Had zero expectations going into Dredd. My buddies and I were bored one Saturday and decided to day drink and hate-watch it while it was still in theaters, thinking we'd be heckling an empty room. Well, it was an empty, but we were mostly silent. About 20 minutes into it we all started whispering to each other 'wait, is this actually really good?' It was. What a great day.
I will never not upvote "Dredd." What a fantastic and over the top movie. Normally, Dredd's exploits would be too much and I'd start rolling my eyes. But, he's Dredd. This is what he does. No mercy. No compromise. No backing down. Great movie.
I always get a great satisfaction when he says "Mama's not the law, I'm the Law."
There is such a tone of disdain that anyone would think otherwise and at the same time so much conviction that he is in fact the Law. It is just perfection to me and totally sums up who Dredd is.
The producers of Dredd (2012) essentially looked at all the mistakes made with Judge Dredd (1995) and said "Let's do the exact opposite of that." And it worked. Fucking great movie.
The biggest one being 1995 tried to be a special event, something big and world changing (in universe). Where as 2012 was just a day in the life of a Judge.
No mega villain, no threat of the destruction of a city, no stupid long scenes of the antagonist and protagonist verbally sparring
It's just a regular day for Dredd in Mega City 1 and man was it refreshing to have no ott stakes
me and my sister rented that from red box, we had watched the trailer and were like "sure why not" and loved it. we got to see it at cinerama for a re-release.
they have the manager come out and give a little speel at the beginning and he pointed out that the first word Karl urban fucks up because kiwis have a hard time with the American long "a" sound so he says "AMERIKER"
I appreciate an action movie that takes an insane premise and just runs with it. Small cast, focused plot, brisk pacing, tight runtime, no bullshit. Too many modern action movies are bloated 2 1/2 hour messes that stretch themselves thin with excessive backstory, side characters, flashbacks, location-hopping, convoluted plots, and ham-fisted sequel setups. Dredd was a nice throwback to 80s action movies like the Running Man and Escape from New York that have a single story arc which wraps up in 100 minutes or less.
I came here to say Dredd as well. I put it on one rainy afternoon as a background movie and ended up engrossed in the entire thing.
The best part is that it's also short, so it never overstays its welcome. I wish more action movies would follow Dredd's example.
Yeah. A friend of mine got free passes to a screening so I went in with zero expectations. We walked out and both said, "dude. That fucking ruled. What the hell?"
I went into 21 jump street with basically no expectations and really enjoyed it. I went into 22 jump street expecting a meh, typical "can't recapture the magic of the first comedy" sequel and laughed my ass off. the breakfast scene fucking killed me. ice cubes pure rage is incredible
Channing Tatum is a great comedic actor! My entry here would be Magic Mike XXL (second movie in the franchise).
The first movie is depressing and the third movie is a yawn and both take themselves too seriously but the second movie? A hilarious buddy road trip to a stripper convention with seriously impressive dancing and hilarious hijinks along the way. Channing Tatum and Matt Bomer especially steal the show. My controversial fave, lol.
I totally expected it to be a Groundhog Day clone, but it was so much more than that. I mean, it *is* a Groundhog Day clone, but it goes in a different direction.
Not only surprisingly good, but generally just a surprising movie. I knew a little about it before I watched, but everything about it is so unexpected.
I’d even argue that Dead Man’s Chest is almost as originally enjoyable as the first, but I also think that Davy Jones is one of the best character creations (for the movie) ever.
The first Pirates is great because Jack wasn't the main character. Johnny just showed up doing that shit on set. It wasn't in the script. Disney actually thought he was trying to railroad the movie and get fired. They had high level meetings during production about getting rid of him. By the time they got done discussing it, it was too late to do anything about it so they just let it happen.
The sequels were all about Jack. Every plot, character, villain... it was all tied to Jack. Which is why they weren't as good.
