Despite the fact that movies are crafted by the director, not every movie has a 'director's cut' release. Some films are heavily edited at the request of a studio and, generally, this results in a vastly different film than the one imagined by the director of the movie. This often leads to the 'director's cuts' being released for home video. While these director's cuts have a reputation of being superior to the original cut of the movie, this is not always the case as director's cuts can often have several superfluous scenes that add little to the movie.

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This article will list 5 director's cuts that are better than the theatrical cuts and five that are worse.

Surpassed: Watchmen (2009)

Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach in Watchmen

Watchmen had been in development since the 80s, with the rights of Alan Moore's famous graphic novel being passed around movie studios for several decades before its eventual release in 2009 under the direction of 300 director, Zack Snyder.

Despite the fact that the initial cut of the movie received positive reviews from critics, fans of the graphic novel greatly prefer the director's cut of Zack Snyder's classic 2009 comic book movie.

Worse: The Warriors (1979)

Released in 1979, The Warriors follows a New York gang in the near future that's framed for the murder of a mafia boss and must take an incredibly long journey back home, while fighting off other gang members who believe they committed the murder.

The director's cut of the movie was released in order to coincide with a Grand Theft Auto release, though this cut unnecessarily messed with the pacing and visuals of the film, resulting in a cartoonish mess.

Surpassed: Superman II (1980)

Superman II

For many, Christopher Reeve simply is Superman. The late actor portrayed the Man of Steel for four films, though the first two in the series are typically considered to be the best in the franchise. The original version of Superman II was started by Richard Donner, but completed by Richard Lester, who opted to focus on a more comedic version of Superman.

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While the original version wasn't terrible, fans almost unanimously agree that the Richard Donner cut is far superior as it doesn't rely on the camp comedy of the original cut. This superiority is also seen in the Rotten Tomatoes scores, with the Donner cut receiving 90% and the Lester version receiving 85%.

Worse: Apocalypse Now (1979)

Dennis Hopper in at Kurtz's temple in Apocalypse Now

Directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola and starring Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Harrison Ford, and a young Laurence Fishburne, Apocalypse Now is a war film that tells the story of Captain Willard's mission into Cambodia to kill a renegade colonel.

The film received universal acclaim upon its initial release in 1979 and in 2001, Coppola released a director's cut of the film named Apocalypse Now: Redux. However, fans believed that the additional scenes simply made the narrative bloated without adding anything of note to the story.

Surpassed: Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott's Blade Runner is one of the best science fiction movies of all time. Starring Harrison Ford as Deckard, the film follows Deckard as he becomes a special agent on the quest to kill a gang of violent androids. However, the film is more than a simple action flick, with Deckard questioning himself while on this mission.

The film has had several different cuts released since its initial theatrical cut, but Ridley Scott insists that the definitive version of the classic film is the final cut. It is hard to disagree with Scott, who seems to have a good track record with releasing very good director's cuts.

Worse: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the most loved science fiction films of all time and is generally considered to be the best in the Terminator franchise. The film not only has some of the best action in the Terminator franchise, but also has the best antagonist in the form of the T-1000 liquid metal terminator.

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While the theatrical cut was outstanding, fans were less enthused with the directors cut of the film. This director's cut messed with the pacing of the movie, adding superfluous scenes and strange

Surpassed: The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy

Merry, Pippin, Frodo, and Sam.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most successful and critically acclaimed trilogies of all time. Adapted from the seminal and iconic Lord of the Rings novels by J.R.R. Tolkein, the films use the picturesque New Zealand scenery to perfectly capture the identity of Tolkein's Middle Earth.

While the theatrical cuts are already fantastic, extended editions allow you to spend even more time in Middle Earth. The additional scenes allow for more character development and it truly makes for a more enjoyable experience.

Worse: Dumb And Dumber (1994)

Dumb and Dumber is one of the most memorable and iconic comedies of the past few decades. Directed by the Farrelly Brothers and starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, the film features iconic performances from the two lead stars and some of the most quotable moments in movie history.

Several cuts of the film exist, though the one that makes this list is the unrated cut. This cut features several scenes that couldn't make it into the theatrical cut and for good reason. These new scenes add little to the central characters, making them more villainous in certain aspects, and are far more disturbing than they are funny.

Surpassed: Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

kingdom of heaven orlando bloom

Fresh off the back of the massively successful Gladiator, Ridley Scott began to work on another historical epic. Kingdom of Heaven followed a blacksmith named Balian (Orlando Bloom) as he ended up in the Holy Land during the Crusades. The theatrical cut of the movie was released to poor reviews, with many seeing the film as just another historical epic.

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However, the movie was heavily edited in order to cut the film down to a length that the studio felt was appropriate. As the release of the director's cut showed, however, this ruined the film. The director's cut of this movie features several new scenes and storylines that explain character actions far more clearly than the original cut, showing that the director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven is a true cinematic masterpiece.

Worse: Donnie Darko (2001)

This one may be controversial. The casual viewer of Donnie Darko may prefer the director's cut as it explains far more of the movie's plot in a clearer manner than the theatrical cut, however, fans of the movie believe that the director's cut dumbs down the plot of the movie.

Despite the controversy, it seems fair to include the director's cut of Donnie Darko in the 'worst' category due to how much fans of the property dislike the cut.

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