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According to Jeff Wells at Hollywood-Elsewhere, arguably the most anticipated movie of the summer, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, has had its first screening and the reports are that it runs a whopping, summer-sized 140+ minutes. The film is expected to be shown “internally” once more before it makes its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival May 14-25.

Why is it that it seems like every summer blockbuster feels that it has to have a lengthy running time? Recent examples include the 139 minute Spider-man 3, the 160 minute Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, and the 145 minute Transformers. They all have one thing in common: none of those movies were great.

Also, the previous Indiana Jones movies were shorter. Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Temple of Doom were brisk and both ran under two hours. The Last Crusade was just a few minutes over. Is there too much story going on here like there was in Spider-man 3 or too much nonsensical action like in Transformers? Or is there a lot of both like Pirates of the Caribbean 3? You may be anxious as hell to see the new Indiana Jones adventure, but the question is, are you less or more anxious to see a 140+ minute movie?