So often I see good stories ripped apart because they were predictable. The judgment is passed underneath the narrow assumption that predictability is inherently bad and that unpredictable stories are always desirable. Following this logic, films such as Titanic and The Lion King would be the scourges of cinema, forgotten and hated by all but the most simple-minded viewers. The Velveteen Rabbit would be nothing special to anyone. The only truly good films would be Clue and The Sting, the only good books by Agatha Christie, famous for their giant surprises.
It can be good for a film to be unpredictable, but unless they're set up like The Sting they shouldn't necessarily all aim to take audiences by complete surprise. Not all films are meant to flow like that, and if it's not befitting of the tale the storyteller shouldn't try to turn it into something it's not. Sometimes you can see where a story is going, but that's okay. What matters is that the story is enjoyable or meaningful, and that it delivers the desired experience intended by the storyteller. If every story was a complex web up plot twists, every story would be the same.
So when people decry a book or movie for being predictable with not enough surprises, I'm given the impression that they are narrow-minded and think too highly of themselves. Sometimes people have to take stories for what they are and adapt their mindset be able to take more out of it.
In my review for Brave, described it as a story that couldn't just be told, but had to be experienced. Sometimes that's what a good story is all about. There are elements of familiarity kept in with the experience so that surprises don't distract from the overall narrative. Story isn't just plot, but also characters and settings, themes and music, and a storyteller might choose to emphasize one of these assets over the others. That could include plot, and a regular twist might add to the sense of wonder, but if that's all someone can see then there's an entire world he or she is missing out on.
Merida
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