Return of the king extended vs theatrical

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Verdict

Summary

Return of the King is another stunning achievement which has a massive scale but never loses its beating heart; yes, it may go on forever but I never wanted it to end and this extended edition is the cherry on top and the best extended version of the three as it transforms a lot of the movie.

Plot: Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron’s army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.

Review: And so we reach the end of our epic journey and I don’t know what it is about the finale of this movie that makes me cry like a schoolgirl every single time! The Grey Havens scene is arguably the most moving scene for me. I know everyone loves to whine about the ending but I wouldn’t change a thing, although I still would have liked to see the scouring of the Shire.

The Return of the King is yet another masterpiece in this classic trilogy and I am so glad I lived in the time they were released. Once again, the visuals, music and performances are wonderful. The true hero of this tale is now Sam, the most loyal friend anyone could ever have who is now a one-liner spewing action hero. He single-handedly kicks Shelob’s spidery ass and rescues Frodo. By the end of this movie, the Frodo we were introduced to in Fellowship is a shadow of his former self (literally); he has basically become Gollum, needing the ring like a fix of Heroin and we barely even care about him anymore.

I’ll never forget the first time I read the book and that finale in Mount Doom when Frodo fails; what a ballsy thing to do, to make him not the hero at all and to actually not give up the ring. Every time I watch this movie I want him just to throw it away but we know it won’t happen…

Frodo becomes really unsympathetic in this movie, completely ruined by the ring and his mind clouded by the lies of Smeagol/Gollum. What sympathy you had for Gollum in Part 2 is long gone as he is now just an irredeemable creature, only wanting the ring for him(them?)self.

You have truly jaw dropping battle scenes in this movie and my favourite is when Theoden arrives and gives his speech before charging heroically at the Orc army in Gondor.

One thing I’ve failed to mention in my other two reviews is the camera work, the sweeping landscape shots of beautiful New Zealand are amazing, but also the technical side with the rapid zooms in/out are like nothing you’ve ever seen. It really helps to create a genuine sense of scale.

I also think John Noble was superlative as the mad Steward of Gondor Denethor; the way he treats his son Faramir is so awful that you absolutely hate him. The scene with Pippin singing before him is fabulous and easily the highlight of Billy Boyd’s character.

In terms of the extended footage, ROTK is the one film that really benefits from the footage reinserted as there was so much missing from the book in the theatrical version. In the Extended Edition we finally get the resolution with Saruman (Christopher Lee) which was bizarrely excised from the theatrical cut; it provides much better closure for his character and is an excellent scene.

My very favourite new scene however, is The Mouth of Sauron; disgusting to look at and genuinely upsetting but fantastically realized, it was always a great scene in the book and was played to perfection. I also love the Houses of Healing scene with Liv Tyler’s beautiful song in the background. There are more scenes with Frodo/Sam/Gollum just adding to the conflict between the three. There’s a sweet little addition with Merry and Eowyn talking about how all he wants to do is help is friends; it’s a nice scene that gives a bit more meat to the character of Merry. The scene between The Witch King and Gandalf is also another classic.

Overall, I don’t care what anyone says, I love the ending, I love everything about it. These are arguably the only movies that make me feel genuine emotion from beginning to end; they made fantasy a respectable genre that could be taken seriously and enjoyed by everyone.

Lord of the Rings Extended Edition is a lengthy version of the Lord of the Rings Film Trilogy by Peter Jackson. The creation of the extended edition was pretty meaningful, you can figure out the real and in-depth meanings of the trilogy when you know all the parts of the story in the extended versions. They give you a complete and understandable outlook of the movies. The question we’re asking ourselves is, what are the differences between Lord of the Rings theatrical and extended editions?

As far as The Fellowship of the Ring is concerned, there was more to see about Hobbit that wasn’t shown in the theatrical version. We could only go through real adventures in the extended version. The same was the case in the theatrical edition of the part, The Two Towers.

For the part in The Return of the King, I would say that the fight between Gandalf and Witch King was much more interesting to watch in the Lords of the Ring Extended Edition.

