Today was the first of three scheduled movie viewings this month, all of movies that include the words “Lord” and “Rings” in their bipartite titles.

Ben, John, Constance and I went to the before-noon showing of the extended edition of Fellowship. And when you extend a movie that was already three hours in length, you can expect numb buttocks when you’re through. Still, it’s a damned good movie, and I had damned good company. I miss hanging out with Ben, dammitall.

This was my first time watching the extended version, and my eighth viewing of the movie itself. I still like it just as much as I ever did, I must say. The added bits were, well, added bits. Some were entire scenes originally cut, while others were extended versions of scenes. Whole scenes include a brief bit between Gandalf and Frodo just before they arrive at the entrance to Moria, and another short sequence in which Aragorn and Boromir spot Gollum trailing behind the Fellowship along the river. And let’s not forget Singing Aragorn. (I like Viggo, yeah, but sadly he just can’t sing.) Gimli has some material restored that balances his use as Comic Relief Dwarf, and that’s a damned good thing.

As for extended versions of scenes, those were mostly in the fight sequences. We watch Legolas showing off his ability to draw down and shoot nearby targets in rapid succession, towards the end; in the original edit, we see him get off three shots, while in this edit it’s more like six or seven. The cave troll battle is almost twice as long, and this edit answers the question of how the troll ends up with the spear he uses to impale Frodo. Boromir, in the same sequence, gets a fabulous “oh, hell” take as he realizes that being chained to an angry cave troll might be a bad idea.

Nothing significant about the movie is changed, and only a few of the restored clips feel jarring, forced or out of place. You walk away from the extended version feeling much the way you do about the original: “Okay, I’m ready for the next one… just let me go to the bathroom, stretch my legs, and grab a bite to eat, please.”

Actually, I need to amend that. One major thing is different: The feel of things at the beginning. In the original edit, there’s a real feel of complete innocence and lightness in the early Shire scenes. Now, however, with the much-revised opening sequences, the ambience is darkened somewhat. It’s a subtle change, but it colors your viewing of the rest of the early part of the movie. I leave it to better minds than mine to determine if this is a good or bad thing… for me, it is merely different.

Next week? The Two Towers… extended edition. I’m really looking forward to that one, since I’ve only seen Towers a couple of times in the theater and never on DVD…