History LighterAndSofter / Film

[[index]]
* ''LighterAndSofter/MarvelCinematicUniverse''

[[/index]]

!!Animated Films

* The ''WesternAnimation/OpenSeason'' sequels and rest of the series are like this, except for the short ''Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run''.
* [[FanonDiscontinuity Believe it or not]], there's the Italian animated film ''WesternAnimation/TitanicTheLegendGoesOn'', which made a Disney-like fairy tale out of a real-life disaster where over fifteen hundred people died. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And the dog raps]]. And then there's ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTheTitanic'', in which evil sharks tricked a dopey octopus into throwing an iceberg in front of the ship. Tentacles the octopus saves the day, and everyone survives. In the sequel the shark raps.
* Some Disney DTV sequels:
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride'' and ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch2StitchHasAGlitch'' are aversions. They're as dark, if not {{darker|AndEdgier}}, as their first movies. For ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'', that's especially saying something.
** The ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear'' featured the tearjerking [[spoiler: deaths of Kenai's brother Sitka and Koda's mother]], so the sequel is more lighthearted by comparison, until near the end where [[spoiler:Kenai nearly dies after Nita's fiance tries to kill him]]
** ''WesternAnimation/BambiII'' is a midquel that focuses on Bambi's relationship with his father, but it's [[DownplayedTrope a somewhat mild example]], given the original mostly wasn't ''that'' dark to begin with, though had it's share of [[MoodWhiplash extremely ominous moments]]. While the midquel does not feature violent shooting deaths or a forest fire, we see Bambi put in not one but two near-death situations, him coming to terms with his mother's death (even [[YankTheDogsChain getting his chain yanked]] and nearly getting shot by a hunter for believing she was still alive) and the stress of [[WellDoneSonGuy earning his stern father's approval.]] There's a stronger development of character trauma and psychoanalysis as well, with Bambi overcoming what is all but a family friendly rendition of PTSD, the Great Prince cutting off all emotions in despair over the loss of his mate prior to bonding with his son, and Ronno (the sinister rival from the first film) revealed to have initially been a mere childish bully who [[FromNobodyToNightmare slowly got more and more bitter and obsessive]] from [[AlwaysSecondBest Bambi constantly upstaging him]].
** The sequel to ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'', especially as the original movie is one of the darkest Disney movies of all time. Comparing the villains of both installments (Judge Claude Frollo vs [[SissyVillain Sarousch]]) makes it even moreso.
** ''[[WesternAnimation/PoohsGrandAdventure Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search For Christopher Robin]]'' averts this. In a possible attempt to avoid this trope this direct-to-video sequel was chock full of Nightmare Fuel.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound2''. It's about the titular duo [[WackyWaysideTribe joining a band]]. It doesn't help that the entire movie - a sequel to one of Disney's best loved, most tear-jerking, maturely themed works - TastesLikeDiabetes.
* While on the subject of Disney animation, some installments in the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon tend to be much, ''much'' lighter than others, standing out because of this.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}'' is this in comparison to ''Fantasia''. It was produced on a lower budget with less intricate animation, intended mainly to generate money and therefore more catered toward children, which resulted in a more light-hearted adventure compared to the other movies of that era such as ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' and the aforementioned ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}''. ''Dumbo'' does an excellent job of proving [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Tropes Are Not Bad]] in this case, however.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheAristocats'', as both movies [[WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967 preceding]] and [[WesternAnimation/RobinHood succeeding]] it had gut-wrenching moments and violent, possibly frightening imagery, if still as cartoony in execution.
** ''WesternAnimation/HomeOnTheRange'' takes this UpToEleven, even by Disney standards. Whether this was a good thing or not [[BrokenBase depends on who you ask.]]
** The second ''WesternAnimation/{{Winnie the Pooh|2011}}'' movie in the Disney Animated Canon is this towards ''WesternAnimation/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh'', faithful as both adaptations are to their source material.
** The original Creator/HansChristianAndersen version of ''Literature/TheLittleMermaid'' ends on a ''far'' darker note than [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 the Disney version]]. [[spoiler: The Prince marries another woman. The Mermaid is given a LastSecondChance to return to the sea by murdering him with an enchanted knife; but unable to murder the man she loves, she instead throws herself into the sea and turns into foam. That's right, she ''dies''.]]
** ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound'', seeing as in the [[Literature/TheFoxAndTheHound original book]] the title pair aren't friends and [[spoiler: die at the end.]]
** Although ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' has some dark moments, it was intentionally created as a lighter followup to 1996's ''much'' darker ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' and to a lesser extent 1995's ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}''. Notably, the take on Greek Mythology in the film is much more family-friendly than the original myths.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime''. The first one, while still primarily aimed at children was very dark, featuring the child dinosaurs coming very close to dying several times, adults dinosaurs actually dying, [[spoiler:including Littlefoot's mother]], who fought a T-Rex, getting a nasty gash on her neck among other things. And then the ''incredibly'' controversial sequels came. NeverSayDie was introduced, to the point where it seems the T-Rexes at most just want to scare the herbivores, and put very little effort into feeding. There are also [[DisneyAcidSequence big musical numbers]], something the original never had, and almost all the appeal for adults was thrown out the window.
** This was par the course for every Creator/DonBluth movie ever to receive a sequel. The most major example is ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH2TimmyToTheRescue The Secret of NIMH 2]]''; it is far more lighthearted and family-friendly than the very dark original.
%%* ''WesternAnimation/TheBraveLittleToaster'' sequels are much lighter than original film.
* The straight-to-DVD animated movie ''WesternAnimation/UltimateAvengers'' and its sequel, ''Ultimate Avengers 2,'' are kid-friendly adaptations of Mark Millar's ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'' -- which itself is a DarkerAndEdgier version of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers''.
%%* ''WesternAnimation/JLAAdventuresTrappedInTime'', ''WesternAnimation/BatmanUnlimitedAnimalInstincts'', and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanUnlimitedMonsterMayhem'' all provide more kid-friendly fare compared to the more adult-target WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater'' is still somewhat dark, due to Bikini Bottom becoming an [[TheApunkalypse apunkalypse]] for a good chunk of the film, but otherwise it's not as serious as ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'''s surprisingly disturbing {{dystopia}}.
* While the WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies line normally provides DarkerAndEdgier fare, it did also produce [[WesternAnimation/AllStarSuperman an adaptation of]] ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman'', which was PG. Not only is it lighter than the normally PG-13 ([[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheKillingJoke and four]] [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueDark R-rated]] [[WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamByGaslight movies as]] [[WesternAnimation/SuicideSquadHellToPay of 2018]]) fare of the line, it's also lighter than the comics as Superman doesn't completely bend Atlas's elbow the wrong way. ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternEmeraldKnights'' and the [[WesternAnimation/BatmanReturnOfTheCapedCrusaders tie-in]] [[WesternAnimation/BatmanVsTwoFace movies]] to ''Series/Batman1966'' are also PG.
* ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'''s sequel, ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'', has been regarded as a step downward from the first film drama-wise. Of course, being a Pixar movie, it still takes itself seriously throughout.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatmanVsDracula'' is loosely based on ''ComicBook/BatmanVampire'', an {{Elseworld}} story where Batman was turned into a vampire after fighting against Count Dracula. The original comics were very dark, featured very graphical violence (for example, a guy gets his ''[[TearOffYourFace face ripped off]]'') and lots of death so much so that [[spoiler:almost all named characters are dead by the end, including Batman]]. By contrast, the feature movie ditches nearly all plot elements and have all established characters to survive, which makes sense since this is supposed to be tied with ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' animated series.
* [[WesternAnimation/BatmanUnlimitedAnimalInstincts All]] [[WesternAnimation/BatmanUnlimitedMonsterMayhem three]] ''WesternAnimation/{{Batman Unlimited|MechsVsMutants}}'' movies are lighter fare than the aforementioned WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies--and the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'' seeing as several voice actors there reprise their roles in the films, most notably Creator/RogerCraigSmith and Creator/TroyBaker reprising their respective roles from the [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOrigins prequel]] [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOriginsBlackgate games]] as the Dark Knight himself and the Joker.
* Coming 17 years after ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'''s cancellation in 2002, the 2019 [[TheMovie movie]] ''[[WesternAnimation/InvaderZimEnterTheFlorpus Enter the Florpus]]'' doesn't entirely abandon the original show's edge of BlackComedy, but it is markedly less [[HumansAreBastards cynical]] and [[CrapsackWorld bleak]] in its depiction of Earth and its human inhabitants. Dib, Zim's pre-teen human rival, reaps the most obvious windfall from this shift, as he not only has the actual sadistic aspects of his own personality excised but also becomes less prone to enduring torment at the hands of his peers and sister, and he assumes the role of a flawed but largely well-meaning HeroProtagonist who manages to save the Earth from Zim's machinations and reunite his family. For him, and for most of Earth, the ending is one that would be considered shockingly upbeat by the show's normal standards.
* ''The Seventh Dwarf'', unlike the previous ''[[Film/SiebenZwerge Seven Dwarves]]'' movies, targeted families. They still got a dick joke in, though. On the other hand, it ends with a straight musical number that isn't comedic at all.

