Theatrical version is great, but if you want Tolkein's World...

Rating: 9/10 (14 August 2003)

...get the extended version.
I certainly understand the requirement for pace and action in a film, but in this case the movie is an attempt to create Tolkein's world. The theatrical version succeeds on the pace level, but if you really want to enter into the world of Middle Earth, get the extended version.
I believe that the extended version is much closer to injecting the viewer into Tolkein's world. It is not as herky-jerky as the theatrical version. You understand motivations, and are generally more immersed into the characters' situations.
My hope is that the extended version of TTR does the same thing for that film.
FOTR is a great movie. Saw it 8 times because my local theater held it over for 7 months. I hope that New Line and PJ reward the fan support with a theatrical version of the extended version. Or at least a re-release of the FOTR and TT extended versions in theaters prior to the release of ROTK. (Not that I'm holding my breath...)
T/V 8/10; E/V 9/10...