LOTR: The Return of the King extended version - spoilers inside!

[Patrocles]

I bought my wife the "Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King" extended DVD set for Christmas.

The flick clocks in at 4 hours and 10 minutes!! :surprise:
We watched the extended version last night and I found it had good pacing and didn't appear to last >4 hours.
I can't recall all the details in the new and extended scenes but some of my favorite were:

Saruman is back in this version
the paths of the dead and the corsairs of umbar
The Orc commander at battle of pelennor field
Aragorn and the palantir
Frodo and Sam falling in line with the Orc soldiers


has anyone else seeing TROFK extended? what are your thoughts on this version?

 

[KG_Norad]

I did not care too much for the way Grima Kills Sauramon. It felt kind of contrived. Sauramon ranting from the top of Isengard was ok though. I also thought the landslide of skulls was kind of cheesy too in the Paths of the Dead.

I enjoyed most of the other little additions throughout the movie though especially the scenes from the Houses of Healing. I thought the movie did seem long but it is well done so you don't mind. It did keep it's pace fairly well.

All in all I think it is a great fantasy movie and I am glad I have it. It was a HUGE Fantasy undertaking and I have to say Peter Jackson did a pretty good job of it for the most part. My biggest pet peeve of both part 2 & 3 were some of the silly orc lines that were totally out of line with poetic beauty of the book.

 

[Maladryne]

Loved it. Best movie I've ever seen. Sure, there's some things I could have done without (Denethor's Leap comes to mind), but they don't, for me, ruin the movie.

 

[Patrocles]

I did not care too much for the way Grima Kills Sauramon. It felt kind of contrived. Sauramon ranting from the top of Isengard was ok though. I also thought the landslide of skulls was kind of cheesy too in the Paths of the Dead.

I enjoyed most of the other little additions throughout the movie though especially the scenes from the Houses of Healing. I thought the movie did seem long but it is well done so you don't mind. It did keep it's pace fairly well.

All in all I think it is a great fantasy movie and I am glad I have it. It was a HUGE Fantasy undertaking and I have to say Peter Jackson did a pretty good job of it for the most part. My biggest pet peeve of both part 2 & 3 were some of the silly orc lines that were totally out of line with poetic beauty of the book.

I agree. I was hoping but not expecting to see the battle of the shire and the death of Saruman and wormtongue.

I can always wish for another film version of LOTR in a few decades that is closer to the book.

 

[Redwolf]

I still hate the 7 endings. It's like torture.

I like the extended footage in RotK.

I think the best of the movies is the Fellowship, it has the nicest contrasts between beauty and evil.

The Two Towers is the weakest, IMHO. I know it is the toughest movie to make because it has no beginning and no end. But the story rewriters were really gripping into the toilet on some of there inventions for The Two Towers.

My biggest dislike is that they make a joke out of Gimli (sp?) and some of the Legolas stunts are way out of line, e.g. the surfing down the stairs on his shield and htting people with arrows, and even badly visualized, e.g. when he jumps on the running horse at the beginning of the skirmish with the wolf-riding orks.

 

[Patrocles]

I still hate the 7 endings. It's like torture.

I like the extended footage in RotK.

I think the best of the movies is the Fellowship, it has the nicest contrasts between beaty and evil.

The Two Towers is the weakest, IMHO. I know it is the toughest movie to make because it has no beginning and no end. But the story rewriters were really gripping into the toilet on some of there inventions for The Two Towers.

My biggest dislike is that they make a joke of of Gimli (sp?) and some of the Legolas stunts are way out of line, e.g. the surfing down the stairs on his shield and htting people with arrows, and even badly visualized, e.g. when he jumps on the running horse at the beginning of the skirmish with the wolf-riding orks.

I agree with your comments on the Fellowship being the best of the three films.

Yeah, wtf was up with putting Legolas on a boogie board surfing down stairs whilst shooting orcs with his bow and arrow!? Legolas killing the olifaunt and crew in TROTK was too over the top for my taste.

pardon my ignorance but what are the 7 endings? please explain.

 

[Wolfe Tone]

I agree with your comments on the Fellowship being the best of the three films.

