# Return of the King Extended Edition



## Danny R (Jul 5, 2002)

I haven't watched it yet... its going to be a christmas present. 

Anybody sat through the extended scenes and have any comment on them yet?


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## toomuchtv (May 17, 2002)

Same w/ me. It arrived yesterday from B&N & I opened the box to make sure it was the right thing & undamaged then handed it over to be wrapped. I even chose not to watch it on STARZ! Waiting is half the fun.


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

The one very big scenes that were cut out of the theatrical release was the fate of Saroman. The extended edition has a 10 minute deleted scene. If you have seen the theatrical edition recently you will imediately recognize it as an additional scene. From the point where Treebeard says "Young master Gandalf" to the point where the Orb of Souron is discovered is all additional footage.

Beyond that, it is all IMHO unnecessary but very interesting additions to the scenes that flesh them out and give them some added dimension. But nothing as important as Saroman's fate.

See ya
Tony


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## MikeSoltis (Aug 1, 2003)

They could at least have had Grima throwing the Orb at Gandalf....  
While I did enjoy the scene, the way it happened in the book would have been much better.

For more nitpicking...check out The Nitpickers guide...


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## jrjcd (Apr 23, 2002)

indeed, the extended scene with sauruman is perhaps a third shorter than the scene played in the theatre and does give the film much more resonance and context(plus, i am a huge christopher lee fan)-i am at a loss as to what they were thinking when they decided to "write sauruman off" in the theatrical release-


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

I'm going to try to keep this vague for the people whol have not read the book and have only seen the theatrical release, but I was under the completely wrong impression of Saroman's fate in the theatrical film. It wasn't until I saw the extended edition that I realized the movie still strayed from the book quite a bit, but at least the end-result was similar.

I just saw the extended edition which I bought today. (not just the VCD I saw a month ago) I have to say that my first impression was correct on the other extended scenes. Though all were nice to see, none added anything to the movie and some were not really up to snuff. The part of Sam and Frodo in Mordor with the Ork regimen was probably the hardest to swallow for me.

See ya
Tony


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## Bogy (Mar 23, 2002)

I haven't seen the extended version yet, but what the film really needs is the most important of the deleted scenes, the "Cleansing of the Shire." That has been one of my favorite parts of the book for the past 35 years or so, and the 15 or so times I have read it. I was really looking forward to that scene and was very disappointed that it was dropped from the film


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## MikeSoltis (Aug 1, 2003)

Bogy, your complaint is right in line with mine about how they showed Saruman's fate in the 'extended edition' of the film.

I will not go into details for those who have not read the book, but it all ties into the 'Scouring of the Shire' portions in ROTK.

While I did enjoy the movie version, it would have been nice to see the Scouring of the Shire adapted in the film, instead of the 'shiny happy people' way they return to the Shire in the film :sure:


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## juan ellitinez (Jan 31, 2003)

MikeSoltis said:


> Bogy, your complaint is right in line with mine about how they showed Saruman's fate in the 'extended edition' of the film.
> 
> I will not go into details for those who have not read the book, but it all ties into the 'Scouring of the Shire' portions in ROTK.
> 
> While I did enjoy the movie version, it would have been nice to see the Scouring of the Shire adapted in the film, instead of the 'shiny happy people' way they return to the Shire in the film :sure:


In the first movie didnt they show a portion of the "scouring" when frodo was with the elf qeen looking at the future? I wonder why it got cut??


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## Bogy (Mar 23, 2002)

juan ellitinez said:


> In the first movie didnt they show a portion of the "scouring" when frodo was with the elf qeen looking at the future? I wonder why it got cut??


I believe you are right, that Frodo saw that vision in the mirror/pool. Of course what he saw was the destruction and what needed to be scoured later.


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## waydwolf (Feb 2, 2003)

So much was mishandled with the film it would take an entire website to enumerate them. Of course, there are such things online.

Not saying the movie sucked because it didn't, but if you are a strict observer of canon, then the movie wouldn't have done it for you.

Much was left out and much else rewritten. Go to The Encyclopedia of Arda if you want more depth to the whole storyline.

The Scouring was important IMO because it told what actually happened to Saruman and Grima, and sets up how Merry and Pippin go on with their lives which is at least as important as Sam who we do see a bit of. And to see how Saruman and Grima end up helps flesh out Tolkein's take on right and wrong, good and evil, and played out in the film: good people struggle and win and the evil come to no good by their own devices and even the smallest and weakest can if they try overcome tremendous odds,


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

If you are a strict observer of canon, NO movie is EVER acceptable when compared to the book.


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