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

[Lou Sytsma]

That's raised in commentary track 1. But, I should really adhere to my own rules and not discuss the DVD in this thread.

OK - but please post what PJ said about this over in the software thread! Thanks

 

[Jim_C]

>>I need to watch that Gandalf scene again. My problems with the scene were mostly with Elrond's cheesy body language while Gandalf was speaking, and Gandalf's response after Elrond "scolded" him. His delivery seemed a bit weird. And then after all the turmoil, it quickly goes back to everybody calmly just sitting there. Overall, I didn't think it flowed very well, but that is just my opinion as well.

 

[Jim_C]

>>Was this full resolution run off a hard drive then or just 480p run off DVD?

 

[Sean Bryan]

Instead of the fellowship looking at the camera as if posing for a photo, everybody has their heads turned to their right,..

I'm pretty sure they were always looking off slightly to the right.

Can't wait to find out for myself next Tuesday!

 

[Jim_C]

>>That's interesting. This is the first I think I've heard of anything being expanded at Weathertop. Can anyone else confirm tat this scene has been expanded?

 

[David_SG]

Yeah, don't take my word on this one - be sure to let me know what you think after you see it yourself.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

The first one is from OV and the other from EE.
http://perso.club-internet.fr/willow/Temp_OV_EE_01.jpg

 

[Ray H]

Another hobbit in the Fellowship?! Didn't think the EE would go that far!
Seriously, I never noticed that guy to the right of Boromir before!

 

[Dan Brecher]

The extended cut actually has been given a complete sonic overhaul. The mix (no matter what proecessing format you pick) sounds vastly different to the original in places. Indeed some dialogue and sound effects is given more emphasis now, there's new sounds here and there too and some altered directional effects.


Dan

 

[Carlo_M]

Dan is it still as "hot" as the old mix? I never knew what people were referring to when they said something was "fatiguing" on the ears, but after the original FoTR DVD I think I know what they mean...

 

[Dan Brecher]

Carlo, I don't REALLY want anything in this thread to get into discussing the DVD itself, but as far as commenting on the sound for the film itself goes, yes its probably still a shade over the top. I still like the films overal mix very much, the re-mix for the extended edition isn't as harsh as the theatrical mix.


Dan

 

[David_SG]

Sam - thanks for the comparison - I guess that answers that question - just a case of me looking too hard for changes. :b

 

[Seth Paxton]

