Fresh on the heels of the release of the Extended Edition of ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,’ an enterprising fan has digitized the new footage and compiled it all into one 27 minute clip (below). While it kind of takes away the fun of buying the extended edition and seeing for yourself what additions Peter Jackson and company have made to the world of the film, it is interesting to see all the new scenes put together out of context, as it gives a greater idea about exactly how much was added, and in some ways, why those scenes were cut in the first place.

From the rehashing the Dwarven battle in front of Moria with Thorin and Gandalf in the opening scene , a goofy scene wherein Gandalf and Bilbo introduce themselves and the maligned dwarves to Beorn, an extended look at the dangers of the Mirkwood Waters, extra dialogue discussing the dark tombs Gandalf visits later in the film, and the battle with and revelation that Thrain (Thorin’s father) was still alive and trapped at the necromancer’s fortress, and was with Gandalf during his capture at said fortress, there is a lot of content here. The video is sure to please a lot of fans, and stir up some controversy with others.

Also included in this online cornucopia of extras, are a few snippets of featurettes from the extended edition, including pieces about Tauriel and her daggers, the Master of Laketown, and Legolas’ part in the crazy barrel scene of the movie.

And finally, the last bit of information from the extended edition learned this week was heard during the director’s commentary on the film, where Peter Jackson comments on the fact that the MPAA almost gave the film an R rating due to the twitching leg of the dying Orc in the scene with Thranduil and his son Legolas. Jackson calls it the “R-rated twitching foot” and comments that “When the film went to the MPAA, the thing that they were the most concerned about was the twitching leg…It’s strange. I don’t know what the thinking was about that.” Fortunately, Jackson was intent on leaving the scene as part of the movie, and it can still be seen, right after Thranduil takes off the orc’s head and the camera pulls back. (as seen below)

With these tidbits to whet my appetite, I know I am looking forward to seeing the full ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ Extended Edition now that it is out on Blu-Ray. And of course, its great to jump back into the world right before the final chapter hits theaters in December.

Source: IndiewireBusiness Insider