achtungbaby.net

I finally got around to purchasing the extended DVD version, which was released on 11/18. I’d been chompin’ at the bit for some time, eager to see if this version matched up to the extended Fellowship.

I had mixed feelings when watching it. There are a number of scenes that were either removed completely or cut down considerably from the theatrical version, and while I felt that this practice was to the detriment of Fellowship, the editing job done this time, in retrospect, was tremendous. Had they extended certain scenes as originally intended (and essentially been more faithful to Tolkien), the essence of Two Towers would have changed dramatically: instead of the growing, relentless dread that permeates Middle Earth and overshadows the entire film, we would have had to endure more of the playful goofiness spilled over from the Fellowship.
Read the rest of this entry »