Well, I think this cut is dramatically better than the theatrical cut. Almost every pacing issue has been addressed, and often in very subtle ways.
I always felt that the theatrical cut had a bit of a rushed pace, hurrying to get from place to place to fit so much in. Now PJ takes just enough breaks along the way to air it out a little which brings the feeling of the journey more to the foreground.
I told Dan that I see it as comparing to FOTR theatrical as Almost Famous compares to Untitled, though in that case I don't think Untitled was "better" but instead just quite different in mood at times. But the similarity is the ability for snippits and slight changes to create such a noticeable effect.
PJ did what he had to do with the theatrical cut, and I don't fault him in the least for it. We all know the kind of barriers that were there, and it was from audiences more than New Line or something.
BUT...if only. I think the drama and emotion is richer with this cut. There are just too many scenes and too much ground to cover for 3 hours. He pulled it off and made a great film, but this version is so much more EPIC in tone. The time and space now feel present, and time is now spent with solid character development which also adds to the weight the story now carries.
Noticeable improvements that affected me -
1) Switching the focus to Bilbo first off. This isn't a book improvement as much as a narrative improvement. Look, Bilbo's leaving is supposed to be a big deal, especially to Frodo. The audience is supposed to give a shit. But by jumping right to Frodo/Gandalf PJ had to try and pack in weight to Bilbo's character in a short space. The result was that the film immediately started as a Frodo picture with Bilbo left as a secondary note at all times.
But here we now have time to really bond to Bilbo, especially because he is the first character we spend time with and that time is of a very high quality character development nature. Also PJ puts in a strong bonding/emotional revelation moment between Bilbo and Frodo BEFORE he leaves.
The result is that the spirit of regret at Bilbo's leaving creeps in to the start of the film where it belongs. The emotion of the bonds being broken comes forward and it stops being mere narrative regurgitation. It stops being a process that we are waiting on so that we can get down to bonding with the real stars. Instead it becomes the first segment, a segment that we have attachment to. Then when we look back to this opening from 3.5 hours later we remember being settled in with Bilbo and the Shire and see just how far we've really come.
2) It has nothing to do with me of course , but PJ has also added the main type of scene I had said he needed last December - the CAMPING scenes along the journeys. Along every leg we now spend an extra night/scene with the characters which is all it takes to emphasize that a big part of the story is the JOURNEY, not just the places they end up.
Camping with Frodo and Sam, swamp and camping with Aragorn (which automatically adds another full day because Weathertop comes next which is another night scene, the NEXT night), time to see the mining aspects of Moria (adds to the scope of the place and allows us to spend a bit more traveling time there), an extra night on the outskirts of Lorien w/ Haldir (per the book), and even an extra night of camping on the river.
Now the ROAD is also a scene in the film, not just Shire, Bree, Rivendell, Moria, Lorien, Amon Hen. And that's how it was in the book. In fact it was the time on the road that made these little stops seem like small oasis (well, some of them ).
3) Aesthetically the river camping scene does an excellent job of fixing another problem the original cut had - too many repetitive fly-over river shots. Now these are split between 2 different days with a strong dramatic scene between Boromir and Aragorn. More than adding time to the journey, it just keeps from showing the audience too much of the same thing back to back.
4) Lorien is incredibly improved. Galadriel maintains the creepy moment speaking in Frodo's head...BUT before we get there PJ has already warmed us up to her by giving her plenty of compassion. Specifically she addresses Gimli's sorrow before anyone else in the company, despite his agitation with elves. The change to her character will probably surprise some non-readers.
Also, I love that they spend that night with Haldir and the guard elves now. Again, not just giving the journey a real sense of time, but also highlights the tensions of the journey. Rather than being a big lovefest where everyone holds hands in a common goal, we now see the constant conflict that is actually being bridged only because of this common goal.
The result of that is that the film takes on a new theme of races/nations bonding together for the cause of love/peace. It's a message that certainly can't be lost on modern audiences and is quite applicable I think.
5) It takes 20 seconds to give the ring a much more active role in the story, 20 seconds to show Isildur use it and lose it. I really wish this had been in the theatrical cut because it's such little time and cements the idea of the ring's methods very early on. Before it was implied, but so subtlely that I think only readers picked up on it.
Bottom line is that IMO there are no "throw away" lines or scenes here, awkwardly tacked on in some attempt to appease the fans or just cash in. This film, like Untitled, plays like a different film, period. I ended up feeling like every scene was altered, even when they weren't. It was just the subtle alterations creeping into every aspect of the film thanks to the altered tone that is established right off the bat.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

I just got my copy shipped from a certain place that discounts heavily. Hopefully, I'll give my impressions as well.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Brief Update: Thanks to a very good friend on HTF, I managed to get a copy of the Gift Set prior to Tuesday. The gift set is a real treasure, and it took an exertion of will to cut open the box and start drooling over the contents. It's a great presentation, and I was surprised to see that the bookends are rather sturdy and heavy, especially as they are sized for DVD's. The pictures that Aaaryn has posted do the artwork justice, but the texture deserves a note as well.
In a more heartbreaking note, I must wait for the wife to get home before viewing the film itself, but with those oodles of extras...
Take care,
Chuck
A detailed review will follow tomorrow, probably Of the film, at least!

 

[Kami]

I've already got tuesday 100% booked off...I am literally spending the entire day with the set...

 

[MikeRS]

Got it!!!

Viewed the new cut, and watched all of the supplementary discs. Haven't listened to the audio commentaries yet (That's next!).


There is Good to great stuff on the extended cut. I've only watched it once, and on first viewing, I DON'T believe it's a superior cut. But that's not to say it's an inferior cut. The supplementary disc's editing chapter touches upon this, but what the theatrical cut really represents is a "Frodo-centric" version of the film. Anything that was not directly related to Frodo and the ring, was usually what was cut from the theatrical release. And on just one viewing, I felt the new cut definitely adds quite a few riches (Journey between lands feels meatier, Hobbit life given more screen time, Lothlorien is definitely improved upon in a big way, closer ties to the novel), but also gives up a little bit of the focused intensity of Frodo's emotional journey. So while the movie gains a more epic quality with these new scenes, it also sacrifices some of the intimate by by doing so. The same Frodo scenes from the theatrical are still present, but the focus is not as PURE. All IMHO of course.


