RoccondilRinon said:
If it's cut out, the movie is too obviously a first chapter; and it's too dark an ending for what is otherwise the lightest movie in the series.

I don't see how any on these are bad things. Why wouldn't the 1st chapter feel like the 1st chapter? What's wrong with that?

And who said that it's supposed to be the lightest movie in the series? Yes, I know what RLM said about the 2nd chapter, but - 1st of all, it's not an unbreakable rule. And 2nd of all - who said that Part 2 can't be edited to be even more darker?

Besides, if you look at the material we have - Part 3 will be the darkest. It's just unavoidable.