!!Live-Action Films
* The 1928 French film version of ''[[Film/TheFallOfTheHouseOfUsher1928France The Fall of the House of Usher]]'' takes some pretty serious liberties with the short story by Creator/EdgarAllanPoe. First, Roderick and Madeline are husband-and-wife instead of siblings, thus eliminating the IncestSubtext from the story. Second, and even more surprisingly, Roderick and Madeline escape the collapsing Usher mansion alive.
* ''Simon Birch'': While it ends bittersweetly and is still a drama, [[Literature/APrayerForOwenMeany is much more light hearted than the novel its based off of]], and ends with [[spoiler: the main character having a normal and adjusted adult life, opposed to the novel, where Owen, whom Simon is based off of, dies rather violently, and Johnny, whom Joe is based off of, spends his days as a mopey, perpetually single man.]]
* ''The Collection'' is much lighter and softer than ''Film/TheCollector'' in that [[spoiler: it has a much happier ending and feeling in general]].
* This was done in ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome''. ExecutiveMeddling ensured [[Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier the next film]] would be light-hearted as well. Suffice it to say that it didn't work quite as well the second time.
** While it has some high-intensity action, ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'' is significantly lighter than its reboot predecessors ''Film/StarTrek2009'' and ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness''. Kirk [[CharacterDevelopment has matured]] being much less abrasive and arrogant, and a lot closer to his heroic TOS personality, and the depiction of the Federation and Starfleet is much closer to the Utopianism of the TV shows.
* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', following the DarkerAndEdgier ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom''. The trend continues in the next film, ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', which is the most light and soft in the whole series.
* ''Film/TheFlyII'' is a case of a film that manages to be this trope AND BloodierAndGorier at the same time compared to its predecessor, ''Film/TheFly1986'', due to being a BTeamSequel that had an AudienceShift -- from adults to teenagers -- forced upon it by the studio. While Martin Brundle, the SpinOffspring of the first film's leads, is very much a GenerationXerox of his father Seth (even getting a similar brunette love interest), once his inherited mutation kicks in he does NOT undergo a ProtagonistJourneyToVillain even as he racks up a far higher body count than Seth did. This is because Martin is an UnevenHybrid who doesn't undergo a SplitPersonalityTakeover, ''and'' is being exploited by the heartless CorruptCorporateExecutive and cronies who raised him in isolation, hiding his true nature from him to boot. Thus the audience is supposed to cheer on his RoaringRampageOfRevenge in the third act rather than see it as a fall from grace, and in the end [[spoiler: he becomes fully human ''and'' defeats the Big Bad all in one go]].
* ''Franchise/EvilDead'': The original ''Film/{{The Evil Dead|1981}}'' is a straight horror film. The remake/sequel ''Film/EvilDead2'' added elements of dark comedy and even slapstick to the mix. Finally, ''Film/ArmyOfDarkness'' focused mostly on wisecracks and slapstick action, playing like a parody of an action fantasy film.
* ''Film/MadMax1'' is an extremely bleak film with a bittersweet ending. Even though ''Film/TheRoadWarrior'' takes place AfterTheEnd, it manages to have a lighter tone than the original film. The villains are less psychotic, there are many more sympathetic characters, but the ending is still bittersweet. ''Film/MadMaxBeyondThunderdome'' further lightens the mood, with a plot focusing on a group of tribal children who dispatch enemies with {{frying pan|ofDoom}}s, and who aren't forced to face the machine guns and molotov cocktails of the first film. ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' brought it back to between the original and ''The Road Warrior'', having higher emotional stakes because it's people instead of gasoline being fought over with the [[BreedingSlave Wives]], with heavy implications of their [[RapeAsBackstory past]] [[DomesticAbuse experiences]], along with an [[KnightOfCerebus utterly disgusting villain]] (who has the same actor as the villain from the original movie). Max is also portrayed as far more haunted and broken than in the previous sequels. But it has a significantly more optimistic ending than the first movie.
* ''Film/RoboCop3'' intentionally toned down the extreme violence, profanity, and drug use of the first two in order to appeal to children. It bombed miserably.
* The Creator/JoelSchumacher-helmed ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' films were considerably lighter in tone and content than the Creator/TimBurton installments that came before it, in part because of the parental outcry over how dark ''Film/BatmanReturns'' was. ([[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids Never mind it was rated PG-13]].) This more child-friendly approach went hand-in-hand with TheMerch, and contributed to the [[FranchiseKiller artistic catastrophe]] of ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'', which led to a [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy reboot]] to start afresh.
* Within ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' itself, ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''. While it still maintains a comparatively serious tone to many other Superhero films, it's more of a straight-up action movie than [[Film/TheDarkKnight its predecessor]] (which can be considered more of a depressing drama on psychopathy - in other words, ''impossibly'' dark), and even [[spoiler: has a happy ending]].
* Speaking of Batman, The first two movies of the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, ''Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', were DarkerAndEdgier compared to most movies in the genre, more like Creator/ChristopherNolan's Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy. The later movies in the franchise vary from this due to having different creative teams. ''Film/SuicideSquad'' and ''Film/BirdsOfPrey'' has a lot of more vibrant and humorous personalities, ''Film/WonderWoman'' and ''Film/{{Aquaman}}'' feel more optimistic and earnest, and ''Film/{{SHAZAM}}'' is the most kid-friendly film of the bunch. ''Film/JusticeLeague'', meanwhile, went through a ludicrous [[invoked]]TroubledProduction that heavily reworked it to be much lighter and softer than the originally intended version.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', also produced by Creator/GeorgeLucas, was more kid-oriented than the well-received and DarkerAndEdgier ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', the previous film in the original trilogy. Interestingly enough, Lucas, who didn't direct either film, wanted ''The Empire Strikes Back'' to be lighter and softer; he was eventually convinced to keep it in its current form, and ended up hiring a director for ''ROTJ'' whom Lucas would direct through; nevertheless, [[TheScrappy The Ewoks]] and their antics are mostly responsible for the lighter tone, while the scenes that ''don't'' involve them (Jabba's palace, the Emperor, etc) are still pretty dark.
** In the prequel trilogy, ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' is noticeably more light-hearted and kid-friendly in tone than its two sequels, ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' and ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' which were ''substantially'' DarkerAndEdgier, especially the latter. (For comparison: In Episode I, Anakin is a kid; in Episode III ''he murders several kids''.) In fact, ''Sith'' was the first PG-13 rated ''Star Wars'' film.
** While ''Film/{{Solo}}'' does have some dark moments and quite a few deaths, it's ''much'', ''much'' lower-stakes and doesn't go as dark as the other films (except for the Battle of Mimban) , rather being a mostly lighthearted SpaceWestern , thus making it the second only to ''The Phantom Menace'' as the lightest of the ''Star Wars'' films, .
* '' Film/BoratSubsequentMoviefilm'' is much less cynical than its predecessor, ''Film/{{Borat}}''. It revolves around Borat and his daughter Tutar’s growing relationship whereas the original focused on Borat trying to have sex with Creator/PamelaAnderson (although she had been told beforehand what was going on). At the end, he tries to abduct her for that purpose. In the climax of the second movie, he saves Tutar from potentially getting sexually assaulted by Rudy Giuliani. [[note]] It’s unclear what Giuliai’s intentions were. He’s laying down on a bed with his hand down his pants when Borat busts in. Giuliani claims he was tucking in his shirt after taking his microphone off but the production team stepped in when they thought the situation was going too far. [[/note]] There are also more kindhearted characters, like two Holocaust survivors and a woman who convinces Tutar that she shouldn’t get a boob job to please her dad if she doesn’t want to. Even the characters who are being mocked, like the guys he stays with in Washington state who help him write a song about giving Obama the coronavirus, have been acknowledged by Creator/SachaBaronCohen to be good people at heart who’ve been manipulated by misinformation for far too long.
* The ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' films of the 1960s-1970s Showa era were considerably more kid-friendly and light-hearted in tone compared to the ''very'' dark [[Film/{{Gojira}} original 1954 film]]. In comparison, ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'' [[DarkerAndEdgier ZIG-]][[ZigzaggingTrope ZAGGED]] this. While it lacked the family-friendly tone or camp of the Showa era, it still portrays Godzilla is positive light. Godzilla avoids harming humans and saves humanity by defeating the Mutos. Unlike previous incarnations [[spoiler:, in which Godzilla is feared and despised even when he saves the world, this Godzilla is hailed as a hero with people cheering for him after his victory.]]
* When ''Film/GameraTheBrave'' rebooted the series after the dark and critically acclaimed Heisei trilogy, it went back to the child-friendly tone of the 60's films using a younger Gamera.
* The original ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'' was about leading a revolution against a tyrant king. It featured countless war deaths, a boy getting run through by a stake, a man getting his eyes burnt out (offscreen), and a man getting slain with a battleaxe. The sequel, however, was about a boy raising a dragon and featured no actual violence (or real combat) whatsoever up until the last few minutes.
* ''Film/TheMask'' starring Creator/JimCarrey already made things too light and soft for most fans of [[ComicBook/TheMask the über-violent original series]] to accept. Then (11 years later) came ''Film/SonOfTheMask'', one of the most universally loathed movies ever, and kicked things down a notch, giving us a PG rating and sparing us the image of the Mask getting freaky with his wife. Although, let's be honest... none of us really wanted to see that.
* ''Franchise/MenInBlack'': [[Comicbook/MenInBlack The original comic series]] has the [=MiB=]'s main scheme as ''controlling'' the world order rather than merely maintaining it and would even [[KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade go as far as straight up murder]] [[HeKnowsTooMuch to keep things under wraps]]. The ''slightly'' more family-friendly film series depicts the [=MiB=] as a highly secretive, but noble faction who simply make sure aliens don't mess with humans, the Earth or each other while living there and employ nifty neuralyzers instead of, well...[[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/65/MIBseries1.jpg 12-gauges]] to maintain their secrecy.
* ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' is a horror-comedy that's ''pretty'' dark, though it features a cute little furry creature so many kids saw it. ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'', despite the PG-13 rating [[note]]The original ''Gremlins'' was so dark for its PG rating that the PG-13 rating was almost immediately created.[[/note]], is much lighter in tone. While there is still quite a lot of violence, it's much more absurd and generally played for slapstick. Most tellingly, the film even [[BreakingTheFourthWall breaks the fourth wall]] to give Wrestling/HulkHogan a humorous cameo.
