[Just your average movie goer]

Actually, I think the theatrical version of The Two Towers is better than the extended version. The extra scenes don't add much and slow down the pacing of the movie. It's jarring to be going along watching this exciting battle stuff and this poignant Sam and Frodo travelling and hope and hopelessness and then see Merry and Pippin gooning around with some pipeweed. What?

And the extended version of ROTK isn't out yet, right? So you can't really make a judgment on that one.

Hmmmm... I've been thinking about your comments, Laura, and I think you do have a case for the theatrical release of The Two Towers being better than the Extended Edition. The comical antics of Merry and Pippin do seem very out of place. However, I was really impressed by the flashback scene with Faramir and Boromir so it is a bit of a hard call.

The movie is better off without any more comic relief. There was too much of it already as it was. But the flashback scene made Faramir's story more credible and added a great moment of poignancy to the film. I also enjoyed seeing more scenes with Eomer and Eowyn. I think Eomer definitely got a better introduction in the Extended Edition. Also, the scene with Aragorn and the horse was really sweet.

Gollum got more screen time too which was excellent - shame they didn't work his backstory in here though. It would have been a far more appropriate place to put it than at the opening of The Return of the King.

And they had some cool scenes with Saruman. I liked Saruman discovering that Gandalf had found the heir of Illendiul (not sure on the name exactly - anyway, Aragorn).

All in all, I think the extra material in the Extended Edition is generally very good and adds some good stuff to the film. But I could have lived without the extra Merry and Pippin comic relief scenes.


As for the Extended Edition of The Return of the King, I guarantee it will be better than the theatrical release. We'll see the death of Saruman, Gandalf's confrontation with the Witch King, a tonne of other things that we saw in the preview but were conspicuously absent in the movie - and the House of Healing.

If it isn't better, I will be very surprised. And I will eat my hat (not literally, of course).

[Despondent]

Well, I'm pleased to see that I'm not stuck with a bad dvd. Just kidding. A friend gave me TT for xmas and what was I going to say? "um, this isn't the extended edition." on disc 2 there is a feature that shows the steward brothers and more. Worth renting Ext Ed if I can find it I suppose.

Personally, I didn't mind the finding of the ring scene at the beginning of ROTK. Kind of a bright sunny spot to start, with a turn to dark. Since audiences en masse may not know the backstory of The Hobbit's character, it wasn't too bad. And I liked that Andy Serkis (?) got to appear onscreen in a credible role, juxtaposed to (who noticed, really?) Anthony Daniels in the death stick scene.

[Just your average movie goer]

The scene was good. I just think it would have been far more appropriate if it was used in The Two Towers, that's all. But anyway, it's a bit late for it now. Maybe if I had the technology and the skills, I could make my own edit of the whole trilogy. That'd be fun... if a bit time consuming. But I'm more or less happy enough with the movies.

By the way, that was Anthony Daniels in that cameo? Lame.

[Despondent]

Well, not AD as Elan Sleazebaggano. Daniels was the Paul McCartney lookalike (used to be anyway) standing round.

I guess the Smeagol/Deagol scene did one thing; It maintained a flashback exposition for each of the three films.

(I know, I know. enough about that.) And it looked less like hobbit tales and more like a scene from that late '90's midsummer night's dream that was set in 1890's tuscany. (with ally mcbeal.)

[Just your average movie goer]

(I know, I know. enough about that.) And it looked less like hobbit tales and more like a scene from that late '90's midsummer night's dream that was set in 1890's tuscany. (with ally mcbeal.)

That was one hell of an analogy. Beautiful work, Despondent.

[Supes]

Hmmmm... I've been thinking about your comments, Laura, and I think you do have a case for the theatrical release of The Two Towers being better than the Extended Edition. The comical antics of Merry and Pippin do seem very out of place.

I don't know. I just finished watching the Extended Edition last night. I actually quite liked these scenes with Merry and Pip for a couple of reasons.

1. Yes they did lighten up the mood a bit. Take it out and you only have Gimli as comic relief during the chase and then at Helm's Deep. But the scene also came after the two hobbits had been terrorized by the Orcs and were genrally in a very bad place.

2. It shows the resiliance of the Hobbits as a race. Despite all they have just been through they are able to enjoy the simple things in life.

3. The scene is only short and it quickly leads into heavier scenes again where the Ents are deciding about going to war. At this point the two cease to be comical as they are the describers of the gravity of the situation. They become very serious characters. We are amused by the Ents to some extend, but this is played against the very serious tomes of Merry. As we know this ends with Treebeard seeing what has happened to his forest and thus changing his point of view.

I personally quite liked the balance that this scene added and the way is helped define the nature of hobbits in general.

[Just your average movie goer]

I understand that. But I can also understand people thinking it a bit odd that after the serious climax of the film, we see Merry and Pippin smoking pipeweed.

[Supes]

I understand that. But I can also understand people thinking it a bit odd that after the serious climax of the film, we see Merry and Pippin smoking pipeweed.

I'd say that they weren't paying attention then. This is exactly the sort of behaviour that did not surprise me about their character. It's fairly well established by this stage.

We don't see tha battle, but in the Boromir/Faramir flash back the first thing they want to do after winning their battle is break open the ale. I don't see the difference between this exp​ression of celebration and Merry and Pippins.

[Just your average movie goer]

Oh, it's in character. But it seems to downplay the seriousness of where the rest of the movie is at. I don't have a big problem with it - but I can understand why some other people would find it a little offputting.

[Supes]

Oh, it's in character. But it seems to downplay the seriousness of where the rest of the movie is at. I don't have a big problem with it - but I can understand why some other people would find it a little offputting.

But again, in context this is not really an issue. I mean at this point in the film they are unaware of what's happening to the others. They are just relieved to be alive themselves and are celebrating the fact.

If anything it is a little more realistic for my mind. While Merry and Pippin have just escaped a bad situation and are happy about it their companions are in a not so happy place. It's more conceivable that this owuld be the case than everyone getting their happy ending simultaneously.

I get what you're saying that people may be seeing, but I just found that it had the opposite effect for me personally.

[Just your average movie goer]

Oh, me too. I was just saying that I could understand where some other people were coming from. That's all.

[Supes]

Oh, me too. I was just saying that I could understand where some other people were coming from. That's all.

Well that's fair enough I suppose. But just this once mind you...

[Just your average movie goer]

Agreed.