Question about the Lord of the Rings extended editions and why people skip them

I keep hearing folks say the theatrical cuts of Lord of the Rings are better because they move faster. But I watched both versions last month with a friend who had never seen them. The theatrical cut left out the whole scene where Merry and Pippin meet the Ents in Fangorn forest. That part adds so much to why the Ents decide to march on Isengard. Without it, their choice feels random. Has anyone else noticed key character moments getting cut like that in other book adaptations?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthewsullivan14d ago

The 3 hour gap between Gandalf leaving and returning in Two Towers gets totally lost without the extended scenes.

hugo_craig13d ago

...and honestly, I didn't even notice the time gap until my third watch. I first saw Two Towers in the theater, and when Gandalf left I just figured he'd be back soon. Then you've got all this stuff with the Ents and Helm's Deep and time just flies by. It's funny how our brains fill in those gaps without us even realizing it. I remember reading somewhere that Jackson actually shot a scene where Aragorn and the others are sitting around waiting, but it just didn't work dramatically. So they cut it and the movie is better for it in my opinion. The extended edition is great for fans who want every detail, but for a first time viewer the theatrical cut does just fine.