Plot:
The lord of darkness will not be able to rule the whole world as long as there are still unicorns. And so he sends his gnomes to the magic forest to extinct those creatures. But there are not only fairies, imps and elves living in the forest, there is also the hermit Jack, who intends to fight evil together with a dwarf.

Technical Information:
There are lots of small changes (countless scenes are lengthened or shortened by splitseconds) and this report will only cover those that are bigger and/or more important. Cuts under 0,5 sec. will not be shwn here. Bigger, but unimportant cuts will oly be mentioned wthout images. Power DVD, WinDVD, Virtual Dub and the VLC player have been used in the making of this report.

Running time Director's Cut (DC) (w/ ending credits): 1:53:17
Running time Theatrical Version (TV) (w/ ending credits): 1:29:52

Comparison between the US Director's Cut by Universal Pictures and the Theatrical Version, taken from the German DVD by 20th Century Fox.

0.00
The TV starts with the Regency logo, the DC with Universal's.
1 sec

TV:	DC

2.16
In the DC, the skulls at the beginning cannot be seen.
4 sec

TV	DC

2.59
Blix goes down the corridor and says: "You summoned me, lordship."
6 sec

DC

3.21
When the lord of darkness explains his plan to Blix, a part of the talk is missing:
12 sec

Lord:"That is why I have called you here. Since I must remain in darkness you shall be my eyes and ears."
Blix:"You do me great honor, lord."

DC

At "something", the TV starts again with a different camera angle.

TV:	DC:

4.07
When the lord of darkness explains his plan, he throws his knife on the table in the DC. In the TV, he throws the knife BEFORE he begins to talk and there is also part of the talk missing.
15 sec

TV:	DC:

DC:
Lord:"Bring the Horns to me. You will be well rewarded. You shall be a prince here in my realm."
Blix:"A rare privilege, master."

TV:	DC:

4.46
More shots of Lili walking over the meadows.
32 sec

DC:

6.39
When Lili is in the cabin, she hallucinates that the clock freezes and then returns back t normal.
13 sec

DC:

6.49
Some sentences of the following talk between Lili and Nell were shortened and some different shots were used. Nell asks Lili whether a lover was waiting for her.
14 sec

TV:	DC:

DC:
Lili:"No I don´t."
Nell:"Surely, your father forbids such folly."
Lili:"What my father doesn´t know wont trouble him."
Nell:"Oh, the will full heart inviles despair, like blind men creeping in a dragon´s lair."

TV:	DC:

7.38
Nell advises Lili to look for a prince and not to visit poor people like herself. Lili answers that she loved visiting Nell and that she lived a richer life than her. The sentence that she didn't kow a prince who could create woods like that was cut.
3 sec

DC:

9.11
A shot of the forest is missing.
3 sec

DC:

9.38
A part of the chat between Lili and Jack is missing:
Lili: (throws a bundle to Jack) Oh here. Whoops Look inside. See what you can find.That`s something to eat. I made that for you myself. Well, I - I took it from Nell. Do you like it? Is it Sweet?
Jack: (does a salto in Lili's direction)I know someone sweeter.
41 sec

DC:

9.47
A different shot has been added.
5 sec

DC:

10.45
When Jack tells Lili that they would go to the unicorns, the chat has been cut again.
7 sec

Lili:"Jack, do you mean it?"
Jack:"Only if it pleases you, Lili."
Lili:"Oh, it pleases me more than anything."

11.11
The road to the unicorns was lengthened by a few shots.
21 sec

DC:

12.05
When Lili takes the blindfold off, she says: "Oh Jack!" He then gives her a flower and receives a kiss in return. Then we see Blix walking through the woods.
52 sec

DC:

13.21
The DC shows the unicorns longer, the TV features Blix instead.
1 sec

TV:	DC:

13.40
When Lili walks to the unicorns, she turns to Jack again. The beginning of the song and the unicorns going crazy is also missing. The shots are very different in the following scenes, only a few of them will be depicted here.
128 sec

TV	DC:

15.39
The DC offers more shots of Lili and Blix.
2 sec

16.03
The DC replaces a shot of the sky with another shots of the unicorns running away.
No difference in time

17.14
TV: Cloudy sky with moon/ DC: Sunny sky under trees
No difference in time

21.29
Before Blix and his horde enter the cabin, we see it again and then how Lili hides.
10 sec

DC:

22.11
DC: Blix's horned companion can be seen longer.
2 sec

25.29
When Jack regains ceonsciousness, he meets Gump. When Jack asks Gum "Then why is it like this? Why is there Winter now?", the answer is missing:
11 sec

DC:
Gump:"I´d be a powerful wizard, indeed, could I answer."
DC/TV:
Gump:"Suppose you tell me Jack."
Jack:"Me?"
DC:
Gump:"You know these woods as well as any elf."

