How I 'Fixed' The Hobbit

This was my quest to find the Arkenstone, to unearth "The Hobbit" movies that I hoped were buried beneath their flaws and missteps.
Armed only with my love & respect for this world and the creative minds behind it - as well as some editing software - this is what I found...
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If you're interested in checking out these cuts of The Hobbit trilogy, just shoot me an email: [e-mail]
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PATREON: / chrishartwell
LETTERBOXD: letterboxd.com...
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I do not own any of the footage or music from "The Hobbit" that is used in this video

[@enomis916]

I am still waiting for the day peter jackson sees your cut and realizes he made a wonderful movie full of heart hidden under many useless scenes

[@Driretlan]

Say what you like but maybe approach this as though PJ was brought in late and Warner Bros was responsible for what we got. Peter Jackson probably would have only made one movie with far more lead time than he was given

[@scaleicons]

@@Driretlan I think the major issue with the trilogy is that PJ only ever originally planned to produce the films...Guillermo del Toro intended to direct from the outset, but after the film was stuck in development hell for years (thanks in large part to the sheer number of studios / rights holders to be appeased among other issues, he walked and a new director needed to be found ASAP. PJ "took one for the team" and I don't think his heart was really in it to the degree it was for LotR. That said, the trilogy (it was originally planned as two films, not three) isn't nearly as bad as some folks seem to think it was, but yeah, judicious editing could have made for a series of tighter, less goofy, more emotionally satisfying movies.

[@AkshayKumarX]

@@scaleicons i watched lotr interviews and bts footage some days ago and after that i watched the hobbit production diaries on Peter Jackson's youtube channel. watching those really brightened my day, even the hobbit ones where there is so much going on on-set.

[@JohnSmith-df6hh]

🤡

[@allswellinthiswell]

It's been a minute since Chris Hartwell sent me the edited movies, but I finally have a moment to comment. Personally, I loved the edited versions. Sometimes, I forgot I was watching his edited versions because of how seamless it all felt. There were one or two moments where things were a little awkward, but even so, they were almost unnoticeable. One thing I especially love is how much easier it is to watch the edited versions in one sitting. I love the original trilogy, but I struggled with it sometimes. I did not have this problem with this one, which is fantastic. I intend to go back to his versions whenever I feel like watching the movies. I also pledged 20$ (USD) to his project on Kickstarter, and he sent me the extended versions of the edited films. Perhaps it's my love for The Hobbit making me biased, and perhaps it's my need to consume any and all Hobbit content I can, but I thought they were worth the price. The editing was also really well done and definitely made the Dol Guldur plotline palatable. Excellent stuff! I saw you reached your goal on Kickstarter, Mr. Hartwell, and I just wanted to say congratulations! I hope everything continues to go well with your project! Sincerely, A Hobbit Fan :)

[@Scrapluv]

Considering everything that I've read from behind the scenes, it's kind of a miracle these films came out as well as they did.

[@ChrisHartwell]

It's true! I really don't think PJ and company could've done it without the 20+ years of experience under their belts.

[@Scrapluv]

@@ChrisHartwell Right. Although the Hobbit trilogy didn't live up to the standard of the previous LOTR films, it could've been really, really bad.

[@thewatcher8573]

Kind of reminds me of Justice League as well. A lot of flack is thrown Joss Whedon's way when it's amazing the movie is even as good as it is. Both Peter Jackson and Joss Whedon somehow made a cake without all the ingredients, it might not be the best cake you've ever had, but it's a miracle it even looks and tastes like cake in the first place.

[@Scrapluv]

@@thewatcher8573 Kevin Tsujihara really left Whedon out to dry just for a bonus.

[@thewatcher8573]

@@Scrapluv yeah, dick move bro

[@terragthegreat175]

Just watched all three. These are, without a doubt, the definitive fan-edits. There's only a single moment in all three movies that genuinely felt clunky, the scene where bofur runs to the river after sleeping in too late and sees the other dwarves who got left behind. (The eyelines don't really match, and it's kinda quickly paced, but it's such a small moment it really doesn't matter much.) I've tried and tried and tried to find a 1-movie edit that worked, and while I was fine with the Maple Films edit and the Bilbo edition, there's just no getting around the fact that the transition between the first and second movies just isn't possible to make seamless. Hartwell took the right approach and simply left the trilogy a trilogy and worked to make the movies work on their own. Other editors made edits based on set-pieces or moments they wanted to get rid of, but Hartwell made his edits based on the demands of the story, which is always the right approach in movie making. I will happily put these on my roster for my next Middle Earth binge-fest. I really hope these take off and get noticed, and I hope Mr. Hartwell has a long and fruitful career in the industry, should he choose.

[@ChrisHartwell]

Reading this brought such a smile to my face - thank you!! _So_ happy that you enjoyed!

[@SluwVosjeh]

How did you get these?

[@terragthegreat175]

@Pierreuhh contact the guy who made the video via the email he lists in the description. He tells you more at the end of the vid

[@carlosgabrielmartinezcorde2984]

@@terragthegreat175 But that was like 2 years ago. Will he still pass the edit today?

[@terragthegreat175]

@@carlosgabrielmartinezcorde2984 only one way to find out

[@MajorCinephile7]

Having seen these edits I can confirm that Chris has fixed nearly every issue I had when I first watched them. His decisive edits have removed everything that distracts from the true emotional core of the films, and I managed to shed actual tears for the ending for the first time. A brilliant demonstration of how films can be made or broken in the editing stages!

[@Sir_Jimmothy]

Just finished watching all three - although I've seen the theatrical and extended cuts, this one really tightens up the story and makes it pass without any excessive action, lulls, boredom or loss of focus. Even with my high expectations going in, I'm actually surprised at how well it came together - it's really like not a second was wasted, and everything flows the way it seemed it was always meant to. Seriously impressed with this.

[@marshalllian9727]

Just watched the edits. These are really amazing cuts of the hobbit that not only make them much more enjoyable to watch, but also maintain some adherence to Peter Jackson’s vision instead of cutting out everything that isn’t in the book. Beautiful.

[@nathanfish4299]

Well I just finished watching your edits and I’ve gotta say they exceeded expectations that were already pretty high! Phenomenal job! Watching these brought back the magic I felt watching them when I was younger! I’m excited to see what you’ve done with the extended edits! Thank you so much for your hard work!

[@ChrisHartwell]

So, so glad that they worked so well for you, bud!

[@stopwatchstudios9622]

Is the Goblin town song in there

[@ashutoshsharma9553]

@@stopwatchstudios9622 gladly, it's not

[@stopwatchstudios9622]

@@ashutoshsharma9553 ugh I don’t like it as much as the second song the great goblin sings but I do think the Goblin song adds more culture to the Goblins

[@coont-tracker-69]

How do we watch?

[@Evilgidgit4Ever]

Having watched the re-cut trilogy back-to-back, I can say this is the best version that The Hobbit trilogy that could be made. You cut away what was necessary, and restructured the story to make Bilbo and Thorin's journeys the focus. I agree with cutting out some stuff like the Necromancer vs. the Council, even if we did have to lose Christopher Lee. Contrariwise, I'm glad you didn't cut all of the extra subplots out, like reducing Legolas to a cameo, or completely cutting out Tauriel and Kili's romance, purely because they aren't in the books. My favourite alteration was putting Smaug's attack on Lake-town at the end of the second film rather than keeping it as the opening of the third. I greatly enjoyed these re-cuts and thank you for the fantastic job you did on them.