Some comments on the extended cut:

-The Isildur expansion in the prologue is excellent. Shouldn't have been cut from the theatrical.

-"Concerning Hobbits" is well narrated by Ian Holm, and is fine on it's own as a set piece, but I prefer the way the Shire is introduced in the theatrical cut. To me, this Hobbit prologue is a really good deleted scene. Although I am a little biased here due to the fact that I've always found the theatrical's method of opening FOTR to be sublime, masterful, and perfect. How do you top that? You can't in my book, and this is a major reason why I'm glad I own the theatrical cut as well.

-Green Dragon Inn scene is cool, especially for more Rosie Cotton (Total babe!) and getting the Hobbits' POV of the outside world.

-Beautiful scene of Sam/Frodo observing Elves departing for the West. The music is haunting. It really hits home the melancholy "fading" quality of Middle Earth in the third age.

-Aragorn singing about Beren and Luthien is an excellent Viggo moment. Aragorn's sensitive side being showcased is always a good thing.

-Lothlorien is improved upon in so many ways. Haldir actually becomes COOL. Martin Csokas' Celeborn is a real character now. Gimli's adoration of Galadriel is probably up there as one of the best moments of the whole extended cut. And Galadriel shows Nenya (COOL!).

-Important to note that not only are there added scenes to this extended cut, PJ actually uses brand new takes of existing scenes from the theatrical. It's a little weird experiencing moments you know by heart with different emphasis and intonation on the actor's part. I'm sure I'll get used to it on repeated viewings.

 

[Seth Paxton]

I had the chance to screen the EE again with a non-reader who only saw the original cut when I got it on DVD a few months ago, and has not seen it since.
Some noteworthy comments from him:
Isildur - "So the ring came off his finger on it's own?" He hadn't realized the ring's own active ability to alter situations. I mentioned this in my previous post (that it was too subtle before) and at least with this viewer it proved to be true.
Galadriel - "Now that makes sense, I just thought she was a freak before. I never got what was going on with that scene."
Gifts - "Did they have those cloaks in the original cut?"
And in general he was much more impressed with this version, though bear in mind he enjoyed the original cut enough to be geeked up to see the EE and TTT after not caring enough to see FOTR when it came out.
I won't say one person counts for all statistically, but I will say that his reactions basically matched what I thought they would be to the alterations.
Two other things that I definately noticed this time (thought I did before). The fighting at Amon Hen has quite a bit added to it, and many scenes reflect the MOVES the characters have in the TTT video game. Now I know where those moves came from. Another sort of change is where Legolas shoots 3 orcs in a row (if you will recall). Well now that scene is a different take (I think, because I don't remember Gimli entering like he does) and at the very least is not cut as short. Legolas now shoots at least 5 orcs, and a 6th as it falls down.
I thought some of the dialog seemed to have different inflections. I wasn't sure about alternate takes, but I guess that is something that was done. Some dialog is the same but simply said differently. Galadriel's for one thing. That scene has so much rework that it's barely the same at all. Sooooo much better.
I also just love the recut of the river section, including some new footage on the river before the orc music kicks in (whatever that cue is called). Gives Lorien a much needed buffer before the uptempo Urak-Hai shots and 10 boat fly-overs in a row.
And I was glad to hear the line "You dwarves are little terrorists" removed, as well as Legolas' arrows being replaced by the more kid-friendly nerf arrows. :p)

 

[MikeRS]

Galadriel - "Now that makes sense, I just thought she was a freak before. I never got what was going on with that scene."

Lothlorien is so dramatically improved, IT'S SCARY. What a difference!

 

[Chuck Mayer]

I'll edit my post (3rd overall) later today with a real review. Regarding the box: it is quite solid, with cellophane windows. I discussed it in the Software thread in Ron's review yesterday.
Quickly, before I dig in later
WOW! This is a lot of movie, and I look forward to another (more relaxed) viewing. I agree with the comments that it's not BETTER per se, but more rounded. Fans of the books will be well-pleased, patient film fans will see a lot to love as well. This could never have existed in the theater (it is too long...sorry), but at home, it is like curling up with a favorite book. My favorite additions involved Boromir, but more on that later. Seth mentioned the Legolas arrow(s) scene...very nice.
Much more soon,
Chuck