For those LOTR fans who missed many of the details left out of the movie, you might want to check out the extended version now running on the Starz cable network. It adds back a lot of nice explanatory stuff and detail touches left out of the theatre edition.
We have the extended versions of both Fellowship of The Ring and The Two Towers… well worth waiting for the extended version of the Return of the King before buying… much ‘added value’… and the additional special features are good too.
I, too, have the extended edition of the first two films, but I was too impatient not to buy the shorter version of the Return of the King…I figure I’ll just sell it to the 1/2 Bookstore near me.
I love the added material in the extended versions!
Eric
If you get Pay per View, the version of LOTR:ROTK playing now IS an extended version, with a number of additions not seen in the theatre.
I cant beleive the cut Christopher Lee from the last movie. Preposterous considering he was probably the biggest name actor of the lot besides the guy who played Galdalf.
Don’t blame the movie makers, blame Tolkien. Saruman played virtually no part in the third part of the trilogy other than a cameo appearance when the hobbits returned to find a blighted Shire (something that didn’t even happen in the movie) with Saruman behind the damage. Even then, he had perhaps a page, no more.
Personally, I feel the removal of the cleansing of the shire seriously slighted the hobbits in the film. The cleansing section showed:
- The dangers of even lesser evils.
- The ease with with good folks can be overcome if they don’t band together.
- The growth of the 4 hobbits on their journey.
- And, it was a parable of our modern age where profit for the few was more important than the good of the land and of its people.
Granted, Sauruman was more of a bit part in the 3rd book, but what he set in motion and ruled from afar was important and lessened the movie by leaving it out.
Just my 2 cents worth here.
Eric