Which LOTR extended version gives the most benefit?

[tib2d2]

Which one of the three LOTR extended versions does the best job of answering questions, showing vital portions from the book, or clearing up any confusion with things cut for time in the theatrical release?

Extended scenes of people walking longer, or finishing a few more lines of dialogue of a conversation don't really help with providing a more accurate or complete adaptation of the books.

[krazijoe]

Which one of the three LOTR extended versions does the best job of answering questions, showing vital portions from the book, or clearing up any confusion with things cut for time in the theatrical release?

Extended scenes of people walking longer, or finishing a few more lines of dialogue of a conversation don't really help with providing a more accurate or complete adaptation of the books.

None. The movies are abridged versions and will always be abridged versions. The best bet is to read the book and let your imagination make the movie.

[James Cameron]

None. The movies are abridged versions and will always be abridged versions. The best bet is to read the book and let your imagination make the movie.

That's not helpful. OP's question was not "how can I experience the full version of LOTR with all my questions answered," it was "which version of the existing films answers the most questions/clears up the confusion."

Of course the books are the best way to experience this story, that's a no brainer. But that's not what they were asking in the slightest.

As for your question OP, in my view the ROTK extended edition is the very best at clearing up questions/confusion and showing vital portions of the book.

[tib2d2]

That's not helpful. OP's question was not "how can I experience the full version of LOTR with all my questions answered," it was "which version of the existing films answers the most questions/clears up the confusion."

Of course the books are the best way to experience this story, that's a no brainer. But that's not what they were asking in the slightest.

As for your question OP, in my view the ROTK extended edition is the very best at clearing up questions/confusion and showing vital portions of the book.

Thank you! Thats what I was looking for.

[ChrisIII]

^apart from the book's "Scouring of the Shire", which was kind of a coda to the main story with Frodo and co. freeing the Shire from Sarumon and Wormtongue who take it over after being driven from Isengard.

In the extended version (His fate is ambigious in the theatrical cut) Sauromon is killed earlier. The closest we get is a "What could happen" vision in Galadriel's fountain in Fellowship.

Also a lot of the first quarter of the ROTK movie is actually more the second half of the Two Towers book, I think the book ends with the battle with Shelob (Leaving a cliffhanger with Frodo's cocooned body being captured by the Orcs) and Gandalf going to Minis Tirith.

[BeastieRunner]

The gift scene ends some plot holes, Two Towers ... Don't remember what was added, and RotK was better EE, too.

[ChrisIII]

Two Towers adds a lot of lot more of the Tree stuff plus a fair amount of new stuff featuring the Rohan characters, and a bit of Sauromon doubting Gandalf championing Aragorn.

[Scott Taylor]

For me its RotK, mainly because it clarified what happened with Saruman, Nazgul/Gandalf stuff and more about Boromir/Faramir.

[Frobisher]

Extra Boromir is always more better, so the scene in Two Towers is welcome and explains the line about the Captain of Gondor “showing his quality”. Two Towers also restores all the scenes about King Bernard’s rather wet looking son who dies (all the kings in LotR seriously need to work harder on producing heirs - though maybe understandable given how no-one ever seems to have a mother.)

[BeastieRunner]

I've not watched the theatrical since they came out, so I always forget what was added as I've only rewatched the EEs.

[From The Shadows]

ROTK removed the scene of the Faramir/ Eowyn romance instead of just showihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF7X_pgLUq4ng them standing together at the end.



They also removed the scene where Merry was acting like an absolute savage in battle so in the end we got Merry (and Pippin) as mostly comic relief.

Supposedly they removed these scenes because that they thought it would make the movies too long but a lot of these scenes added up would probably be only 15 minutes