sorry i was unclear. i mean the original 3 films that have Elijah Wood etc. i recommend the extended edition only because some of the cuts they made for the theater release removed some context that was kinda important to understand what all is going on, unless you already know the story. the Hobbit movies are all terrible in my opinion and i haven't bothered finishing them. but that's because they barely resemble the books at all and are full of characters and situations that shouldn't be in them. i recommend the book if you want to know what it's about, it's a much easier read than the trilogy.