Yeah, wtf was up with putting Legolas on a boogie board surfing down stairs whilst shooting orcs with his bow and arrow!? Legolas killing the olifaunt and crew in TROTK was too over the top for my taste.

pardon my ignorance but what are the 7 endings? please explain.

Re

Legolas killing the olifaunt and crew in TROTK was too over the top for my taste.

Different Strokes for different Folks! A girl I worked with thought that was the best scene in the best film she had ever seen!

I thought it was OK seen as its a Fantasy Film.

 

[Jim H. Moreno]

Fantabulous! My remaining wish is that Jackson would have managed to put in Bombadill. Other than that, they are the best movies made.

 

[Patrocles]

Re

Legolas killing the olifaunt and crew in TROTK was too over the top for my taste.

Different Strokes for different Folks! A girl I worked with thought that was the best scene in the best film she had ever seen!

I thought it was OK seen as its a Fantasy Film.

good for you/her! It's Jackson's film so you have to give this over to his "artistic license." I almost expected to see Legolas killing orcs by doing a one arm handstand on a running horse whilst flipping out and doing ninja kicks!

 

[Redwolf]

If you don't know the book, the movie feels like it has 7 (or so) endings. About 7 times you want to stand up and say "ok, we made it", and then another ending-like scene would come up.

I think the Elephant killing scene from Legolas is OK, unlike the shield-surfer. I guessed that girls would like any of these, however

Jackson explains in the commentary for The Two Towers that he put it in (along with the horse jump) because he felt that otherwise the superior balance and movement skills of the Elv wouldn't have shown enough.

The way he implemented it Legolas is bending the lawys of physics more than the wizards do combined :cheeky:

%%

EDITed to add that I really think these are the greatest movies ever. Nothing is perfect but they are very very close.

 

[freightshaker]

Got the extended version yesterday from the wife, we plan on watching all 3 extended versions New Years eve. Should be a long day in front of the TV. Believe all together they come in around 12 hrs or so.

 

[Redwolf]

Not to mention there is re-watching them with the commentary and then watching the making-of.

Combined that would be like all James Bond movies in a row or so.

 

[the_redstar_swl]

Any one know when the set with all of the movies and bounus stuff be out?

 

[Overseer]

Got the extended version yesterday from the wife, we plan on watching all 3 extended versions New Years eve. Should be a long day in front of the TV. Believe all together they come in around 12 hrs or so.

Let me know how that goes, I'm thinking of coming up with a day once I get back up at school to do the same.

 

[Dr Zaius]

Fantabulous! My remaining wish is that Jackson would have managed to put in Bombadill. Other than that, they are the best movies made.

Agreed. Now how long am I going to have to wait for The Hobbit? I want it now.

 

[Overseer]

Agreed. Now how long am I going to have to wait for The Hobbit? I want it now.

Did they ever sort out the legal problems? The rights to the Hobbit were owned by someone else, not Tolkien's son who wanted the LotR movies to be made.

 

[Maladryne]

Any one know when the set with all of the movies and bounus stuff be out?

Came out on December 14th.

 

[BarcelonaBlom]

Did they ever sort out the legal problems? The rights to the Hobbit were owned by someone else, not Tolkien's son who wanted the LotR movies to be made.

Yeah and what's funny is I heard that Chris Tolkien didn't like the newer movies... they are at least better then Backshi's (sp big time). Anyways THEY STILL DON'T GO BACK TO HOBBITON!?

 

[RichardS]

Agreed. Now how long am I going to have to wait for The Hobbit? I want it now.

Till after Jackson remakes King Kong. But I agree that the Hobbit should be a great movie when ready.
:flag:

 

[Redwolf]

Any one know when the set with all of the movies and bounus stuff be out?

Well the set is out:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000654ZK0/qid=1104165358/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-9936343-4138342?v=glance&s=dvd

However, this is just the three extended movies in a box, and you can get the box for $3 from acoupon in the third movie extended version.

I don't know of any plans to further extend this with motion material.

If you fly Northwest, they have a catalog where you can pick up replica of all the swords'n'stuff