26.50
After Jack confessed that he showed Lili the unicorns, Gump suggests that if Jack can solve a riddle he will forgive him.
10 sec

Jack:"And if I cannot?"
Gump:"Why, Jack, then ´tis your death song I´ll be playing."

DC:

29.13
Gump notes that it was elderberry wine.
6 sec

DC:

36.35
Jack needs more time to get to the weapons cave.
23 sec

DC:

39.12
When the dark lord wants to get the horn, the small goblin threatens him with it. The dark lord is not impressed, just takes the horn and has the goblin arrested by a mummy.:
17 sec

Lord:"Did you think this a mere plaything? With it, my empire is eternal. Before I ruled only the night. Now my minions will frolic in darkness until the end of time."

DC:

41.27
Jack and the others begin their journey to the unicorn.
9 sec

DC:

45.44
The meeting with Meg is longer. When Meg takes the shield, Jack's sword falls into the water. Meg talks some more:
36 sec

Meg:"Clever boy! Yes. Yout alchemy makes crusted steel shine like silver. That´s discerning taste...for one so young, Jack. Come. Come, Jack! Give us a kiss...before dining!"

DC:

46.26
Different camera angles.
11 sec

TV:	DC:

46.46
Ditto. More shots of the cave entrance.
17 sec

TV:	DC:

TV:	DC:

47.17
Another shot in the cave.
3 sec

DC:

48.14
The dwarf in the neighbor cell tells Jack and his friends that they would end as barbecue if they were not quiet. This is missing:
43 sec

Dwarf:"That´s right. Barbecue."
Jack:"Only dead meat waits for the stew pot. Spring the lock with your magic, Gump!"
Gump:"Oh! Iron is trouble for elves."

DC:

50.24
The dwarf is being carried away longer, the following shot lacks his sneeze.
16 sec

DC:

53.39
When Oona rescues the team, she is angry at Jack because he does not want to give her a kiss in return. A sentence by the dwarf is also missing:
41 sec

Oona:"You. You mortal, you! I could vex you! Dance your life away!"

DC:

Dwarf:"Uh, I´ll stay here and--(a monster approaches) Ahh! Wait for me!"


54.24
When the group splits up, a part of the talk is missing as well as Gump's chronograph.
22 sec

Gump:"Right. Lets synchronize. We meet back here in twice 500 beats of a bluebird´s heart."
Dwarf:"Do you know what I think? I think we should add a couple more hundred breaths of a--"
Gump:"Shh!"

DC:

54.47
THe dark lord tells his father that Lili fascinates him. The chat was changed a bit, different shots were used, too.
17 sec

TV:
"To make her one of us, charm her, woo her, change her spirit, hypnotize her, set her free, bring her to you."
DC:
Lord: "I´ll take her then."
Father: "Fool! You must woo her! She remembers the world as it was, so... tempt her. Win her. Make her one of us."

TV:	DC:

56.53
Before Lili meets the dark lord, she is walking down a corridor, then a shot of her is missing. Afterwards, thetwo dwarves find the unicorn.
41 sec

The unicorn nighs
Dwarf1:"D-D-Did you hear that? What´s that?"
Dwarf2:"That´s a horse, you idiot!"

DC:

58.45
In the DC, Lili looks at the jewelry longer. THe TV shows the puppet moving again instead. The following seduction dance lasts longer.
21 sec

TV:	DC:

61.29
An additional shot of the dark lord when he makes his first appearance.
3 sec

DC:

62.10
After the dark lord appears, Lili loses her consciousness. When she wakes up again, she startles. He calms her down by saying:
4 sec

Lord:"Lady, do not be afraid."

