Director's Cuts That Are Better Than The Theatrical Movies

Some movie lovers contend the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings series are too long, but it’s harder to make that argument with Return of the King. Even though the movie runs over three hours, director Peter Jackson had to cut dozens of scenes from the theatrical version, including many that clear up plot holes.

Running nearly an hour longer, the extended edition provides a resolution to the fate of key villain Saruman. It also adds depth to the characters of Faramir, Denethor, and Eowyn.

The director’s cut of Aliens takes time to get going, but many viewers find it more satisfying than the theatrical version. The most important changes add depth to Ripley’s character, showcasing the difficulties she faces after spending 57 years in hypersleep, which include missing out on the entire lifetime of her young daughter Amanda.

Another scene shows Newt’s living family, giving viewers a glimpse of the young girl before surviving a Xenomorph onslaught. Other scenes give fans one of the movie’s most intense set pieces, as well as foreshadow the discovery of a massive Alien Queen. Though the narrative basically remains the same, the special edition of Aliens tells its story in a more involved fashion.

With an extra 25 minutes to work with, Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of Watchmen brings it a little closer to the classic graphic novel's story. A plethora of small additional scenes and shots add depth to just about every character in the movie.

Most critically, many scenes with Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl, were readded to the director’s cut. These scenes, including Hollis’s tragic end, provide a counterpoint between the old hero’s optimism and the rest of the world's rising nihilism.

Despite having a similar runtime to previous cuts, the final cut is considered the definitive version of Blade Runner. It moves a number of small puzzle pieces into place that better clarify the moral “swap” that happens late in the movie when viewers’ sympathies are supposed to switch from Deckard to replicants Batty and Pris.

Like the “director’s cut” before it, the final cut also removes the detested expository narration and awkward happy ending the studio behind Blade Runner had forced into the movie’s theatrical version. The final cut, however, is the version director Ridley Scott feels encompasses his full vision.

Shortly before the release of Kingdom of Heaven, Fox got nervous about the runtime and forced director Ridley Scott to cut 45 minutes from the movie. The complex story suffered; thus, both audiences and critics gave the flick mixed responses. Fox decided to release Scott’s director’s cut on DVD - this version was hailed as a much better film.

The additional scenes give context to the story of religious strife and enhance the characters of Balian and Godfrey. They also include graphic scenes that would have given the movie an NC-17 rating. Mainly, though, the added content pertains to Sibylla, who gets transformed from a hollow romantic interest to a complex, tragic figure struggling with the effects leprosy has had on her family.

Director Richard Donner filmed about 75% of Superman II before taking a break to edit the first movie. He was subsequently fired due to tensions with producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind. Richard Lester took over as director and reshot much of Donner’s footage, replacing it with sillier, more comedic moments. Decades later, Donner finally got a chance to restore as much of his version of Superman II as possible for a special DVD release.

Critics and audiences viewed the Donner cut as a much more epic and emotionally involved movie. Apart from omitting goofy moments, the Donner cut restores many scenes with Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Jor-El. Donner thought including the Jor-El scenes was critical to tie up the father-son story arc between the two movies.