[@bethanywright]

The algorithm threw Hartwell's video into my feed and I'm so glad it did. We are huge fans of Tolkien *AND* well-written stories. The three Hobbit Movies were okayish I suppose, but the impactful nature of the storyline was diluted in my opinion. I appreciate Hartwell's perspective: make a well-written story, not just to cut out anything that wasn't in the original book. I was pleasantly surprised that four years later he is still responding to those who email him for access to his cuts. I can't wait to watch the full story as he cut it.

[@gladitorian3327]

I was able to watch these cuts and I had forgotten about some of the things that were originally in the movies that got cut. The whole trilogy flowed so much better. And the edits were seamless. I found myself saying “wait a minute wasn’t there something there? Ooooh”. Really amazing cuts!

[@sehamsuleiman5303]

Just finished “An Unexpected Journey” and I was simply amazed! I never watched the original movies before, I loved the book too much and I wouldn’t bear to watch a bad adaptation of it but your cut is simply phenomenal!!! Enjoyed every moment of the movie and it didn’t seem like it was edited from the original. I applaud you! 👏👏 Can’t wait to watch the other two, very excited!

[@piotrwudarkiewicz4741]

p

[@ChadKakashi]

The first movie isn’t that bad as an adaptation

[@trashboat5388]

@@ChadKakashi yeah it’s mostly the next two that are considered bad. It probably should’ve just been a duo-logy or a 3 hour movie.

[@zez_gval]

I aways liked The Hobbit trilogy, but after seeing so much negativity towards it, I started to ignore the films and pretend I didn't care about them anymore. But I do. They are genuinely better than most adventure movies we get nowadays and PJ, even under so much pressure from WB, still made them with care and love. I watched all three of them on cinema, the first one with my grandma, and she liked it a lot. I grew up waiting to see Smaug and reading the book to know how everything would end. This video made me remember why I like these movies. Thank you. I'll make another comment here as soon as I watch your cut.

[@jamesbielby4943]

I watched all 3 in the movies with my grandma when I was younger some of my favourite memories

[@stopiminmyroom4890]

Recently watched the trilogy with my family, genuinely blown away. The movies just felt better to watch, by getting rid of all the distractions and side plots it set the focus on Bilbo and his journey. Finishing the trilogy felt rewarding. There were plenty of things that just felt more impactful in these cuts that I can't even begin to describe. I always was drawn to The Hobbit movies even with their problems and now seeing them in their peak condition is just wonderful. Thank you Chris for making these cuts.

[@robinjmoss]

Hey Chris, really enjoyed these cuts. Particularly: the first two. I loved how you tightened things up and kept the focus on Bilbo and Thorin. I do have one suggestion though. Personally, I hate it when movies utilize both audio and visual flashbacks to moments earlier in the film or in previous films. I felt this pretty strongly in BotFA and I really think those moments are not needed. The audience has been paying attention, we can connect the dots. We don’t need to see Bilbo picking up the Arkenstone because when he pulls it out we can put together that he’s had it the whole time. We don’t need to hear Thorin remember Thranduil say “white gems of pure starlight.” We can just see Thorin pick them up after Thranduil mentions them to Bard. And I don’t think we need to hear Thorin say “I know an elf-lord who would like these” or whatever it is he says. He can just smirk and we get the idea. The only flashback that I think works is the audio flashbacks during Thorin’s descent into madness. Otherwise, your cut of the film is much stronger. There are still some moments with Legolas and Tauriel that I would cut (“there is no love in you”), but that’s more my personal preference. I really appreciate the work you’ve done these past two years and I thank you for helping me love these movies again. I look forward to watching the updated versions!

[@connnnny5]

I just watched all three of your edits and I really enjoyed them! I haven't watched the original cuts in some time and don't remember all of it, but I felt like you cut out much of the "fluff" that didn't really need to be there (although I still found myself scratching my head sometimes, but mostly because of the look of some of the animations, which you couldn't change obviously. Made me wonder how rushed these movies actually were, to put out some of these very game-y-looking animations). I particularly appreciated that you replaced the Ringwraith theme in film 1, when Thorin runs toward Azog. I also liked that you put Smaug's death in film 2, I think it works really well. Always thought it a bit anticlimactic to have him killed in the first five minutes of film 3. Thanks so much for your hard work!

[@d_2the_deegan700]

This comment’s long overdue; Chris sent me his cut of the trilogy almost a year ago and the amount of humility he has towars this project is to his credit. I remember watching each of these movies in theaters back in the day, and recall wishing that if they could only shake off the extra narrative weight they would capture the pacing and energy of the LotR films. These do.

[@Troy_Knowlton]

Just finished all three of your edits. I'd like to thank you for sharing it because honestly it made me fall in love with the series all over again. By the end of it, I was using my pocket handkerchief to wipe my satisfied tears and longing to sign a contract of wondrous adventure. I must confess I grew apathetic to the original films when seeing them for the first time, primarily for their length and bloat, but after seeing your cuts, I've grown to appreciate them to such a degree that I would never have imagined before. Thank you so much for all your hard work!

[@James_Lo]

Just seen the Unexpected Journey cut. It’s genuinely brilliant. You’ve managed to make a decent film pretty damn near close to amazing by only really removing things and adjusting the chronology of scenes. Well done.

[@kylefer]

How did you see it?

[@above-us-only-sky]

saw

[@Jonnell01]

Where can you find all his cuts?

[@James_Lo]

@@Jonnell01 email him with the adess in the description

[@Shadowknife74]

As a bit of a Hobbit defender, it's so great seeing someone highlight that all these films really need is a re edit. Absolutely cannot wait to watch these cuts! Great Video!

[@RohirrimRanger95]

I could listen to you talk about Middle Earth for ages. It's almost soothing to the soul in a way lol Keep being awesome!

[@ChrisHartwell]

Haha! Thanks a lot! It really is one of my greatest passions (if you can't tell)!

[@osvaldoolvera1354]

Thank you. Chris Hartwell, your vision of how to "fix" the Hobbit trilogy is without a doubt the best there is. After searching far and wide, and seeing all the editions of this beloved world, yours truly gets to the core of what made them great in the first place. Without a doubt in my mind, your edit must have been the one that introduced my family to the world of hobbits. I assure you that everyone LOVES it! Now, I tell you folks, who have not seen the edition. You are missing out on the best there is. Farewell... I am Daniel Olvera.

[@rusarvareth9685]

All right, I just finished your cut of An Unexpected Journey and I've got to say, this is exactly the kind of stuff I've been looking for. The removal of the B plot with the Necromancer lets the plot moving more smoothly and makes Bilbo and the dwarves's inner struggles clearer and more relatable (cf the departure from Rivendell, that's brillant editing right there). Thank you for this, can't wait to see the rest. Have en excellent day!

[@ChrisHartwell]

This warms my heart! Thanks for the encouraging words! _So_ thrilled that it worked for you!

[@stephenreter]

Yes, YES, YES!! This is exactly what this trilogy needs. I love how you focus on exactly the right story elements and clear away the distractions to get to the heart of what worked in this trilogy. Excellent work! God bless you sir and you continued brilliance.

