Jumpman

Hey! Since you said in the Pacific Rim thread that you got the 2-disc DVD version, I was wondering what art was featured on the 2nd disc. Just interested if they put Crimson Typhoon on there to round out the Jaegers. Thanks!

Doesn't sound promising...

It's strange, but even I am not all that excited about the extended version of the Hobbit. But that's what I was afraid of - I realize the material is not on the same level as LotR, but the drive and innovation associated with the LotR movies seems to be lacking with the effort put forward in the Hobbit. Lots of people with lots of talent, but no sense of urgency. I assume this is due largely to the fact that Jackson and company have already experienced phenomenal success and have nothing left to strive for. Nevertheless, I still hope that he finishes well with the final two movies.

As far as Fellowship goes, I most often end up watching the BD TE. I think you will find the detail is very close to that of the EE, and I don't miss the EE Bag End intro at all. The only scenes I really miss on the EE are the daytime Lothlorien scenes and Aragorn at his mother's graveside in Rivendell. I can live with that for the most part.

Yes, that is a heck of a trade off, less detail of the DVD vs. darkening of the BD, and makes watching either version a tough decision. I agree, I was somewhat relieved that the darkening of Hobbit wasn't as extensive as Fellowship. Perhaps someone tuned into the critism and realized they went overboard with the remastered Fellowship EE?

I'm surprised you were able to get the limited DVD that cheap. That is tough to find. I also prefer them for the artwork, the best of any Lord of the Rings editions.

I had that limited DVD version of Fellowship and it is very convenient to have both versions on the same disc. Although it is a mixed bag because you are still left with the decreased resolution of DVD vs. BD, I feel it is a worthwhile trade off to get the full brightness of the daytime EE Lothlorien scenes, among others. I hope you got a good deal on everything!

The Faramir plot derailment practically ruined an otherwise fine film, especially when Frodo shows the Ring to the Ringwraith in Osgiliath. Certainly that would have the end of the story - the Ring (and Frodo) would have been captured within hours and - roll credits! Thus the frustration with the EE's. No one would like to see more Middle-earth footage than myself, BUT IT HAS TO MAKE SENSE! It proves that Jackson is either not as smart as everyone seems to think, or that, because of his stature, that people are afraid to call him out on scenes that don't make sense. You can see even in the Blu-ray forum, where ANY criticism of the films, regardless of merit, is met with scorn or sarcasm.

I don't mind the BD transfer of the Fellowship EE, I have no problem with it and much prefer it to the darkened EE, which I despise more with every viewing. I have a love/hate relationship with all of these movies. My guess is that Boyens is the one responsible for trying to get Arwen involved in so many scenes. I also would like to see more female involvement - and who wouldn't want to see more of Arwen (!) - but these scenes just don't work. The Houses of Healing EE scene is the best addition to that film, actually it is crucial because otherwise there is no explanation as to how Eowyn and Faramir are together at Aragorn's coronation at the end. Jackson must have struggled with that one, because being a non-action scene it goes against his "action at any cost" philosophy. The Two Towers would have been my favorite of the three, but Jackson botched that film with his action philosophy.

I prefer watching the Blu-ray EE's of The Two Towers and Return of the King, and the Blu-ray TE of Fellowship, which is my favorite of the three. I occasionally watch the DVD version of Fellowship EE (because it is not darkened like the EE), but I still prefer the TE. This is because of the fact that, although I'm all for extra material, much of the added material by Jackson in the EE's is either superfluous -adding nothing to the story - or absurd (e.g. the oft-mentioned avalanche of skulls in RotK, etc.). I like the beginning and certain other parts of the Fellowship TE better than the EE. For example, when the fellowship leaves Lothlorien, listen to the score when Galadriel holds up her hand in token of farewell. The TE score has the "proper" heavenly feel to it, while the EE score is mundane. So there are little details as well as the big ones that have caused me to favor the TE. Perhaps I have watched these too many times?