Do you think action movies are too long nowadays? (cinema, thrillers, short)

[ironpony]

It seems they are, like it seems that most superhero movies want to go over two hours and feel too long, like they are trying to stick in an extra act of twists and turns we didn't need and could have ended at the 2 hour or less mark.

It's the same with movies like The Fast and Furious movies, the last four have all been over 2 hours it seems.

And the last two James Bond movies almost reached 2 and a half hours each.

I feel that maybe the movie that started this was The Dark Knight. It had a reason to be 2 and a half hours long, as they did have a lot of story and plot to unfold to get where their needed to go.

But that movie was such a hit that all these other action movies that are following are saying "oh man, we got to make our movies longer and jam pack in a lot more story like that one now".

But I don't feel they have to do this every time. The last few Fast and the Furious movies, I was looking at my clock after about 110 minutes. I feel that was perhaps the better days of action movies when they knew it was okay to end at around 100-115 minutes around, and did not feel the need to compete with The Dark Knight so much.

But what do you think? Have they gotten better for adding in more story and wanting to be longer, or do the plots start to feel they are getting a little worn out and tedious after about 110 minutes or so?

[Clarallel]

Well, I can tell you this: They certainly SEEM long.

I find that by the time they finally get to the climactic fights, I'm dozing off.

Maybe the problem isn't just that they may be long, but that the length doesn't mean any additional depth or complexity.

[Mark S.]

No. I prefer long movies --- if the story is good. "No good movie is too long. No mad movie is short enough." (Roger Ebert) The problem with any of the Fast and the Furious movies not their length. If you're watching a movie that is the cinematic equivalent of a gas station burrito, don't be surprised if it doesn't taste great.

Most action flicks in the neighborhood of 90 - 110 minutes come across as shallow to me. There are exceptions, of course. HELL OR HIGH WATER was around 100 minutes, and it is one of the best action/thrillers I have seen in years.

[MisterShipWreck]

I like the 90 minute movie of the 80s and 90s. Past 2 hours IS too long. Some are going 2.5 now. But, even 2 hours can seem long

[banjomike]

I suspect that the length of time gamers play their games determines the length of some of the new action movies.