Extended Edition!!!

I disagree. I've only watched the first disc so far (just now) but I have found the extended and additional scenes to add more weight both to the film directly but also as better foreshadowing to The Lord of the Rings. There's a greater sense of current and future threat. I respect and like Beorn and his scenes more, understand the enemies plans better and I found a greater sense of overall 'adventure'.

I'm looking forward to watching the second disc now and I will let you know if this momentum feeling and momentum continues.

The extended cut is amazing! All of the additions are wonderful.

The extended edition goes to show that Jackson could have released a better film. If he'd done away with the silly barrel scene, the over-the-top Smaug cat and mouse chase and the Kili/Tauriel romance we'd have a much tighter and more engaging adventure.

Jackson clearly lost sight of what he'd proposed ie. The Hobbit with additional material and background to connect it with The Lord of The Rings. It's quite clear he'd written and shot scenes for this purpose but decided to use non-related Hobbit or Lord of the Rings events, actions or characters instead. I've not listened to the commentary or extras but I can't see how he can persuade me about his cut.

I would say around 10-15mins of the theatrical cut could have been removed. I liked Tauriel as a character but she either needed to be trimmed down, to take the place of Legolas, or written to become friends with the dwarves as opposed to loving one of them.

The extended cut is superior to the theatrical release and I'm looking forward to the extended version of TBOFA - it's going to be better! I need to watch the extended AUJ now (which was my preferred of the 3 theatrical releases).

I liked it.

RIP
Bon Scott
1946-1980

The added scenes are very good, but somehow I wish that some crap scenes from the theatrical would have been cut as wel...



For within each death there is always a new life, a new beginning - Dillon, Alien 3

It was simply the best Extended Edition since the Fellowship of the Ring and the fantastic scene of TTT EE with Boromir,Faramir and Denethor.

Best movies 2014-2015:1)Whiplash 2)Birdman 3)Hobbit:BOFA 4)Nightcrawler 5)Grand Budapest Hotel

This one was the biggest improvement from theatrical edition to extended. The last two theatrical films just seemed so incomplete and lacking. The extended editions were never the only enjoyable version but with The Hobbit that was almost the case.

I thought the extra Beorn and Thrain scenes were good.

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