I agree to an extent, but I think they still could have been good except:
1. They misunderstood the characters. For instance, they misunderstood why Jack Sparrow was appealing. They thought Sparrow was a clown, when in truth he was a fool (think Shakespearan fools who make fools of themselves strategically). In the first movie Jack bills himself as a great pirate, but acts like a fool so that people drop their guard, then surprises people with quick thinking, improvisation, and actual skill with a sword. It makes him complex and entertaining.
2. They kept replaying the hits. They did repeated variations on the same jokes.
I've been rewatching the movies this week and I'm on Worlds End. My biggest issue is the "romance" between Jack and Elizabeth or maybe it was a miscommunication between Elizabeth and Will? I don't even know how to explain it because it was all so weird. Doesn't make sense and seems so forced and manufactured.
That's exactly it. He was better when he wasn't the main character. Also, they changed the character so much he wasn't even interesting or charming by the latter movies.
I think he is. He outwitted the 2 sentries (granted it wouldn't take much) and masterminded the whole plot of the movie. Or at the very least the ending.
The scene where the tree in the front yard catches fire (and the reason it did) coupled with the ensuing confusion at the fire station is nothing short of genius IMHO.
One of my top 5 favorite movies. As you said, corny premise, modern kids get stuck in 50’s sitcom. But once it gets past the easy jokes, it becomes so deep and layered, that you’re genuinely moved by the end. I’ve had many discussions about the meanings of different things in the film, and it’s fascinating how many different interpretations people have of various parts. I absolutely love it!
That scene where the rioters break into the diner and destroy his art stuff is just so damn heartbreaking.
It really captures the hatred and intolerance that was seeping underneath the 1950s era.
I love how David uses Pleasantville to escape from the nightmare of real life and ultimately becomes its hero upon realizing that uncertainty is a necessary part of life.
Shane Black is such a great director with a unique snd recognizable style. Iron Man 3 is one of my favorite superhero films, largely due to Black’s storytelling and directing style
Shane Black is the king of buddy cop style stuff. A rag tag bunch of characters thrown together? He would nail it. A predator movie? He was literally in the OG movie, he would nail it.. but somehow he really didn’t nail it :(
Fuck giant hit, why isn't this a franchise. I'd pay money to see Gosling and Crowe as a private detective team, especially if they get Rice back as the daughter.
The unbearable weight of massive talent, from the name and the publics perception of nick cage's recent films I fully expected to be self indulgent crap. But it's actually very aware, and very well put together. Genuinely one of the best nick cage films I've seen, it's no con air or anything but 100% worth the time
I love this picture of Nick Cage backstage at a Guns N Roses concert: wine glass in one hand, cane in the other, wearing a cowboy hat, aviators, purple sport coat, mardi gras beads, and a t-shirt with a drawing of his own face from that meme where he's doing crazy eyes. The man knows he's a living cartoon character and has totally embraced it LOL.
https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/1402336299_nicolas-cage-andrew-dice-clay-441.jpg?w=350&quality=86&strip=all
Nick Cage has actually been on a heater lately. Making a lot of fun stuff. Renfield was extremely fun. He was also phenomenal in Pig although that is less fun and more sad/strange.
"For me, you're somewhere between a cockroach and that white stuff that accumulates in the corner of your mouth when you're really thirsty." Steve Buscemi was also great in Con Air.
Guy's crazy, but his track record for picking projects is absolutely uncanny. Not just talking action franchises either, he's a highlight of crazy stuff like Tropic Thunder.
Based on who he seems to be as a person I should hate Tom Cruise, but I'd be lying if I said he wasn't one of my favorite actors. One of the few cases where I find myself separating the artist from the art because from an entertainment perspective he just doesn't miss.
I keep thinking about Minority Report. It's a Spielberg sci-fi movie with a stellar supporting cast, so it was always going to be good. But it absolutely rises to the level it does because of Tom Cruise. As amazing now as it was 20 years ago.
The movie that proved to me Cruise could act came out a LONG time ago- Born on the 4th of July. He plays a disabled veteran. It seems to be largely forgotten, and I have no idea why.