[@jakejohnson2334]

Immediate Response from him, can't wait to watch. My fiancé and I just finished the theatrical cuts, and had hour long discussions after each one about how there is a great movie in there.

[@quade9731]

I just finished watching your 3 cuts. It's been about 2 years since I last watched the extended cuts of Jackson's original Hobbit films and if somebody had have shown me your cuts today, without telling me they'd been edited, I would have said 'wow - these are a hell of a lot better than I'd remembered.' Your editing is so seamless. I often forgot I was watching a fan edit at all. Everything in these new films never overstays their welcome. The Battle of the Five Armies is especially aided by your new cuts. It went from my absolute least favourite out of the original 3, to maybe my very favourite out of your 3... The time, passion and effort you've put into these projects cannot be understated and I applaud you for giving me (and so many others) the chance to reignite the love for these films that was previously hidden under a mask of convoluted side-plot and overstated whacky CGI fight scenes. Thank you, my friend. Your work is just remarkable.

[@stephenreter]

Wow! I watched your cut last night and I have to say it feels pretty perfect. You really did this film a service by helping the audience to focus in on the most important parts of the story without all the distraction. I'm really impressed. This is a fantastic demonstration of what a good editor can accomplish. This version works in so many ways that the original edit did not. Thanks for this. Great job! Can't wait for the cuts of Part 2 and 3!

[@amaranth4464]

I watched your cuts, Mr. Hartwell! I've seen a handful of fan edits before, and I think yours are the best. They flowed naturally! You made the right choice in keeping them as separate movies and honoring the fact that these are *movie adaptations*. Many fan edits are too streamlined and don't appreciate the little character moments and interactions. I also love how subtle your editing is. The way you removed the spoken word of "necromancer" from Galadriel's dialogue was so smooth I thought it was the original. I'm also a fan of how you presented Tauriel. She appeared as less of a pining elf girl and more of someone who was there to do good in her world out of compassion. She felt cooler in your edits. Thank you for creating these cuts and sharing them with us! They're satisfying and will be how I enjoy The Hobbit trilogy from now on!

[@Fullbatteri]

These cuts have to be the best thing that has happened to Tolkien fans in a *WHILE!* After the years I've come to appreciate these movies more, but after this cuts, oh my lord, they're even better!

[@waalms]

Just watched the first of the three of his edits. I thoroughly enjoyed. I read the Hobbit countless times and could only stomach watching the film once despite loving Peter Jackson’s original trilogy. The overly bloated and excessively goofy scenes are toned way down and putting the Bilbo and Thorin relationship front and center really keeps this film on focus. Also, the story is more cohesive with less tangents. I’m excited to see the next two

[@fillok2204]

Hello, not a while ago I finished your extended trilogy, for the 4th time and I must say, this is the ULTIMATE way how to watch these movies. It perfectly keeps the heart of PJ's filmmaking, and Tolkien's Middle-Earth, not being 100 % faithful to the book, but I don't mind that much. You did excacly what theese movies needed to perfection. Cutting all of the anoying filler plot lines, reducing the overstreached cartoony CGI action, but still keep the emotional moments, heck you made them even better. And created Hobit trilogy that goes with LOTR trilogy, like a nice, fun, fairytale prequely trilogy, who I think perfectly introduces newcommers to Middle-Earth. And I love you for that, thank you.

[@lizkenn1144]

Wow. . .just wow! I knew there was a great movie buried in there somewhere, and you've proven it. My family and I enjoyed this immensely, in our opinion, the careful editing elevated The Hobbit in line with the LOTR films. Great job cutting out the distractions, and adding in canon scenes that had been deleted in the original release. I didn't realize they had actually filmed the scene where Gandalf and Bilbo introduced the dwarves to Beorn, one of my favorite passages in the book, what a treasure! Delightful to see Legolas in a cameo : ) With the story more in focus, it's a well-told, beautiful rendition of a beloved book. Can't help thinking Tolkien himself would have approved.

[@DerLaberheld]

Since I saw them I always had that feeling of wanting to cut out all the stuff I didnt like, because there was so much inbetween that I love. In general I think Im very likely to look past a mediocre or bad execution and enjoy what story is hidden underneath and just shined through in some moments. For me Batman v Superman and the Star Wars prequels fall into this category. I think your cuts might be very different to what Id edit, but I got a lot of joy out of the way you talked about these movies and Im so excited to see someone approach them with the intention I had as well but actually act on it. Thank you very much for this and keep up the great work!

[@ChrisHartwell]

Excited to share!

[@milestolaunch]

Just watched all three of the cuts. When I watched the original theatrical versions, I honestly couldn't even remember much of anything after the scenes in Hobbiton, I'm not sure if it was because I was so bored or it was hard to follow. Your cuts of the three films not only made these movies watchable, I think they genuinely brought out the gems of brilliance that surprised me that they were there. Without intercutting Thorin's final battle with Legolas', it was actually tense instead of distracting and I gasped during the final moments. I still think the movies push the Kili/Tauriel romance too much, like I still don't believe she'd be devastated by his death like that, but I actually didn't hate their whole arch, which I think is because of this edit. Their heart-to-heart, plus when he gives her the stone, was sweet. It helps that the stuff that was too on the nose or melodramatic was cut out. Also much appreciated for cutting out the dragon vs dwarves bit and mercifully shortening the action sequences. You even changed the music in the first movie that was originally the ring wraith theme! I do wish there was more to some parts, like I kept wishing they'd do more with the other dwarves or flesh out other things some more but I know the best cuts can't put in what's not there. I love the Lord of the Rings movies and have wanted for a long time to enjoy the Hobbit. Now I feel like I can. Excellent job, and thank you for making them available.

[@pesctifer]

I just finished 'An Unexpected Journey' and it was bloody brilliant! Peter Jackson set the foundation, and Chris built onto it. I would highly recommend this to anyone left unsatisfied by the Hobbit trilogy, it can only get better from here! Not only is the story of the movie improved, but there is no out of the blue cuts or anything that made me think, "This has obviously been edited," I also loved how Chris still keeps parts of Peter's additions in, it helps the story flow and gives it just a little more flavor. Now I still respect the Hobbit for all it did, but wow, this is just so amazing. Chris, as the dwarves would say, "May your beard grow ever longer!"

[@nicholasstensson9699]

I finished watching your cuts of the hobbit, and from now on this is absolutely the way I’m going to watch these movies. Well done sir! Moving dol guldor from DoS to the opening of five armies helped so much with the pacing and storytelling as the movies were no longer cutting between plotlines. Legolas vs bolg is now gone and bilbo is back in the forefront. If I didn’t know any better I would believe these cuts were made by a professional studio. Did you have a team or was this all on your own? If it was you should be very proud of your work

[@ChrisHartwell]

Fantastic to hear you enjoyed them so much :D And yup, just me!

[@NokturnalMTG]

I just finished the Trilogy that Chris has edited and its been amazing. I highly recommend fans and sceptic newcomers to request a viewing of his hard work. I had a blast enjoying these movies for the first time since I watched The Hobbit was in theaters. Which, like many, left me feeling conflicted and dissatisfied to a point I thought I would never watch them again, to say the least.. but not anymore! The scenes are flawless to a point, you don't miss nor notice what was removed. He also made it more true to the books, given the scenes available. Thanks for all your hard work I will be directing some friends your way

[@pavan_kumar556]

Where can I watch it

[@NokturnalMTG]

@@pavan_kumar556 Email Chris and he will provide you with some links

[@pavan_kumar556]

@@NokturnalMTG [e-mail] this is the email right?

