Lord of the Rings films. Theatrical or Extended Edition

[Mooch]

I don't like the extended opening of FotR (I miss Gandalf's narration), but other than that I like the EE's better.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

I prefer the Theatrical Editions of all 3. The Extended Editions just tend to grind the pace to a halt. However, there are some bits in the Extended Editions that I wish had been included in the Theatrical Editions.

Frodo's line in The Fellowship of the Ring-- "Half the Shire's invited... and the rest are coming anyway." Inexplicably, the Theatrical cut includes the first half of that line but cuts the punchline, especially strange considering that one comment tells you a heck of a lot about Hobbitts.

Some of the humorous bits in The Two Towers, especially, "I think I found the bottom."

The Faramir/Boromir/Denethor scene in The Two Towers.

 

[Trek Boy]

Only seen part of the EE of FotR, disliked the Bilbo introduction and the dancing (very pointless).

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Fellowship is really the only one where there isn't a huge difference between the two. In fact one could argue FOTR is probably better paced at times. Obviously for a hardcore its neat seeing anything extra. But FOTR had pretty much everything required from an adaptation, and the extended stuff was mostly just extra background.

Two Towers benefits the most from the extended editions as the actual theatrical film feels somehow incomplete.

ROTK feels fine theatrical unless you're a hardcore bookie and know about what they left out. Extended is much better but theatrical still holds its own as a film.

 

[Flavius]

The first one is different from the others. He still had to prove that this would fly with the audience. The EE of FOTR honors the book. The theatrical version was essentially done by the suits. Both versions work, but as somebody who knows and loves the book(s), there's no real question here as as far as FOTR is concerned.

 

[Mooch]

Stone_Cold_Sisko said:
ROTK feels fine theatrical unless you're a hardcore bookie and know about what they left out. Extended is much better but theatrical still holds its own as a film.

Really?

While I was watching it in the theatre, I kept thinking how obvious it was that stuff was missing that would be added back in the EE. It felt very much like a chopped down version of the real movie to me. I didn't feel that way watching TTT.

 

[JRS]

Extended editions are THE best versions of all of the three films. I dont mind the shorter versions either but i havent watched any of those since i saw the extended ones.

 

[V]

there's only one or two Theatrical things I miss: i.e. Gandalf's voice over intro to the Shire for FOTR, and why they switched to him coughing alot on the balcony in ROTK is beyond me, but otherwise...yeah, they're definitive and better.

 

[Kegek]

Another vote for Gandalf's narration in the FOTR theatrical. I was disappointed that was cut, though the decision makes sense.

 

[Rowan Sjet]

FotR and TTT for the EEs but I actually preferred RotK in it's theatrical version. I didn't like a whole lot of the stuff they added for the EE.

 

[Hoser]

Theatrical ROTK felt like shareware to me, all I needed was a little blinking advert in the corner 'There's more here, buy the full version!' Friends who hadn't read the books kept having to ask me what the heck was up, because so much got skipped.

That said, I could've done without Aragorn chopping off the Mouth of Sauron's head in the extended as well.

 

[V]

One thing I'm amazed about Hollywood films is the need, the real driving need they feel, for a "one on one big final showdown"

The point of the books was that it was Aragorn and Co charging towards this selfless, glory-less sacrifice against hordes upon hordes of nameless Orcs, right?

I mean in real wars...World War II did not end with a duel between FDR and Hitler, or Patton and Rommel.

They really pushed for a "Hollywood-style" final duel between Aragorn and Sauron which I and many other fans felt "missed the point of Aragorn's selfless sacrifice". I think the MoS's slaying by Aragorn is them still trying to squeak in a final "confrontation".

 

[Kegek]

V said:
They really pushed for a "Hollywood-style" final duel between Aragorn and Sauron which I and many other fans felt "missed the point of Aragorn's selfless sacrifice". I think the MoS's slaying by Aragorn is them still trying to squeak in a final "confrontation".

Indeed. It seems to be a compromise between the Hollywood ethic that Jackson's team emulated and the book's actual narrative. Not to mention precursors that influenced Hollywood, such as Alexander Nevsky. I'm sorry, but every time I see Viggo Mortensen turn around and say 'For Frodo!' before the charge all I can think of is Nikolai Cherkasov turning around to his Russian knights and proclaiming 'For Russia!'

They actually filmed at least parts of Aragorn's fight with Sauron - the reactions and actions of him fighting an armoured troll were taken from this. I'm glad they scuppered it, but it doesn't make killing the Mouth of Sauron any more excusable. If they wanted to show him die, they should have included him in the battle.

 

[mswood]

Without question the extended editions. While there are a few scenes I didn't care for (the most notable is Eowyn's poor cooking skills), by far they had to the overall quality of the film, both in plot and characterization.

And as for viewing in the theatre its still the extended editions (though I haven't scene the extended version of Return in a theatre.

I have never had a better movie going experience then when they screened the first two films extended editions and then the opening of the Return of the King.

The one down side is after that, my movie going experiences have been very disapointing.

 

[Plum]

FOTR theatrical... it's just a better film.

Extended for the rest, however, they aren't better films than FOTR.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

mswood said:
While there are a few scenes I didn't care for (the most notable is Eowyn's poor cooking skills),

At times, I feel her singing is more obnoxious.

 

[mswood]

While that grated on my ears, it didn't take out of the film. You don't necessarily have the best singer perform at a funeral. Here the highest ranked maiden is singing to the deceased heir. It made sense. If it played for laughs or humor then it would have yanked me out of the movie.

Thats what the cooking scene did.

 

[mswood]

Plum said:
FOTR theatrical... it's just a better film.

Extended for the rest, however, they aren't better films than FOTR.

While I disagree about FOTR being a better cut theatrically.

FOTR is my favorite version. Both extended (favorite), and theatrical (favorite).
On the extended I don't think there is a single addition scene that I didn't like.

 

[Skywalker]

The only thing I didn't like about the added funeral scene in TTT was the abrupt way it ended. We see Théodred's body being laid into the tomb, and then BAM! the scene ends with this weird noise (I'm sure it's supposed to be the tomb closing, but it was just awkward).

 

[Starbreaker]

I always watch the extended editions, but I think the TTT theatrical edition has a much better denoument.