasn't exactly "edited" out, either. There are gaping holes where the missing parts should be. Gaping, noticeable, obvious, glaring holes.
But it's the official DVD release.
So I checked. Oh yes. The American/UK version is about 15 minutes shorter. Why? Because those scenes (and plot points) I remember seeing are not there. They were cut out of the American and UK release. That version was played in the cinemas as well. That version.
I checked Rotten Tomatoes. Average score, 20%. I am not surprised in the least. The fetid piece of crap left after all the censorship didn't deserve any more. "Hey, let's cut out anything relevant and release the rest, and pretend it's a complete movie." Idiots. There's an (incomplete) list of deleted scenes on Wikipedia, but it doesn't quite convey the significance of the missing material. So they removed the bits they deemed too risqué for the "intended audience" (ages five and less, apparently), but what they did was, and I kid you not, the equivalent of removing Dr Manhattan from Watchmen (on the grounds that he's naked), and by removing I mean completely omitting every scene that features him, and then releasing the rest of the film like that. You might say the film loses a certain something that way.
But the sad thing is, America and the UK watched that thing, and loathed it, and for a reason, and simply can't get what the rest of the world saw in it. Can't say I blame them.
Censorship. Gadda love it.
The best jokes are gone, half the plot is missing, what's left is a retarded mess, it's all over the place, and the stuff wasn't exactly "edited" out, either. There are gaping holes where the missing parts should be. Gaping, noticeable, obvious, glaring holes.
But it's the official DVD release.
So I checked. Oh yes. The American/UK version is about 15 minutes shorter. Why? Because those scenes (and plot points) I remember seeing are not there. They were cut out of the American and UK release. That version was played in the cinemas as well. That version.
I checked Rotten Tomatoes. Average score, 20%. I am not surprised in the least. The fetid piece of crap left after all the censorship didn't deserve any more. "Hey, let's cut out anything relevant and release the rest, and pretend it's a complete movie." Idiots. There's an (incomplete) list of deleted scenes on Wikipedia, but it doesn't quite convey the significance of the missing material. So they removed the bits they deemed too risqué for the "intended audience" (ages five and less, apparently), but what they did was, and I kid you not, the equivalent of removing Dr Manhattan from Watchmen (on the grounds that he's naked), and by removing I mean completely omitting every scene that features him, and then releasing the rest of the film like that. You might say the film loses a certain something that way.
But the sad thing is, America and the UK watched that thing, and loathed it, and for a reason, and simply can't get what the rest of the world saw in it. Can't say I blame them.
Censorship. Gadda love it.
