*** Official Fellowship of the Ring: Extended Edition Review & Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Holadem]

OK, so would someone please take a moment to answer my question? A simple 'Yes' or 'No' will suffice to shut me up forever. Who wouldn't want that?
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Holadem

 

[Jim_C]

>>I am asking this because even if it was not included, I could still swear that such a scene was filmed: On the regular version, Gandalf identifies the Balrog, tells them to run. Cut to the stairs, where Gandlaf looks utterly exhausted and tell Aragorn to lead them on. I am certain there should have been somehting in between. Gandalf did not get tired by running such a short distance. Anyone agrees with this

 

[Chris Farmer]

Jim, correct. Gandalf puts a spell on the door to shut it, the Balrog unleashes a counterspell that begins to defeat Gandalf's spell. Gandalf, in desperation, utter a Word of Command (a phrase which is never used again and is never explained, but I assume it's a pretty strong spell), and the door shatter from the stress. Gandalf then gets to the Fellowship exhausted by his initial battle.

And yes, it owuld make a lot more sense in explaining why Gandalf was tired, although I always assumed that it was the Balrog's mere presence, an evil counterpart to Gandalf the Maiar that exhausted him.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Yes, Sam's gift will be used. He'll call it Elvish rope, no doubt, so why show him getting it? No one has mentioned Legolas bow, used to great effect at Amon Hen? Did it need to be shown? The speech to Aragorn IS important, but the theme shown has already been effectively conveyed. The knives for the Hobbits will be used, but like the cloaks, inferrence might be enough

The only thing that really stands out that they HAD to show them receiving was the gift to Frodo and the gift to Sam. Everything else can be inferred or assumed that they came with (Legolas had a bow before Lothlorien, so it makes sense he has one after, regardless of whether it's new or not) but the rope and the liquid really stand out because they'll be used in the future and the Hobbits didn't come with those items.

Either way, I agree that it might not be the most important added scene. They explained Frodo's gift in the theatrical version, so the only other item they might have needed to explain was the rope. They could fix that by including a quick flashback in TTT if they needed to, so it's a moot point.

 

[David Echo]

Ok, watched it twice over the weekend and my first impressions are as follows: on the "better, worse, or merely different" angle I'm on the "merely dfferent" side. I'd compare it to the difference between having eaten two very good meals but in one case (theatrical cut) you merely eat your fill and in the other (EE cut) you eat enough to sate a Hobbit's appetite.

Watching it the first time was a little disorienting not so much from the added material but from what was changed from the stuff they kept (longer takes, different line readings, new insert shots in existing scenes, etc.)

And now the movie truly begins to feel lengthy (in a good way) but I'm left with the impression that I wouldn't attempt to watch all 3 EE's back to back which is something I would have done in a second with the theatrical cut. Which to me is a good thing. As Seth (I think, lol) has pointed out in various posts the journey itself IS the destination (to a certain extent) in LOTR. Now instead of feeling like we're rushing through to the end just to see how it all turns out, we can finally begin to appreciate the adventure of the journey for it's own sake.

And now much like a good book that you put down for the night (albeit reluctantly) you do so that come morning you still have something left to savor, instead of gulping it all down in one go like a ravenous warg.

And that is something the theatrical cut just could not have done.

It's late and I do have a few more observations to contribute but they'll just have to wait til morning. I will close by saying that I absolutely LOVE the new music added to Boromir's Last Stand. Truly outstanding.

Dave

 

[Vickie_M]

And yes, it owuld make a lot more sense in explaining why Gandalf was tired, although I always assumed that it was the Balrog's mere presence, an evil counterpart to Gandalf the Maiar that exhausted him.

Or, it could be the fact that he and the rest of the Fellowship just had an intense fight with a lot of Orcs and a Cave Troll, then ran like hell down a VERY long hallway and quite a few steep and slippery stairs, being chased by millions of goblins and a large, pissed-off Balrog. All that would tire anyone out.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Why did Gandalf look so tired before his final confrontation with the Balrog?

Without seeming too simplistic, I'd suggest he looks tired because he is dying. He's been in Middle Earth for a long, long time and doesn't want to leave. Think back to the scene on the mountain in the snow, when Frodo decides they'll go through Moria. At that moment McKellen lets us see the wizard for just a moment as a tired old man. That's because he knows that the Balrog will be the end of Gandalf the Grey.

