Joss VS "Empire"

I was checking out moviepilot.com and saw a headline that immediately grabbed my attention.  "Joss Whedon has a problem with 'the Empire Strikes Back'" Just shouted click me click me!  So I did.  Turns out the author of the piece, Alisha Grauso was informing us that there is a 10 page interview with Joss Whedon in this week's EW (entertainment Weekly) and Joss says he has a problem with the fact that most people pick "Empire" as the best of the Original Trilogy.

Why, you might ask?  Apparently because Joss feels the film is incomplete.  It is incomplete because it doesn't really end.  Says Joss," 'Empire’ committed the cardinal sin of not actually ending. Which at the time I was appalled by and I still think it was a terrible idea."  

Joss elaborates: "Well, it’s not an ending. It’s a Come Back Next Week, or in three years. And that upsets me. I go to movies expecting to have a whole experience. If I want a movie that doesn’t end I’ll go to a French movie. That’s a betrayal of trust to me. A movie has to be complete within itself, it can’t just build off the first one or play variations."

Do I agree with Joss?  I do agree that it did not have a concise, definitive ending.  I was/am not appalled by it nor do I consider it a betrayal of trust.  I understand that Joss was being hyperbolic as he is prone to do.  

I do not agree that it needed to be complete and within itself because it was designed to be a part of what was to come.  I understand that Episode IV can stand alone but it truly and honestly isn't complete, the destroying of the death star is not the end of the story, the end of VI was when the Sith were destroyed and balance was restored to the universe.

It is a "come back next week or in three years" but it was designed to be.  Lucas was heavily influenced by the serial style story telling and intended the Star Wars films to be chapters in a larger story.  I think that the "cliff hanger" ending to "Empire" was compelling and I was ok with waiting for "Jedi" to conclude the story.

i'm first in line forever and always to throw stones at Lucas, figuratively speaking of course.  In general I don't disagree with Joss but in this case I think I am going to have to.  There is no flag on this play Joss.  I respect you and your opinions and I see where you are coming from but I just don't feel that it is a fair critique in this case.

If you want to check out more work by Alisha just click on this link and away you go:  http://moviepilot.com/Alisha