# As a general rule, Comedy movies should be under 2 hours long **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [July 3, 2021, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623 "2021-07-03T19:19:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/21 "2021-07-05T12:06:05Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I like this rule, but of course _It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World_ is an excellent exception to it. > > _Blues Brothers_ as just mentioned is another good exception. > > One more excellent exception, I forgot, _Dogma_ is actually 130 minutes. “Dogma” is bloated. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I could not disagree more. Roger Ebert said it best: “No good movie is too long, and no bad movie is short enough.” Part of the reason you think a movie is really great is that it’s not too long. Editing is super important. Comedy generally works in chunks of 90-120 minutes; that’s pretty well established. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/22 "2021-07-05T14:22:43Z")
A good example of this is Judd Apatow films. Everyone seems to like them with the exception that “it ran a little long”. 40 Year-old Virgin was damn near perfect and was just under two hours. Stuff like KnockedUp, This Is 40, Funny People just wear out their welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/23 "2021-07-05T18:22:56Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > As a general rule aren’t they already under 2 hours, along with most movies in most categories? According to [Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/films/genre/comedy/on/netflix-us/by/longest/size/small/page/3/), of the 1368 comedy films on Netflix US, ~160 of them (12%) are over 2 hours in length. However, the longest comedies are overwhelmingly foreign, primarily Indian. Roughly eyeballing, it doesn’t seem like there are more than 20 or 30 English language comedies over 2 hours long so 95%+ of comedies probably fall under 2 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/24 "2021-07-05T18:53:33Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I like this rule, but of course _It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World_ is an excellent exception to it. > > _Blues Brothers_ as just mentioned is another good exception. I, on the other hand, would offer these two movies as evidence proving that long comedy movies don’t work. I tend to agree with the OP. It’s really difficult to keep good comedy going for too long a period. Even if the filmmakers manage to maintain a high level of comedy, at some point the viewer’s sense of humor will go numb and they’ll stop enjoying the jokes. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/25 "2021-07-05T19:07:15Z")
Like most other movie genres is the point. > **[Are movies getting longer?](https://stephenfollows.com/are-movies-getting-longer/)** > > It: Chapter Two is an unusual horror film because it’s almost three hours long.  This means it is longer than 99.78% of all horror films made over the past twenty years. Earlier in the year Avengers: Endgame was one minute over the three-hour... Comedies average middle of the pack. Longer than the average documentary, horror, sci-fi, adventure, or thriller movie, and shorter than the average drama, romance, or musical … all of which often have comic elements. And _they_ average well under two hours. Too grossers average longer. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/26 "2021-07-05T19:19:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I tend to agree with the OP. It’s really difficult to keep good comedy going for too long a period. Even if the filmmakers manage to maintain a high level of comedy, at some point the viewer’s sense of humor will go numb and they’ll stop enjoying the jokes. Heh. So do some comedy, and then some _action_; and then do some more comedy, and then some more action, and then some more comedy. Which explains the runtime of **True Lies**. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/27 "2021-07-05T21:06:46Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Part of the reason you think a movie is really great is that it’s not too long. > > Comedy generally works in chunks of 90-120 minutes; that’s pretty well established. Piffle. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2021, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/28 "2021-07-08T11:48:36Z")
A post was merged into an existing topic: [Grundig Posts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grundig-posts/945967/28) ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/29 "2021-07-06T02:17:13Z")
If it’s drivel, it makes no difference how long it is. I ain’t watching it. Though if I’m forced to for some reason, let’s cap it a 22 min. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/30 "2021-07-06T02:40:09Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Piffle. And yet most comedies are under two hours. Live comedy shows are almost invariably under two hours. The professionals seems to think under two hours is best. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/31 "2021-07-06T03:12:20Z")
And yet most action movies, horror flicks, dramas, and even most musicals (the longest on average), most movies all genres, are under two hours. I think it relates to the Hitchcock quote that movie length must be matched to bladder endurance. (Often whilst having a theater sized soda!) Maybe horror movies and outrageously funny movies both need to be shorter else the jump scare or heavy laugh have too many peeing on themselves by the end? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/32 "2021-07-06T05:25:59Z")
I kinda like long movies, regardless of genre. Makes me feel like I’m getting more entertainment bang for my buck. The only movies I think are too long are movies I’ve already decided I don’t like after 90 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/33 "2021-07-06T06:24:44Z")
Other comedies longer than two hours include: Playtime - 2:35 Being There - 2:10 Broadcast News - 2:12 Mrs. Doubtfire - 2:05 I think pacing is a reason comedies tend to be short. A joke or a funny situation usually works best if it doesn’t take too long to build. A drama can be slow-moving but still entertaining, but a slow-moving comedy is most often dull. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/34 "2021-07-06T23:47:41Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > And yet most comedies are under two hours. Live comedy shows are almost invariably under two hours. The professionals seems to think under two hours is best. So cut the last minute of _Some Like It Hot_. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623/35 "2021-07-07T00:26:28Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > **Hot Fuzz** , though. I had absolutely never noticed that that movie was over two hours long. It doesn’t feel anywhere near that. Amazing movie. But I just looked up most of my mother favourite comedies and they do tend to be around 90-100 minutes, so I think this might be an exception. Generally, I can’t sustain the joyful mood that a good comedy provides if it goes beyond 100 minutes or so. Happiness is tiring! Dramas are different, to some extent - there are generally lots of relaxing moments, like where you’re looking at scenery and enjoying the beauty, or people are just sitting around talking indistinctly or something. A lot of longer action movies also have a scene (or more) like that, a kind of bridge between _this_ act with tons of action and _that_ act with tons of action. There are lots of crossovers that can be longer - probably partly because of the crossover - but that’s different. You’re not sustaining the fun mood the whole way through, and, as long as you knew that going in or from the first ten minutes, that’s fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-general-rule-comedy-movies-should-be-under-2-hours-long/945623.md?page=1)