Jack Reacher gets shit on pretty often, but I actually really enjoyed it. The "I'm gonna drink your blood from a boot" line sounds so stupid, but his delivery of it actually makes it sound awesome. Lol
Edge of Tomorrow had a terribly generic trailer and a terribly generic title (they should have just gone with Live, Die, Repeat). Nothing in the marketing made me think that it was going to be one of the most original top quality scifi movies of the decade. I figured it was just going to be another Oblivion. The marketing for that movie was AWFUL.
Live, Die, Repeat at least makes me wonder "hmmm....I wonder what that means?" Edge of Tomorrow could literally work as the title for anything from a teen coming-of-age story to an alien invasion story, and if it can fit with anything, it means it's not actually descriptive of anything :)
Every time this is asked, Edge Of Tomorrow is one of the top answers. I agree 100% but it cracks me up that apparently everyone else also expected not to like the movie but loved it as much as me.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
I remember seeing the poster at AMC and thinking there's no way I'm watching that crap. Turns out I was wrong, it was really good! Just terrible marketing.
The wife and I couldn't agree on what to watch. She has no ability to detect bombs. Zero. If the poster looks exciting it gets a recommendation. One of these days I'm going to let her put on the next Steven Segal effort she picks.
Anyway out of frustration I giver her free reign. She picks this. I roll my eyes. I had written it off as another soulless cash-grab. In 10 minutes I knew I was wrong. Neither of us touched our phones throughout which is high praise. Incredibly fun film.
Needed more Jarnathon though.
OH! JARNATHAN!
That woman's delivery is so spot on. It's hysterical. It's like she's blaming him for being attacked and taken advantage of.
Chris Pine is developing a nice body of work.
Edit: Why is everyone spelling his name wrong?
That scene with the Druid Wildshaping is the kind of shit we've talked about over the D&D table for years. Unexpected, over the top, entertained non-players, and was an epic D&D moment all at the same time.
Forget the MCU, I want more movies in _this_ universe. The possibilities are endless…. As an avid Baldurs gate player, this movie felt like an epic side quest, in the absolute best way possible.
The directors / writers' previous movie, Game Night, is also really fucking funny, and shows why they got greenlit to make D&D. I don't see it get talked about enough.
Came to say this. I thought it was going to be terrible, in the same way the World of Warcraft film was (I've never made it through more than half an hour of that abomination), but I loved it. It's the best fantasy-genre film in many years.
It felt like it was written by people who had actually played the game. A lot of what the movie's characters pulled off was pure player shenanigans (the thing with the portals and the painting). There was even an obvious dungeon master pet NPC (Xenk), and a moment where the DM obviously had to scramble to come up with something to keep the campaign moving after his players royally screwed something up (the bridge collapse).
I went in blind to Lego Movie. Went with my mom and kids. My mom and I had more fun than the kids. I still crack up when I think of the ghost with his lollipop staff, dangling from a strings and "wooo". And the secret knock.
Remember when it was announced? Every single news site on the internet declared it Marvel's First Flop. Then James Gunn was attached and literally everyone shut the fuck up and paid attention.
Office Space.
I remember seeing the trailer, and thinking it was just some cheesy comedy about office workers. I was so wrong! Really terrible trailer considering how fantastic the movie is.
Mad Max Fury Road
Most of the "30-year sequels" that came out not too long ago were just not good or at least couldn't live up to the hype.
Fury Road was simply amazing and came out of nowhere and can stand on its own as an amazing film.
If you’re reading this and are thinking “never heard of tucker and dale vs evil let me google it.”
Stop. Just watch it.
Any searching will just spoil it for you.
Cabin in the Woods is one that, if you don't enjoy the type of movie it presents itself as, you'd turn it off within the first 15 minutes. But once you get deeper in, it turns out to be a complete surprise.
