I did generally liked the extended cut. It's not a lean movie - and some of the fat that has been put back in should really have been left out.
- Christopher Lee starts off really well, but by the time of his death (moments later) he looks a bit bored with it all. Perhaps he'd been told it wasn't going in the cinematic release.
- The Witchking vs Gandalf left me wanting more - it had promise - then fizzled. Not sure there was any point in the scene other than explaining why Gandalf lost his staff.
- Denethor/Faramir remained brilliant. This reminds me that the "Into the West" theme is much better used in the score rather than when being sung.
- Mouth of Sauron was great - but you can see how it was a nice easy trim.
And was it just my imagination or did Gimli have a serious line?