Read the complete article to know more about the differences between the Lords of the Rings Theatrical and Extended Editions.

Lord of the Rings Theatrical Editions Runtime

The run time for the Lord of the Rings theatrical edition of each movie is given below:

1. Lords of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring theatrical edition

The total length of Theatrical Release (in minutes) is 178 min
The total length of Theatrical Release (in hours) is 2 hr, 58 min

2. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers theatrical edition

The total length of Theatrical Release (in minutes) is 179 min
The total length of Theatrical Release (in hours) is 2 hr, 59 min

3. Lords of the Rings: The Return of the King theatrical edition

The total length of Theatrical Release (in minutes) is 200 min
The total length of Theatrical Release (in hours) is 3 hr, 20 min

Lord of the Rings Extended Editions Runtime

Lord of the Rings Extended Editions runtime for each movie is given below. The run time includes the part of the movie and credits, music, opening sequence, etc.

3. Lords of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring extended editions runtime

Opening Production Credit/ Tile sequence 43 sec
Length of Movie 3 hr, 20 min
Movie Credits 7 min, 41 sec
End of Song (After Credits) 3 min, 57 sec
The total length of Extended-Release (in minutes) is 208 min
The total length of Extended-Release (in hours) is 3 hr, 28 min, 24 sec

2. Lords of the Rings: The Two Towers extended editions runtime

Opening Sequence (Repeated with New Music) 43 sec
Length of Movie 3 hr, 24 min, 12 sec
Movie Credits 8 min, 56 sec
End of Song (After Credits) 3 min, 18 sec 
The total length of Extended-Release (in minutes) is 223 min
The total length of Extended-Release (in hours) is 3 hr, 43 min, 51 sec

Lords of the Rings: The Return of the King extended editions runtime

Opening Sequence (Repeated with New Music) 43 sec
Length of Movie 4 hr, 53 sec
Movie Credits (with Complete Song) 11 min, 08 sec 
The total length of Extended-Release (in minutes) is 251 min
The total length of Extended-Release (in hours) is 4 hr, 12 min, 44 sec

The major difference between the Lord of the Rings Theatrical vs. Extended Edition is the time duration of every feature of the movie, storytelling, and pace. Each character is also portrayed in detail. Moreover, another difference also includes the fan club credits of the two versions – Theatrical and Extended Edition. Lord of the Rings Theatrical and Extended Edition has many differences starting with a huge difference in the storyline and enhancing the experience between the two editions. In between, some other differences are the sound effects and the special effects.

Let’s take a more detailed look at the differences between Lord of the Rings theatrical and extended editions.

Extended Scenes

Lord of the Rings Extended Edition had many new scenes that are not a part of the Lord of the Ring Theatrical Edition. However, some scenes in the Extended Edition (from the LOTR Theatrical Edition) are just simply extended by adding more time and content.

So, let’s face those disappeared scenes that are now been added or extended in the Lords of the Rings Extended Edition:

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2002)

  • Prologue: One Ring To Rule Them All (Extended)
  • Concerning Hobbits (Added)
  • The Shire (Extended)
  • Very Old Friends (Extended)
  • A Long-Expected Party (Extended)
  • At The Green Dragon (Added)
  • The Passing Of The Elves (Added)
  • The Nazgul (Extended)
  • The Midgewater Marshes (Added)
  • Flight To The Ford (Extended)
  • The Sword That Was Broken (Extended)
  • The Council Of Elrond (Extended)
  • Gilraen’s Memorial (Added)
  • The Departure Of The Fellowship (Added)
  • The Ring Goes South (Extended)
  • The Pass Of Caradhras (Extended)
  • Moria (Extended)
  • A Journey In The Dark (Extended)
  • Balin’s Tomb (Extended)
  • Lothlorien (Extended)
  • Caras Galadhon (Extended)
  • The Mirror of Galadriel (Extended)
  • Farewell To Lorein (Extended)
  • The Great River (Extended)
  • The Breaking Of The Fellowship (Extended)
  • Boromir’s Last Stand (Extended)
  • The Departure Of Boromir (Extended)
  • Fan Club Credits (Added)

