The second one really shows the motivation and life of Faramir. It gives so many scenes to his credit that you really get to have some feeling for him (and what happens to him) in ROTK.
The soup scene was funny, but I understand why it was cut.
Also, will the EE version of ROTK include the fight in the Shire? I was waiting for it to happen then I got the  sappy, boring half hour of saying goodbye. Because the end of the book is very important to the whole story (IMHO), I felt slightly cheated. Like the Empire Strikes Back, my favorite is the second of this trilogy.
And speaking of hobbits, we have tacit approval from the family. Next step, final approval.  From IMDB:
Tolkien Great-Grandson Gives Jackson 'Hobbit' Blessing
Peter Jackson has some very special support in his quest to film J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit - the author's great-grandson. The director, who made a trilogy of Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings books to massive critical and commercial acclaim, is hoping disputes over the novel's rights will not prove an obstacle to making the movie prequel - and Royd Tolkien, 34, has now given Jackson his blessing. He says, "I would love to see Peter Jackson make a film of The Hobbit. That would be the perfect ending."