Episode 1
First of all credit where credit is due:
Some of these cuts were hugely inspired by M4 and Wraith. These are not the same cuts persé, but I watched both of these edits for a good starting point to see what's possible. I'm standing on the shoulders of giants, as they say.
Added a nice film grain layer, which does not affect highlights as proper film grain should.
This is both a prequel AND a sequel to LotR. Imo it works as both. In the sense that you can watch it before, or after the LOTR trilogy. I prefer to watch it after the trilogy myself, but that's just me.
Even more credit will go to Chipbayless, who went really in depth in feedback and previews and came up with extremely good ideas which were a PAIN in the ass to realise.
Created a completely unique opening, with narration. Very story-telling like.
Removed Ragadast from part 1, but kept a small glimpse as Gandalf mentions him.
Removed every early appearance from Azog before his reveal. It makes no sense to SHOW him, when the dwarves think he is dead. Way to ruin your own story, P.J.
Now I hear you cry: Why not remove him entirely? Simple. We, the audience need a nemesis. And, because I believe I can completely salvage Azog as a villain by
removing most of his ugly CGI appearances. The eagles confrontation has him looking a lot better than every other scene in the film.
Also, Bilbo and Thorin reconciling is desperately needed for some emotional pay-off.
Completely re-edited the Goblin King introduction. He is now more ruthless, and doesn't sing a song. He also doesn't interrogate the dwarves, but simply wants to torture
them for his amusement.
He mentions Azog, but does not send word for the pale Orc. This to keep the mystery of wether he is taunting Thorin or not.
Completely re-edited the Troll encounter to keep some light hearted humor, but improve pacing and remove some of the annoying screams from the high pitched troll.
Removed Ragast, but kept the Warg attack. How? Just watch the edit and find out.
Regraded the Azog attacks scene to ever so slightly make the transition from day to night a bit slower. It's still a bit fast, but definitely not as distracting.
The white council is now far more mysterious and less in your face.
Some slight tweaks here and there for pacing/dialogue improvements. Honestly I didn't write them all down, and it's too much to recall from the top of my head.
Episode 2
Added a nice film grain layer, which does not affect highlights as proper film grain should.
Completely unique opening, with narration. This cuts to the title screen in an utterly dramatic fashion.
Removed all early viewings of the bear. We now hear Bilbo saw a bear, and can experience the same disbelieve the dwarfs have. We don't need to see it, far better
to keep the mystery. A rare example of: tell, don't show.
Removed all heavy handed exposition done by Beorn. We don't need to have him and his family killed by Azog. The universe becomes smaller if everyone knows that pale orc.
Cut the flash to the eye when gandalf sees the painting of an eye. Keep the mystery.
Kept everything that works about the battle with the barrels, and cut everything that is too expositiony. No Bolg here, just an orc attack where Fili get's shot in the leg.
Cut Tauriel as much as necessary but not completely. She is a guard, nothing more. Book accuracy is not the goal, creating lean cuts is the goal.
Kept the orc interrogation, but removed all the cringe/heavy exposition. KEEP THE MYSTERY. This orc attack prompts legolas to go on his own investigation in the third film.
Cut the cringe of bard entering lake town, but kept the toilet dwarfs. He's a smuggler, ofcourse he smuggles them in his house. Plus, it's comedy gold. Good comedy often
get's cut in the search for book accuracy, which I disagree with.
Kept Bard's children, but cut Tauriel and Legolas completely here.
Kept some of the dwarfs missing the boat. This is good added tension, and helps some of the dwarfs dislike Thorin's decision to NOT help the laketowners in the third film.
There saw their suffering first-hand. Good change, Peter Jackson.
Removed Alfrid cringe moments. This was rather easy. Also removed some out-of-place looking extra's. This was tricky, but worth it to create a more consistent looking
Middle Earth.
I kept the tapestry scene for ONE reason and ONE reason only: He sounds exactly like Patches from Dark Souls lmao. The cross-over we never asked for.
Removed Bilbo backing up the Dwarfs. There is no reason for him to somehow be a valid voice, this is the Master's decision only.
Removed EVERYTHING regarding the Dol Guldor scenes with Bilbo's father. Instead, we get something.. that.. you guessed it.. KEEPS THE MYSTERY!
Cut around everything to keep Bard out of jail, keep as much Dragon scenes as possible, and have the dragon attack laketown afterwards.
The Dragon attacks laketown, the dwarfs and the kids try to escape. The rest continues as in the original. NO TAURIEL OR LEGOLAS here. I believe this is the only edit that
removes them, but keeps the children in this. This allows for a climactic version with the boy being used as a ballista (Bard has a son in the book as well, so yay!)
Created a completely unique, new ending. I will not spoil anything, but it tells us what we need to know about the war in part three and raises the stakes dramatically! It's
an ending that will be hopefully adored by people who have seen the LotR and those who haven't.
Some micro-edits I can't recall.
Part 3
Added a nice film grain layer, which does not affect highlights as proper film grain should.
New opening, with narration. This cuts to the title screen in dramatic fashion. This opening helps the audience buy Thorin's turn to bad. Thorin is already in the mountain for days
the moment the movie starts.
Cut a lot here. Alfrid is less cringe and actually has an arc.
The war is toned down slightly, but not completely.
Removed Alfrid being a coward. He is now heroic and not seen again.
With some clever dialogue manipulation we now see Legolas investigate Gundabad after the orcs attacked the elves last film. This sets up Bolg as a nameless Orc captain.
Heavily cut around the war to make more sense, and remove the overly comical and overly gruesome parts of it.
Removed a lot of Azogs commands, and instead we let the visuals do the talking. Horn blows, flags wave, orcs attack. That's all we need to know.
Tons of micro-cuts.
Completely re-edited the ravenhill sequence. Legolas goes against his father's will and goes to Thorin anyway, Tauriel is not involved here. No dialogue,
I let their gaze do the talking.
Bolg kills Fili, Legolas kills Bolg and throws Orcrest to Thorin. Bilbo get's knocked out and we get a dream sequence that adds to the emotional impact of Thorin's death.
We completely cut the actual fight between Azog and Thorin, instead we hear their fight in the distance during the dream sequence.
Captain obvious: Tauriel does not mourn the dwarf
Some micro cuts I cannot all name here were made.