‘The Last Jedi’ Runtime Feels Like ‘The Godfather’, Says Mark Hamill
Star Wars: The Last Jediis set to be the longestStar Warsfilm in the franchise’s history. That may make some of you groan inwardly while already feeling your rear end falling asleep at the prospect, but worry not: Luke Skywalker himself,Mark Hamill, says the protracted runtime isn’t an issue. Hamill takes it a step further, and favorably comparesThe Last Jediruntime to that ofThe Godfather.
Why are movies so long these days? That probably sounds like a cranky old man kind of question, but you have to admit that more often than not, films have gottenlong. What happened to the 90 minute movie? If you were hoping the latestStar WarsfilmThe Last Jediwould cool it with the long runtimes, you’re going to be disappointed. The film is going to run for2 hours and 30 minutes, making it the longest film inStar Warshistory. But you shouldn’t let this lengthy running time concern you. At least, that’s whatThe Last Jedistar Mark Hamill says. Speaking withVanity Fair, Luke Skywalker himself said that while he’s not a fan of long runtimes on movies, it’s not a problem withThe Last Jedi. In fact, the long runtime makes it just likeThe Godfather.
“The good news is I’ve seen it, and it’s likeThe Godfather. It doesn’t feel that long. And I’m really cranky. I’m one of those guys where you go see, like, a big superhero movie and you go, ‘I really love it, but it’s too long!'”
To be clear, Hamill isn’t sayingThe Last Jediborrows its plot fromThe Godfather(although that would be pretty cool), but rather that just likeThe Godfather, the film is so good that the long running time never becomes a problem. I can definitely understand where Hamill is coming from. While a long movie that’s not very good, or even just average, can feel as if it’s stretching on forever, agoodmovie that happens to be long might feel like it’s flying by. Francis Ford Coppola’sThe Godfatherruns for 177 minutes, yet the film is so engrossing that you don’t find yourself checking your watch as you sit through it. Another great example of this, as least as far as I’m concerned, is David Fincher’sZodiac.Zodiacruns for 158 minutes, yet whenever I watch it I find myself wishing it were even longer.
Of course, since Hamill is involved with the film directly, it’s unlikely he’d go on record saying the film’s runtime is too long. But here’s hoping Mr. Hamill is speaking the truth, and thatThe Last Jedibreezes by and has us longing for more.