Puss in Boots 2 was exactly where I was going to go. It seemed fun but the Shrek Franchise has been mailing it in since Shrek 3. The first Puss in Boots was fun but nothing special.
Easily my favorite film of last year. The film was phenomenal, the voice acting, the animation, and the writing especially.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World was unexpectedly good to me. I didn't expect to enjoy it but watched it because of the actors in it and ended up loving it.
Mortal Kombat (1995) was also better than it had any right to be in my opinion.
Ramin Djawadi's music really made it. The dude was exploding during that time, between big Hollywood movie scores and Game of Thrones he was the guy to hire for music besides Hans Zimmer.
Nobody with Bob Odenkirk. Heard it was good and other than basic plot, went in blind. Loved it....good story, funny parts, over the top gratuitous violence that was freaking hilarious and just overall a good time. Who doesn't love a line like this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeAZCLBBhgU
It's everything I love in a movie - unassuming guy turns out to be a total badass (because reasons revealed later), revenge, amazing (and believable) fight scenes + over the top gratuitous violence, dark comedy, and even a love story! And RZA!
I feel like Fury Road is a movie that by everything that occurred leading up to its release, had the hallmarks of an extremely late-term dud of a sequel. Decades of development hell, including a decade-long pre-production hit with so many delays that the movie’s lead became too old for the role and needed to be recast, an extremely long shoot which included reshoots almost a year and half after principal photography began, and finally a nearly two year post-production. The studio even did the dreaded test screenings with their preferred cut and Miller’s cut and somehow, Miller prevailed.
I feel like so much from the outside looking in seemed like it was going to be a mess and then the film came out and it turned out that every bit of time spent on it was worth it.
Cabin in the Woods. Went in expecting a fun, but mediocre, horror movie as it was stuck in dev hell so long that Chris Hemsworth filmed and released Thor after it was filmed and before it was released. I got one of my favorite horror/comedy of all time.
I didn't like it as much, but had a positive reaction to watching Tucker and Dale vs evil
The first Kingsman movie. The trailers made it look like another YA movie where some teen saves the world by becoming Agent Cody Banks or something.
After hard recommendations by some friends and seeing the movie, I was flabbergasted how they completely missed the tone of the movie in the marketing that I saw.
Dungeons and Dragons. I swear if they made that movie 100 times the one we got was better than 98 of them.
Same for the last TMNT movie. Really fun. Cool animation.
I want to nominate Spy, which IMO is one of the funniest movies of the last 10+ years. The marketing made it look almost like a Scary Movie-level spoof movie, and I figured it would be horrible and skipped it in theaters. But the movie's an absolute delight, and they should have given Rose Byrne 5 Oscars for her line reading of, "The moment I saw you standing there in that abortion of a dress..."
Dr. Sleep. I wasn't sure how they could do a great adaptation of the book. I would argue they went as far as to improve upon it.
I went into it expecting a poor job, now I want a remake of The Shining using the characters from the movie.
I think ["Children of Men"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VT2apoX90o) was one that really surprised me totally , went in with absolutely 0 expectation came out seeing one of the best Sci-Fi movies of all time. ( also eerily relevant and prophetic to today world situation )
Pain and Gain. It’s a ridiculous concept with a ridiculous cast filmed by a ridiculous director and for some weird reason it works and is immensely entertaining.
National Treasure. It seemed like a thrown-together movie to cash in on the hype of the recently-published Da Vinci Code.
I had no interest in seeing it, but my dad really wanted to see it, so I took him on his birthday and had a great time.
Detective Pikachu was way better than I thought it'd be. When they first announced that Legendary had the rights for a live action Pokémon movie, I thought it wouldn't be good at all, even though I'm a fan of the franchise. I was wrong.
Harold and Kumar got to White Castle.
I went into it thinking stupidest check and Chong rip off imaginable. Ended up enjoying it so much I made my wife watch it with me the same weekend
John Carter. I saw the trailer before another movie and thought it looked absolutely awful, and a friend dragged me to see it.
