Why are most films over 2 hours long these days?

[Ilovepearjuice]

Fair enough that there are some films that have so much content that it's really needed (LOTR for example). However, so many films I've seen recently seem to be tipping over the 2 hour mark when, in my opinion, they could easily be condensed into 1.5 hours! The latest James Bond is a good example - good start and ending but a tedious middle scene with too much car chasing.

Is it just me or is it more rare to find a film less than 2 hours these days?

It really bugs me that most films are so long now. It really puts me off watching, a bit like when you get a massive plate of food I just feel over faced by it! It's all just filler, the last long film I watched could easily have ended 45 minutes earlier.

I could not agree more, OP.

There's a place for epic movies (and, as a massive Dune fan, I will defend it as needing the length!) almost everything is 2hrs+ now, and most of them are none the better for it. You could take almost any 2.5hr movie and cut 30 minutes without losing much. Not all, but some.

Just checked the runtime of the latest Fast and Furious movie - 2hrs 20 minutes. Hollywood has gone insane.

You’re so right, I lose interest in a lot of tv series as well due to this, BBC I’m looking at you. Long drawn out silences, majestic shots of scenery, just get on with the plot. Also smoother piece of mine. The BBC funding filming trips abroad for entire crews and actors. I’m sure they decide on where the action takes place so that they can have a nice freebie out there. I once saw a Nigella cooking programme where they went to Italy to film her opening a window in a hotel She once worked in. I bet the film crew loved that trip.

Oh god Dune was painful. Too many scenes of the main young chap smouldering at the camera (reminded me of Flyn Rider in tangled). and yes took waaay too long to get to the desert. And those sand worms are actually prettty slow, the scene with the spice harvester they had LOADS of time

He and Zendaya are both very attractive so it's a good looking film.

But way too long.

Finding Nemo is about the maximum length I can sit through

1hr 40mins

Totally agree.I find films over 2 hours are usually crap( poor editing).

One of my favourite films is Gone with the Wind and that is almost 4 hours long.

I can't understand why so many people have a problem sitting watching something for any length of time. Every time we go to the cinema there are people in and out throughout the film. If you can't sit still don't go just watch it at home

I blame Titanic. Since then films have been getting needlessly longer and I hate it. I barely have the patience for 90 minutes. There's also nowhere near enough thrillers or dramas being made. I have zero interest in watching yet another marvel or fast and furious film 😫

I always get frustrated with unnecessarily long chase scenes in horror films or thrillers

And fight scenes. They just go on for too long. I look away during fight scenes anyway.

I like watching films at our local independent cinema as they always have a break in the middle. There is a bar where you can get a drink or you can get an ice cream. It reminds me of going to the cinema as a child.

@mydogisthebest

One of my favourite films is Gone with the Wind and that is almost 4 hours long.

I can't understand why so many people have a problem sitting watching something for any length of time. Every time we go to the cinema there are people in and out throughout the film. If you can't sit still don't go just watch it at home

I don’t think the issue is the length as such. I’ve seen Cleopatra (the one with Richard Burton and Liz Taylor) it’s unnecessarily long films that annoy me. We went to see Dune today and that could’ve been half hour shorter to be honest 🤣

And fight scenes. They just go on for too long. I look away during fight scenes anyway.

There's a reason official fight rounds are very short. Because you get tired and have spaghetti arms really quickly. IRL the fittest fighters couldn't do that.

There's a reason official fight rounds are very short

They always feel far too long to me.

@RampantIvy

There's a reason official fight rounds are very short

They always feel far too long to me.

They certainly are when you're the fighter! 2-3 minutes is an eternity!

@SkepticalCat off topic, but you've just reminded me of how much I love the English Patient.

Definitely agree - there are very few films that really need to be that long. Django Unchained was an egregiously bad example of this - over the last hour it was pretty much nothing but improbable gun fights. The tiny amount of plot would probably have fitted into an hour or less.

There are longer films that don't seem long because they've got the pacing and storytelling right. I rewatched Se7en the other night (just over 2 hours) and it's just so tense and exciting. I'm a bit of a gore-hound so I don't necessarily disapprove of fight scenes and gun battles but they need to be short and to the point!

We used to go to an aquarium with an IMax/3D thing with water and sprays and moving seats. The two films I remember Polar Express and Happy Feet - 20/25 minutes max and the whole plot was there nothing felt like it was missing. We've watched the full versions at home since and can't work out what was cut.

So I'd agree editing is an under appreciated art and yes more so than ever before so many films now drag.

Ooooh Seven is excellent.