In the music world we sometimes talk about predictability negatively. But that's what draws us back to a song time and again. In pop music we start with an instrumental intro, followed by a verse and chorus a couple of times, a bridge and instrumental break, another verse and repeated chorus until the fade out at the end. The trick for the artist is to be creative and interesting within those parameters.
The formula in jazz is a bit different. The musicians introduce the melody and then each, in turn, takes a whack at improvising over the chord changes. Some folk and bluegrass music works this way too.
Classical music has its own version. In large multi movement works, the first movement is a moderately paced piece, followed by a slow one, and concluded with a fast one with a big "ta-da" at the end. Fade outs at the end are not common, although Haydn's "Farewell" Symphony comes pretty close.
Even rhythms, once established, are a predictable part of a song. If these elements are not present, as some 20th century composers discovered, the audience is lost, confused, and may turn hostile. That's okay too, I guess, if you're not actually trying to earn a living.
In the world of story telling, there are elements of form that are usually conformed to. A TV story will usually have a crime solved in 60 minutes, or a relationship conflict resolved in 30 to 60 minutes. In an action adventure movie they will spend the first 15 minutes putting a cat up a tree and the next two hours getting it down.
In the real world, special forces work in teams. Each member has a specialty that they study and practice because the success of the mission and the lives of the other members depend on them. In the movies, the hero is his own team and has complete knowledge of everything. He is a race car driver, a combat specialist, a weapons and arms expert (which usually includes various forms of guided missiles armed with nuclear warheads), pilot, linguist, and gourmet chef. Or he's a super hero.
Now that we are deep into the Christmas season there are a few more to add to the list. The various specials involving Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and the Grinch. But a recent addition in our house has been the Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel.
I catch myself watching and enjoying these movies with my wife. It's basically the same story just repeated. A young, beautiful woman finds herself stuck in a small town for Christmas, falls in love with a local which totally disrupts her life plans. Ditches the plan (or fiance), to become a local and live happily ever after just in time for the big Christmas celebration. It's all very pleasant and heart warming. And while I do enjoy a bit of gentle fluff occasionally, would it kill them to put in a car chase or blow something up once in a while?