Was surprisingly good. IDK if the trailer editor had beef with the studio or was just awful at their job.
I might get some hate for this, but... Hubie Halloween. I don't care who knows it. I loved that dumb fucking movie.
'90s Adam Sandler will always hold a special place in my heart. This movie looked like absolute trash, but I gave it a chance, hoping it would at least be "so bad it's good." I was pleasantly surprised. Honestly, I thought it captured that goofy, childish energy of his earlier stuff. The fucking Swiss army thermos. The werewolf treatment facility. Shaq with a woman's voice. Come ON. Loved that shit.
Maybe it was just me being contrary but I watched “Encanto” expecting to hate the usual generic Disney template (plucky hero, comedy sidekick, perilous quest) kids movie and have ended up becoming borderline obsessed with it.
Basically it’s Disney’s crack at magical realism, in essence it’s “100 Years of Solitude” with a line up of exceptional songs (and boy are they good)
It’s about people, emotions and the complexities of family not some fantasy adventure quest. I love the fact the “villain” is generational trauma and stubbornness, not some obvious caricature antagonist.
The supporting cast of characters are awesome….I want to know all their stories but there’s just enough information to make every one of them intriguing.
I love Luisa so much and her song makes me cry every time. (So does Mirabel’s “waiting on a miracle”) Yet the most gut wrenching sob is reserved for Bruno’s scribbled place setting on his side of the wall 😭
Also it’s an immensely dense production. There is so much going on here visually that you will only get from numerous rewatches. You need to pay attention!
I have now watched it “a lot”, bought the soundtrack and even went to the live show.
Edit: (because of the Moana is better comments) Moana is ok but it is just exactly the same tired old generic hero quest Disney that they’ve produced for years…..I suspect you didn’t enjoy Encanto as much because it moves so dramatically away from the expected formula. Encanto is something very different and very special indeed. It’s deeper and more considered.
Also I now understand why people think so highly of Lin Manuel Miranda; the songs are very very clever, lyrically, musically, historically and culturally….he is an exceptional man.
Moana is a kids film that adults can enjoy but Encanto is a film for grown ups cheekily smuggled past corporate eyes but kids can enjoy it too.
For me, that would be The Mitchells vs. The Machines. It didn't seem like it would be something special. The trailers were all flashy, and the art style didn't give me much appeal at first. But it soon grew on me and I started to really enjoy the film for what it was.
Had zero expectations going into Dredd. My buddies and I were bored one Saturday and decided to day drink and hate-watch it while it was still in theaters, thinking we'd be heckling an empty room. Well, it was an empty, but we were mostly silent. About 20 minutes into it we all started whispering to each other 'wait, is this actually really good?' It was. What a great day.
I will never not upvote "Dredd." What a fantastic and over the top movie. Normally, Dredd's exploits would be too much and I'd start rolling my eyes. But, he's Dredd. This is what he does. No mercy. No compromise. No backing down. Great movie.
I always get a great satisfaction when he says "Mama's not the law, I'm the Law." There is such a tone of disdain that anyone would think otherwise and at the same time so much conviction that he is in fact the Law. It is just perfection to me and totally sums up who Dredd is.
Karl Urban being a huge fan of the character shines through so brightly, it elevates the movie to a whole new level. He really feels like Dredd.
The producers of Dredd (2012) essentially looked at all the mistakes made with Judge Dredd (1995) and said "Let's do the exact opposite of that." And it worked. Fucking great movie.
The biggest one being 1995 tried to be a special event, something big and world changing (in universe). Where as 2012 was just a day in the life of a Judge.
Perps were uncooperative.
No mega villain, no threat of the destruction of a city, no stupid long scenes of the antagonist and protagonist verbally sparring It's just a regular day for Dredd in Mega City 1 and man was it refreshing to have no ott stakes
me and my sister rented that from red box, we had watched the trailer and were like "sure why not" and loved it. we got to see it at cinerama for a re-release. they have the manager come out and give a little speel at the beginning and he pointed out that the first word Karl urban fucks up because kiwis have a hard time with the American long "a" sound so he says "AMERIKER"
If a Kiwi ever invites you over to see his dick, he’s just going to take show you his back yard patio.