* Park Chan-Wook, director of ''Film/{{Oldboy 2003}}'', said he wanted his film ''Film/ImACyborgButThatsOK'' to appeal to younger audiences as well. The tone is lighter than that of his Vengeance trilogy, but the movie starts with a girl "charging herself" by slitting her wrist and jamming a mains lead into the wound, taping it up carefully before flicking the switch.
* In the first ''Film/{{Critters}}'' the creatures were fairly serious killing machines but had a low body count, they grew when they ate, and some of them died in very violent ways; in the sequel they killed many more people and the creatures have some violent deaths but they are pretty goofy and less intelligent than in the original. The other two films are pretty silly and the bodycounts are pretty low.
* TheFilmOfTheBook of ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone'' fits this trope. While the book doesn't go more than a few pages without using a (mild, all things considered) swear word, has oftentimes graphic depictions of most of the deaths, and [[KillEmAll kills 'em all]], the movie tones down the language to be [[UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode Hays Code]]-compliant, never shows more than the feet or hands of any dead person (if they're shown at all), and gives Vera and Lombard a happy ending. In contrast, the Russian version is DarkerAndEdgier: You get a seriously twisted sex scene between the two "heroes", ''no'' {{gory discretion shot}}s, [[FanDisservice fan service with a creepy context behind it]], a FlashbackNightmare for a character who cheerfully dismissed his crime in the book, ''and'' the characters [[HearingVoices slowly]] [[SanitySlippage going]] [[DrivenToMadness insane]] one by one. It's the most faithful adaptation of the book; it just takes the book's darker themes and expands on them.
* The 5th ''Film/ChildsPlay'', ''Film/SeedOfChucky'', following the tradition of horror franchises eventually collapsing into self-parody. Even the AssholeVictim (played by Creator/JohnWaters) in the 5th is of LoveToHate quality thanks to Waters' comedic LargeHam performance, in contrast to the previous downright mean-spirited HateSink or TheScrappy ones in the preceding films.
* ''Film/TheWarriors'': The book the movie is based on is considerably DarkerAndEdgier. The gang (called the Devastators in the book) are {{Villain Protagonist}}s with no redeeming features. Along the way, they brutally gang rape and abandon a random girl. In the film, the Warriors are a bunch of crude but proud street toughs who are unjustly accused of a murder. The girl that was raped in the novel is turned into a love interest in the film.
* ''Theatre/{{Oliver}}'', the 1968 musical adaptation of ''Literature/OliverTwist''. Granted, most musicals are this by nature, but still, the original book is pretty grim.
* The 2013 version of ''Film/{{The Great Gatsby|2013}}'' greatly toned down the overtly nihilistic tone of the book, mostly focusing on the night life of the 1920s. [[BrokenBase Many did not take this down very well]]...
* While they were still R-rated, each ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'' was more surreal and comedic than the one before it, peaking with ''Film/FreddysDeadTheFinalNightmare'', which has Freddy doing a Wicked Witch of the West impression ("I'll get you my pretty, and your little soul too!") during the first few minutes.
* The Russian 1994 adaptation of ''[[Creator/FranzKafka The Castle]]'' by Alexei Balabanov is much more idealistic and optimistic that the novel. It even added an ending to unfinished novel - [[spoiler: The protagonist failed his quest, but he will have a nice new life as peasant.]] Made even more bizarre by the fact that Balabanov was (in)famous for his movies being incredibly cynical and depressing.
* The ''Franchise/FridayThe13th'' series gradually became campier until they began parodying themselves. Compare the tongue-in-cheek sci-fi based ''Film/JasonX'' with the dark slasher movie tone of the originals.
* All of the sequels to ''Film/TheHowling'' save for ''Film/HowlingIVTheOriginalNightmare'' (which was closest to the novel), and ''Film/HowlingTheRebirth''.
* Compare ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990'' with the [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIITheSecretOfTheOoze second]] and [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIII third]]. The reason for the second movie being lighter and softer than the first was due to the MoralGuardians reacting to the use of weapons and a few instances of the word "damn" here and there. In fact, all ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' adaptations are lighter and softer than [[Comicbook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage the original comics]], which include quite a lot of bloody murder and are not intended for children.
* American horror films usually gets accused of this in spite of the "Splatter Pack" directors. Although most of them are foreign directors.
* ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'' is an R-rated fantasy epic that contained considerable amounts of violence and nudity. It also has a large following of fans who consider it one of the greatest fantasy films ever made. For the 1984 sequel ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'' the studio decided they wanted a more family-friendly Conan. The result was a PG-rated, more lighthearted Conan adventure that was poorly received by fans of the original film.
* ''Film/BattleForThePlanetOfTheApes'', in contrast to the previous and very dark ''Film/ConquestOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' (and more so if you watch the version with the [[ExecutiveMeddling original, uncensored ending]]).
* ''Film/SpiderMan2'' toned down some of the violence of the first film and was given a PG by the British Board of Film Classification. This was after ''Film/SpiderMan1'' was given a 12 rating by the BBFC and described it as one of the most violent films ever aimed at young children, saying that some scenes even warranted a 15. Many councils (who have the final word on film censorship in the UK) boycotted this decision, releasing it as PG or PG-12, but ''Spider-Man'' stayed in cinemas long enough for young children to be admitted more widely (under adult supervision) following the introduction of the 12A rating.
* ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy''--the Galaxy is presented as more wondrous and grand than the dull, bureaucratic "Earth-society-but-bigger" version we tend to get, and the film ends with [[spoiler:the new Earth being put in the place of the old one rather than being dismantled when construction shuts down as in the other versions.]]
* Creator/JohnCarpenter's ''Film/BigTroubleInLittleChina'' and ''Film/{{Starman}}'', compared to previous works like ''Film/{{Halloween 1978}}'', ''Film/TheThing1982'', ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'', ''Film/PrinceOfDarkness'' and ''Film/TheyLive''.
* Film/JamesBond had it a few times. After the too realistic and bloody approach from the Creator/TimothyDalton years, came the more comedic Creator/PierceBrosnan era. After Creator/DanielCraig got too dark on ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' (which many dissed as a "more [[Film/TheBourneSeries Bourne]] than Bond") and ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'', which went so far as to [[spoiler:''kill off'' M]], the series goes back to its lighthearted roots in ''Film/{{Spectre}}''. Although by not much since it still lacks the same whimsy as the Brosnan/Moore era, the movie is probably the most "Bond-like" of the Craig era, with more humor, more fantastical elements, and a happier ending than any of its predecessors.
* The 1938 ''Film/{{A Christmas Carol|1938}}'' is more light-hearted than other adaptations, and leaves out a number of crucial scenes detailing Scrooge's StartOfDarkness and BadFuture.
* ''Film/RedDawn1984'' was a depressing UsefulNotes/ColdWar story about a resistance fighting a HopelessWar against the Russians. [[Film/RedDawn2012 The 2012 version]] felt more hopeful.
* ''Film/TheCrow'' is this compared to [[Comicbook/TheCrow the comic book]]. Of course, the film is still very dark, but the violence was toned down, and the main character is less of a sociopath.
* ''Film/JackTheGiantSlayer'' is this compared to other recent fairy tale films such as ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'' and ''Film/RedRidingHood''.
* [[Film/WorldWarZ The adaptation]] of the novel ''Literature/WorldWarZ'' is lighter and softer, and also dumbed down for better or for worse. According to Creator/BradPitt it was too complicated for a summer blockbuster.
* ''Film/MyNameIsNobody'' is this compared to many of the serious {{Spaghetti Western}}s it [[AffectionateParody parodies]]. There's more humor, the violence is less brutal (no {{Gorn}} or torture), the BlackAndGrayMorality common to the genre is considerably softened (Jack Beauregard is rather jaded but has no real KickTheDog moments, Nobody is rather idealistic in his quirky way, and while the Wild Bunch are Bad People, the film doesn't depict any atrocities at the level of what [[Film/OnceUponATimeInTheWest Frank]] or [[Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly Angel Eyes]] get up to), and it ends happily.
* ''Film/MirrorMirror'' is probably the most light-hearted film version of the [[Literature/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs fairytale ]] in which it was inspired (And also specially compared with ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'') There is much more comedy and slapstick, The Queen, while still a villain and a JerkAss with no redeeming features, has some comical traits and is somewhat less meaner, and also [[spoiler: at the end of the movie is revealed that Snow White's father is still alive, in sharp contrast with every other adaptation. ]]
* ''Film/PitchBlack'' was rated R for a good reason. ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick'' was trimmed down by execs to a PG-13 rating and while it was still uber-violent, it was mostly BloodlessCarnage, though the unrated directors cut has more blood.
* The MGM Creator/MarxBrothers movies, starting with ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera''. Creator/RogerEbert, though praising the film, found that their SignatureStyle was ComedicSociopathy and anarchy, as opposed to later films, where they become more heroic and tend to take an active interest in the plot. For instance, in the last non-MGM film, ''Film/DuckSoup'', Groucho's character is basically a dumber and more frivolous UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini; in ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera'', he's strictly a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
* The famous 1939 adaptation of ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'' is lighter than the book in a few ways. The Tin Man's backstory - where he WasOnceAMan who gradually was enchanted to chop all his limbs off until they were replaced with tin - is left out of the film. The Wicked Witch also sends crows, poison bees and wolves after the protagonists - who kill them in self defence. Dorothy likewise intentionally throws the water on the witch (albeit without knowing it would melt her) as opposed to accidentally like in the film. Ironically the film has darker elements than the book - with an introduction where Toto is about to be put down by an angry neighbor, making the Wicked Witch into a much more menacing antagonist and removing a plot detail that Dorothy was protected from harm by a kiss from the Witch of the North. ''Film/ReturnToOz'' is actually closer in tone to the original books. ''Film/OzTheGreatAndPowerful'' is somewhere in between.
* ''Film/WestBankStory'', a modern-day parody of ''Film/WestSideStory'', focusing on two fast food restaurants in the [[UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict occupied West Bank]]. There is much less violence (and most of that is property damage [[PlayedForLaughs for sheer comedy]]), no deaths, and a HappyEnding, all different to the original.
* ''Film/EvanAlmighty'' was made as a family-friendly film, compared to the spontaneous orgasms and F-Bombs of [[Film/BruceAlmighty the film]] it was a sequel of.
* ''Film/TheStepfordWives'' book and film were both intense thrillers. The 2004 remake, was more comedic in tone, and the scheme in this film, while still unpleasant, was less nefarious: [[spoiler: Rather than kill the wives and replace them with robots, the wives are brainwashed with computer chips. Not to mention Walter, Joanna's husband, is able to stop the scheme rather than join in on it.]]
