Predictable Plots?

[ShoalFox]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics' consensus for both The Fox and the Hound and Oliver & Company mention the films having "predictable plots." While I disagree for TF&TH (can't say for Oliver as I've never seen it), does anybody really care if a movie's plot is "predictable?" I personally haven't let something like this get in the way of my enjoyment of a film.

 

[Disneyfanman]

I always equate "predictable plot" with "boring" unless the story engages me in a unique way. Not every story needs a twist, but it needs (for me) something fresh.

 

[216bruce]

There's really only a handful of basic plots anyway...Overcoming the evil monster/bad guy, rags to riches, a journey, a journey and then getting home, wacky comedy, sad tragedy, inner discovery and rebirth.
So, all plots are pretty much variations on these. I think the critics are saying the plot was told in a fairly straightforward manner. Nothing wrong with that in a film that's trying to appeal to a very broad audience.

 

[Tony Perkis]

A predictable plot is a warranted criticism, in my eyes.

It's much, much more difficult to engage the audience optimally with a plot that has been seen many, many times before.

 

[Matt_Black]

Well, there should be some predictability. People like familiar structures.

 

[doctornick]

Well, there should be some predictability. People like familiar structures.

Yeah. I feel like there is an over-reliance on trying to "surprise" viewers these days, to the detriment of films. I'd rather have a well produced film with engaging characters but a predictable plot over something that tries to hard to be novel.

 

[Bairstow]

It depends on the film and how much emphasis/reliance the writer and director were expecting the surprise to control or influence the viewer's emotional experience in watching the film.
When a film is overly-confident that the surprise will work, scenes which try to distract from, rather than foreshadow the reveal will usually bore, or worse, insult the viewer.

With something like The Lion King or Oliver and Company the predictability should be forgiven, since it's an adaptation of a familiar story, but in a film like, say, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, where a major betrayal is obvious from the early part of the story, it harms the movie because no one but a very small child would be surprised, and thus interested, in the dramatic outcome.

 

[216bruce]

OK, I'm a pretty savvy movie-viewer and reader, but I have to admit that I was totally surprised by "Frozen" and Prince Hans turning out to be a bad guy. No foreshadowing of this at all. I figured "It's Disney and he's a prince...he'll compete with Kristoff for Anna's heart". SURPRISE! So, a company that is usually VERY predictable in their plots animation-wise uses that predictability (in the eyes of the public) to their advantage and 'throws a curve-ball'. It can happen.

 

[imagineer boy]

I have to admit I didn't really since the Prince turning bad in Frozen coming either, but I am pretty sick of the whole cliche "the handsome prince is actually a jerk" cliche which we've seen how many times now? Shrek 2, Games of Thrones (Joffrey), and Into the Woods.

 

[Matt_Black]

OK, I'm a pretty savvy movie-viewer and reader, but I have to admit that I was totally surprised by "Frozen" and Prince Hans turning out to be a bad guy. No foreshadowing of this at all. I figured "It's Disney and he's a prince...he'll compete with Kristoff for Anna's heart". SURPRISE! So, a company that is usually VERY predictable in their plots animation-wise uses that predictability (in the eyes of the public) to their advantage and 'throws a curve-ball'. It can happen.

There was foreshadowing, but it was very subtle. First, he's the 13th prince of the Southern Isles (unlucky number). Second, when you look at his lyrics in "Love is an Open Door" after the reveal, they take on a whole new meaning. "I've been searching my whole life to find my own place"- is being spoken quite literally.

 

[216bruce]

There was foreshadowing, but it was very subtle. First, he's the 13th prince of the Southern Isles (unlucky number). Second, when you look at his lyrics in "Love is an Open Door" after the reveal, they take on a whole new meaning. "I've been searching my whole life to find my own place"- is being spoken quite literally.

VERY subtle...and totally un-Disney in it's subtlety. I wonder how many folks caught any of that on first viewing. I sure didn't. I applaud the filmmakers and songwriters for doing this. I swore it was going to be a (Hans-rich guy/prince who turns out to be shallow vs. Kristoff- odd commoner who talks to his buddy reindeer and was raised by trolls) for Anna. I know there's a LOT of hate for this film, but you can't argue with success (or can but why bother).

 

[Matt_Black]

VERY subtle...and totally un-Disney in it's subtlety.

Disney has gotten very un-Disney in spots in their animated fair. Wreck-It Ralph featured Kano from Mortal Kombat ripping the heart out of a zombie's chest.

 

[216bruce]

I'm old. I have no idea who that is. They lost my knowledge of video game characters after the Pac-Man era.