5 Movies Whose Director's Cuts Worked Wonders

Director’s Cut as a concept has taken off in the last decade, partly due to Zack Snyder and the extent of editions that he has released for multiple films. However, as a concept, filmmakers have experimented with a ‘director’s cut’ for more than half a decade, and quite a few of them have come to be well-loved by fans of their movies.

This includes some stellar names, such as Peter Jackson, whose editions of the LOTR franchise are still considered well-loved by fans. Here, we look at some of the best director's cuts that fans have had the opportunity to watch, thus far.

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Five best director's Cuts that are well-remembered by fans

1) The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)

2001's LOTR also received a final cut. (Amazon Prime)

First and foremost, we have the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The creator, Peter Jackson, released the director's cuts for all of the three movies in the franchise, released in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Each of the director's cuts did not just give fans extra lore that explained a range of plot points and allowed the filmmaker to drive home his perspectives.

In total, 128 minutes of extra content was included in the three director's cuts, as a range of critical elements were explained and included. This included scenes that drove home events such as the Huorns’ attack on Isengard, Theodred's funeral, and Saruman's death. The theatrical cuts were also praised for the better story pacing, and are enough to make any LOTR fan nostalgic about the early 2000s franchise.

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2. Kingdom Of Heaven (2005)

2005’s Kingdom of Heaven featured a range of superstars. This includes Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Michael Sheen, and Edward Norton, as Ridley Scott himself was put under pressure to remove some scenes from his final version. However, he released a director’s cut in 2006 that allowed fans to go over the entirety of his vision.

A range of epic scenes were included, which also added to the overall lore of the film. This included extended scenes featuring the Gravedigger, the fight between Balian and Guy, and a range of other scenes that further improved the fan experience. Overall, Scott’s director’s cut elevated the movie and is one of the best director cuts released thus far.

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3. Apocalypse Now (1979)

Apocalypse Now is available on Amazon Prime. (Amazon Prime)

Next up, we have Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece in the form of Apocalypse Now. This one starred the likes of Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando, with a director’s cut adding around 45 minutes of extra content. While the original movie was released in 1979, Coppola released a Redux version in 2001, which further added an hour of footage, compared to the original.

Regardless, several scenes that better explained his vision were included, as a range of developments added an emphatic edge, especially to Marlon Brando’s character of Colonel Kurtz. The final cut from Coppola was also restored for the 4k version of the in 2019, as it further elevated the overall experience for fans.

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4. Superman II (1980)

Richard Donner’s Superman II was released back in 1980, starring Christopher Reeve as the titular superhero. Donner was initially fired from the movie due to payment disputes, which ended up with Richard Lester taking over and making significant changes to the movie.

However, in 2006, Donner eventually released his director's cut, which featured his vision and improved the overall experience. While Superman II is largely seen as a flop, Donner’s version elevated the fan experience and included a range of scenes, with quite a few Marlon Brando scenes also featuring in this version. This nostalgic director's cut has also received love from fans.

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5. Blade Runner (1982)

Blade Runner is also available on Amazon Prime. (Amazon Prime)

Ridley Scott’s 1982 Blade Runner starred Harrison Ford in the lead. The movie underwent a range of cuts and the final version was 117 minutes long. However, it did not include a range of scenes and elements that Scott wanted, and he removed a range of scenes that did away with the narrative’s happy ending.

The result was a sequel-setting narrative as Scott eventually released another final Director's Cut in 2007. It not only further elevated his vision, but also featured new music from Vangelis.

Blade Runner’s director's cut also deserves a place in this list and is one of the best-remembered versions that have been released thus far.