[@NokturnalMTG]

@@pavan_kumar556 yes enjoy

[@eelboy9017]

Almost finished watching The Desolation of Smaug and I have to say - this is the best way to watch the Trilogy. It keeps all the heartful scenes - which the other cuts cut because of book inaccuracy - even though they added to the story and characters. This cut understands that changes HAVE to be made when going from book to film. Just trims the bloat perfectly and seamlessly presents this tale as it should have been presented. Thank you!

[@deepwaterlife48]

my biggest gripe with either the original theatrical, original extended and these cuts are the white council/ dol goldur scenes. in the original and extended they are thrown in haphazardly. in these cuts they are gone. if they were a continuous thing in one place, it makes way more sense. id say after the escape from mirkwood is a perfect place and then we can stay with the dwarves for the rest of the film.

[@theMad_Artist]

Chris, thank you for these wonderful edits that you clearly put a lot of love and dedication into. I am a huge Tolkien obsessor so I've been introducing my girlfriend to his work recently - after we finished the LotR movie trilogy I decided to show her your cuts of the Hobbit and she really enjoyed them! It had been a minute since I had seen the Hobbit too, and I found myself really feeling the magic of the story shine through again. A lot of the plotlines I didn't enjoy in the original became very intriguing and even moving when watching your cuts. So many thanks for your thoughtful work! I hope as many people as possible get to enjoy it :)

[@sub7se7en]

Maybe the real Arkenstone was the friends we made along the way.

[@FlorentiusIV]

I have watched the cut version and I must say. It thoroughly enhanced my experience.. The focus is so much better and thus the emotional beats hit a lot harder. I am planning on showing your edited version to my first time viewing friend with whom I only recently finished the LOTR trilogy.. I think your version is definitely better for a first watch/experience. I am looking forward to the other movies!

[@ChrisHartwell]

This brings me _such_ joy! So excited to hear that you'll get to share this cut with a _first time_ viewer! Thanks for spreading the love!

[@EvanBurns-rh1gg]

Just rewatched your edits, and one thing that really stood out to me was your handling of the Dol Guldur subplot. That might be the most intelligent way I've ever seen an editor approach that material. By not revealing Sauron, it feels so much better. The mystery is preserved and LotR viewers would still understand the subtext of it being Sauron. That was just phenomenal editing that I never would have thought of myself. I'm so glad to see how much appreciation your cuts of the films have received. Thank you for all your hard work and passion!

[@DilerNassif]

I'm here in Brazil watching this video 3 years after its release. It´s really amazing. I loved the trilogy of The Hobbit, (and The Lord of the rings, as well). Congratulations and thank you for these amazing movies...

[@platypuz24]

Hey Chris! I just finished watching your cut of An Unexpected Journey and let me just say, it is incredible! Watching your BTS videos after the fact just goes to show how much effort and care you put into these cuts. Good editing is good when you don’t notice it; it’s the bad editing that’s easily noticed. Well, the edits you made with sound design and score are so seamless, they are like you say - invisible. Absolutely incredible. My biggest fear going into this was that because you mentioned in this video that you had cut the Galadriel, Saruman, Gandalf scene in Rivendell, that one of my fav lines of dialogue in the whole trilogy (when Gandalf explains “Saruman believes it is only power...”) wouldn’t be in your cut. But thankfully, you kept it in without it feeling awkward at all, and left me with tears in my eyes. Such a powerful scene and such a fantastic cut of the film. I’m looking forward to watching the next two films. Thank you so much!

[@olis5233]

Just finished your edits of this trilogy Chris, and I'm absolutely blown away! I watched with a group of friends, and already from the start, seeing that classic New Line logo appear on screen was a very good omen. Honestly at points I felt like I was watching LotR, and I'm now so excited to watch these movies back to back with the original trilogy and have that impressive tonal consistency. This was a very refreshing take on films that I've always loved but now can appreciate even more, and I can only just thank you so much for all your effort in putting it together! 🧙🏻‍♂️

[@itsvanya]

Let me preface by saying, I've watched fan edits of the Hobbit before, but I've never before been so utterly satisfied. Not to put down other editors, but what a lot of them didn't understand was that the core of the hobbit trilogy is no longer what it is in the book- it is, as you said in this video, about Bilbo and Thorin understanding themselves and each other, and in trying to stay faithful to the book(as I've seen many cuts try to do), they no longer do the movie itself justice. I just wanted to thank you for making me fall in love with this world again. While watching your cuts I could actually feel your love for this story too, as well as PJ's, and it makes me wish so deeply that this core of the story was what we had gotten in the first place. How great it could have been if all that extra screen time could have been given to Bilbo/Thorin and the dwarves? One particular thing I wanted to mention- I love what you did with Kili/Tauriel. I've not seen their lines edited out in such a way before, as most people just edited them out entirely, and I felt it was brilliant. Their story goes from being cheesy to a little sad, because now we don't feel like we should mourn an 'epic' love story, but rather the potential of two young people together.

[@ChrisHartwell]

This brings a great deal of joy to my heart to read! Thank you so much! Utterly elated that you enjoyed :D

[@Gugasantucci]

So, i just watched this cut and i have to say: BRAVO! To me it is the best cut out there of the movies, not because it's "closer" to the books, but because it works great as a trilogy! I loved that you kept a simple explanation of why did Gandalf leaves the company in the begining of the first movie and you used as the "prologue" scene in the third. Even though i don't like the scenes with Tauriel and Legolas in the original movies, i think that you made it work in the cut! You did an amazing job!

[@jdwalters9489]

These are now my default preferred versions of these movies. Such seamless editing and massive improvements to pacing and color timing!

[@infenity23]

Goodness. This was the mostly beautiful youtube clip I've seen in ages! I cannot wait to see these edited films. You're so right Chris, the HEART of the book is there in these films, you just have to distill it from the bombast and noise. I eagerly await watching these edits in anyway they manage to make their way to the public forum.

[@SuspiciousToad]

Just watched them. I can’t believe it, these cuts actually made me love Battle of the Five Armies. I didn’t think that was possible. These are 100% the versions I’m going to be watching from now on.

[@MatteoBruniC]

I just finished watching the last movie of the trilogy. Chris made an outstanding job 😮 It has really been a pleasure to watch. No needless points, his cut flows perfectly from one scene to another. Very very good job! Thanks for the passion and the effort, I could really feel it, and it was worth!

[@kgdennbert1091]

Hello Sir I just watched all of your Extended Editions and i am more than happy with the result. They will make a fine addition to my different editions of the middle earth movies. Some of the edits are beyond perfect and i can't imagine how much work you put into them! Gonna support you as soon as possible for me! Thanks a lot and greetings from Germany

[@robinjmoss]

Just watched your cut of An Unexpected Journey and WOW! What an improvement. You have such a strong sense of the story and PJ’s sensibilities and got things back to where the story clearly wanted to be. It’s a much smoother ride and I had a blast with it. Can’t wait to move on to part 2!

