7 Movies Where The Villain Dies Earlier Than You Think
5. Sauron - The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King (Extended Edition)
It's certainly no secret that the trilogy-capping, Best Picture-winning The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King bombards viewers with about half-a-dozen narrative off-ramps before finally wrapping up, such that the original theatrical release isn't over until around 30 minutes after Sauron is actually defeated.
But Peter Jackson's definitive Extended Edition - which adds 51 minutes of footage to the runtime - dares to widen this gap to a level of practical self-parody.
If you include the fan club credits stapled to the end of the Extended Edition, there's a bladder-busting 50 minutes between Sauron's demise and the actual end of the film, during which every possible scrap of usable footage has seemingly been included.
As much as Jackson's commitment to closure is both respectful to fans and well-known enough to be widely mocked over the last 18 years, if you've only dared stomach the theatrical versions, you're evidently getting off lightly.