Hobbit: There and Back Again, Part I

This was a good edit. I quite liked The Hobbit AUJ when I first saw it but the second time was really bored and saw a lot of flaws. This didn’t “fix” everything for me but it was much more enjoyable.

A/V Quality - 9
Editing - 10 visual, 9 audio
Narrative - 8
Enjoyment - 8 (original 7)

Recommended drink: A little beer and some cake – seed-cake if you have any.

I've given it all 10s because really I can't find any fault with this edit.

This is a superb edit and is my default option for viewing this movie, when I'm not in the mood for Jackson's forthcoming super-long cut. It feels more like the steamlined LOTR theatrical cuts. Jackson considers both LOTR versions as equaly valid, one shorter cut for the bum numbing cinema and one longer cut for relaxing at home with (Cup of tea in hand). Sadly with the theatrical Hobbit Jackson seemed to have forgotten is own rule.

The cuts in this edit are smooth, natural and help thboth the story and the pace. I LOVED the removal of the early Azog (aka 'Generic Villain' no.6) scenes, as it really keeps the narrative focused on the original quest. I LOVED the removal of the long intro sequence*. I LOVED the shortened Goblin escape. I LOVED that the final battle now feels less like an articially introduced "Epic" conclusion.

My favourite change was the removal of Bilbo's action-hero rescue of Thorin at the end. When Bilbo pledges himself to help Thorin in the previous scene I got goosebumps when I first saw it. This is the moment when you can see Thorin's heart melt and he finally respects Bilbo. Bilbo didn't need to then rescue him from Azog to doubly prove himself! A magical bit of subtle editing on Menbailee's part. True it does create a minor continuity error when we Thorin injured but this is a classic case of ends 100% justifying the means. I cringed when I last looked at the original cut of the ending after seeing Menbailee's cut.

Thank god Thorin pretending to be mad at Bilbo at the end has been removed, it made Thorin seem like a douche. Sooo much better now, the way it should always have been.

(* Menbailee has moved some of the intro footage into a beautiful montage as the Dwarves are singing. It gives me goosebumps up my arms and a lump in my throat. Not only that but we can directly see why Bilbo changes his mind and runs off to help the Dwarves take back Erebor.)

This will take pride of place next to my Extended Cut Blu-Ray at Christmas... and then my Theatrical Cut BR may very well be going to a 2nd hand store ;-)

Ii was really concerned when the theatrical release went from two to three long films.
Those fears proved correct when The Hobbit - Part 1 was three ass-numbing hours.
This edit was more manageable, and more enjoyable.
Visually, it was stunning, and the sound was rock solid, as well.
I noticed trims, but they didn't bother me since what was removed was fatty slime.
The overall narrative, however, still seems too long.
Menbailee's edit cut a lot of crap, but not nearly enough.
The initial meeting inside Bilbo's hobbit hole goes on forever, the low point being the tossing of the crockery.
Then there's the over the top, fake as all out, "action" inside the Great Goblin's hall, cut from five minutes to one. To be fair, there is no way to repair this. It's simply cartoony.
Menbailee is due all the praise in the world for such a great overhaul, and I am looking forward to what he can do with Part 2.

Wowza. I had certainly felt that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was bloated when I saw it in theaters and again on Blu-ray when it came out, but I never really noticed just how much could be cut until I saw this edit. I really enjoyed the pace at which the story was carried out and often times I didn't really notice stuff was cut until after the fact. Also, great edit with the dwarfs charging the trolls. That's the sort of comedic cut that feels at home in this sort of film. The integration of the Erebor flashbacks in the dinner scene and the fire song were excellent. Sometimes shifting things around like that can make the bits seem out of place, but it was damn near perfect here.

There are a few things that could have been neatened up, however. By cutting down the Pale Orc arc, there are a few hanging references that are somewhat curious. There are two that come to mind: in Rivendell Gandalf mentions that it is because of his company that the orcs are traveling far south. Why are they the reason? They're after Smaug, not any orc settlement. The same thing with the Goblin King: who would pay a price for Thorin's head? Couldn't be Smaug...how would he know what's going on? Or why would he care? He's a big freaking dragon!

My thought would be to maybe have the Pale Orc not explicitly set up, and instead use small bits from the scene establishing him during the final conflict. By doing this, you set up for the inevitable confrontation in the next film, and you can keep the scene of Bilbo being accepted by the dwarf company at the end. It's a big moment for him, one that shouldn't be underestimated. All the same, this is a minor quibble in an otherwise great edit.

The video quality was impressive for a DVD-5, and I'll owe that not only to the BD source used for the edit, but the skill that Menbailee used in exporting it. What source you use counts for a lot, but it's all for naught if it's buggered on export. The extra resolution of the source goes a long way here. The audio was great as well. I don't have a surround set up, but nothing sounded especially glaringly wrong, so I'm gonna say it's good!

All in all, a great edit and a worthy addition to any fan's collection. Menabailee, I would suggest having another look through some of the bits you cut surrounding the Pale Orc and Bilbo's acceptance into the group, but when all is said and done, this is a fantastic edit. You might get some new ideas when the extended version comes out in November!

Keep up the good work mate. :)

Foreword: I haven't seen the original in sometime, which prefer for watching edits and I also didn't review your changes ahead of watching, which I also prefer. I looked at the edit list back when I downloaded the edit, but I like to not know exactly what I'm walking into so I don't watch an edit for a few months or more after downloading them.

What I liked: The pacing was better and it felt more logical in many ways, and for that reason the narrative was greatly improved and streamlined. The cuts felt right, and they play of making some of the Dwarf story a dream for Bilbo was fun.

What I didn't: The movie was edited together amazingly, and I didn't mind that some of the scenes must have come from the DVD extras or something of the like (visually jarring), but the only editing section that really stood out for me was when the dwarfs were about to battle the trolls and cut, just felt a little too jumpy for me.

Overall: I'm not sure I'd see this version over the original but it has its ups.

Extra: Keep up the good work, and I think the formula you have might benefit if you tried to put all 3 parts in to one 3 hour movie.