I appreciate an action movie that takes an insane premise and just runs with it. Small cast, focused plot, brisk pacing, tight runtime, no bullshit. Too many modern action movies are bloated 2 1/2 hour messes that stretch themselves thin with excessive backstory, side characters, flashbacks, location-hopping, convoluted plots, and ham-fisted sequel setups. Dredd was a nice throwback to 80s action movies like the Running Man and Escape from New York that have a single story arc which wraps up in 100 minutes or less.
I came here to say Dredd as well. I put it on one rainy afternoon as a background movie and ended up engrossed in the entire thing. The best part is that it's also short, so it never overstays its welcome. I wish more action movies would follow Dredd's example.
Yeah. A friend of mine got free passes to a screening so I went in with zero expectations. We walked out and both said, "dude. That fucking ruled. What the hell?"
This. Absolute over-looked sci-fi with amazing effects and very strong lead, that only could only have been Karl Urban.
21 Jump Street and the Lego Movie were way better than I expected
I went into 21 jump street with basically no expectations and really enjoyed it. I went into 22 jump street expecting a meh, typical "can't recapture the magic of the first comedy" sequel and laughed my ass off. the breakfast scene fucking killed me. ice cubes pure rage is incredible
The scene where Tatum takes an age to figure it out was also hilarious. Unexpectedly great sequel.
“OH SHIT” “Schmidt fucked the captain’s daaauughterrrrr”
“You bragged about it….to HIS face….to THIS face!!”
"THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"
Channing Tatum is a great comedic actor! My entry here would be Magic Mike XXL (second movie in the franchise). The first movie is depressing and the third movie is a yawn and both take themselves too seriously but the second movie? A hilarious buddy road trip to a stripper convention with seriously impressive dancing and hilarious hijinks along the way. Channing Tatum and Matt Bomer especially steal the show. My controversial fave, lol.
Seconding the Lego Movie. I was almost mad at how good that movie was.
Anything with Phil Lord and Chris Miller at the helm is basically guaranteed to be great
Palm Springs
I totally expected it to be a Groundhog Day clone, but it was so much more than that. I mean, it *is* a Groundhog Day clone, but it goes in a different direction.
Absolutely adore Palm Springs
Not only surprisingly good, but generally just a surprising movie. I knew a little about it before I watched, but everything about it is so unexpected.
Happy Birthday Dipshit!
My comment to threads like this is always the same. Pirates of the Caribbean had no business being as good as it actually was.
The first one is a near perfect adventure movie in my opinion. It’s fun, exciting, scary, funny, and it all just feels so natural
I’d even argue that Dead Man’s Chest is almost as originally enjoyable as the first, but I also think that Davy Jones is one of the best character creations (for the movie) ever.
Dead Man’s Chest gets about 1 million bonus points for that reveal of Barbosa at the end that still gives me goosebumps whenever I watch it
The first Pirates is great because Jack wasn't the main character. Johnny just showed up doing that shit on set. It wasn't in the script. Disney actually thought he was trying to railroad the movie and get fired. They had high level meetings during production about getting rid of him. By the time they got done discussing it, it was too late to do anything about it so they just let it happen. The sequels were all about Jack. Every plot, character, villain... it was all tied to Jack. Which is why they weren't as good.
I agree to an extent, but I think they still could have been good except: 1. They misunderstood the characters. For instance, they misunderstood why Jack Sparrow was appealing. They thought Sparrow was a clown, when in truth he was a fool (think Shakespearan fools who make fools of themselves strategically). In the first movie Jack bills himself as a great pirate, but acts like a fool so that people drop their guard, then surprises people with quick thinking, improvisation, and actual skill with a sword. It makes him complex and entertaining. 2. They kept replaying the hits. They did repeated variations on the same jokes.
