Jepthah

SPOILERS BELOW, of course.

Although some (including me ) won't see it for at least 24 more hours, I think there will be plenty to discuss. The poll is just an 'extra,' if you will.

I am particularly interested in the points of view of those who were not previous fans of or otherwise familiar with Tolkien's books, and whether they feel that these additions improved the film, and why.

Personally, I predict that this new version will (for me) make the theatrical cut obsolete.

Jepthah

So.

The way I see it, the only reason to ever watch the theatrical version again is if your ass is too lazy to change discs.

Even my friend who watched it with me (and never read the books) agreed that this version flowed better.

All the characters benefitted from this extended version, making their actions and the entire story more real. For example, I never cared for the moment where Bilbo jumps at the ring in Rivendell. But now, with his behavior shown in the "Concerning Hobbits" scene, and his extra lovely moment with Frodo at the party, this scene rings true.

Both Rivendell, with its more measured and grave Council scene, plus the memorial to Aragorn's mother and the emotional departure, and Lothlorien, are now essential counterpoints to the main thrust of the story. Even Boromir got more moments of insight into his character, and he was easily one of the best things in the film to begin with.

And how awesome is it to have a Haldir, a Celeborn (who got especially short shrift in the theatrical version) and a Lady Galadriel who are Elves, and not in quotation marks like before. Strong, wise, graceful and terrible all at once. The gift-giving scene is a wonderful point of grace, a regeneration before the dramatic events of the last act.

The Hobbiton scenes make the fragility of the threatened world that more real. It helps ingratiate them into the hearts of the viewer. Plus the extra eye-exchange between Rosie Cotton and Samwise.

After seeing the theatrical cut so much, a few of the transitions did jar me, but repeat viewings will likely smooth this out.

This is a much more balanced and emotional Fellowship, with all the dimensionality that even the hardest-core of book fans missed. Kudos to Peter Jackson and crew, and New Line, for giving us the opportunity to enjoy this. I'm going to watch this version only from now on, and enjoy all the extras. Anticipation on my part for Dec. 18 is now even higher than before.

Giles

I've only watched Part 1 and I can say I find the break awkward, Idealy I would have started Part 2 just after Frodo's health is restored after the Ring Wraith's destruction.

ratguy

I think most fans would have prefered the break to be directly after the Flight to the Ford scene, perhaps right as the screen goes all white for a moment. This is where part 1 of the books ends, and makes a great cliff hanger of sorts. I think that the reason it wasn't broken there was due to space constraints on the dvd. It was simply too early in the film, and the second half would have taken up too much space on the second dvd if broken there.

matrixrok9

To me they're about the same. I didn't like how the Hobbits were introduced in the extended version, too long and it seemed like it was a cop out to just have Bilbo narrate how they live. Maybe that's how it was written in the book but in the movie it seemed like they really wanted to let the audience know how they lived. The extended version seemed like Aragorn is really the main character. He saves Boromir in the Mines of Moria and he tells Gimli that he was rude to the elves. They show more of his past. So for now, it's a tie. If they didn't change the Shire, I would've liked the extended version better.

Dr. DVD

I have yet to view my EE, but do you think people who didn't like LOTR at all would become fans after viewing this cut or would it only further distance them?

Lastblade

I would tend to think that they will at least give the series more of a chance b/c it elaborates on some things and flush out certain characters better.

However, it is 3.5 hours long, so I doubt a LoTR hater would want to sit thru all that!

shizawn

I liked it a lot and it will, for me, invalidate the theatrical cut.

There were a couple scenes that the editing didn't seem all that great and were a little jarring, but other than that, everything flowed well together.

I was quite surprised to see in the chapter listing just how many scenes were extended. There were only a few brand new scenes, but plenty of extended scenes.

Some of my favorite additions were the gift-giving scene (especially Gimli's turn), Legolas kicking even more ass against the Uruk-Hai, and the extended opening of the Shire.

I don't think I'll be going back to the theatrical cut.

Jepthah

I happen to love this, because it makes such a natural transition from Galadriel's narration of "when Hobbits will shape the fortunes of all..." to the Shire scenes. I did miss Gandalf's lines at the beginning a bit--which are now covered by Bilbo--but overall it's a definite improvement for me.

In the theatrical cut, the completely ignorant sometimes seemed to have trouble adjusting to Hobbiton and Hobbits mentally. My experience of their mindset was like "OK, now all of a sudden there are all these little midget pastoral people..." The connection is only really made when we see Bilbo again. Names tend to fly by a good portion of the viewers, especially when they're invented and there is a large cast of characters in an epic story.

Dr. DVD

I popped this in last night thinking it would be minor changes to a few scenes with the exception of the beginning. Boy was I wrong!
I was really unaware of just how many extensions and changes they made, and in a way, it was like watching a totally different movie. This one actually seems to flow better than the theatrical version, and the characters are more fleshed out. Probably the best addition is the fact that they restored a lot of the conflict element between the races within the fellowship. To top it all off, I have only seen the first disc and haven't even bothered with the extras!

mookiemeister

Extended Edition is better. But both are excellent in their own way. It's been a while since I seen the theatrical version, but I recall some jumps in the story when I saw it originally in the theater.

Jnuke

Some random thoughts:

I think the character that benefits most from the new footage is actually Galadriel. In the theatrical cut I found her to be a little TOO ethereal and creepy. The new cut gives her some lighter moments and she now feels more like a real, well-rounded character.

Loved the new shot of Gollum on the river. I think it's important we be reminded of his presence once more towards the end.

The final battle is even more intense now. (Though I have mixed feelings about Merry and Pippin doing so well with their rock-throwing. I had a brief Ewok-flash.)

Anyone else notice a cut scene? In the theatrical version, after Frodo and Sam leave Hobbiton, there's a brief shot of them cooking at their first campsite. That's gone now. As a result, when Sam says his next step will take him further than he's ever been, it appears that they haven't even walked a full day yet, making him come across as more of a bumpkin. (And yet he seems somewhat familiar with Farmer Maggot's crops the following day. Hmmm.)

I like all the new Hobbiton footage, though I almost wish Frodo and Gandalf's ride on the cart was still uninterrupted.

The Moria journey extensions are just excellent.

All in all, it's an even better movie now. The only slight disappointment is that none of the new footage fixes the film's few flaws for me. Most of my nitpicking involves the pacing around the flight from the Shire. I don't like the fact that the Nazgul leave for the Shire before Gandalf even gets to Minas Tirith. It's harder to believe he'd beat them back. I don't understand how Gandalf finds out Gollum shrieked "Baggins" and "Shire" in captivity. (In the book Gollum escapes Mordor earlier and there's time for him to found and questioned.) And I hate the fact that Gandalf apparently rides from Hobbiton to Isengard in a single day. Maybe he's riding Shadowfax, but if he is, Shadowfax should be explained in the film. And finally, the Black Riders look SO great that I think some slower editing when they first appear would increase the terror. I had hoped for some small inserts here and there in this section of the film that would have drawn things out a little.

B.A.

I like the extended version much better, because of:

The additional scenes in the Shire

The gift-giving scene w/ Galadriel in Lothlorien

The additional Rivendell sequences

and the DTS track isn't too shaby either (I can't believe how much louder it is on my system compared to the DD 5.1 EX track - I am not saying louder is better, but it packs some more punch)

Seeker

I like the extended version much better.

But I still wish they had fixed the timing. SEVENTEEN years passes between Bilbo leaving and Frodo leaving... everything seems rushed - like only months pass.

And as Jnuke notes, it makes some of the timing issues quite absurd.

chipmac

Does anyone else feel that if the extended edition was the original theatrical cut that it would have won the Academy award for Best Picture? Not that it matters much since years from now I think LotR will be remembered more than A Beatiful Mind and I feel the award is given more on marketing and politics within the Academy. I'm just wondering if it would have mattered. To stay on topic I love the new version and can't wait for the day when I can watch all 3 extended films at once.

Psychlowne

I can't really say that the Extended Edition was better. It definitely wasn't worse. I did enjoy the new scenes, and it did help the flow of the story, but both cuts stand on their own nicely. The movie is breath taking, not many will deny that. After all is said and done, it was definitely worth my $23.74.