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2003)

Return of the king extended vs theatrical
  • Elven Rope (Added)
  • The Taming Of Smeagol (Extended)
  • The Uruk-Hai (Extended)
  • The Burning Of The Westfold (Extended)
  • Massacre At The Fords Of Isen (Added)
  • The Banishment Of Eomer (Extended)
  • Night Camp At Fangorn (Extended)
  • The Passage Of The Marshes (Extended)
  • The White Rider (Extended)
  • The Song Of The EntWives (Added)
  • The Heir Of Numenor (Added)
  • Ent Draft (Added)
  • The King Of The Golden Hall (Extended)
  • The Funeral Of Theodred (Added)
  • Brego (Added)
  • The Ring Of Barahir (Added)
  • A Daughter Of Kings (Extended)
  • Of Herbs And Stewed Rabbit (Extended)
  • Dwarf Women (Extended)
  • One Of The Dunedain (Added)
  • The Evenstar (Extended)
  • Helm’s Deep (Extended)
  • The Window On The West (Extended)
  • Sons Of The Steward (Added)
  • The Forbidden Pool (Extended)
  • The Glittering Caves (Extended)
  • “Don’t Be Hasty Master Meriadoc!” (Added)
  • Last March Of The Ents (Extended)
  • Fangorn Comes To Helm’s Deep (Added)
  • The Final Tally (Added)
  • Flotsam And Jetsam (Added)
  • Farewell To Faramir (Added)
  • Fan Club Credits (Added)

Lord of the Rings: The Return Of The King (2004)

  • The Finding Of The Ring (Extended)
  • The Road To Isengard (Extended)
  • The Voice Of Saruman (Added)
  • Return To Edoras (Extended)
  • Eowyn’s Dream (Added)
  • Minas Tirith (Extended)
  • The Decline Of Gondor (Added)
  • Crossroads Of The Fallen King (Added)
  • Sam’s Warning (Added)
  • The Paths Of The Dead (Extended)
  • The Siege Of Gondor
  • The Corsairs Of Umbara (Added)
  • Merry’s Simple Courage (Added)
  • The Tomb Of The Stewards (Extended)
  • The Witch-King’s Hour (Added)
  • The Pyre Of Denethor (Extended)
  • The Battle Of The Pelennor Fields 
  • The Houses Of Healing (Added)
  • The Last Debate (Extended)
  • Aragorn Masters The Palantir (Added)
  • The Mouth Of Sauron (Added)
  • Mount Doom (Extended)
  • Fan Club Credits (Added)

1. The Fellowship of the Ring Theatrical vs. Extended Edition

Return of the king extended vs theatrical

Theatrical Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring

In the Lords of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the runtime isn’t much different in both versions. However, we cannot deny the fact that the theatrical edition does not enchant the audience in the way it was supposed to.

Extended Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring

In the Extended Edition of The Fellowship of the Rings, a clear difference you can notice is the introduction, reorganization, and lengthening of the Bags end. Also, the movie has extended about 20 scenes plus adding 5 new scenes.

2. The Two Towers Theatrical vs. Extended Edition

Theatrical Edition of The Two Towers

The theatrical edition of the Lords of the Rings: The Two Towers was released in the year 2003, followed by the Extended Edition back in November 2003. The runtime of The Two Towers is 179 minutes (2hrs, 59min).

Extended Edition of The Two Towers

The addition to the film The Two Towers is the glittering caves scene that took place around Helm’s deep. This one was my all-time favorite scene. Whereas some other scenes include the great story of Mary and the Pippin when they got separated from the fellowship, Smeagol joining with Frodo and Sam, and lastly, a scene where the elves’ gift for Sam was used.

3. The Return of the King Theatrical vs. Extended Edition

Theatrical Edition of The Return of the King

Lords of the Rings: The Return of the King was my least favorite movie from the trilogy. This is because there is a scene that (in a natural way) ended up without completing the story. Do you remember Saruman from the theatrical edition? His story was left incomplete once he got captive in the Tower of the Isengard. Luckily, I had read the book before, which saved me from any misconceptions.