[@ChrisHartwell]

Yes!! _Love_ hearing that it worked so much better for you and cannot wait for you to watch _DoS_ and _BotFA_ :D

[@DerLaberheld]

So I just watched your cut! Thanks again for it! Its been a while since I last threw in my own bluray so the memory of the theatrical cut wasnt as fresh in mind and I hadnt seen the extended version before. Also english is not my mother tongue, so it was the first time hearing the original voices for me. That out of the way, I was very invested and none of the originally distracting scenes were left to pull me out of the experience. Not to undersell your effort, the opposite really, it seemed so natural, not like anything was changed at all. I especially was surprised how much more it felt like a character study with occasional fantasy set pieces and of course world building and setting. Those scenes in Rivendell added so much to the whole arc of Bilbo as well as those of Gandalf and Thorin. But all in all there are just a lot of really, really great scenes and pieces of dialogue and acting in this one. Like the whole beginning, and the Balin callback and of course Gollum. So far Ive always enjoyed the Silmarillion parts of this trilogy, but you already mentioned it here, that you cut those scenes out, so it didnt come as a disappointment to me. Again, tying into what I said about Rivendell, I think you handled Galadriel very well as an side character for Gandalfs storyline and he himself was nicely mysterious and thus expanding the world beyond the dwarves adventure in a different yet intriguing way. There were some cuts, you made, I noticed because of the sound mainly, but I still have the movie very present despite not having seen it for a while and of course I was looking for your edits. In the first third or so I thought the sound was a little bit behind or too fast, I dont know, but that might have been on my part and I didnt notice it later on. So yeah, again thank you so very much for doing this! Like I said in another comment, I always wanted to edit them myself and brush the dust off of this diamond. Now Im really interested in seeing what youve done with the other films, because I have the feeling they made it a bit harder for you. Although I must admit, that seemingly against the common opinion I enjoy the third movie a lot. Like until the point the dwarves around Thorin join the battle, for me its almost perfect, lotr levels perfect almost. Ill be sure to let you know, what I thought about your edit, once I get to see it ;) I hope your well and keep it up! Wish you the best!

[@ChrisHartwell]

Thank you so much for the extremely generous comment! It's so very exciting to hear that this new cut it working for anyone other than me! Being the perfectionist that I am though, I was bummed to hear that you found distracting audio issues! I don't _think_ the sync is off (though I will check), and I am curious where specifically the audio transitions weren't seamless. I put a lot of work into making them as invisible as I could and I would love to only further perfect things. Thanks again for the support!

[@ChrisHartwell]

I just found a couple of crazy, little audio mistakes! I'm mortified! Thanks for helping me along!

[@DerLaberheld]

@@ChrisHartwell No problem, happy I could help! Its these sounds that remained where you cut something, right? Or at least it sounded like someone starting to speak and being cut off, I thought. As I am not a perfectionist at all that didnt really bother me and I couldnt imagine going back into the editor and working on these. Do you plan on doing so?

[@ChrisHartwell]

@@DerLaberheld Oh, yes! ;) Having already invested so much time into them, it just feels so unsatisfying _not_ having the best final product possible!

[@lewismoore6721]

Your description of the edit alone has got me hyped to watch it. Agree 100% with your thought process. Although I was disappointed by the hobbit trilogy it did have some fantastic scenes. Have sent you an email, look forward to giving these films a watch!

[@lichtyec]

These edits were brilliant! It's amazing how much more cohesive and powerful these films become after a little judicious trimming. I now own three original-cut movies of the trilogy that I will never watch again.

[@brianmcdonald8095]

Such a good cut, well done. Makes the movies something I'd want to share with my kids.

[@haanoon]

You’ve done a great job with these cuts, probably the only fan-edit I’ve seen that does not feel choppy or amateurish.

[@jamessamuel2766]

Just finished them; they were incredible. Your editing down in these films allowed me to appreciate the work Jackson and his crew did with these films much more as it allows the acting, directing, camerawork and action to shine all the more when not bogged down with the excess that is found on the original cuts. Your incredible editing work made it so the films were not only more entertaining; but it also brought forth the emotion that can be found within these films as I was more exposed to the relationship of the two leads. It was a very fun watch and I recommend it to any fan of The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien’s works.

[@zabelkid]

Just watched all three , you definitely fixed these movies. I like how you kept the flow of the movies with removing the fluff, making the movie about Bilbo once again. Thank you so much.

[@brandonfinney5890]

Couldn't be more excited to view the films - I personally enjoyed the originals simply for entertainment but am ready for a deeper dive at your cuts from a filmmakers perspective! thank you so much for making them!

[@judeharb4553]

Hey! I was able to watch your theatrical cuts of the New Line Hobbit trilogy a few months ago (sorry for the wait; life decided to happen), and I must say, I had SO MUCH FUN watching these videos! I loved finally being able to see the increased focus on Bilbo's journey and his development from a typical hobbit to a heroic burglar helping Thorin and the Company reclaim their home, something I feel was overshadowed by the effort to tie this into The Lord of the Rings. Although, I feel that the theatrical cuts may have skewed this a bit too much on the opposite end by leaving out too much context regarding Gandalf's departure in The Desolation of Smaug and the motivations of Azog and Bolg. However, on its own, these theatrical cuts did a great job putting the spotlight on Bilbo, Thorin, and their friendship. Great job!

[@Hugezu]

Watched these cuts in a single sitting and I have to say that I'm very impressed. Of all the fan edits I've seen, these are the best ones and I can't really see a way these could be significantly improved. Other fan edits try to cut out too much and as such don't flow well as movies. You knew how to 'pick your battles,' so to speak. You knew what to cut and what not to cut in order to keep proper pacing and coherence. As an aspiring film editor myself, I found these cuts to be very skillful and inspired. All the films were greatly improved and I was most impressed with The Battle of the Five Armies as it was always my least favorite of the trilogy but watching your version revealed a great film that I had not previously noticed under all the bloat of the original version. I even learned to appreciate some of the sillier aspects of these films now that the overall level of silliness had been toned down. The tighter runtime and narrative focus also reveal a more fun and lighthearted experience that actually contrasts well with the sprawling epicness of The Lord of the Rings-trilogy. You have given me a great gift with these edits as I can finally accept these films as part of a 6-film series that I can enjoy without reservations. I don't know if you are still interested in doing a similar edit of Peter Jackson's King Kong but I for one would absolutely love to see it. I think you could do that film justice. I always felt that it was a good movie that could be a great movie if only it were about 20 to 30 minutes shorter. Whatever you decide to do in the future, I wish you luck, and I thank you for the brilliant work you have done here!

