The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

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quartier
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The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

Post by quartier »

I'm planning to revisit the middle earth but I don't remember which version is better... help!

TheDenizen
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Re: The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

Post by TheDenizen »

well the extended cut is longer. more of a great thing can't be bad. It's a no brainer.

BillyShears
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Re: The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

Post by BillyShears »

TheDenizen wrote:well the extended cut is longer. more of a great thing can't be bad. It's a no brainer.


The extended Dumb and Dumber :(

omgfridge
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Re: The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

Post by omgfridge »

Couple of extra buts that probably weren't needed but I'm still team extended.

coffee
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Re: The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

Post by coffee »

For the first one both are OK.

But for the others you should choose the extended ones. Especially the third one because Peter Jackson cut its arms and legs and only then, sent it to the theatres.

chmul_cr0n
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Re: The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

Post by chmul_cr0n »

As time goes on I seem to dislike the theatrical Versions more and more. Can't say the same for the extended ones.

philamental
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Re: The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

Post by philamental »

In my mind it comes down to how much of a fan you are of the films. If you enjoy and can't get enough of the lore and characters, then the EE versions give you a much more fleshed out world and story that enhances the experience for those who are invested in Jackson's Middle Earth. They come at the cost of notably longer viewing times though.

Fellowship is 30 mins longer, Two Towers is 44 mins longer, and Return is 50 mins longer which brings that one's running time to over 4 hrs! From that perspective the Theatrical versions were cut to be more accessible and managable to less invested viewers.

If you want the full experience full stop, then the EEs are the way to go. If you are simply looking to re-experience the cinematic tale of the LotR, then the Theatrical versions will do the job just fine.

90sCoffee
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Re: The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

Post by 90sCoffee »

I recently saw the extender version of the 3rd film, imo, the theatrical one was better.

The extended one had a ridiculously long epilogue that I don't remember the original having. The story finished yet it just would not end and the annoying this is that Peter Jackson LOVES slow motion which may be suitable in action sequences but he even uses it to an annoying extent in the epilogue. The credits are also significantly longer in this extender edition. There are a few scenes that I don't really think add much and the movie is paces slow enough and long enough in the theatrical version for you to not really lose any feeling or atmosphere from it.

I can't comment on the other 2 but certainly for the sake of sanity, I'd go with seeing the 3rd version in it's regular form if you're rewatching for the first time in a long time or you might find yourself rolling your eyes a bit too much.

coffee
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Re: The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

Post by coffee »

90sCoffee wrote:I recently saw the extender version of the 3rd film, imo, the theatrical one was better.


Come on!

Saruman, The Mouth of Sauron... everything cool was missing in the regular version. It was not the unnecessary parts were cut to make a more watchable film. Everyone knew that it was for the sake of DVD sells.

I remember that people were furious back then. PJ was hated for showing hours of Gollum/Sam story and cut Saruman. The extended cut really changes the story. Why do you think Aragorn says "For Frodo!" with misty eyes?

Malcym
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Re: The Lord of the Rings - Extended vs Theatrical

Post by Malcym »

It's years since I saw the extended cuts but I recall that the longer versions of FOTR and TTT were superior, while ROTK plays better in its theatrical version.

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