Sara writes, "It has been a few years since The Hobbit has its theatrical release and some fans have been toiling since then on the perfect edit.
Joblit has posted links to his latest versions.They include the personal favourite Theatrical Edition (runtime 2:42), a somewhat indulgent Extended Edition (runtime 3:45), and a brisk Ludicrous Edition (runtime 2:10). He notes to keep in mind that the credits are 13 minutes long, so playback is considerably shorter.
If you're a fan of the films and also like an early night then these film edits are for you."
My edits refocus three sprawling films by:
-Balancing the exuberant book with the gritty sequel films; less goofiness, gore and dread.
-Unifying the narrative with fewer flashbacks, cross-cuts, establishing and reaction shots.
-Avoiding inconsistent, unnecessary and implausible plots and dialogue.
-Mining all three Extended Editions for character moments and visual storytelling.
My edits cut all of the usual suspects: the Elvish Love Triangle, Lake Town politics, heavy-handed LotR foreshadowing, and cartoonishness. They are particularly lean on Bard–now just a roguish archer–and Thorin, whose transition is more natural and human. Unlike most other edits, I kept Gandalf's side quest and Thorin's beef with Azog (except in the Ludicrous Edition).
Jobilt Hobbit [Jobilt]