[@ChrisHartwell]

Thank you so much for sharing such generous and eloquent feedback! It sincerely means a lot. I do have hopes to (one day) do a "shaved down" cut of Jackson's _King Kong_ and... perhaps _Zack Snyder's Justice League_ as well! :)

[@bigsteve1071]

Its genuinely incredible how much my viewing pleasure is increased by such seemingly simple changes

[@aria1347]

TL;TR: This is a great version of The Hobbit movies for both a first time viewer, as well as anyone that has watched them before. Especially if you want to watch the story of the Dwarves and the Hobbit without any of the LotR plot lines and references. It's definatelly an experience worth having regadless of whether you love or hate this trilogy, because Chris brings us a new, more polished and focused perspective on this story. I definatelly recommend shooting him an email to watch his version of the trilogy. I just finished the films yesterday. I was very satisfied by the final result and it was interesting seeing the videos where you broke down all of the changes you made. I find it wise that you kept movies separate. When the distracting elements are removed, while the original structure of each movie as a separate entity is not disregarded, the story becomes more affective and memorable. I was surprised by the amount of stuff that stayed in. This goes to show how much work you put into trimming and stitching in order to keep most of the set pieces, while not letting them drag the story down. Apart from the action, what really benefited from the changes were the story and the characters. The story really did feel more centered around Bilbo, Thorin and the company. Needless to say that I appreciated what you did with Alfrid [honestly you need a statue for that], as well as how you handled Kili and Tauriel. To my surprise, I came to really care about these two. Their interactions were kept subtle and always felt genuine and natural. On the same note, I found myself enjoying Legolas every time he was on screen, since we got him sparingly and he didn't interrupt important moments [aaand we didn't get the romantic triangle. Honestly, this made his friendship and loyalty to Tauriel so much better]. It also goes without saying that including the deleted scenes which mostly revolved around Bilbo, was a really good choice. [Edit]: I removed the personal criticisms I had for your cut. When it comes down to it, everyone's taste is different and subjective. This version of the trilogy was a huge emotional roller coaster, in the best way possible. The climax and the ending hit me so much harder and will probably stick with me longer than any other big franchise's ending I've seen in the past few years - and there have been quite a few. Perhaps it's because I haven't watched these movies in a good while and now I went through them in the course of one week, instead of binging them. That gave them room to breathe and I thought about them for more than I would have, had I watched them more spaced out. But ultimately, I believe it's because these movies are full of heart, just like the people that made them. Along with that, the love and effort you put into the trilogy is very visible. Thank you for sharing that with us!

[@hannahschnuerer5511]

Dear Chris, Thank you so much for creating such a beautiful rendition of the Hobbit that not only improved the overall experience of an adventure movie, but help the viewer appreciate more of the vision Peter Jackson was going for, not to mention being more reflective to the original source. My husband and I saw your edit of both the theatrical and extended editions over the Holidays through Vimeo, and we loved it! We are both huge Lord of the Rings fans and movie lovers, so we really had mixed emotions on the Peter Jackson’s creation of the Hobbit. Your edit brought more cohesiveness to the material and plot that improved the watch-ability between scenes, as well as bring more focus and impact to what the characters were going through during each scene. I love where you shared in the movie above that your goal wasn’t to “fix” a “bad movie”, but to bring out what beauty there was, and smooth out the rough edges that detracted from what moved the story forward. I would suggest to any viewers/readers to give yourselves the chance of reliving The Hobbit experience with Chris’ edit; his work and passion for each project is worth supporting him through whatever means you can. I look forward to seeing more Chris, and thank you again for your willingness to share it with us!!

[@madelinebauer4704]

I just finished your cut of these films; and I just wanted to say that I genuinely enjoyed them!! I remember being so disappointed when the battle of the five armies came out. I’ve only ever seen these once, but I would absolutely rewatch your cuts many times over. The Kili and Tauriel arc in particular was MUCH improved. Thank you for some truly great work!

[@JoelGarza1990]

Just finished watching your edit of this trilogy and wow! There was a great film buried underneath and I want to thank you for uncovering it 😊 Very enjoyable watch especially the 2nd and 3rd film Great work on keeping and enhancing all the best aspects of this trilogy

[@ellieporter3270]

Were you emailed them? If so, how long can I expect to wait? Very excited to watch these.

[@JoelGarza1990]

@@ellieporter3270 check the description drop down for the email

[@StandishtheGreat]

Just watched your edit of the Hobbit, and absolutely loved it! As I was already a big fan of these movies, I must say, these cuts really highlighted my favorite elements, such as the relationship between Bilbo, and Thorin. I'm most likely only going to watch this version from gnow on. Thanks so much!

[@ChrisHartwell]

If you're interested in checking out these cuts of The Hobbit trilogy, just shoot me an email: [e-mail] P.S. Yes, they're _still_ available :)

[@devilskind92]

You're probably already aware of this, but in case you're not... Have you tried the Fanedit Info method?

[@lukemartin8211]

Dropped you an email!

[@ChrisHartwell]

@@devilskind92 I was not, until now, aware of Fanedit Info! Thanks for the tip!

[@ChrisHartwell]

@@lukemartin8211 Got it, good sir!

[@HdaveH]

Email sent as well. Sounds like a labor of love. Can't wait to see it!

[@diegosalazaralvarado7988]

I finally was able to watch all three reedits, and here are my thoughts. Unexpected Journey: The best praise I can give it is that it doesn't feel like a reedit. It felt like a movie, that just so happened to use the same footage from the original release. My favorite of the three by far, though of og Unexpected Journey is also my favorite lol. Desolation of Smaug: As good as the last one, but there are cracks begining to show where you can tell you are taking out scenes to recontextualies them. Especially in the ending. Still an amazing watch, and a huge improvement from the og. Battle of the Five Armies: the problem from the last movie, where scenes needed more, is a lot more prevalent in here, with things happening at a break neck pace. It gets a lot better in the second half, but the beginning jumps around with awkward cuts here and there. Out of the 3 Hartwell cuts, this one's the worst in my opinion, though it's still an amazing ride and a great trilogies closer. In general, the Hobbit was a trilogy I didn't have interest on seeing in theaters, only seeing Desolation of Smaug (the worst one lol). In preparation for the reedits, I watched all three og cuts, and will they aren't bad, you can see the flaws. These new cuts do a great job fixing those flaws, without adding or change too much. While having the ability to add more scenes probably would have helped, it still manages to show that the book could have been turned into 3 movies comfortably. Thanks a lot Chris👍. (Sorry for the long winded text lol)

[@kloas321schenk]

Even though I absolutely love the Hobbit movies, even the distracting excess ;p I'm really interested in seeing your edits. Also, I'm so glad we got another amazing score from Howard Shore, his music lifts these movies up to a whole new level.

[@piotrwudarkiewicz4741]

jvjvfyfhdeqqahhxydydyddddddduddhjjidgdydudisiiwiwiwjuwuuiswjehusehegy

[@Richard_Nickerson]

What? How do you absolutely love them? And as much as I love Howard Shore, there were SO many moments where the music just did NOT match what was happening on screen.

[@piotrwudarkiewicz4741]

nhubgreqwdwsfgdyhfgftfdsdvdfjigdwgbefkgdtukfigfyji

[@lukemartin8211]

Just finished the second re-edit. I have to say, they way you condensed the ending was masterful. Repurposing clips to cover up Smaug leaving the mountain covered in gold was particularly well done. Looking forward to the finale!

[@ChrisHartwell]

Thank you _so_ much! It was a real relief when I cracked that nut!

[@calebbustin8894]

Just finished the third film and I have to say I agree with most of my fellow commenters: the improvement of the originals is impressive. I would rank the edits AUJ 8/10, TDOS 9/10, and TBOFA 7/10. Compared to other fan edit attempts, you stand out by making edits that still work as proper films. I particularly admire your cuts to the Kili/Tauriel plot line. It takes it from something unbearably cringy to an aspect of these films I actually enjoyed. A prime example of less is more. Perhaps one of the only things I would personally change (this is purely for discussion, not a criticism of Chris’s edit) is I would take out the prologue at the start. I think it makes the scale of the story way too big way too fast. I think part of the charm of this story is how it starts out so small and quaint and slowly by slowly scales up to this full scale war. It also saves characters like Thorin and Thranduril for their epic reveals later. Anyway, loved your work Chris. I’m thrilled to have versions of these films that feel like they flow naturally into the Lord of the Rings.

