If we're doing the math, that means since Avengers has twice the number of leads, then it needs to be twice as long as ID4, so 290 minutes. That just doesn't add up. I actually don't see this movie having 8 leads. I still see it as having only about 5 (Hulk, CA, Thor, Iron Man, and Loki) with BW, Fury, and Hawkeye being more supporting type characters. Coulson, Hill, and Selvig could also be classified as supporting with the previous three I mentioned.
Who were the 4 leads in ID4? Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman and who else? Are we talking about Randy Quaid? He was the only other one who had a character journey and story of his own. I don't think the other lead can be Margaret Colin, Judd Hirsch or Robert Loggia.
Like Webfoot said, it should be 290 minutes???
If Independence Day is the high bar then I'd be worried. Avengers is going to be FAR better than Independence Day and I can comfortably say that with a certainty. So MANY great films in history have clocked in at around 140 minutes both action and other genres. It's all about story and Joss is a master storyteller.
I hope Avengers is as good as ID4. What I liked about that movie is that, despite all the spectacle and destruction, the main characters still had a personal journey and growth, and they stepped up to their responsibilities and what it means to be a hero. Although I'm not too sure how much of a journey Bill Pullman had, as much as the others at least.
I hope Captain America can give a rousing speech like Pullman (even though Pullman's speech about July 4th no longer being just a US holiday was groaned at by some critics).
X-Men 1 at 90 minutes did feel short. Actually, even Elektra felt short and lacking in substance, even though there were scenes that really dragged. I think the problem with overly short movies is that there seems to be one major action scene in the middle, and then it's already heading to the climax of the movie.
With Ang Lee's Hulk, it felt overly long because I think that the final battle between the two Banners felt tacked on and didn't really engage the audience. It felt like it could've ended after the big desert battle. However, if the final battle was really exciting, then I don't think people would've felt it dragged.
An example of a good final battle that occurs after what could already seem like a climax is True Lies. There's that whole scene with the escape from Art Malik's camp and Arnie rescuing Jamie Lee Curtis from the car that's about to go off the bridge. It could've seemed like it was the end with them kissing against the backdrop of the nuclear bomb. Then it starts up again and moves onto Eliza Dushku in danger on the building site and the whole plane rescue and fight scene. The climax was exciting, so it was welcomed and felt more like an encore compared to something like Ang Lee's Hulk.
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