This blog is meant to certificate some of the details that went into editing Peter Jackson's three Hobbit films down into a single 3-60 minutes movie that, I think, follows Tolkien's original story as lovingly every bit possible. I should say that while I don't remember Jackson'south storytelling was as curtailed and grapheme-driven as information technology could have been, I consider this cut to be a demonstration that there IS a actually fun and beautiful movie cached in the cloth the filmmakers created. It just needed to be carefully extracted. Thus, a "fan edit."

I've spent many weeks carefully recrafting the work into what I'thou calling "There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Cut" subsequently the title of Bilbo Baggins' own autobiographical book within the story. This keeps this fan edit distinct from others in a mode that I think is respectful to Tolkien'southward own intentions.

Download Torrent – 720p .mp4 (Requires torrent client, like uTorrent or Transmission. Beware of malicious banner links posing as download links.)

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Through editing I've not only removed material that I felt was superfluous or nonsensical, but likewise reordered scenes and structure, switched out musical cues, and combined places and characters. I've put considerable fourth dimension into toning downward fifty-fifty very small moments that felt out of identify, overly slapstick, or gratuitously CGI-oriented.

What I really wanted to do was make a version that is seamless and genuinely watchable, and fifty-fifty entertaining.

With that, I call up you lot'll detect an interesting, admitting imperfect film, that feels more in line with what I recollect a lot of fans hoped to run into when a Hobbit movie was first announced, and fifty-fifty more in line with Jackson's original Lord of the Rings trilogy. I believe the iii hour length feels appropriate for the ballsy nature of the story and fits nicely with the length of the Rings trilogy, acting once once more every bit something of a prologue.

(Before I go into more detail, I'd like to acknowledge TolkienEditor'southward iv hour cut. Information technology is a very unlike version in a number of means, just he/she beat me likewise the dial, and my hat is off. I would like to note that "There and Back Again" is over an hour shorter and a good deal more weekends of work than TolkienEditor'due south cutting — equally I understand it — only nonetheless some really great piece of work was done, some with very similar instincts, and I'd almost suggest one might consider that version to exist an "Extended Cutting" of the one yous'll find here.)

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Here are some more specific notes on what has been changed:

  • Overall, Bilbo has been fabricated front and eye the flick's protagonist, and we witness the story almost entirely through his perspective. Martin Freeman's first-class performance carries usa through most of the way, equally one would await. Exceptions to this are a few scenes given to Bard (whose expanded part in Jackson'southward material was likewise disquisitional to remove entirely), and some of the Dwarves' adventure in the Goblin tunnels.
  • Thorin's story has been reduced where it doesn't directly impact Bilbo's.
  • The offset of the film begins much the same way the book does, with the line "In a hole in the basis, there lived a Hobbit." Gone is the extensive and unnecessary history of Dale and the Dwarves, who I feel are introduced much ameliorate equally they arrive at Bilbo's dwelling house. Instead Bilbo near immediately takes us back to his first meeting with Gandalf, and we're off from there.
  • The Dwarves' dinner in Handbag Finish has been greatly trimmed and aside from a few seconds of a more subtle "That'due south What Bilbo Baggins Hates" nosotros are quickly moved into hearing of Gandalf's quest.
  • The story of Smaug'southward attack on Dale and Erabor, as well as the dwarvish peoples' exile nether the leadership of Thorin, has been laid over the song of the Misty Mountains, a dramatic montage that I find far more than effective and takes inspiration from the 1977 blithe adaptation. You can find a cutting of this scene below.
  • Azog is well-nigh entirely gone, his appearances limited to the indicate where he could essentially be just another Orc warrior. Bolg remains (equally in the book) but even so his office is very minor.
  • As such, the Orcs don't attack until after the run across with the Goblin male monarch.
  • The hunt through the Goblin tunnels is greatly compressed. Gandalf arrives, stuns the goblins, stabs the Goblin Male monarch, and flees the mountain subsequently a very quick skirmish.
  • Beorn does not chase the Dwarves. After traveling with the Eagles, Gandalf tells them of a place nearby they might stay the nighttime, and we notice Bilbo waking the next morn to observe his visitor having a brief breakfast with Beorn. There is then more of an implication that Beorn is protecting them on their journey to Mirkwood.
  • Kili's romance with Tauriel is gone. She appears briefly, as does Legolas, just in a few brief cameos. It like a good idea to withal advise in that location are Elvish women, and authentic to propose that Legolas was at Mirkwood at the time.
  • The barrel chase is gone entirely. The visitor escapes down the river happy and unscathed, with Legolas watching incredulously from afar. I've also removed all the bizarre GoPro footage.
  • Much of the material in Lake Town is gone. The dwarves arrive with Bard's help, are caught stealing weapons, and are presented to the Main. He greedily welcomes them and sends them on their style.
  • As such, much as I love Stephen Fry, he is given just a few brief appearances. The entirely superfluous grapheme Alfrid (played, I admit, with perfect enthusiasm by Ryan Cuff) only appears to act as the Master'due south wormy counselor every bit they welcome the Dwarves.
  • Kili, Fili, Bofur and Oin all get to the Alone Mountain with the rest of the company. No 1 remains in Lake Town. In that location is no Orc attack on the town or sick Dwarf adventures.
  • Thorin and his Dwarves never meet Smaug, as in the book. Simply Bilbo ever enters the mountain earlier the dragon's set on on Lake Town.
  • Bard kills Smaug on his own, without the aid of his son Bain. I actually enjoyed the drama this added to the scene in Jackson'southward cut, only even so it seemed unnecessary for the story and too much of a lark. I would accept loved to reintroduce the Thrush'south relaying of Bilbo'due south message for Bard to look for Smaug'due south missing scale (as in the volume), and might still do and then one time I have the time to do some fancier compositing work.
  • Much of Thorin's descent into madness has been extracted, though he withal acts essentially as the master antagonist. For me, Tolkien'due south version of Thorin e'er worked equally a circumspection confronting greed in a very relatable way. The constant and overt suggestions that his folly is an almost literal "sickness" seems to take any human element abroad from his story. I realize Tolkien himself suggested it was "Dragon Sickness," but I'm not sure that was ever intended to represent a genuine physical disease. Perchance I'grand wrong.
  • The Battle of Five armies has been cut downward to a climax of under 10 minutes, with significantly less cartoon insanity, and Bilbo's bash on the head puts a narrative end to it.
  • This is currently an ONGOING project. More changes and improvements, some adequately ambitious, volition be made equally time permits.

Want to have a look? Yous'll demand to grab the torrent. I'd love to be able to share this more openly but, sigh.

Download Torrent – 720p .mp4 (Requires torrent client, like uTorrent or Transmission. Beware of malicious banner links posing every bit download links.)

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A petty bit in closing. I'd like to say again that I really do appreciate what Peter Jackson has accomplished. I don't retrieve any other filmmaker could have ever brought Middle Globe to life so beautifully. When I ready out to make this version I did it mostly out of curiosity, as a creative project to flex editorial muscles on, and out of my own love of Tolkien and The Hobbit (my favorite book as a child). I genuinely intend no disrespect to Jackson or his incredible squad.

And ane final heads up. Due to the unavailability of a Blu Ray version of "The Battle of the V Armies," the 3rd act of "There and Back Over again" becomes suddenly and dramatically much poorer in image and audio quality. It's pretty disgusting when it happens, so I apologize in accelerate if you make information technology that far. I intend to set that in one case I can buy a higher quality version of that film.

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