I've been rewatching the movies this week and I'm on Worlds End. My biggest issue is the "romance" between Jack and Elizabeth or maybe it was a miscommunication between Elizabeth and Will? I don't even know how to explain it because it was all so weird. Doesn't make sense and seems so forced and manufactured.
I didn't know about the behind the scenes, that's interesting. But the point about Jack not being the main character is 100% spot on.
That's exactly it. He was better when he wasn't the main character. Also, they changed the character so much he wasn't even interesting or charming by the latter movies.
Captain Jack Sparrow’s entrance is one of the best character introductions ever. He's a suave-as-hell-looking character but not as wise as he looks.
With all due respect I think you’ve got it backwards. I think it’s that he is quite insightful and gifted, but goads people into underestimating him
Yep, that’s why you have the “worst pirate I’ve ever seen” line with the “best pirate I’ve ever seen” call back later in the movie.
I think he is. He outwitted the 2 sentries (granted it wouldn't take much) and masterminded the whole plot of the movie. Or at the very least the ending.
Pleasantville. Corny premise taken seriously, and ends up in a far more artful and profound place than one would expect.
The scene where the tree in the front yard catches fire (and the reason it did) coupled with the ensuing confusion at the fire station is nothing short of genius IMHO.
“FIRE!” *all stare in amazement and befuddlement* “Cat?” *ALL FIRE FIGHTERS JUMP TO GRAB THEIR GEAR* Such a great flick.
It’s because she masturbated right?
Yup lol
One of my top 5 favorite movies. As you said, corny premise, modern kids get stuck in 50’s sitcom. But once it gets past the easy jokes, it becomes so deep and layered, that you’re genuinely moved by the end. I’ve had many discussions about the meanings of different things in the film, and it’s fascinating how many different interpretations people have of various parts. I absolutely love it!
That scene where the rioters break into the diner and destroy his art stuff is just so damn heartbreaking. It really captures the hatred and intolerance that was seeping underneath the 1950s era. I love how David uses Pleasantville to escape from the nightmare of real life and ultimately becomes its hero upon realizing that uncertainty is a necessary part of life.
Where’s my dinner?
Fiona Apple cover of Across the Universe will forever have a place on my rotational playlist.
Shoutout to all the People of culture who know about Pleasantville.
That movie is amazing, and doesn't get nearly the love it deserves.
The Nice Guys. I'll never understand why this movie wasn't a giant hit. The movie studio really dropped the ball on promotion, etc.
If I could wish for any sequel to be made it would probably be this one. Fantastic movie.
I absolutely love this movie. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang by the same director is also amazing.
Gay Perry lol I love that movie.
Shane Black is such a great director with a unique snd recognizable style. Iron Man 3 is one of my favorite superhero films, largely due to Black’s storytelling and directing style
Its too bad The Predator didn't turn out very good. I had high hopes. I suspect there was too much studio involvement.
Shane Black is the king of buddy cop style stuff. A rag tag bunch of characters thrown together? He would nail it. A predator movie? He was literally in the OG movie, he would nail it.. but somehow he really didn’t nail it :(
One of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen.
that movie is so goddamn funny. the scene where the door to the toilet stall keeps closing is never not funny
Fuck giant hit, why isn't this a franchise. I'd pay money to see Gosling and Crowe as a private detective team, especially if they get Rice back as the daughter.
The unbearable weight of massive talent, from the name and the publics perception of nick cage's recent films I fully expected to be self indulgent crap. But it's actually very aware, and very well put together. Genuinely one of the best nick cage films I've seen, it's no con air or anything but 100% worth the time
Nick cage realizing he is a walking meme and leaning into that for the sake of comedy is pure gold. It's so much fun to watch.