* ''Film/IntoTheWoods'', compared to [[Theatre/IntoTheWoods the stage show]] but only marginally. Gruesome parts like the Baker cutting The Wolf open and the stepsisters getting their feet cut up are given a GoryDiscretionShot. The death of [[spoiler: Jack's mother]] is softened, while [[spoiler: Rapunzel lives and her prince remains faithful to her]].
* In-universe in ''Film/BeyondTheLights''. Noni ultimately sheds her hyper-sexual, bad girl image in favor of a more natural one that is closer to who she actually is. The trope is also played with as the content of her music shifts from focusing on sex and partying (industry standard) to discussing her coming to terms and dealing with her depression (hardly something discussed by budding pop stars).
* The song "Keep It Gay" from ''Film/TheProducers'' lampshades the practice of softening up musical adaptations.
-->"Whether it's murder, mayhem or rage. It's a pain. Don't complain. Keep it gay!"
* ''Son of Kong'' was made to be a more light-hearted adventure than ''Film/KingKong1933''. The body count is much lower than in the first film, and Little Kong is more cute and comedic than his destructive father.
* ''Film/{{Cinderella 2015}}'' compared to Disney's previous [[Film/{{Maleficent}} live-action]] [[Film/AliceInWonderland2010 adaptations]]. In fact, compared to almost the entire Disney canon. This is the rare Disney film in which not a single character attempts to kill or seriously harm another at any point.
* In comparison to his more grim takes on the [[Film/{{Alien}} Science]] [[Film/BladeRunner Fiction]] [[Film/{{Prometheus}} genre]], [[Creator/RidleyScott Ridley Scott's]] ''Film/TheMartian'' is considerably more optimistic and upbeat despite it's potentially dire premise (An astronaut gets stranded on Mars and must use his engineering skills to survive). Some critics have even argued that it maybe the lightest film he's ever done.
* ''Film/FXMurderByIllusion'' and its sequel ''F/X 2: The Deadly Art of Illusion'' have more or less the same plot, but in the first film, Rollie Tyler straight-up murders the bad guys at the end, and then he and Leo [=McCarthy=] steal the loot from the bad guys. In the sequel, Rollie and Leo just knock the bad guys out or leave them to be arrested by the police (one bad guy is murdered by one of his accomplices, who then is stuck by Rollie and Leo trying to fly his escape helicopter alone, despite having no pilot training--what becomes of him is not shown), and they ultimately return the loot to the institution it was stolen from. So in the first film, Tyler and [=McCarthy=] are pretty dark antiheroes, but they are more or less straightforward white-hats in the second.
* ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}'' was in the same vein as ''Gremlins'': a horror-comedy that, while not especially dark, was made with adults and teenagers in mind. Some scenes are genuinely frightening, like the librarian ghost JumpScare and Dana Barrett being held down in her armchair by grotesque monster hands and being dragged toward a demon dog, helpless to fight back. The movie is also full of casual smoking (almost every main character lights a cigarette at one point), swearing, and sex jokes that go WAY above young kids' heads (such as Ray Stantz, a human Ghostbuster, getting oral sex in a dream from a pretty girl ghost). Then they realized kids were seeing the movie and ''loved'' it, so they made ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' (which ran from 1986 to 1991!) and ''Film/GhostbustersII''. While the animated series took steps to break out of the AnimationAgeGhetto (and was fairly successful), the sequel eliminated the majority of the swearing and sex jokes, and nobody except Ray Stantz is seen anywhere near tobacco (and Ray never actually smokes anything; he has an unlit pipe or cigar in his hand that he chews on in a couple scenes, but he never ever puts a lit cigarette in his mouth). That said, the second movie still has its share of actual scares, like heads impaled on spikes appearing in an abandoned, dark subway tunnel, and the villain silently locking two main characters into a claustrophobic dark room as soon as he realizes they've caught on to the link between him and the river of slime beneath New York and ''trying to burn them alive''. [[{{Film/Ghostbusters2016}} The 2016 remake]] is also more of an out and out comedy.
* ''Film/KullTheConqueror'': When compared to the earlier (and [[Film/ConanTheBarbarian2011 later]]) ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' films, which this is a DivorcedInstallment of. In the ''Conan'' movies there are some pretty violent deaths, epically evil bad guys, and nudity. Because ''Kull'' was made with a PG-13 rating in mind, all of these are absent.
* ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'' is a rather [[{{Pun}} grim]] DarkFantasy film. Its sequel ''Film/TheHuntsmanWintersWar'' is more comedic and tongue-in-cheek. Notably Eric in the first film was a depressed brooder, and in the sequel is more quippy and upbeat.
* ''{{Film/Stardust}}'' is a bit lighter in tone than the book it's adapted from. The book had a lot more violence, sex and swearing - not to mention a DownerEnding. The film turns the violence into mostly BloodlessCarnage and inserts a lot more GettingCrapPastTheRadar - overall emphasising the comedy. Neil Gaiman, who wrote the book, approved the changes.
* ''{{Film/Goosebumps}}'' in contrast to the books and TV show. The books were quite dark despite being for children - even darker in tone than ''Gremlins''. The film is a GenreThrowback to them, with more comedy than outright horror.
* ''Film/DieHard'' is much lighter than ''Literature/NothingLastsForever'', the novel it was loosely based on. While both the film and book respectively deal with John/Joe's fear dealing with the overwhelming odds, the book is much harsher about it by also showing the dehumanizing elements he goes through killing all of Gruber's men. In addition to that, the book has a much bigger focus on GreyAndGreyMorality with [[spoiler: the corporation the terrorists are raiding having been involved in crooked arms deals in the past]], Dwayne T. Robinson is an outright DirtyCop [[spoiler: who also becomes an AssholeVictim in the end]] and Gruber's men manage to claim a lot more lives than in the film, where only Takagi and Ellis are killed, the latter of which has a far more tragic death with him tearfully begging for his life as opposed to the film where it's a result of his own smugness thinking he can control the situation. [[spoiler: And last but not least, the novel ends with a DownerEnding where the protagonist [[ILetGwenStacyDie fails to save his daughter]] (his wife in the film) [[TakingYouWithMe from falling to her death along with the]] BigBad.]]
* ''ComicBook/TheSecretService'' is much more graphically violent than ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'', with candidates seriously hurt and/or killed during training. Candidates are also required to kill in cold blood and agents are generally more sociopathic than the movie versions (doing things like immobilizing opponents before delivering {{no holds barred beatdown}}s).
* Compared to many racing-themed movies both past and contemporary, Hal Needham's ''Film/StrokerAce'' eliminates the drama and grit of stockcar racing in favor of a more comedic look at the sport. Needham explores the antics behind [=NASCAR=], including the between-race horsing around, sponsoring shenanigans, and pit crews having a laugh with each other. Its main character, Stroker, has almost no concern for winning or losing races; most of his conflict is with his sponsor, Clyde Torkle, and the humiliating advertisement gags he is forced to endure as part of his [[ReadTheFinePrint contract]]. Not even his rivalry with Aubrey James is taken seriously since Stroker doesn't even remember who he is half the time!
* Believe it or not, ''Film/Scarface1983'' to the film it's a loose remake of, ''Film/Scarface1932''. Under the [[BloodierAndGorier gallons of blood]] and [[ClusterFBomb frequent swearing]], it's actually a good deal gentler in tone than its predecessor. This has a lot to do with [[AdaptationalHeroism Tony Montana being more sympathetic than Tony Camonte]], owing to the fact that he [[EvenEvilHasStandards has lines he won't cross]] and [[VillainHasAPoint makes a good point]] about how he's really no worse than the societal elite that hypocritically looks down on him, just [[AtLeastIAdmitIt more honest]]. Montana's implied incestuous attraction to his sister is also left ambiguous, while Camonte's is as overt as UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode would allow. Finally, [[spoiler:their deaths]] also happen under different circumstances: Montana [[spoiler:is killed]] on the orders of a [[EvilerThanThou more ruthless drug kingpin]] after he [[WouldntHurtAChild refused to kill kids to get his target]], while Camonte [[spoiler:dies in a shootout]] with the police after his actions cause a massive public outcry.
* ''Film/JurassicPark'' is much, much tamer than the novel it's based on; for one, the book starts off with a man who was the victim of a ''Velociraptor'' mauling so brutal, his bones and arteries could be seen through his wounds, and he vomited blood from his mouth like a fire hose as he died. The movie also starts off with a fatal ''Velociraptor'' attack, but it cuts away before the actual death. [[spoiler:Nedry's]] death is also much more descriptive and explicit, as he is disembowelled by the ''Dilophosaurus'' and later, the other characters come across his partly-eaten remains.
* ''Film/CloudAtlas'': Cavendish's story is the most comedic.
* The ''Film/ADogsPurpose'' film is a lot more of a standard family-friendly "Boy And His Dog" work than the [[Literature/ADogsPurpose book]]. A lot of the harsher elements like the DownerBeginning, Todd's TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior of killing animals, and Buddy's abusive owners are either glossed over or removed. It also ends on a happy ending instead of a BittersweetEnding. [[spoiler:In the film, Ethan realizes that his new dog Buddy is a reincarnation of his first dog Bailey. In the book, Ethan dies of a stroke while Buddy does the dog equivalent of DiedInYourArmsTonight]].
* ''Film/TheMeg'' is much less violent and more comedic than the [[Literature/{{Meg}} novel series]] it's based on, with far fewer explicit deaths and less scenes of general mayhem, often cutting away or using camera angles that avoid showing too much gore. This was done primarily to maintain its PG-13 rating, and several R-rated scenes were apparently cut in order to achieve this.
* ''Film/GodsNotDeadALightInDarkness'': The film considerably tones down the persecution themes, showing some far more sympathetic antagonists, acknowledging there are legitimate grievances against certain Christians, and that the modern church has failed in many ways. It's also got much more humor and light moments than the previous ones. The ending is also not a straight Christian triumph, but a reconciliation.
* ''Film/BirdBox'': The ending scene. [[spoiler:In the original novel, the safe haven that Malorie and the children found consisted of people who [[EyeScream gouged out their own eyes]] for safety]]. In the film, [[spoiler:the sanctuary was originally a school for the blind, and the residents who are still sighted merely hide as necessary]].
* ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'' is a much lighter affair than any of the previous [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Transformers]] films. The apocalyptic scale of the previous installments is reduced significantly, there are fewer casualties, and much less adult humor than in the Michael Bay films. Much of the film's story is focused on the [[ABoyAndHisX growing relationship between Bumblebee and Charlie]], and how the two help each other in overcoming their personal trauma. The designs of the Transformers themselves are also more evocative of their [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Generation 1]] designs, making them more bright and colorful as a result.
* ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle'' is softer in tone compared to the more horror-lite elements and depressing tone of the first ''Film/{{Jumanji}}'', with more emphasis on the FreakyFridayFlip hijinks of the teens, plenty of good-natured chiding of the plot, and deaths that are largely PlayedForLaughs.
* ''Film/TheCraftLegacy'' tones down the horror elements present in ''Film/TheCraft'', instead being more of a straight-up fantasy story that dabbles in horror in the third act. It also lacks some of the grimmer moments from the original such as depictions of attempted rape and attempted suicide, nor does it have the plot development of the protagonist being turned on and terrorized by [[EtTuBrute her own friends]].
----

* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'':
** The MCU movies were and are still considered to be this in comparison to previous and concurrent non-Disney Marvel properties like the the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' or even DarkerAndEdgier R-rated adaptations like ''Film/ThePunisher2004'', the ''Film/BladeTrilogy'', ''Film/{{Deadpool|2016}}'', or ''Film/{{Logan}}'' due to having less violence, gore, bad language and sexuality.
** Phase 1 adapts a few elements from the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel line (Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. being the linchpin of the Avengers, an alien invasion led by an InNameOnly Chitauri), but leaves outside the AdaptationalVillainy and greater violence of the Ultimate comics.
** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' is a comedy SpaceWestern, with more humor and jokes than most of the other films.
** ''Film/AntMan1'', ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', and ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' are lighter than the rest of the films; focusing on far smaller stakes than most films and playing Peter's and Scott's antics for laughs a lot of the time. [[spoiler:However, the latter two both have some darker themes and {{Cruel Twist Ending}}s.]]
*** ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', the first Spider-Man film set in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse continuity, is this full force compared to the previous, more angsty and gritty Spider-Man films. Instead, ''Homecoming'' is a teenage comedy about [[ComingOfAgeStory a young teen boy learning to be a true hero]]. It's also the lightest MCU film, even compared to the two other MCU comedies released in 2017, due to the relatively small stakes; Spider-Man's just trying to save a few neighborhoods in Queens instead of the entire world/galaxy/universe.
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' is relatively lighter than its predecessor, ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' in some points. [[spoiler:Thanos is killed off very early on in the movie, thus keeping him and his devastating powers out of most of the film until Nebula encounters a past version of him and he uses her technology to bring him and his army back for the climax. While various plot threads of ''Infinity War'' were all focused around trying to stop Thanos and his forces and had a general feeling of impending doom, ''Endgame's'' plot threads are simply based on stealing the Infinity Stones from the past, and most (barring Nebula's and Natasha's / Clint's) have a generally light-hearted feeling with plenty of references to previous films in the series. Unlike ''Infinity War'', which had 4 major characters die as casualties of Thanos' crusade, ''Endgame'' has only two major character deaths (although both are more important than the characters who died in ''Infinity War''), both of whom successfully sacrifice themselves to save the universe. And while ''Infinity War'''s finale is comprised of several losing battles that culminate in Thanos successfully wiping out half the life in the universe, ''Endgame's'' finale has the heroes who fell in ''Infinity War'' being revived and joining the survivors in a grand, triumphant battle against Thanos' forces.]]

** ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', the first Spider-Man film set in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse continuity, is this full force compared to the previous, more angsty and gritty Spider-Man films. Instead, ''Homecoming'' is a teenage comedy about [[ComingOfAgeStory a young teen boy learning to be a true hero]]. It's also the lightest MCU film, even compared to the two other MCU comedies released in 2017, due to the relatively small stakes; Spider-Man's just trying to save a few neighborhoods in Queens instead of the entire world/galaxy/universe.

** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' is relatively lighter than its predecessor, ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. [[spoiler:Thanos is killed off very early on in the movie, thus keeping him and his devastating powers out of most of the film until Nebula encounters a past version of him and he uses her technology to bring him and his army back for the climax. While various plot threads of ''Infinity War'' were all focused around trying to stop Thanos and his forces and had a general feeling of impending doom, ''Endgame's'' plot threads are simply based on stealing the Infinity Stones from the past, and most (barring Nebula's and Natasha's / Clint's) have a generally light-hearted feeling with plenty of references to previous films in the series. Unlike ''Infinity War'', which had 4 major characters die as casualties of Thanos' crusade, ''Endgame'' has only two major character deaths (although both are more important than the characters who died in ''Infinity War''), both of whom successfully sacrifice themselves to save the universe. And while ''Infinity War'''s finale is comprised of several losing battles that culminate in Thanos successfully wiping out half the life in the universe, ''Endgame's'' finale has the heroes who fell in ''Infinity War'' being revived and joining the survivors in a grand, triumphant battle against Thanos' forces.]]

* ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle'' is softer in tone compared to the more horror-lite elements of the first ''Film/{{Jumanji}}'', with more emphasis on the FreakyFridayFlip hijinks of the teens, plenty of good-natured chiding of the plot, and deaths that are largely PlayedForLaughs.

* ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'' is a much lighter affair than any of the previous [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Transformers]] films. The apocalyptic scale of the previous installments is reduced significantly, there are fewer casualties, and much less adult humor than in the Michael Bay films. Much of the film's story is focused on the [[ABoyAndHisX growing relationship between Bumblebee and Charlie]], and how the two help each other in overcoming their personal trauma. The designs of the Transformers themselves are also more evocative of their [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Generation 1]] designs, making them more bright and colorful as a result.

** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' is relatively lighter than its predecessor, ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', although this is to be expected given that ''Infinity War'' is the darkest MCU movie and that ''Endgame'' is based around undoing ''Infinity War's'' infamous finale. [[spoiler:Thanos is killed off very early on in the movie, thus keeping him and his devastating powers out of most of the film until Nebula encounters a past version of him and he uses her technology to bring him and his army back for the climax. While various plot threads of ''Infinity War'' were all focused around trying to stop Thanos and his forces and had a general feeling of impending doom, ''Endgame's'' plot threads are simply based on stealing the Infinity Stones from the past, and most (barring Nebula's and Natasha's / Clint's) have a generally light-hearted feeling with plenty of references to previous films in the series. Unlike ''Infinity War'', which had 4 major characters die as casualties of Thanos' crusade, ''Endgame'' has only two major character deaths (although both are more important than the characters who died in ''Infinity War''), both of whom successfully sacrifice themselves to save the universe. And while ''Infinity War'''s finale is comprised of several losing battles that culminate in Thanos successfully wiping out half the life in the universe, ''Endgame's'' finale has the heroes who fell in ''Infinity War'' being revived and joining the survivors in a grand, triumphant battle against Thanos' forces.]]

* Some Disney DTV sequels.

** ''[[WesternAnimation/PoohsGrandAdventure Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search For Christopher Robin]]'' averts this. In a possible attempt to avoid this trope this direct-to-video sequel was chockfull of Nightmare Fuel.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound2''. It's about the titular duo [[WackyWaysideTribe joining a band]]. It doesn't help that the entire movie, a sequel to one of Disney's best loved, most tear-jerking, maturely themed works, TastesLikeDiabetes.

** The original Creator/HansChristianAndersen version of ''Literature/TheLittleMermaid'' ends on a by ''far'' darker note than [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 the Disney version]]. [[spoiler: The Prince marries another woman. The Mermaid is given a LastSecondChance to return to the sea by murdering him with an enchanted knife, but unable to murder the man she loves she throws herself into the sea and turns into foam. That's right, she ''dies''.]]

* ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'' is a much lighter affair than any of the previous [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Transformers]] films. The apocalyptic scale of the previous installments is reduced significantly, there are fewer casualties, and much less adult humor than in the Michael Bay films. Much of the film's story is focused on the [[ABoyAndHisX growing relationship between Bumblebee and Charlie]], and how the two help each other in overcoming their personal trauma. The designs of the Transformers themselves are also more evocative of their [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Generation 1]] designs, making them more bright and colorful as a result.


----

** The original Creator/HansChristianAndersen version of ''Literature/TheLittleMermaid'' ends on a by ''far'' darker note than [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1 the Disney version]]. [[spoiler: The Prince marries another woman. The Mermaid is given a LastSecondChance to return to the sea by murdering him with an enchanted knife, but unable to murder the man she loves she throws herself into the sea and turns into foam. That's right, she ''dies''.]]

* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', also produced by Creator/GeorgeLucas, was more kid-oriented than the well-received and DarkerAndEdgier ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', the previous film in the original trilogy. Interestingly enough, Lucas, who didn't direct either film, wanted ''The Empire Strikes Back'' to be lighter and softer; he was eventually convinced to keep it in its current form, and ended up hiring a director for ''ROTJ'' whom Lucas would direct through; nevertheless, [[TheScrappy The Ewoks]] and their antics are mostly responsible for the lighter tone, while the scenes that ''don't'' involve them (Jabba's palace, the Emperor, etc) are still pretty dark.
** In the prequel trilogy, ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' is noticeably more light-hearted and kid-friendly in tone than its two sequels, ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' and ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' which were ''substantially'' DarkerAndEdgier, especially the latter. (For comparison: In Episode I, Anakin is a kid; in Episode III ''he murders several kids''.) In fact, ''Sith'' was the first PG-13 rated ''Star Wars'' film.
** While ''Film/{{Solo}}'' does have some dark moments and quite a few deaths, it's ''much'', ''much'' lower-stakes and doesn't go as dark as the other films (except for the Battle of Mimban) , rather being a mostly lighthearted SpaceWestern , thus making it the second only to ''The Phantom Menace'' as the lightest of the ''Star Wars'' films, .

* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'':
** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' is a comedy SpaceWestern, with more humor and jokes than most of the other films.
** ''Film/AntMan1'', ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', and ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' are lighter than the rest of the films; focusing on far smaller stakes than most films and playing Peter's and Scott's antics for laughs a lot of the time. [[spoiler:However, the latter two both have some darker themes and {{Cruel Twist Ending}}s.]]
** ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', the first Spider-Man film set in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse continuity, is this full force compared to the previous, more angsty and gritty Spider-Man films. Instead, ''Homecoming'' is a teenage comedy about [[ComingOfAgeStory a young teen boy learning to be a true hero]]. It's also the lightest MCU film, even compared to the two other MCU comedies released in 2017, due to the relatively small stakes; Spider-Man's just trying to save a few neighborhoods in Queens instead of the entire world/galaxy/universe.
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' is relatively lighter than its predecessor, ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', although this is to be expected given that ''Infinity War'' is the darkest MCU movie and that ''Endgame'' is based around undoing ''Infinity War's'' infamous finale. [[spoiler:Thanos is killed off very early on in the movie, thus keeping him and his devastating powers out of most of the film until Nebula encounters a past version of him and he uses her technology to bring him and his army back for the climax. While various plot threads of ''Infinity War'' were all focused around trying to stop Thanos and his forces and had a general feeling of impending doom, ''Endgame's'' plot threads are simply based on stealing the Infinity Stones from the past, and most (barring Nebula's and Natasha's / Clint's) have a generally light-hearted feeling with plenty of references to previous films in the series. Unlike ''Infinity War'', which had 4 major characters die as casualties of Thanos' crusade, ''Endgame'' has only two major character deaths (although both are more important than the characters who died in ''Infinity War''), both of whom successfully sacrifice themselves to save the universe. And while ''Infinity War'''s finale is comprised of several losing battles that culminate in Thanos successfully wiping out half the life in the universe, ''Endgame's'' finale has the heroes who fell in ''Infinity War'' being revived and joining the survivors in a grand, triumphant battle against Thanos' forces.]]

* The first two movies of the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, ''Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', were DarkerAndEdgier compared to most movies in the genre, more like Creator/ChristopherNolan's Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy. The later movies in the franchise vary from this due to having different creative teams. ''Film/SuicideSquad'' and ''Film/BirdsOfPrey'' has a lot of more vibrant and humorous personalities, ''Film/WonderWoman'' and ''Film/{{Aquaman}}'' feel more optimistic and earnest, and ''Film/{{SHAZAM}}'' is the most kid-friendly film of the bunch. ''Film/JusticeLeague'', meanwhile, went through a ludicrous [[invoked]]TroubledProduction that heavily reworked it to be much lighter and softer than the originally intended version.

* This was done in ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome''. ExecutiveMeddling ensured the next film would be light-hearted as well. Suffice it to say that it didn't work quite as well the second time.

* The first two movies of the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, ''Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', were unusually more serious compared to most movies in the genre, more like Creator/ChristopherNolan films. The later movies in the franchise vary from this due to having different creative teams. ''Film/SuicideSquad'' and ''Film/BirdsOfPrey'' has a lot of more vibrant and humorous personalities, ''Film/WonderWoman'' and ''Film/{{Aquaman}}'' feel more optimistic and earnest, and ''Film/{{SHAZAM}}'' is the most kid-friendly film of the bunch. ''Film/JusticeLeague'', meanwhile, went through a ludicrous [[invoked]]TroubledProduction that heavily reworked it to be much lighter and softer than the originally intended version.

* ''Film/TheFlyII'' is a case of a film that manages to be this trope AND BloodierAndGorier at the same time compared to its predecessor, ''Film/TheFly1986'', due to being a BTeamSequel that had an AudienceShift -- from adults to teenagers -- forced upon it by the studio. While Martin Brundle, the SpinOffspring of the first film's leads, is very much a GenerationXerox of his father Seth (even getting a similar brunette love interest), once his inherited mutation kicks in he does NOT undergo a ProtagonistJourneyToVillain even as he racks up a far higher body count than Seth did. This is because Martin is an UnevenHybrid who doesn't undergo a SplitPersonalityTakeover, ''and'' is being exploited by the heartless CorruptCorporateExecutive and cronies who raised him in isolation, hiding his true nature from him to boot. Thus the audience is supposed to cheer on his RoaringRampageOfRevenge in the third act rather than see it as a fall from grace, and in the end [[spoiler: he becomes fully human ''and'' defeats the Big Bad all in one go]].

* The first two movies of the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, ''Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', were unusually more serious compared to most movies in the genre, more like Creator/ChristopherNolan films. The later movies in the franchise vary from this due to having different creative teams. ''Film/SuicideSquad'' and ''Film/BirdsOfPrey'' has a lot of more vibrant and humorous personalities, ''Film/WonderWoman'' and ''Film/Aquaman'' feel more optimistic and earnest, and ''Film/{{SHAZAM}}'' is the most kid-friendly film of the bunch. ''Film/JusticeLeague'', meanwhile, went through a ludicrous [[invoked]]TroubledProduction that heavily reworked it to be much lighter and softer than the originally intended version.

* The first two movies of the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, ''Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', were unusually more serious compared to most movies in the genre, more like Creator/ChristopherNolan films. The later movies in the franchise vary from this due to having different creative teams. ''Suicide Squad'' has a lot of more vibrant and humorous personalities, ''Film/WonderWoman'' and ''Film/Aquaman'' feel more optimistic and earnest, and ''Film/{{SHAZAM}}'' is the most kid-friendly film of the bunch. ''Film/JusticeLeague'', meanwhile, went through a ludicrous [[invoked]]TroubledProduction that heavily reworked it to be much lighter and softer than the originally intended version.

* The first two movies of the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, ''Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', were unusually more serious compared to most movies in the genre, more like Creator/ChristopherNolan films. The later movies in the franchise vary from this due to having different creative teams. ''Suicide Squad'' has a lot of more vibrant and humorous personalities, ''Film/WonderWoman'' and ''Film/Aquaman'' feel more optimistic and earnest, and ''Film/SHAZAM'' is the most kid-friendly film of the bunch. ''Film/JusticeLeague'', meanwhile, went through a ludicrous [[invoked]]TroubledProduction that heavily reworked it to be much lighter and softer than the originally intended version.

** ''Film/AntMan'', ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', and ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' are lighter than the rest of the films; focusing on far smaller stakes than most films and playing Peter's and Scott's antics for laughs a lot of the time. [[spoiler:However, the latter two both have some darker themes and {{Cruel Twist Ending}}s.]]

** ''Film/AntMan'', ''Film/Spider-ManHomecoming'', ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', and ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'' are noticeably lighter than the rest of the films; focusing on far smaller stakes than most films and playing Peter's and Scott's antics for laughs a lot of the time. [[spoiler:However, the latter two both have some darker themes and {{Cruel Twist Ending}}s.]]

** While ''Film/{{Solo}}'' does have some dark moments and quite a few deaths, it's ''much'', ''much'' lower-stakes and doesn't go as dark as the other films, rather being a mostly lighthearted SpaceWestern , thus making it the second only to ''The Phantom Menace'' as the lightest of the ''Star Wars'' films, .

** While ''Film/{{Solo}}'' does have some dark moments and quite a few deaths, it's ''much'', ''much'' lower-stakes and doesn't go as dark as the other films, rather being a mostly lighthearted SpaceWestern , thus making it the second only to ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' as the Lightest and Softest of the ''Star Wars'' films, .

** While ''Film/{{Solo}}'' does have some dark moments and quite a few deaths, it's ''much'', ''much'' lower-stakes and (possibly excluding the Battle of Mimban) doesn't go as dark as the other films, rather being a mostly lighthearted ''Indiana Jones''-esque film, thus making it the second only to ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' as the Lightest and Softest of the ''Star Wars'' films, .

** While ''Film/{{Solo}}'' does have some dark moments and quite a few deaths, it's ''much'', ''much'' lower-stakes and (possibly excluding the Battle of Mimban) doesn't go as dark as the other films, rather being a mostly lighthearted ''Indiana Jones''-esque film, thus making it the Lightest and Softest of the ''Star Wars'' films, second only to ''Film/ThePhantomMenace''.