The offical ENWorld The Return of the King Extendend Edtion DVD reaction thread.

[Mark Oliva]

Could it have been better?

A better question, could it have been better, given the possible tight fisted movie moguls' views on big budget films these days...there are hits and misses.

That depends upon who the producer is and who the director is. Steven Spielberg, for instance, could have gotten his way. However, I use him only as an example. This shouldn't be interpreted as argument on my part that Spielberg would have done it better, only that he probably could have gotten the freedom to do so.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Well all my waiting paid off. I finally watch Return of the King last night. The entire time my brother, who saw the theatrical version kept saying over and over, "I can't believe they cut this out!". It was an excellent movie, MUCH better than TT but still below Fellowship. Denathorn was a hollow character like he was in the last movie, I'm not sure why PJ felt it necessary to take the depth out of him and make him a simple one dimensional madman. Cutting the few scenes he & Faramir had together seems stupid to me, it guts the characterization. I can live without the Scourging of The Shire I suppose. It was a great finish to the book but with the focus of the book being the ring only I can understand why he thought he had to cut it out. At least they dealt with Saruman's demise instead of just moving on as they apparently did in the movie version.

I noticed from the chapter list that PJ pretty much cut all the character devolping scenes out of the theatrical release. I can understand why people told me it felt rushed and disjointed after they came back from the theaters.

I'd have to give it 3.5 out of 4 stars. I'm so glad PJ did the EE versions, I didn't care much for TTT at the theater and I would have only liked this one slightly better.

 

[David Howery]

To keep that in perspective, the films aren't bad in heir own right. But they're far removed from J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." They're Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings." Nothing more and nothing less.

uh, won't this be true of any producer who remakes LOTR in the future? Unless Tolkien himself comes back from the dead and makes it, of course

 

[LightPhoenix]

uh, won't this be true of any producer who remakes LOTR in the future? Unless Tolkien himself comes back from the dead and makes it, of course

That's it, someone whip out the scroll of Raise Dead.

As to the whole argument about whether PJ did or did not understand Tolkien... all I can say on the matter is I believe that understanding is dependant on the person. As such, what you take from anything - be it books, movies, art, or life - is neither wrong, nor is it right. Understanding is.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Well you can be wrong as to what you think something means and what the artist intended. Now the importance of the original intent is up to the viewer of course.

For example, everytime I've seen Pearl Jam live they have played a song called Betterman. Well each time the couples in the crowd hold each other and get all close and sing along like it's a love song. It isn't, it's about a woman who is in a loveless relationship and she can't find a better man. So despite the fact that a lot of people haven't payed attention to the lyrics, nothing anyone can say will make it a love song. It's clearly not.

 

[Merlion]

Actually, it means that Jackson didn't understand Tolkien's intent with respect to this element of the story of LotR

It could mean that. But I think its more likely it just means that certain things are expected to be a certain way in big motion pictures. I think PJ would have done the scene as it was in the book if it were entirely up to him. But big time movies are expected to have a "hero saves the day" sort of ending, which the original ending of Return of the King is not.


I think since nobody on this thread has (I dont think) met or spoken with Peter Jackson, it might be a good idea not to so easily throw around statements about what he did or did not understand. Obviously as director he had a lot of control, but I'm sure there were things he was made to do that he was not happy with.

Anyway...I was pretty happy with it overall myself. My only big issue was the Gandalf/Witch-King scene which was simply silly on many levels. Gandalf, even with the limits placed on him is many many times more powerful than the WK...and the staff-breaking is just too symbolic.

Also, overall I wish that he hadnt had that tendency to always put Aragorn forth as the strong one, and have Gandalf fade into the back a bit...as in the Mouth of Sauron scene. It was Gandalf who dismissed the Mouth.

Also although it was nifty, I would just as soon had had the MoS be a more or less normal person as he was in the book.

 

[Mark]

...I have no comments on the
extras. I never look at them (...), and therefore, there's nothing I can say about them.

Hiya Mark!

I think that you will be at odds to come to a meeting of the minds over some of your assertions with those who have viewed all of the appendix material. There is an insight into what PJ (and others) might or might not have been thinking and understanding while making the films. What can be gained by watching all of that material that is going to crop up again and again as part of the background of thought among those who will likely disagree with your assertions.

 

[Ranger REG]

Yet another Fan vs. Purist debate. I'm staying far away from as much as possible for the simple fact that I do not regard Tolkien's work in the same light as the Holy Bible, Torah, or the Koran, but a mythology, which was what he set out to do in the first place: create an Anglo-Saxon mythology.

As for the Extended Edition ROTK, it was ... okay.

I smiled at the final curtain appearance of Christopher Lee as Saruman, as well as Brad Dourif as Grima.

I like the extended fighting scene for Mirando Otto as Eowyn.

I like the added House of Healing scene as well as an additional scene showing Faramir (played by David Wenham) and Eowyn meeting and falling for each other.

I like the Mouth of Sauron. I've always wondered what happened to Bilbo's mithril mail.

And I like all the extras in the Appendices.

I was kinda disappointed that they never change the ending to include a small scene where Legolas and Gimli took their final journey.

Also, the easter eggs weren't as greatly humorous than the previous easter eggs.

One more thing, I had hope that they would include the live performance of Annie Lennox doing "Into the West" at the Academy Award where they sweep their nominations into wins. I missed the music video that was present in the previous two Theatrical Editions of FOTR and TTT.

Although one of the easter egg did contain one practical joke, I was hoping for more outtakes and bloopers.

My gripe? Only one.

When I opened my ROTK EE, it has a small pamphlet that tell me I could order a slipcase to house all three of the EE DVD sets. I logged on using the www.lotrdvdbox.com address and my smile turned to frown when it can only accept credit card payment. It's as if I can't make a money order of 3 lousy US dollars and send it in. Bummer!

 

[Truth Seeker]

That's it, someone whip out the scroll of Raise Dead.

As to the whole argument about whether PJ did or did not understand Tolkien... all I can say on the matter is I believe that understanding is dependant on the person. As such, what you take from anything - be it books, movies, art, or life - is neither wrong, nor is it right. Understanding is.

Correction: Resurrection....

And yeah...understanding the understanding, is even better .

 

[Truth Seeker]

That depends upon who the producer is and who the director is. Steven Spielberg, for instance, could have gotten his way. However, I use him only as an example. This shouldn't be interpreted as argument on my part that Spielberg would have done it better, only that he probably could have gotten the freedom to do so.

On that note, I would say this, It is now done, and for the time being, enjoy on what has presented and represented to the best of our ability, we can bring out.