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How to Experience Lord of the Rings for the first time

Bobson Dugnutt

Bobson Dugnutt

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I'm wondering what is the best way to experience the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time. Is it the theatrical cut, extended, somewhere inbetween the two, or a good fanedit somewhere. I'm looking into buying the big Extended Boxset, but at almost 4 hours a film, it seems like a pain to sit through. Is there a perfect first way somewhere?
 
I watched them for the first time recently and opted for the extended versions. I don't think there's one agreed upon way of watching these, so I'm just going to say theatrical. Any fan of the extended cuts can also enjoy the theatrical, but some theatrical fans hate the extended, so theatrical seems like the safest bet.
 
Bobson Dugnutt said:
I'm wondering what is the best way to experience the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time. Is it the theatrical cut, extended, somewhere inbetween the two, or a good fanedit somewhere. I'm looking into buying the big Extended Boxset, but at almost 4 hours a film, it seems like a pain to sit through. Is there a perfect first way somewhere?
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I binged all EE in a day. It was intense but fun. I love both versions but my preferred is the EE and my justification for saying watch that first is simply: Do you want to rewatch 3 3+ hour films just to enjoy the extended scenes when you could simply have a slightly longer, but richer, first experience.
 
I prefer the Theatricals, personally. Extended's are just bloated. Some good scenes, but overall just too much padding... the third one especially.
 
The Scribbling Man said:
I prefer the Theatricals, personally. Extended's are just bloated. Some good scenes, but overall just too much padding... the third one especially.
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That's fair although I do feel the battles in the final film really benefit from the additional sequences. Given @"Bobson Dugnutt"'s original point the theatrical is probably the best bet. But then it depends on how you watch them. I know the EE's are all double disc so maybe just watch s disc at a time?
 
It's also worth noting that the Extendeds are just that, extended editions - not Director's cuts. Peter Jackson prefers the Theatricals.
 
My personal recommendation is the extended Fellowship (ideally 44rh1n's fan restoration of the DVD/theatrical-consistent color scheme), then theatrical TTT/RotK. The theatrical Fellowship, IMO, is overly frenetic and rushed without the extended material, but after that 3.5-hour initial chapter, the world and main characters are fully introduced, and the added beats of the second and third extended editions just grind things to a halt. (The theatricals have enough new character and subplot introductions as is.)

At least as crucial as the selection, however, is the method: like all great films, they should only ever be projected, with light bouncing off a reflective screen, rather than viewed from a TV/computer/other monitor blasting its light straight into your eyeballs. (Heck, this goes for all films and TV series, great or no.) :)
 
I love the EEs but the TCs are great too and how I first saw them. I'd start with the TCs because if you hate them (unlikely), you would've hated the EEs even more but if you love them (much more likely) you've got the EEs to look forward to as an extra treat.

The EEs are typically split over two discs (to preserve quality), which is a nice way to watch them across 6-nights, as if they were really six movies.
 
The Scribbling Man said:
It's also worth noting that the Extendeds are just that, extended editions - not Director's cuts. Peter Jackson prefers the Theatricals.
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He obviously would've had to say that at the time because you couldn't say "Hey guys please pay to see the inferior version of the movie at the cinema, then buy the inferior version on DVD, then buy the proper version a year later", or has he re-affirmed this opinion in recent years?
 
TM2YC said:
The Scribbling Man said:
It's also worth noting that the Extendeds are just that, extended editions - not Director's cuts. Peter Jackson prefers the Theatricals.
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He obviously would've had to say that at the time because you couldn't say "Hey guys please pay to see the inferior version of the movie at the cinema, then buy the inferior version on DVD, then buy the proper version a year later", or has he re-affirmed this opinion in recent years?
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Fair point :p I don't know if he has commented since ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Gaith said:
The theatrical Fellowship, IMO, is overly frenetic and rushed without the extended material
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 Those are not words I would use to describe any version of the LOTR movies. The theatrical cut of Fellowship is perfect IMO. I wouldn't change or add a thing (except maybe the Uruk-hai licking his sword). It feels wonderfully paced for such a long film.
 
Do the Extended Blu-Rays have somewhat of a good ending point before the disc change? I've bought the whole set for $60 AUD (or about $43 USD) and might take the first time as this extended edition and watch it over 6 nights as if it were six movies. 
And also, what's up with the lack of branching on the EE discs? I thought they'd include the TC as well, but I've got to go buy another set just to see those versions
 
^^ The theatricals are pretty cheap though. I got the whole trilogy on blu-ray for a fiver when blu-ray was still a relatively new phenomenon.
 
Has no one answered "with weed" yet?
 
EE Fellowship and Towers, TC Return.

Also I believe there was an individual Blu release (not trilogy set) that included both theatrical and extended cuts for each film, but I don't think those were seamless branching, I think they just had all the discs shoved up in the case.

Nevermind, I was wrong - I'm thinking of the EE releases that had an extra bonus disc with some retrospective extras on it.
 
macmilln said:
Has no one answered "with Frink" yet?
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Has no one answered "with Liv Tyler" yet? :D

 
ChainsawAsh said:
Also I believe there was an individual Blu release (not trilogy set) that included both theatrical and extended cuts for each film, but I don't think those were seamless branching, I think they just had all the discs shoved up in the case.
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I definitely recall reading about those, too.
 
How to Experience Lord of the Rings for the first time?

How about this insane new fanedit... "FotR but every time Sam takes a step towards Mordor he says it'll be the farthest he's ever been". It's only 9-hours :D :


FYI: The madness begins about 37-mins.
 
I’m late to the party here and I am someone who never read the books or was interested in that type of fantasy at all before seeing the movies. If this is you, I’d suggest:

Theatrical FotR
EE TTT
Theatrical RotK (which I actually think should’ve ended about 20-30 minutes earlier)

I’d actually love an edit of TTT that keeps all the additional character development but trims the hell out of the Helm’s Deep battle.
 
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