(Stupidly long so I'm cutting all but the most salient points.)
I realise every other civilised person in the world has seen it before now, but I'm a poor poverty struck student, give me a break.
The best thing, or one of the best things, is that it's even better once you've seen the third film, all kinds of things that used to just seem interesting now resonate.
Now to turn to matters more important, how good was Ian Holm as Bilbo. This isn't mentioned often enough. He was completely believable as both a kindly old hobbit and something else quite more sinister.
( Discussing scary things )And then there is the whole level of creepy that is Galadriel. That elf freaks me out, each and every time. Because she's so odd. The extended version actually makes more sense of her because of Nenya (or which ever ring it is, would the elves please speak up.) being revealed. Quite why that five seconds couldn't have been added to the film is beyond me, because it's useful. And makes her seem slightly less like psycho elf lady who is mean to poor little ring-bearing Hobbit.
Because in this cut, it seems like the One Ring, or the test as to whether she could resist it, has been weighing on her mind for quite some time. Once she passes it she's fine. Well more or less, more on that later.
Even if the rest of the films passes into obscurity (which I highly doubt) the score should never be allowed to. It's beautiful.
And the sound effects, this time round I really noticed them (better speakers, silence and concentration may have helped). Like the noise the troll makes when it pulls on it's chain. I think Phil must have knocked the left speaker while he was fiddling because it's coming over far better than before. The problem is it's all the spine-chilling noises so I'm slightly freaked.
Most of the added/extended scenes where nice but, except for in the case of the Galadriel one, I can see why they weren't in originally.
( Discussing some of the extended scenes )The extended Lothlorien bits rock.
Gimli in Lothlorien was just cool. I mean, even more cool that he usually is. And that she gave him three locks instead of one was sweet. It just worked. (Yes, I'm an old-fashioned romantic)
Although it does leave questions as to exactly what is going on in Lothlorien since Celeborn seems to be entirely happy to have a dwarf (who are supposed to be their enemies) chat up his wife. Or did I miss something? Maybe it's the seven thousand year itch ;)
The bit with Aragorn and Galadriel discussing Arwen was nice. Again, I believe Aragorn when he says that he'd rather Arwen live forever.
Haldir comes across better in the EE.
That scene with Boromir and Aragorn arguing about where to go next hurts. Actually hurts. Especially the "There is no strength in your land. Only frailty, greed and weakness." "Yes, there is weakness but there is also courage and honour." part. Because damned if all concerned don't prove it.
Why am I imagining Sean Bean's agent calling, "Yes, Sean, got a brilliant part for you. Noble, heroic, inner turmoil, great death scene. You've just got to embody a nation for it."
"Eh?"
"Don't worry about it, your character's father and brother turn up to show the extremes of it, you've just got to do the middle ground."
Then about five hours later, Sean Bean back to agent, "Um, yeah, just read the script you faxed over. You do realise it's less middle-ground and more jumping from one extreme to the other."
( Discussing Boromir, you know me, I like him )I think there's less of an urge to cry now because I know Minas Tirith and the rest of Gondor survives, and that was all he really wanted.
In short, loved it. Not decided as to whether I prefer extended or unextended version, probably a mix of the two.
Shutting up now.
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