What is the definition of Epic Movies?!
Question: What characteristics does a movie has to have to be called an epic?
Answers: What characteristics does a movie has to have to be called an epic?
The epic is a lengthy, revered narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. The word epic comes from the Ancient Greek expression Epos (?πο?).
Epic movies are e.g. 'Gone With The Wind' (the South), 'Exodus' (Israel), 'Gallipoli' (Australia), 'Living' (Huozhe, China) and 'Braveheart' (Scotland)
Edit: The other answer above is not correct. Go to imdb and look for 'epic' (keyword).
An epic movie is called what it is called because it make fun of people and other movies that have already come out. They are supposed to be funny but not all of them are. Meet the Spartans and Epic Movie are examples of Epic Movies. But both of them were not very good.
Wikipedia does have one of the best descriptions of what and, more importantly, what is not an epic film. Here's the link, but I also will copy and paste some of the information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_film
From Wikipedia:
GENRE CHARACTERISTICS
Generally speaking, the term "epic" refers to movies that have a large scope, often set during a time of war or other conflict, and sometimes taking place over a considerable period of time. A historical setting is commonplace, although fantasy or science fiction settings are known. Sometimes the story is based around a quest that the characters are embarked on over the course of the film. A large cast of characters is also common.
The population reached its zenith in the 1950s and '60s when Hollywood frequently collaborated with foreign film studios (such as Rome's Cinecittà) to use relatively exotic locations in Spain, Morocco, and elsewhere for the production of epic films. This boom period of international co-productions is generally considered to have ended with "Cleopatra" (1963) and "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964). Although "epic" films continue to be produced to this day, they are typically not made on so grand a scale as films from this period, and usually utilize computer effects shots instead of a genuine cast of thousands.
The definition of "epic" has been poached over the years to include films that in general have a large scale or scope of history, time, or events, even when not wandering out to epic adventures. The crime films "The Godfather" (1972), "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984), and "Casino" (1995), for instance, could hardly be considered epics in the same way that the Cinecitta films were, but are sometimes listed as such by critics. Some epic films (especially from the 1950s-70s) were shot with a wide aspect ratio, for a more immersive and panoramic theatrical experience.
Many refer to any film that is "long" (over two hours) as an epic, and as such a definition of an epic film (especially among today's films) is a matter of dispute among many. As Roger Ebert put it, in his "Great Movies" article on "Lawrence of Arabia":
"The word 'epic' in recent years has become synonymous with big budget B picture. What you realize watching 'Lawrence of Arabia' is that the word 'epic' refers not to the cost or the elaborate production, but to the size of the ideas and vision. Werner Herzog's 'Aguirre: The Wrath of God' didn't cost as much as the catering in 'Pearl Harbor,' but it is an epic, and 'Pearl Harbor' is not." ...
BIBLICAL EPICS
The evolution of Jesus films is rooted in the religious or biblical epic~a popular genre in the 1950s usually accompanied by towering budgets and names such as Charlton Heston, Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, or Yul Brynner. Examples include "The Ten Commandments" and "Ben-Hur". The ensuing decade brought the first attempt by a major studio to produce a religious epic in which the Christ event was its singular focus. MGM released "King of Kings" in 1961, inspired by a Cecil B. DeMille's film of the same title from 1927. Four years later, "The Greatest Story Ever Told", directed by George Stevens, was completed for $25 million. A more recent example would be the 2004 Mel Gibson film "The Passion of the Christ".
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I don't know if that helps at all. I think "epic" is used far too often. But, there's no doubt that the Lord of the Rings trilogy is epic filmmaking.