 Extended Edition of The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings fandom always loves to watch more in their movies. So, extending 11 scenes from the theatrical edition and adding 11 new ones was a good idea. We all appreciate it though! To give you a little idea, some of these scenes included prominent characters like Saruman (death scene) Sauron (Interaction scene), and King of Angmar (the great white face-off with Gandalf).

Lord of the Rings Theatrical Vs. Extended: Which One Is Better

Whether a theatrical or extended version is better comes down completely to personal tastes. The diehard fans of Lord of the Rings are more likely to be fascinated by its Extended Edition because it certainly offers a lot to watch in a greater runtime. But still, there are some pros to the Theatrical Edition which makes it better, if not the best!

Theatrical Edition

In the Theatrical Edition, you won’t see any undesired scenes. They were naturally cut out making them shorter. We can’t deny the fact that the Theatrical Edition is clearer in storytelling.

Extended Edition

Extended Edition proves to be the next level of addiction because it is closer to the novel’s story and adds more time for us to watch our favorite characters in the LOTR trilogy. You can check the extended versions of The Towers & Return Of The King on Netflix.

Lord of the Rings Theatrical VS. Extended Blu-Ray Set: Which One Is Better

Lord of the Rings Theatrical and Extended Edition is available in Blu-ray sets. However, which one is better can be judged by what each set can do.

Theatrical Blu-Ray Set of Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings Theatrical Blu-Ray Set has three blu-ray discs of the theatrical remaster edition of the trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King). Each disc has the Theatrical Edition of the movie. There are some drawbacks of the theatrical edition Blu-ray set. First of all, it does not give you the next-level enjoyment that you get with the remastered edition. However, the design and look are an absolute beauty that represents a bulk of content in one set that offers a good home-theatre experience.

Extended Edition Blu-Ray Set of Lord of the Rings

Extended Edition Blu-ray set box is so far the best experience for a lifetime. With the Extended Edition, you get a full-cinema view with aesthetic color display, powerful sound system, and relaxing ambiance to watch the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. EE Blu-ray displays the high-quality motion picture and is so preferred all and once!

The best thing about the Extended Edition Blu-Ray Set is that the data is not contained in a single disc. The EEs are equivocally divided into two discs and this is incredibly convenient! So far Extended Edition Blu-Ray Set is a clear-cut winner!

Is the Lord of the Rings extended version worth it?

Lord of the Rings extended edition is worth it especially if you’re a completionist and if you are able to space all the movies over a few days. The extra scenes added make the pacing of the movie a bit slower than in the theatrical edition. Some scenes were cut because they were redundant, and some were just plain bad and had to be removed, but whatever the reason, fans of Lord of the Rings will surely enjoy them all.

  • Return of the king extended vs theatrical

    Hrvoje Milakovic is co-owner of Fiction Horizon and a big cinephile. Apart from that, he likes to read comics, play games and collect action figures. He has been featured on LifeWire, Yahoo and IMDb, to name a few.

Is Return of the King Extended version better?

Verdict. Return of the King is another stunning achievement which has a massive scale but never loses its beating heart; yes, it may go on forever but I never wanted it to end and this extended edition is the cherry on top and the best extended version of the three as it transforms a lot of the movie.

What is different in Return of the King extended edition?

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Special Extended Edition adds 50 minutes of footage to the three-hour-and-20-minute original, including the long-awaited showdown with Saruman (a surprisingly shocking scene), the Witch King's attack on Gandalf (intense, with the destruction of the wizard's staff, but too ...

Which is better theatrical version or extended version?

In general، Theatrical releases are usually shorter versions of the movie. While the extended (Director's) cut is longer as it contains more scenes that the director couldn't fit in 2 hours (give or take). As for the lord of the rings, I'd say watch the extended cut.

How much longer is Return of the King extended edition?

Not only is the third and final installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien the longest of the three, but a full 50 minutes of new material pushes the running time to a whopping 4 hours and 10 minutes.