SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - What is the best cliffhanger movie ending?

Posted: Jul 13 2006 05:18 am

Some movies end with cliffhangers... some movies are in fact Cliffhanger... But what movie has the best ending that doesn't resolve everything?

A Harry Potter film?
X-Men?
Back to the Future Part II?
The Italian Job?
Matrix Reloaded?

What are your thoughts?

My vote is for BTTF Part 2. The whole movie is a self contained, but there's also a cliffhanger ending that doesn't irk you off. In fact, it always makes me laugh.

Posted: Jul 13 2006 06:02 am

The post-credit sequence for Street Fighter: The Movie.

Seriously though, I don't know. Maybe Halloween.

Posted: Jul 13 2006 07:35 am

Syd Lexia wrote:

The post-credit sequence for Street Fighter: The Movie.

Did you mean the live-action or anime? I don't really remember what happenned at the end of Jean-Claude's movie.

I never saw The Italian Job because I'm not interested in a 90 minute commercial about Mini Coopers, even if Seth Green's in it. Matrix Reloaded ranks HIGHLY up there.

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

lordsathien wrote:

I never saw The Italian Job because I'm not interested in a 90 minute commercial about Mini Coopers, even if Seth Green's in it.

I'm fairly certain Tebor was referring to the original Italian Job, starring Michael Caine. It is, in fact, the ultimate cliffhanger, though perhaps not the best. If you've seen it, you'll understand.

Posted: Jul 13 2006 01:05 pm

lordsathien wrote:

Did you mean the live-action or anime? I don't really remember what happenned at the end of Jean-Claude's movie.

I meant the live action movie. After the credits, it cuts back to M. Bison's ruined fortress. The computer says something like "Good Morning, Mr. Bison, would you like to play again?" and then you see Bison's fist emerge from the wreckage.

I don't know if Matrix Reloaded really qualified as a cliffhanger in the traditional sense. Look for instace at Back To The Future and Back To The Future, Part II. Each movie has a main storyline that is resolved by the end of the movie, only for a new conflict to arise. Matrix Reloaded offers no resolutions to the conflicts it presents. It simply meanders on and on while showcasing lessons better learned from Philosophy 101. Then it ends, and you realize you have to see Matrix Revolutions if you want answers to anything that happened.

Posted: Jul 13 2006 02:00 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

Then it ends, and you realize you have to see Matrix Revolutions if you want answers to anything that happened.

I think that qualifies for a cliffhanger ending.

BTW, props for remembering Street Fighter, I believe that would count. Although, last minute gags would add a ton films to the table such as the American Godzilla, Masters of the Universe, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc.

The problem with cliffhanger endings is you rarely get to see resolution... or at least it feels that way. I'm refering to endings like in Robocop 2 in which the evil Robocop 2 is destroyed (not to ruin the movie or anything), but OCP and the Old Man still exist. Alas, Robocop 3 drops the storyline due to replacing an actor with Rip Torn and changing the whole style of the film.

BTW, I completely forgot The Empire Strikes Back. Love that ending, although it ends on a low note with loose ends, it still feels like a happy ending.

And in the defense of Matrix Reloaded, the movie's main plot was about Neo destroying the Matrix mainframe. Problem was, if he had done that, the machines would still exist, the people inside the Matrix would die, and Zion would still probably be destroyed. That's what we in the screenplay biz call the moment of character realization, when the character sees that their goals are not really what they want.

Joined: Jun 01 2006 Posts: 70

Masters of the Universe, I'm still waiting Skeletor!

Posted: Jul 30 2006 02:23 pm

shadowforce420 wrote:

Masters of the Universe, I'm still waiting Skeletor!

You get to kick my ass for not mentioning this.

Joined: Jun 01 2006 Posts: 70

As long as you say 10 Hail Skeletors you will be spared.

Joined: Jul 16 2006 Location: 22 Acacia Avenue Posts: 324

Transformers: The Movie

".....and the greatest Autobot of them all, Optimus Prime, will return!"

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

Avian wrote:

Transformers: The Movie

".....and the greatest Autobot of them all, Optimus Prime, will return!"

I don't count that one. That was tacked on due to fan outrage that they killed him. He was not originally intended to come back.

Besides, even if it was intended, that wouldn't be much of a cliffhanger, as it tells you what's going to happen "next time." Wink