It’s undeniable that long films can make watches more complicated. In a world where it’s getting harder to pay attention to things, films longer than two hours may seem less appealing to some viewers. Even film critics and directors seem to like shorter films that are under 90 minutes long, as evidenced by some picks in the latest Sight and Sound poll in 2022.
Few film types or genres seem to be as closely associated with shorter playtimes as animation. This is sometimes because some animated films are aimed at a younger audience who may not have much attention span, but more broadly the time-consuming process of animating something at a high level may mean that long running times are less feasible. This ensures that longer animated films that exceed two hours are worth watching.
10 “Congress” (2013) - 122 min.
Congress is a strange, surreal sci-fi film that includes live action footage and astounding animation. It follows an actress who struggles to find a job, so she sells her likeness to a film studio, who then use it for various computer-animated films. However, the deal also prevents her from playing live roles again.
It’s a timely story, given that not only does it sound like something could happen, but it might already be happening. Talk about making a movie with a CGI version James Dean caused a lot of controversy about six years after Congress came out. It also means that this underrated and partly animated sci-fi film may well deserve a reappraisal.
9 “Fantasy” (1940) - 124 minutes
The Disney classic from 1940 definitely doesn’t have a plot. Fantasy, as it is a collection of short films that are not directly related to each other. The main idea is that each of the eight short films focuses on a different piece of classical music and each segment is presented by a composer/music critic in a live action segment. Deems Taylor.
Some parts of the film are more iconic and memorable than others, but this was groundbreaking animation work for its time, and it’s always nice to see how the images on screen complement the music. fantasies also the longest animated film made by Disney, although admittedly it reaches 124 minutes as it is essentially a collection of shorter films combined into one.
8 Akira (1988) - 124 minutes
Few non-Studio Ghibli anime films are as famous as Akira. Set in a futuristic Neo-Tokyo, this historically important and arguably timeless animated sci-fi film features a plot in which an underground military project transforms a biker into a huge malevolent creature with psychic powers.
It’s amazing how good Akira still looks and sounds, despite its age. When it comes to its length, it’s easy to argue that it might not be long enough, as it’s a condensed adaptation of a much longer manga and thus could have been turned into a TV series. However, at 124 minutes at least, it fits a decent amount of history into its runtime.
7 Spirited Away (2001) - 125 minutes
Hayao Miyazaki it’s the kind of respected filmmaker who will make films as long as he’s alive. A decent number of his films hover around the two-hour mark, with Spirited Away being one of them, scoring 125 minutes.
This is a fantastic and sometimes quite frightening film about a young girl who is forced to live in a foreign country completely different from the one she is used to, and all the while looking for a way to get her parents back because they have turned into pigs. The quality of the hand-drawn animation is detailed and very impressive, meaning that it would take a long time to make such a great animated movie look so good throughout the runtime.
6 “Quiet Voice” (2016) - 130 minutes
Silent voice is a coming-of-age anime film that follows a group of high school students with a protagonist who starts off in a very unusual way. His name is Shoya and he bullies a deaf classmate to the point that she drops out of their school, which in turn causes Shoya’s friends to shun him.
Part of the film follows him at an older age, where he is shown to regret what he did and goes on a journey to redeem himself and apologize to his former classmate. It’s down-to-earth and character-focused, and while it’s undeniably sentimental in places, it works well as an animated film and turns out to be quite touching.
5 The Lord of the Rings (1978) - 132 minutes
Not to be confused with Peter Jackson trilogy, released in the early 2000s, 1978s Lord of the Rings it’s a completely different animal. Most noticeably, it’s animated. While 132 minutes is a decent length for an animated film, there’s still not much time to capture such an epic fantasy story, as evidenced by the theatrical version of Jackson’s adaptation, which is roughly nine hours long.
The characters and the basic premise are familiar, but the quest to destroy the Ring of Omnipotence is ultimately cut short because this adaptation does not adapt material from the third part of the trilogy. Return of the King. Naturally, it feels less complete than the live-action trilogy of the early 2000s, but it might still be worth watching for big fans. Lord of the Rings.
4 “Princess Mononoke” (1997) - 134 minutes
The longest film by Hayao Miyazaki. Princess Mononoke, is also one of his best. It’s a sometimes dark and almost fairy-tale tale about a young man who sets out on a journey to heal a potentially deadly curse placed on him, and stumbles upon a tense conflict between the inhabitants of an industrial town and the creatures that live in the nearby forest.
In this premise, he explores topics related to environmental protection and humanity’s precarious relationship with the natural world. At the same time, it is a beautifully designed fantasy film with great music. It’s excellent because it offers a good story, complemented by strong, relevant themes.
3 “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” (2013) - 137 minutes
Even at the 134th minute Princess Mononoke I can’t say this is the longest Studio Ghibli film with the word “Princess” in the title, given that Tale of Princess Kaguya exists, and it’s three minutes longer.
It was directed by the late co-founder of Studio Ghibli. Isao Takahata, and is a kind of fantasy fable about a girl who was discovered inside a bamboo stalk and then became a princess. Animation in Tale of Princess Kaguya has an undeniably unique quality, and the film is deservedly considered one of the most famous Japanese animated films of the 2010s.
2 “Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0 Three times in a fairy tale” (2021) - 155 minutes
Four Evangelion Rebuild the films were released between 2007 and 2021, and together they aimed to remake and bring a new ending to the acclaimed series. neon genesis evangelion. Evangelion series that usually causes controversy when it comes to the ending, but the fourth movie in Restore row, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Three times in a fairy talewas generally well received by fans.
Possibly one of the most ambitious animated films of all time, and one of the longest animated films ever released to theaters. The duration of more than two and a half hours seems like a real epic. He uses his length to give a final conclusion about the general Evangelion series without leaving any unfinished endings.
1 “Space Battleship Yamato - The Final Chapter” (1983) - 163 minutes.
Space battleship Yamato best known for being the defining anime series of the mid-1970s that would eventually spawn the franchise. Due to the success of the series, numerous films were made in the same universe, including five animated films released between 1977 and 1983.
The fifth and final was released in 1983 and is the longest running at 163 minutes. The story shows how an alien race named Dinguil set their sights on flooding the Earth and making it their new home, with the titular space battleship the only thing that can stop them. It’s amazing how long it takes to finish, but it’s a pretty entertaining watch for fans of sci-fi anime.
Source: Collider
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