- Messages
- 178
- Reaction score
- 11
- Trophy Points
- 28
INTENTION: To create from the three movies a single character-driven film evocative of Tolkien’s book, slightly lighter-hearted than Lord of the Rings but ultimately feeling like a single Extended Edition belonging in the same film universe
Total Running Time: 3 h 58m (With a distinct intermission point, like the EEs. Below four hours total has been the guiding standard.)
This edit aims for different goals from existing ones. While it hews more closely to the book than Jackson’s cuts, this is mostly a side-effect of shooting for a more character-driven narrative with most absurdity removed. For example, while Legolas, the love triangle, and the battle at Dol Guldur are removed entirely, Tauriel and Radagast remain, but with different significance. Scenes like the extended introduction to Beorn are included, whereas the stone giants are not.
As of 19/1/2016, this cut is essentially complete, having screened on Sunday the 17th to an audience of two dozen and received a few points of criticism for touching up.
PREVIEW: The Battle of Fives Armies
Password: barefoot
PROLOGUE/FLASHBACKS
Cut, with footage used in a few spots
TAURIEL
She disagrees with Thranduil’s isolationist politics and convinces him to stay and fight at the Battle of Five Armies. She develops a friendship with Kili with flirtatious undertones.
LEGOLAS
Not in the film, not even a cameo. If you have good eyes you can spot him among a crowd of elves in a wide shot. Easter egg.
RADAGAST & DOL GULDUR
Radagast discovers that something is wrong in Mirkwood. When the company reaches the edge of his forest, he (not Galadriel!) informs Gandalf that something is afoot at Dol Guldur. He and Gandalf leave immediately. Gandalf explores Dol Guldur and finds an orcish army ready to march out. He flees immediately to tell Radagast to bring the birds and beasts, then warns the free peoples at Erebor. Radagast later brings the Eagles and Beorn.
WHITE COUNCIL
No sign of it. Galadriel and Saruman both get mentioned once.
GOLLUM
Completely untouched. The longest unedited stretch of the movie and the only scene of substance I haven’t altered in some way.
THE PALE ORC
Plot removed. Azog appears as the leader of the orcs at Dol Guldur and Erebor.
BEORN
Extended edition scenes included, with dialogue about Azog and Sauron removed
LAKE TOWN
The scenes in Bard’s house are skipped entirely. Alfrid uncovers the dwarves beneath Bard’s fish, and they are immediately marched to the Master
ALFRID/THE MASTER
Alfrid has a handful of lines, all of them advancing the story, with none of his horrible clowning, wearing a dress, or poorly-executed class conflict subplot with the Master included.
SAURON
Unmentioned. A few remaining lines of dialogue (like the mention that trolls wouldn’t normally range so far) foreshadow that something dark may be coming.
RIDICULOUS ACTION
The barrel chase, the troll fight, the stone giants, the rabbit chase, the cyborg trolls, and other such nonsense are all removed. “Legolas skating down stairs on a shield” stood as the upper bar for absurdity I would allow. “Send in the goats!” and a silly axe-tossing sequence from Bo5A EE are the most ridiculous moments left in the movie.
FAT-SHAMING, HOMOPHOBIC HUMOR, MISOGYNISTIC SLURS
Removed.
SMAUG
Smaug’s dialogue is now one big scene, a sort of mirror on the monstrous dialogue with Gollum. Bilbo doesn’t quite get the ring on before Smaug spots him. Smaug moves from curious to accusatory to manipulative to threatening, rather than hopping among those four. Having his prey suddenly vanish spooks him, and he leaves to slaughter the barrel-riders from Laketown.
THE BATTLE with SMAUG
The Dwarves never enter Erebor to fight Smaug. Bard kills Smaug with his last arrow. We are never introduced to his son.
THORIN
Lots of little tweaks to render him more sympathetic. Dragon sickness is unmentioned except for Gandalf’s warning of the lure of dragon gold after Bilbo gives Bard the Arkenstone.
BATTLE of FIVE ARMIES
About 20 minutes total, but a different story from in the originals or other edits:
The elves do not fight at first, and the orcs attack human civilians to keep the humans occupied in Dale. Tauriel shames Thranduil, and as the dwarves find their backs against the mountain, Thorin and company emerge. Thranduil and his army join the battle. Thorin leads a chariot charge (with much ridiculousness removed) to Ravenhill to take down Azog. Human women, children, and elderly join the battle as the free peoples begin to lose. While Fili, Kili, and Dwalin, joined by Tauriel, fend off orcs, Thorin confronts Azog. Radagast, the Eagles, and Beorn arrive just before the leaders begin their duel, giving the impression that the tide has turned. Bilbo gets knocked out. When he wakes, Thorin has defeated Azog but is dying, and Tauriel mourns Kili.
THE RING
Bilbo doesn’t lie to Gandalf about losing the ring, nor do beats such as his furious killing of a bug to reclaim it remain. The shot of him on his back like Frodo in FotR is cut. Foreshadowing is done with a lighter hand.
SONGS
Not only is “Chip the Glasses” most emphatically included, but also Bofur’s song in Rivendell. “Goblin Town” is entirely removed other than some orchestration. “Misty Mountains” serves as a motif throughout (in the originals it mostly disappears after the first movie).
