Perfect movie length?

[Blu Man]

Well what is the perfect movie length for you? There's a poll above, but if you have different time go ahead and say it. And write why you prefer a certain length.

[Stubblecat]

Don't see the poll yet, but I'm usually happiest at just under 2 hours.

All depends on context though. A good story demands a longer running time, which is why the last 2 Harry Potter films suffered. Too much had to be cut out to make what the studio saw as an 'acceptable' running time.

Titanic was 3 hours and change, and was the perfect length. The director *usually* has the time right once a good editor steps in to assist.

[BACsader]

Don't see the poll, but for me, the perfect movie length isn't a set amount of time, its when the movie is supposed to end and I am not quite sick of it. For instance, Dark City runs about 1:50, and I could definitely see that movie being longer and I wanted more. Something like Casino, which runs about 2:40, I am absolutely sick of it, not because it is too long, but because the freaking movie gets repetitive. The Godfather 2 is about three hours, and for me, it is perfect. So not really a set amount of time, more like the right time.

[DetroitSportsFan]

As long as I'm entertained, I don't care about the running time.

[ckent22]

Well it's interesting. I'm in the business and Hollywood won't even read a script from an up and coming writer that's any less or any more than 90 pages. You could be the best writer in the world but they will look at the first page and last page and make sure that it's 90 pages on the dot. You've got to either know someone or be established to make it longer.

With that said, my preferred length is 2 and a half hours. Perfect length.

[Blu Man]

Originally Posted by ckent22

Well it's interesting. I'm in the business

What's your job?

[Crim122]

As long as the movie is good I could really careless. But generally 2 or 2.5 hrz.

[jsteinhauer]

For the average, entertaining movie, 100 minutes is about perfect. There are exceptions, of course. Inane comedies are often fine for 80 minutes, and well-paced, involved stories can go on for over two hours and seem appropriate. It's all in the content and the pacing. It's hard to stick with stupidity and fast paced content for more than 2 hours, though.

I often pick my movie based on the running time. Some nights, I feel like watching two movies, so I pick two shorties. Some nights, there is not enough time for two, so I pick a long one. Other nights, I want to watch something on late night TV or a game on the DVR, so I pick one of appropriate length.

[j3ff86]

If it's a good movie, doesn't matter, but I think 2 1/2 hours is a good limit.

[Blu-Benny]

if it's good, i won't pay attn. to how long it is. 2 - 2.5 hours is good though.

[Chevypower]

Whatever the director wants... how funny... Let's see how pure these purists are when a 10 hour movie comes out. You have to watch it in one sitting too :-)

[cajmoyper]

While we're on the subject, I've been reading a lot of reviews calling TDK overstuffed and overlong. I'm willing to bet this was only after they saw the length. There wasn't a part in that movie that was useless. Especially not

[Show spoiler]Two-Face.

[nycomet]

I like long ones. (That's what HE said!)

But the story MUST be great or forget about it. I often become immersed in lengthy films such as the classic Cecil B. Demille "The Ten Commandments." Recent long ones that I adore include "Gladiator" and "Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - At World's End."

Conversely, some movies seem too short. "Alien vs. Predator" (even the unrated director's cut) seemed too short. It seems "rushed" because there was not enough time devoted to building the timeline of events or character development.

Wall•E and Kung Fu Pinda seemed perfect to me as far as movie length is concerned. Most movies are. But the occasional extra long film like "Braveheart" or "Kingdom of Heaven" truly benefit from the additional over-two-hours movie length. Cameron's "Titanic" would have sank without the extended time provided to add dimension to the overall movie experience... despite the fact that it all added up to nothing more than a chick flick.

As Albert Einstein once said: "Time is irrelevant."

[jsteinhauer]

The IP perhaps should have specified "good movie". LOTR, for intents and purposes is one movie as opposed to POTC, which is three standalones. I love LOTR, but I still can't watch more than one of the three in a sitting.

[MarkJ801]

I voted 1:45, then realized there was the option for whatever the director intended

[BLUE MYSTIC RAIN]

The longer the better!!!
( If i say what i'd really like i might get into trouble ...)

It depends on the movie.

[andyman1970]

I voted for the director, but generally I'd say comedies and animation about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs, dramas and action I can go 2 to 2 1/2 sometime 3 and movies like LOTR I can easily sit through the entire 3 to 4 hrs of the extended versions.

[hardcorefrokid]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

As long as I'm entertained, I don't care about the running time.

+1

[Aerodude73]

Most comedies are around 80-90 mins., and if I'm thinking of going to see a Comedy - say something like the new "Four Christmases" with Reece Witherspoon & Vince Vaughan -- I look at the run time. That one runs 80 or 82 mins., and i'm like "do I want to spend $____ for a movie that's an hour and 20 minutes?!" NOOO!! No matter what the genre, to ME, i'f i'm going Out to the theater, it must be 90 mins. or longer for me to see it. Action movies/dramas/sci-fi flicks you can bet are usually 1:45 to maybe a bit over 2 hrs. As long as the STORY doesn't bog down, and I don't look at my watch every 20 mins., then that's a GOOD thing. Dances With Wolves, Titanic, The Perfect Storm, The Dark Knight, are all over 2:30 or 3 hrs, but they all had Great stories and good actors and directors --so movies like that can work also.

[Marquoz]

I would prefer around 2 hours. A lot of the 90 minute movies seem like they are cut short by the short running time. It's like the movie is jus rushed in parts or there are chunks of it missing here and there. Overly long ones like The Postman you can fall asleep during, wake up, and realize you didn't really miss anything.