[@redcpt3791]

You've completely sold me on the Hobbit as diamonds in the rough. Truly wish I could see this cut version. You made me want to see three movies I've not thought of revisiting ever.

[@ChrisHartwell]

Awesome! Just shoot me a message - email in the description - and I'll send them over for you to watch :)

[@draginath]

I was floored by what you were able to accomplish. I finished watching a while ago and am still gushing about it! Like you, I agree that the 3-film model is the better format. The book was always designed to be consumed episodically, so there's more than enough content for a trilogy. I think that's where other fan edits fail: they focus so much on mirroring the book that they forget to make a competent, functional film. Your edit taps into the original tempo of the book, making for an overall more cohesive and engaging experience. What's most impressive is the fact that your edit works better than the original theatrical release as a prequel despite more content being stripped away. Taking the spotlight off those "this is a prequel" elements actually makes them more engaging because it frames the story in a larger context without pulling you out of said story. Some specific elements I particularly loved: 1. You kept Tauriel, Azog, and Bard as integral characters to the story. I've always believed that these characters were very important devices to allow the Hobbit to work as a film, giving us perspective and stakes from 3 of the 5 armies that participate in the story's finale. 2. The dwarves became actual characters despite not having extra screen time. This is an example of how less really is more. Your use of small character beats allowed us to piece together personality, style, and skillsets. For example, Bombur proves to be quite an agile combatant despite his appearance as "the fat one". It makes them easy to care about, even without having a single conversation. 3. What you did with Smaug bursting forth from the mountain...brilliant. Superior to any other fan edits I've seen and actually gives the sequence a sense of mounting dread. 4. Gandalf's "side quest" being removed really shows how important pacing is to a story. There are some great shots in some of those sequences, and I didn't mind them in the theatrical release. However, Bilbo's story feels so much more engaging when most of the screen time is spent...on Bilbo. 5. The Tauriel/Kili romance was actually quite engaging. Rather than a somewhat cringey love triangle, the story beats you use give a sense of tension that is visible enough to feel real without distracting from the core narrative of Bilbo's story. What I would've liked to see done differently: 1. There were a few moments that I wish got to "breathe" a little more (maybe another 2-3 seconds). This typically occurred during some of the overblown action sequences, so it wasn't glaring. However, there were some cuts that "felt" like they were cut short (if that makes sense). 2. More of the Smaug v. Dwarves sequence. While there is a lot of nonsense in that sequence (molten gold), I think there's some good content to make for a very fun sequence and make Smaug seem even more dangerous, especially leading up to your take on him escaping the mountain. 3. Battle of the Five Armies just slightly longer. It feels like the sequence is barely underway when Azog sends in his second army, exclaiming "They can't fight on two fronts". I feel like the stakes weren't raised enough yet in the battle for that scene to have has much dread or impact as it could have. All that's to say that your edit is the Hobbit movie I will be watching whenever I'm in the mood for a Tolkien movie binge. A job well done! I can't way to watch your extended cut!

[@lamascararota666]

I just watched your cut. I had not watched the full films since the BotFA came out, since I was sincerely disappointed, yet there where many things about the Hobbit that I loved, and your edit really makes them shine. Not only did you make me like this films as much as I wanted, but I am sure I am going to rewatch them some time. Thank you for your work, you managed to polish a beautiful work that was hidden under a lot of bloat. The pacing was great and focusing the story on the relationship between Thorin and Bilbo was perfect. I loved how Gandalf's absence in the second movie was a continuing source of tension, something that with his sideplot was lost. And the short recap of Dol Guldur as a prologue to the last movie was perfect, especially since the destruction of Lake Town took is natural place as the conclusion of the Desolation of Smaug. There are many things which could be said in praise of this fan cut, great work

[@LynzArts]

I just finished watching the first two movies, and I'm impressed. They don't feel edited. I've seen a few other fan edits, and this one is definately the smoothest and I only knew where the edits were because I'm familiar with the originals. (also I watched your behind the scenes) Excellent work:)

[@Emunah_]

I loved the Hobbit book. I'm not as fond of the movie version as I was the Lord of the Rings, but I can see the hidden gem moments in the Hobbit. Thank you for pointing those gem moments out and fir reminding the audience about why we live these types of stories so much.

[@ChrisHartwell]

Of course! It was _genuinely_ a joy! If you've not done so already, feel free to message (email address in the description) and I can actually send you my cuts of the films!

[@wuzi7049]

I have recently found this, and have started my journey properly digesting these wonderful re-edits. It has already exceeded my expectations, and made me feel like it's the first time I'm really watching "the hobbit". And for me the hobbit book was more important than even the Lord of the rings. So watching this has already been very special to me. Thank you so much for doing such wonderful work. And allowing me to see something that has been important to me since my childhood. Really thank you so much!

[@Eta-ml1js]

Gotta say, I watched the extended cuts the first time and couldn't remember a thing from them. This time around I was much more mesmerized, it changed my opinions on the trilogy all together, so thanks and good job.

[@Izzy-fr1zu]

I just watched the first of your edits and wanted to tell you, that you did an amazing job with this! Thank you for sharing this treasure with us! :)

[@Seeker1187]

These were great! Thank you for your work. These are now my definitive editions of the films. I love how you made me LIKE the characters of both Thorin and Kili. These two I found to be hard to follow in motivation and a tad irritating. Your getting us from one character beat to the next without distraction and delay really made these characters more digestible and relatable. In terms of Kili and Tauriel, less is definitely more. I actually appreciated their attraction that revealed itself by pulling back on things (not full blown romance like in the original films). Well done good sir. Cannot wait to watch the extended editions.

[@xJusteBx]

Part One was excellent, very tightly paced and focused. Even with the cuts to the action there is still plenty. The added scenes add some nice character development. Part Two I had mixed feelings about the old ending but great job on the new one! You fixed it better than I could've imagined, it's pretty much perfect now, literally correcting every issue I had. Removing the shot of Smaug crashing through the gate fixes the continuity issue and I feel there is plenty there to imply what happened without having to see it. The tighter focus definitely helps improve the pacing and makes it feel more inline with the first film. Whereas the original cut was drowning in subplots. I'm very excited for the final entry.

[@ChrisHartwell]

_Extremely_ pleased to hear that it worked for you and _SO_ excited to share Part III

[@xJusteBx]

@@ChrisHartwell I had another thought. I actually think in the end it's more effective to not see Smaug exit Erebor. We hear it, see the characters in Lake Town react and in that moment we know as much as they do about what's happening. It creates a nice feeling of suspense. When we cut back to Smaug and he's airborne closing in on Lake TownI feel that shot hits that much harder and creates a feeling of dread I didn't feel in the theatrical cut.

[@ChrisHartwell]

@@xJusteBx Haha! I feel the _exact_ same way! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hp-TmKp5lNZrhNk

[@xJusteBx]

@@ChrisHartwell Whooa that is so cool! Legit had the same thoughts haha. And yeah props for relying on sound to communicate that event, that was a really creative way to not only solve the issue but elevate the scene.

