Hobbit: The Last Light, The

Updated
Hobbit: The Last Light, The
Faneditor Name:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
2014
Original Running Time:
186
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
138
Time Cut:
54
Time Added:
6
Available in HD?
Brief Synopsis:
Based on "The Hobbit: Fire and Water" edit with some alternative cuts, different dynamic between Legolas-Kili-Tauriel and a lot less Laketown. Like "Fire and Water", this edit also aims not to show connection between Sauron and Bilbo's ring. This edit is followed by "The Hobbit: Battle for the Lonely Mountain".
Intention:
My initial intention was to make "Battle for the Lonely Mountain" to continue where "Fire and Water" left off. Later, however, I decided that I need to make changes to "Fire and Water" so it would suit my needs. Thus, I've made my changes to "Fire and Water" and used the result as the basis for my edit. And that's how "The Last Light" was created.
Other Sources:
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug OST
Special Thanks:
Masirimso for allowing me to use his edit as the basis for my own. Spence for showing us how to kill a dragon with a regular arrow.
Release Information:
Digital
Cuts and Additions:
- Color corrected to get rid of the green tint
- Cut Dwarves struggling too much with the door at Beorn's house
- Cut Bilbo being tempted by the ring at Beorn's house
- Cut Bilbo being tempted by the ring outside the Elven gate and scene suggesting a connection between the eye of Sauron and the ring
- Cut Bilbo trying to tell Gandalf he found the ring in the Goblin tunnels
- Cut Bilbo losing the ring and fighting little spider creature for it
- Shortened Dwarves vs spiders fight: Dwarves don't pull spider by the legs, Dwalin doesn't punch spider in the face.
- Cut Tauriel fighting spiders
- Cut mention of Gimli (I like it to be subtle - we, the audience, should understand at some point this is a picture of Gimli. No need for it to be said out loud)
- Cut Kili suggesting Tauriel should check his trousers
- Cut Legolas asking Tauriel why Kili is staring at her
- Cut part of conversation between Thranduil and Tauriel where they discuss Legolas being fond of Tauriel.
- Cut Bolg suggesting alternative entrance to the Woodland realm.
- Cut Legolas watching Tauriel conversing with Kili
- Trimmed the barrel ride sequence. Cut Bombur and Legolas acrobatics.
- Cut Radagast having a bird's nest on his head
- Cut mention of Morgul arrow. Kili is shot by a regular arrow.
- Cut Tauriel going to hunt Orcs against Thraduil's orders. And cut Legolas going after her.
- Cut Alfrid at the gate of Laketown
- Cut scenes between the master of Laketown and Alfrid. The two are introduced when the Dwarves are presented to them.
- Cut fight with guards, spies (sorry, Stephen Colbert) and Dwarves sneaking into Bard's house.
- Cut tapestry, prophecy and the old tales references.
- Alternative music for the scene where Dwarves are on the move towards Erebor.
- Cut Thrain's Wilhelm scream.
- Scenes between Bilbo and Smaug are presented in one sequence.
- "The darkness is coming. It will spread to every corner of the land" is now simply "the darkness is coming". And to those who wonder how does Smaug know about it, here's how I see it: Bilbo did not wake up Smaug from his long sleep. Smaug was simply napping when Bilbo went into the mountain to search for the Arkenstone. Sauron was the one who woke up Smaug. That is why we see Smaug being awake at the end of "An unexpected journey". This also connects to an earlier scene where Thrain tells Gandalf: "They are in league. The dragon and the one". And this is how Smaug knows the name Thorin Oakenshield because Thorin got that name during the battle of Moria which was after Smaug's assault on Erebor. Peter Jackson actually shot (or intended to shoot) a scene where Saruman finds the Palantir in Dol Guldur which was used by Sauron to communicate with Smaug. It sort of creates a nice connection between the captured Orc warning the elves about 'the flames of war', Gandalf's side quest with Thrain and the main quest of Thorin and company.
- No forges fight.
- Orcs do not attack Laketown. Tauriel and Legolas do not come to Laketown to aid the Dwarves.
- Bard is not getting knocked out by the master and is not getting arrested.
- Dwarves left behind in Laketown - Yes. I believe it is important for showing Thorin's descent into madness.
- Bard kills Smaug with a regular arrow.
- Orc army march from Dol Guldur as final scene.

User reviews

1 review
Overall rating
 
9.2
Audio/Video Quality
 
7.0(1)
Audio Editing
 
10.0(1)
Visual Editing
 
10.0(1)
Narrative
 
10.0(1)
Enjoyment
 
9.0(1)
Overall rating
 
9.2
Audio/Video Quality
 
7.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
Belgarath achieves a very well put together fanedit of the middle and final Hobbit movies.

In this installment he streamlines the narrative to the absolutely necessary, even if it still contains elements made up for the movies that were never in the original book. The inclusion of Legolas and company at the end of the journey thru Mirkwood is somewhat jarring in my opinion but it still makes for an entertaining experience.

Wise choices were made with moving the plot along to the confrontation with Smaug, and the edit still clocks at over two hours... just goes to show how bloated the originals are.

Sadly, in the A/V Quality marks I have to deduct some penalty points. Even though the editing is seamless, the edit only offers a 2.0 audio track; this has always been a let down for my enjoyment and it reflects in all the relevant reviews I've written in the past.

Overall, a recommended alternative for another trip to Middle Earth.
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