It feels much more disturbing, though, to just silently update the language in the books to be more in line with modern sensibilities. Dahl was a man of his time, and as a general rule his books have good morals and values exhibited in them. They are perfect children's books, not afraid to dip into a little darkness or to poke fun at the adults who run the world, and that's a huge part of why they've been so successful and universally loved.
The mental attitude and sense of self-superiority it must take to feel comfortable taking the knife to something so well loved is really mind-boggling to me. I am very happy that I bought our collection of Dahl's books before this happened.
Of course, once he reaches an age where he's old enough to better understand explanations of racism in media, etc, that's a different story. All cultural history has attitudes that may have changed or that we may even view as repugnant. It's important that people learn about the past and what people were like in the past (or still today).
Maybe this type of thing would go off much better if parents were given a choice, and have the opportunity to confront these things with their children when they think they are ready.
I can understand what you are saying however I STRONGLY disagree on your conclusion. If those things bother you and don't express the values you want your options should be either to A) watch them and then have a discussion with your children to explain what wasn't acceptable or B) find new movies that display the values you want to pass on.
Changing the past to reflect the present or ideal future is a TERRIBLE idea. I don't know exactly when it was that we all decided that we can't ever tell new stories or create new things instead of rehashing creative works of the past but I'll be glad when that trend ends.
These situations are perfect for having actual, meaningful conversations with your kids. Not only will you clearly articulate expectations to your kids, but you'll grow closer.