[@ChrisHartwell]

@@xJusteBx Great minds think alike ;)

[@ristoh1420]

Just watched your cut of the first film, and I have to say that I loved it. No longer is the hobbit riddled with strings of side plots trying to tie it to the lord of the rings, but rather what it could've been, a story of Bilbo and his journey. And even though you didn't cut as much of the first film as you say you have of the rest of the films I still felt much closer to the story, and the beats of the story were clearer. Having watched the films in the theaters, and half a dozen times at home this viewing felt fresh and new even with the relatively slight changes shifting focus from a couple narratives to only one. Thank you Chris for this amazing experience, and can't wait for your cut of the second and third film! Risto H.

[@ChrisHartwell]

_SO_ elated to hear that you enjoyed the 1st film and _SO_ excited to share the 2nd and 3rd!

[@eldritchBolt]

Watched the extended versions of these cuts over Christmas as part of a Middle Earth marathon. I would rate these cuts incredibly highly, and I prefer them over the released films, extended or theatrical. All of them remove all those bits that made us cringe (most things with 'Alfred' and more), or otherwise just served as 'filler' (lava surfing scenes I'm looking at you). Gets you closer to the characters, closer in tone to LotR and such good fun to watch. The only issue I had was that the stereo mix sometimes sounds a little muffled when background music or sound effects in a certain hz range hit..... We are also convinced that there's a new section where Gandalf talks to Thranduil about his wife. Loved these editions, will definitely watch again.

[@ole-fredrikgjlstad5058]

Really enjoyed it, it flowed so much more, alot more engaing than the orignal one. A fantastic job. Thank you for allowing me to experience this. Just finished watching Lord of the Rings with my little sister, her first time seeing the movies, we went straight for the extended edition and she loved it. So the hobbit was the next thing she wanted to see but I was not about to sit down and watch those movies again as they feel so dragged out, but now im in. Cant wait for the next two.

[@ChrisHartwell]

It truly *warms my heart* hearing that you'll be sharing it with your younger sister for her first viewing! Hope you both enjoy!

[@mrtscience1]

I just watched your cut of the first film. It was a breath of fresh air. Thanks for doing these. It made the film into what I hoped to be watching in the cinema in 2012! I look forward to watching the others later this week.

[@garymunro2389]

I enjoyed the trimmed versions of these films - and the focused edits show that there are a lot of good material in the original films. Unfortunately the bloated aspect of some of the material and the inclusion of non-Hobbit material made them a target of fans and non-fans alike (either because of not sticking to the source material or because of longer movies having issues with pacing and engagement). These edits did fix a number of those issues. Thank you for creating these. It would be interesting to see Jackson’s Hobbit edit - an edit that only covered material from the book, and incorporated materials from all versions of the movies, plus content not previously seen.

[@bilbobagend4924]

After watching all three cuts I am glad to say I can finally fully enjoy the Hobbit movies as I have been wanting to for a long time. I am very impressed with the choices and edits you made and I hope more people get to experience these cuts. It seems the closest to my good memories of watching the movies in theatres when they first came out, it really brings out the best of them, amazing work!

[@rensdebruin5539]

Where did you watch it my friend?

[@beyondthecamera333]

I just finished the trilogy, and I have got to say, it was really good. Not perfect mind you, I feel even more could be cut, and many scenes should be shortened, but you have somehow transformed a trilogy I despise, into something I really like. I have seen a couple of Hobbit edits in my time, and I mostly like the cuts that turn the trilogy into a duology. But if I am in the mood to watch the Hobbit trilogy, I would probably just watch this instead. This really is the definitive way for me to experience this trilogy. One thing I love in this cut in particular, is that you have somehow made the battle of the 5 armies, fun to watch. Most edits of the film either cut out too much, or two little. This cut got it almost completely perfect. The most incredible thing is that it doesn't conflict with Jackson's vision. It genuinely feels like Jackson's trilogy, with a little more time in the oven, which is kind off weird. Overall, really really good. Especially what you did to films 2 and 3. If you don't like the Hobbit, please give this a chance. It might change your mind.

[@medalgear654]

how can I see them?

[@beyondthecamera333]

@@medalgear654 Just shoot my man Chris an gmail, and he’ll send you the Vimeo link :)

[@medalgear654]

@@beyondthecamera333 okay :-)...do you know what his email is?

[@beyondthecamera333]

@@medalgear654 go to the description of the video laddy

[@B2-1]

Finished the whole trilogy. Absolutely a dream come true seeing what I consider to be the best way to re edit these films: with Peter Jackson's vision intact. It's almost like three acts as opposed to 3 films which also lends to feeling more of a faithful adaptation. I'll be adding these to my lord of the rings marathons, they're just as they should have been: A trilogy worthy of classic status! Well done!

[@theonewhoknocks7350]

The edit is well crafted. Really enjoyed a more focused story about the Hobbit.

[@OfficialRedTeamReview]

Interesting. I would've kept the white council because thats extra lore stuff that I enjoy, even some of the minor stuff but I agree: Tauriel and Alfred had to go. Radagast? I don't know. I would've like to have seen the other wizards besides Saruman and Gandalf.

[@ChrisHartwell]

That's why I left them in my _Extended Edition_ ;)

[@OfficialRedTeamReview]

@@ChrisHartwell wait wait wait, you left those in but did you keep out alfred and tauriel? if so email that to me ASAP. sent you one just now

[@pgattei]

Fantastic! I did feel the originals felt bloated, and now having watched your edit I do feel you have trimmed the film to be more of an emotional journey than I experienced when I saw Unxpected Journey upon its release. I applaud your motivation to do this and your respect for the original source material and films. You have enhanced the Hobbit Trilogy from my perspective, not detracted from what has gone before. And I now have a deeper appreciation for what Peter Jackson sought to achieve. Thanks

[@slintirreg]

We had a small watch party and saw them all. Let me just say: thank you. I have more words to cherish what you did there but those are the important ones.

[@C.M-r4p]

We just finished your edit of the movies, and really enjoyed them! Thank you so much!

[@juanse64]

I hated the forced love triangle involving a dwarf and a couple of elfs, I was deeply annoyed by that random white orc antagonist, and I couldn't stand that Bard guy and his pity problems with cartoonish villains...THEN... I saw this edit and realized that, against my best judgement, the solution did not require to completely extirpate these subplots from the movie. I end up empathising with Bard and his bad luck in life but strong values within... I cared about Thorin's clean character arc and how he is constantly battling against his past physically and mentally, and I loved to watch an elf and a dwarf sharing a playful dynamic which was born out of curiosity, scale to sincere appreciation, and was prematurely cut off before it could scale to something more. This edit is amazing! made me really appreciate the effort and love all the crew invested in fleshing up this film adaptation of a short book. THANKS CHRIS!

[@Driver96981]

We really enjoyed your edit of the first movie. We didn't really notice a difference which I think is good because it just worked. Looking forward to the other two which you had more significant changes.

[@thebalzan9475]

After a year of having this sitting on my PC, I finally watched it. From three bloated films I thought had promise you managed to create beautiful films that I would love to have on disc. What's more you turned the worst of the trilogy "The Battle of Five Armies" into my favourite. Truly the work of a wizard.