LITTLE CUTS
So many of them. We no longer have the weird beat of Thranduil remembering dragon fire, or Gandalf filling his pipe after Thorin’s death, for example. Obviously, the dwarves don’t give up on the steps of Erebor.
Total Running Time: 3 h 58m (With a distinct intermission point, like the EEs. Below four hours total has been the guiding standard.)
This edit aims for different goals from existing ones. While it hews more closely to the book than Jackson’s cuts, this is mostly a side-effect of shooting for a more character-driven narrative with most absurdity removed. For example, while Legolas, the love triangle, and the battle at Dol Guldur are removed entirely, Tauriel and Radagast remain, but with different significance. Scenes like the extended introduction to Beorn are included, whereas the stone giants are not.
As of 19/1/2016, this cut is essentially complete, having screened on Sunday the 17th to an audience of two dozen and received a few points of criticism for touching up.
PREVIEW: The Battle of Fives Armies
Password: barefoot
PROLOGUE/FLASHBACKS
Cut, with footage used in a few spots
TAURIEL
She disagrees with Thranduil’s isolationist politics and convinces him to stay and fight at the Battle of Five Armies. She develops a friendship with Kili with flirtatious undertones.
LEGOLAS
Not in the film, not even a cameo. If you have good eyes you can spot him among a crowd of elves in a wide shot. Easter egg.
RADAGAST & DOL GULDUR
Radagast discovers that something is wrong in Mirkwood. When the company reaches the edge of his forest, he (not Galadriel!) informs Gandalf that something is afoot at Dol Guldur. He and Gandalf leave immediately. Gandalf explores Dol Guldur and finds an orcish army ready to march out. He flees immediately to tell Radagast to bring the birds and beasts, then warns the free peoples at Erebor. Radagast later brings the Eagles and Beorn.
WHITE COUNCIL
No sign of it. Galadriel and Saruman both get mentioned once.
GOLLUM
Completely untouched. The longest unedited stretch of the movie and the only scene of substance I haven’t altered in some way.
THE PALE ORC
Plot removed. Azog appears as the leader of the orcs at Dol Guldur and Erebor.
BEORN
Extended edition scenes included, with dialogue about Azog and Sauron removed
LAKE TOWN
The scenes in Bard’s house are skipped entirely. Alfrid uncovers the dwarves beneath Bard’s fish, and they are immediately marched to the Master
ALFRID/THE MASTER
Alfrid has a handful of lines, all of them advancing the story, with none of his horrible clowning, wearing a dress, or poorly-executed class conflict subplot with the Master included.
SAURON
Unmentioned. A few remaining lines of dialogue (like the mention that trolls wouldn’t normally range so far) foreshadow that something dark may be coming.
RIDICULOUS ACTION
The barrel chase, the troll fight, the stone giants, the rabbit chase, the cyborg trolls, and other such nonsense are all removed. “Legolas skating down stairs on a shield” stood as the upper bar for absurdity I would allow. “Send in the goats!” and a silly axe-tossing sequence from Bo5A EE are the most ridiculous moments left in the movie.
FAT-SHAMING, HOMOPHOBIC HUMOR, MISOGYNISTIC SLURS
Removed.
SMAUG
Smaug’s dialogue is now one big scene, a sort of mirror on the monstrous dialogue with Gollum. Bilbo doesn’t quite get the ring on before Smaug spots him. Smaug moves from curious to accusatory to manipulative to threatening, rather than hopping among those four. Having his prey suddenly vanish spooks him, and he leaves to slaughter the barrel-riders from Laketown.
THE BATTLE with SMAUG
The Dwarves never enter Erebor to fight Smaug. Bard kills Smaug with his last arrow. We are never introduced to his son.
THORIN
Lots of little tweaks to render him more sympathetic. Dragon sickness is unmentioned except for Gandalf’s warning of the lure of dragon gold after Bilbo gives Bard the Arkenstone.
BATTLE of FIVE ARMIES
About 20 minutes total, but a different story from in the originals or other edits:
The elves do not fight at first, and the orcs attack human civilians to keep the humans occupied in Dale. Tauriel shames Thranduil, and as the dwarves find their backs against the mountain, Thorin and company emerge. Thranduil and his army join the battle. Thorin leads a chariot charge (with much ridiculousness removed) to Ravenhill to take down Azog. Human women, children, and elderly join the battle as the free peoples begin to lose. While Fili, Kili, and Dwalin, joined by Tauriel, fend off orcs, Thorin confronts Azog. Radagast, the Eagles, and Beorn arrive just before the leaders begin their duel, giving the impression that the tide has turned. Bilbo gets knocked out. When he wakes, Thorin has defeated Azog but is dying, and Tauriel mourns Kili.
THE RING
Bilbo doesn’t lie to Gandalf about losing the ring, nor do beats such as his furious killing of a bug to reclaim it remain. The shot of him on his back like Frodo in FotR is cut. Foreshadowing is done with a lighter hand.
SONGS
Not only is “Chip the Glasses” most emphatically included, but also Bofur’s song in Rivendell. “Goblin Town” is entirely removed other than some orchestration. “Misty Mountains” serves as a motif throughout (in the originals it mostly disappears after the first movie).
LITTLE CUTS
So many of them. We no longer have the weird beat of Thranduil remembering dragon fire, or Gandalf filling his pipe after Thorin’s death, for example. Obviously, the dwarves don’t give up on the steps of Erebor.