DC:

63.08
In the following talk Lilil insults the lord by saying he was an animal. He answers that everybody was an animal. This part is missing there:
3 sec

Lord:"Most are too afraid to see it."

DC:

64.08
When Lili learns about the plan to kill the unicorn, she curses the lord.
14 sec

Lili:"Damn you!"
Lord:"We are all of us damned, my queen."

DC:

65.15
The clock can again only be seen in the DC.
no difference in time

TV:	DC:

66.52
There is an dialog between the lord an Lili missing between the small dwarf's rescue and the fight with the servants.
22 sec

Lord:"Judge me not so harshly, mistress. I invite you to share this supper. Look how sweet it is."

DC:

68.20
A short additional shot of the fight.
1 sec

71.29
The dark lord wants Lili to sit down and talk to him. The beginning of this was cut, the TV starts with "All i wish..".
14 sec

Lord:"Eat."
Lili:"I´m not hungry."
Lord:"You lie. Just to please me."
Lili:"I do nothing for your pleasure."

DC:

71.43
The dark lord's "Please" before he gets angry is missing.
1 sec

73.10
Tje dwarf carrying the shield to the cave exit hears the dark lord.
16 sec

Lord:"Once i was content with solitude... until that moment.. I felt your vivid presence."

DC:

73.18
Again, part of the talking was cut.
1 sec

Lord: "It grows late, sit."
(The TV only starts with "Sit")

73.32
Lili looks around, thinking.
27 sec

DC:

74.10
The DC offers more cuts of the preparations for the unicorn slaughter. Lili's sentence "I hear a throat begging to be cut" is featured earlier in the DC.
13 sec

TV:	DC:

74.59
The dwarf overhears how Lili wishes that the she can kill the unicorn.
8 sec

Dwarf"I can´t let that happen!"

DC:

76.14
On the way to the unicorn, Jack passes the cogwheel.
13 sec

DC:

76.39
Jack can be sen longer.
3 sec

78.11
Another shot of the dark lord is missing.
2 sec

78.58
Ditto.
4 sec

79.59
THe final fight between Jack and the dark lord is missing.
5 sec

Lord:"It´s always a pleasure to take a brave man´s life."

81.22
Some shots of the rescued dwarf are missing before the dark lord is defeated.
10 sec

TV:	DC:

81.47
The dark lord's final speech is missing.
31 Sec

Lord:"You think you have won? What is light, without dark? What are you, without me? I am a part of you all. You can never defeat me. We are brothers...eternal!"

TV:	DC:

82.11
The dark Lord falls into the universe.
3 sec

DC:

82.23
Jack takes the unicorn. When Gump says that Lili was cursed, Jack asks him for help. He answers:
47 sec

Gump:"Look what we´ve been through. Look who you are. Have faith in yourself. It is the greatest lesson you have learned."

DC:

DC/TV
Gump:"Only you can answer this riddle."
Flashback to Lili's words: "I am a princess. Its my right to set a challenge for my suitors."

DC
Lili:"I will marry whoever finds this ring."
Gump:"We too have a promise to keep."

DC:

83.11
Jack swims around longer.
11 sec

DC:

83.29
Jack comes back to the surface twice.
9 sec

84.27
When Jack takes the Ring to Lili to free her from the curse, almost the complete dialog between the two is missing.
188 sec

Jack:"I love you Lili. Come back to me."

TV:	DC:

Lili:"I love you, Jack."

TV:	DC:

Lili:"I had such a terrible nightmare."
Jack:"Did you?"
Lili:"Jack, was it all a dream?"

TV:	DC:

Lili:"So many terrible things happened. I learned something about myself..and something about you."
Jack:"What´s that?"
Lili:"You belong here. You´re my prince."
Jack:"I´m only Jack."
Lili:"My lord, Jack."

TV:	DC:

Lili gives Jack her ring.
Lili:"So you take that and you keep it, treasure it. It´s part of me. Can I come tomorrow?"
Jack:"Of course. I´ll be here. I´ll always be here for you, Lili. Will you sing for me?"
Lili sings her song, says goodbye to Jack and then goes home by herself. In the TV, the two go away together.

TV	DC: