Even the way the films were directed was bizarre. Like, when I saw the troll scene the first time? My thoughts were "no amount of editing is going to fix this."
The Hobbits: Tolkien Edit is here. Fan edits 3 movies into 4 hour film.
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Even the way the films were directed was bizarre. Like, when I saw the troll scene the first time? My thoughts were "no amount of editing is going to fix this."
Bobby Roberts
Banned
The pros that took cracks at Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones did pretty shitty jobs though. None of the Phantom Edits are really good, and I don't just mean the movies quality didn't improve, I meant the actual editing itself was mediocre for the most part. Granted, they only had so much to work with, but a lot of those edits were absolutely about calling attention to themselves, like "hey! I'm FIXING THINGS NOW!"
This guy apparently did it in one weekend, which isn't the best indicator of quality, either.
But dude was first, and that's going to weigh more than a lot of other attempts, at least until this film gets its version of the superfan who recut Star Wars with his own homemade fx fixes.
Not a chance in hell. Although those aren't the best comparison points to use, as the despecialized editions are working from a locked edit, they're just cleaning up different sources to create a cohesive visual whole.
This is likely going to be the Tolkien-verse version of the Phantom Edit, with all the good & bad that entails.
Since Guillermo del Toro stepped out of the project because MGM had financial trouble. That's why he left since he was going to direct the first one. And even from what i saw on youtube with his video diaries he didn't like it i could see it now. Also i think it's a shame Orc's where all CG that was so fucking lazy and a shame. LOTRO orc's and uruk's in full make up and all the prop stuff it was very cool to see.
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Tough to edit when you only have a finished product to work with, with single takes and everything else that entails. Editing isn't just making trims.
Coffee Dog
Banned
Hahaha, not even waiting for extended/using leaked DVD screener probably? Obvious rush job.
Note to film makers: If you want to insert more females characters into source material that had none, that's a good thing. If you find yourself using said characters as nothing but love interests, don't bother putting them in at all and certainly don't pat yourself on the back for it afterward. Ideally just write a good character though.
EDIT: That said I can't remember if she has any scenes in Mirkwood they could've salvaged, there might be some
Bobby Roberts
Banned
I made that allowance in the post you're responding to (the edit mighta came too late before you hit reply, though) but the fact the degree of difficulty is raised a little due to the circumstances doesn't really carry that much weight in the face of the results, which are largely overpraised due to the fact the editors merely TRIED, as opposed to legitimately succeeding in their endeavor.
Because most of her character is the romance. I like having this strong, female bad ass around, and when I heard Lily was playing that role, I was very excited. However, her character was quickly reduced to a love-obsessed, emotionally confused female stereotype, which completely ruined the character for me. Because of that, I'd much prefer it if she wasn't in the film at all.
It's not so much she herself, but the hamfisted, cringeworthy love triangle subplot and the stupid dialogue they chose to give her ("You don't know what love is!"; "If this is true love, take it from me"). She had also way too much screen time for what little she offered.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
So what is the best fan edit? Is there a good fan edit? What is the least worst fan edit?
Secret Fawful
Member
That barrel scene definitely feels a whole hell of a lot better trimmed down and without the elves, but there's a shot left in that still shows Legolas for a couple seconds, which ruined the whole thing for me.
Wait a few months after the blu ray special edition is out. It's way too early.
Well, it is going to be impossible to edit this film without glimpses of the unnecessary characters like Legolas, Alfrid, etc.
SkullHydra
Member
I may have to give this a watch. The best fan edits probably won't be out until the Extended Edition of BotFA is released though. I'll be looking forward to that.
Azog is a bigger offender than Tauriel. Should have been cut completely.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Nah, someone's gonna take it into the lab for 3 or 4 months once all the blu-rays are available, and they'll apply their own FX fixes. Never underestimate the fanaticism of genre fans.
They'll pull an adywan on this trilogy, watch.
What's wrong with having a male dominated cast? That's how the source material was. When you're adding in a chick because there are no chicks, you're doing it for the wrong reasons.
shadowsdarknes
Member
I very much enjoyed the trilogy.
Man..too many people hate too many things on the internet.
I feel so disconnected.
Man..too many people hate too many things on the internet.
I feel so disconnected.
Jack Remington
Banned
I don't see how you could do any coherent edit of the films that removed Azog. He's kind of central to that version of the story.
GAF is weird. It has a 7.7 average on imdb with over 180,000 reviews, and 77% favorable audience reviews on rotten tomatoes, with over 190,000 counted.
Same here. That's the real fan edit.
I was into the movie when Thorin was talking to Bard at the gates of the mountain trying to prevent war but as soon as I realized they were just going to do more talking the the momentum was about to slow to a crawl, my brain checked out and I didn't wake up until the war actually started. I don't know how much I missed but it still didn't help the pacing.
Dol Guldor was the best part. 
I enjoyed the first two but 3 is one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
I enjoyed the first two but 3 is one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
Secret Fawful
Member
I never realized entirely why I hated the barrel scene so much until now. When the elves are there, the sequence is fucking boring. Remove the elves, and make it about the dwarves and Bilbo and put them in danger without the elves to protect them, and it becomes exciting.
Even the presentation of the relevant parts of the movie were so bad. I couldn't sit through even a spliced version.
It's really hard to believe that the same team behind LOTR made this trilogy. Watching the final piece of the trilogy was like getting a roundhouse kick finisher in the face after getting gut punched twice.
It's really hard to believe that the same team behind LOTR made this trilogy. Watching the final piece of the trilogy was like getting a roundhouse kick finisher in the face after getting gut punched twice.
That scene is the definition of what is wrong with these movies.
Revolutionary
Member
Wow so Dark Knight Rises really is an amazing film (8.5 on IMDb) and GAF is just weird!
Can't remember a single "true to the book"- scene where he mattered.
That and Bilbo at the beginning. And Tauriel. And Azog. And that sub Orc under Azog. And Legolas. And Frodo.
There is too much.
I actually liked a few of the scenes that seemed to be cut (Dol Guldur, the barrel scene was some cool action even if it went on for way too long, I don't know if he will make the awesome scene of Smaug flying toward Laketown work without him flying out to the mountain covered in gold, which I thought was cool even if the whole molten gold scene was dumb).
I think there were probably some things from the book that weren't executed well in the film as well as some new content that wasn't so bad (some ties to the LOTR trilogy were cool)
I'm interested to see how this turns out.
I think there were probably some things from the book that weren't executed well in the film as well as some new content that wasn't so bad (some ties to the LOTR trilogy were cool)
I'm interested to see how this turns out.
The best are by far the de-specialized editions of Star Wars OT. It's SW are you remember it without the bullshit.
Because she is a Mary-Sue at its lowest form:
New character with no basis in canon? Check
Has a unique hair color not seen in any other members of her race? Check
Possesses fighting skills equal to or even better than the canon characters? Check.
Has not one but TWO romantic relationships with popular canon characters? Check.
Has BOTH of the romantic relationships fall under the Forbidden/star-crossed cliche? Check.
Is the only one of her race to not display the canon animosity/bigotry towards another race, when by all rights she should? Check.
Has a lot of screen time, but does absolutely NOTHING to advance the plot and could be removed with no change at all to the story? Checkmate.
If we're assuming that audience popularity = the film being good, then the Transformers series is one of the greatest film sagas of all time. And I say that as someone who likes The Hobbit films. But I can certainly recognize the many faults the films have.
I rather enjoyed the the prelude with old Bilbo, other than that, I agree with the edits.
Edit:
I see why he edits the beginning and I agree with the stylistic choices for editing the prelude out. However, I still like the style of the flash back if one were to view The Hobbit then jump to the Lord of the Rings films.
Edit:
I see why he edits the beginning and I agree with the stylistic choices for editing the prelude out. However, I still like the style of the flash back if one were to view The Hobbit then jump to the Lord of the Rings films.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
I definitely would watch a fan edit of The Hobbit (because holy shit, does there ever need to be one), but I think he should have waited until the extended version of TBotFA released, since apparently some crucial scenes were cut from the theatrical version to make room for more battle sequences.
DiscoJer
Member
I think that's the problem though. The Hobbit (the story) is completely different in tone and style than Lord of the Rings.
Yet, they tried to make it like it was. And it just didn't work.
Tolkien himself started to revise The Hobbit to bring it more into line with Lord of the Rings, but thankfully someone told him to stop and he did.
That would be so awesome.
Kaneda Shotaro
Member
Pardon my language but...
Fucking. Bullshit. My friend and I were working on something similar. We were going to finish the first two and wait for the third to release on Bluray. Even some of the little cuts as described in the OP are the same. Getting rid of Old Bilbo, Tauriel story, the Orc commander and the Necromancer/Sauron subplot were the major cuts...
Damn, now I don't know if we should continue...
Fucking. Bullshit. My friend and I were working on something similar. We were going to finish the first two and wait for the third to release on Bluray. Even some of the little cuts as described in the OP are the same. Getting rid of Old Bilbo, Tauriel story, the Orc commander and the Necromancer/Sauron subplot were the major cuts...
Damn, now I don't know if we should continue...
Secret Fawful
Member
Wait for the EE of BotFA to see if the extra scenes are worth the edit before you decide?
Jack Remington
Banned
DKR is, in my opinion, a pretty good, but flawed film.
MacGurcules
Member
There's plenty of room for multiple edits. Hell, four hours is probably still too long.
Kaneda Shotaro
Member
This really deflates my excitement for the project though...We even had a new title card and are thoroughly going through sound edits. Our plan was to not go over 3.5 hours. Ugh.
MacGurcules
Member
So keep going. What's the problem? You didn't think you were the only ones working on it, did you?
Maybe in an alternate dimension where PJ is actually capable of exercising self-control. Then again, in that hypothetical dimension we wouldn't have three movies of The Hobbit.
Kaneda Shotaro
Member
I suppose in retrospect, that was a silly thought to have but maybe we'll work even harder on it and see how it turns out compared to the rest.
You were not alone in your plans, you can still do your edit after judging this edit if it's not to your liking.
This thing seems like it was done rather quickly. It is getting coverage now, but it won't matter when superior versions are made after the Bluray is out. Don't be let down because some impatient Tolkien fan blew his editing wad too early.
Secret Fawful
Member
Good. In this case, less is probably way more. I want to watch this topic's edit, but I don't want to watch four and a half hours of these Hobbit movies again.
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