Achtung Bubba
Refugee
Originally posted by Mirrorball Man:
So everyone knows what's going to happen. Where's the excitement? In the next film Obi Wan can get into as many scrapes as he wants, but we know he isn't going to die. And Anakin can go through loads of mood swings but we know what happens to him. The Empire Strikes Back ended on a cliffhanger and that was interesting because nobody knew that answers for sure.
As for lots of people going to see Titanic even though they knew the ending, I don't understand that either. At least that was only one film, Star Wars is three!
Okay, yes, we know that a few of the characters survive to the next trilogy: Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, C-3PO, R2-D2, Owen and Beru Lars, Palpatine, Boba Fett, and Bail Organa (who dies in the destruction of Alderaan).
Padme presumably survives at the end of Episode III, to pass away when Leia's very young (see Return of the Jedi).
But there are quite a few fates who are uncertain: Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi (presumably Palpatine and Vader wipe the Jedi out), Jar Jar Binks, Watto, Jango Fett, and - most importantly - Shmi Skywalker.
Besides, it's the journey and not necessarily the destination. That Anakin falls is no surprise to anyone who's seen the Classic Trilogy (or anyone who can read between the telegraphed lines like "The boy is dangerous; everyone else can see it, why can't you?"). But the questions are how, and why? What events pull him to the Dark Side, and why would such a good kid become so evil and commit a betrayal on the scale of Cain, Judas, Saruman - and even Satan himself?
Again, Titanic isn't the only (or even best) example. Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet gives away the barn in the fricking prologue:
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
And yet, the play is one of the most popular, most performed, most enjoyed, and most praised plays in the English language. Again, what happens that leads them to their fate is so interesting.
In fact, I'd say many movies improve once you know the ending, The Shawshank Redemption being a GREAT example.
Either way, I don't see the big deal of the Prequel Trilogy being three movies and knowing what the outcome is.