For the whole trip through Moria, Gandalf knows he's going to be required to give up his life. The only question is whether he can last long enough for the Fellowship to make it to the exit. By the time they reach the bridge, he's all used up and it shows.

And I got all that from the theatrical cut, haven't seen the EE yet...

 

[BarryS]

Ummm.. just wondering... Have you read The Two Towers, Brent?

 

[Richard Kim]

Or better yet, have you seen the trailer for The Two Towers?

 

[Brent Hutto]

It makes me sad to think about it.

 

[Rich Romero]

Please mark your above post as a spoiler. I haven't read the books so that kinda spoiled something for me I'm sure. :frowning:

 

[Brent Hutto]

Done. Sorry.

 

[Holadem]

Brent, you seriously misunderstood my post!
And Rich, don't read too much into what he said. Doesn't mean much really, this story is in some ways about the end of Middle Earth as we know it.
Anyway, I just watched that part again:
Jim, I am glad you noticed the same thing.
Vickie,
What I meant was rigth after the orcs ran away (from hearing the Balrog), they ran for like 2 seconds (the door to teh steps was right there. Better yet, while Gandalf was ahead of them, at the next scene on the stairs, Gandalf was the last one, nearly tumbling down the stairs just like in the book after the "door holding" spell thing. He looks totally out of breath, and sayd to Aragorn "Lead them on Aragorn". The latter protests, to which Gandalf responds "Do as I say!".
I am absolutely certain at this point that the door scene was filmed - as much as one can be sure just from watching the regular version. I guess if it was in the EE, it would have been mentioned. I still would have apprecitated a response from those who watched it. I guess I will find out for myself tomorrow, thanks for nothing Seth, Dan and Chuck and whoever else saw the EE!

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Holadem

 

[Aaryn Chan]

That`s when we start to miss the ISOLATED SCORE :frowning:

 

[Vickie_M]

I am absolutely certain at this point that the door scene was filmed - as much as one can be sure just from watching the regular version. I guess if it was in the EE, it would have been mentioned. I still would have apprecitated a response from those who watched it. I guess I will find out for myself tomorrow, thanks for nothing Seth, Dan and Chuck and whoever else saw the EE!

I just watched it, and it's exactly the same as in the theatrical version.

 

[Vickie_M]

How is it possible to love a movie you already adore to the depths of your being even more?

How is it possible?

When the Extended Edition comes out and you get so much more of the story, characters, locations and language you love so much.

Thank you Peter Jackson. Thank you.

 

[Vickie_M]

Maybe this will put an end to the car "controversy"...

I'm listening to the Production Team commentary on the Extended Edition DVD, and at the point where the car used to be, the editor says that, though none of them had seen the car (prior to theatrical release, I assume), they DID take out the car for the DVD.

So, for all those people who never saw it and refused to believe those of us who had, it WAS there, the editor said so.

(Funny though, in the Peter Jackson/Fran Walsh/Phillipa Boyens commentary, Peter says that he's never seen it, and almost sounds as if he still doesn't believe it was ever there, so I guess the editor never got around to showing it to him before he took it out)

This EE is a wonderful thing.

 

[Dave H]

Dan (Brecher),

I am ONLY going to buy one version of the film on Tuesday. I liked the theatrical, but I am not a huge fan of the film and have not read the books. Do you think I will like the extended version better? What do you recommend to a person who likes Lord of the Rings, but is not a super, huge fan (like I am with Star Wars)?

 

[Joe Woj]

I am ONLY going to buy one version of the film on Tuesday. I liked the theatrical, but I am not a huge fan of the film and have not read the books. Do you think I will like the extended version better? What do you recommend to a person who likes Lord of the Rings, but is not a super, huge fan (like I am with Star Wars)?

That depends on what you didn’t like about the theatrical cut...
If you didn’t like the theatrical version because of spotty character development or jumpy pacing, then you'll probably enjoy the extended cut much more. If however, you disliked the theatrical cut because it was too long and moved too slow, then I doubt you will enjoy the new cut

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Today's the day! (For reasons mentioned in Mr. Lambert's Weekly Roundup, I must wait a few days to get my copy, but I've been watching the TC over and over - so the new stuff will tickle me even more.)