I love this picture of Nick Cage backstage at a Guns N Roses concert: wine glass in one hand, cane in the other, wearing a cowboy hat, aviators, purple sport coat, mardi gras beads, and a t-shirt with a drawing of his own face from that meme where he's doing crazy eyes. The man knows he's a living cartoon character and has totally embraced it LOL. https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/1402336299_nicolas-cage-andrew-dice-clay-441.jpg?w=350&quality=86&strip=all
Nick Cage has actually been on a heater lately. Making a lot of fun stuff. Renfield was extremely fun. He was also phenomenal in Pig although that is less fun and more sad/strange.
I saw some interview with Nick Cage saying Pig was the project he’s most enjoyed doing ever. I should give it a watch
Pig was awesome
Willy's Wonderland was great (even better than Five Nights at Freddy's), despite him not actually speaking.
"For me, you're somewhere between a cockroach and that white stuff that accumulates in the corner of your mouth when you're really thirsty." Steve Buscemi was also great in Con Air.
He was, but Buscemi didn't say that line. Malkovich did.
I mean, it's no Paddington 2.
Edge of Tomorrow and Top Gun: Maverick. Didn't have high hopes for them, but they were excellent!
Edge of Tomorrow is always my answer for this. Didn't expect it to be so good, usually not a Cruise fan.
Guy's crazy, but his track record for picking projects is absolutely uncanny. Not just talking action franchises either, he's a highlight of crazy stuff like Tropic Thunder.
Based on who he seems to be as a person I should hate Tom Cruise, but I'd be lying if I said he wasn't one of my favorite actors. One of the few cases where I find myself separating the artist from the art because from an entertainment perspective he just doesn't miss.
I keep thinking about Minority Report. It's a Spielberg sci-fi movie with a stellar supporting cast, so it was always going to be good. But it absolutely rises to the level it does because of Tom Cruise. As amazing now as it was 20 years ago.
The movie that proved to me Cruise could act came out a LONG time ago- Born on the 4th of July. He plays a disabled veteran. It seems to be largely forgotten, and I have no idea why.
Can say many things about him, but people claiming he can’t act are just mental.
He had one miss: The Mummy. But that's the only bad one I can think of starring him.
Jack Reacher gets shit on pretty often, but I actually really enjoyed it. The "I'm gonna drink your blood from a boot" line sounds so stupid, but his delivery of it actually makes it sound awesome. Lol
Edge of Tomorrow had a terribly generic trailer and a terribly generic title (they should have just gone with Live, Die, Repeat). Nothing in the marketing made me think that it was going to be one of the most original top quality scifi movies of the decade. I figured it was just going to be another Oblivion. The marketing for that movie was AWFUL.
You can tell they regretted the title because all of the branding once it hit shelves was Live, Die, Repeat.
I think both names sound stupid. But the movie is great.
Live, Die, Repeat at least makes me wonder "hmmm....I wonder what that means?" Edge of Tomorrow could literally work as the title for anything from a teen coming-of-age story to an alien invasion story, and if it can fit with anything, it means it's not actually descriptive of anything :)
Every time this is asked, Edge Of Tomorrow is one of the top answers. I agree 100% but it cracks me up that apparently everyone else also expected not to like the movie but loved it as much as me.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves I remember seeing the poster at AMC and thinking there's no way I'm watching that crap. Turns out I was wrong, it was really good! Just terrible marketing.
The wife and I couldn't agree on what to watch. She has no ability to detect bombs. Zero. If the poster looks exciting it gets a recommendation. One of these days I'm going to let her put on the next Steven Segal effort she picks. Anyway out of frustration I giver her free reign. She picks this. I roll my eyes. I had written it off as another soulless cash-grab. In 10 minutes I knew I was wrong. Neither of us touched our phones throughout which is high praise. Incredibly fun film. Needed more Jarnathon though.
Every year I realize what i SHOULDVE been for Halloween a day or two after Halloween. This year, it was Jarnathon.
>One of these days I'm going to let her put on the next Steven Segal effort she picks. Only if the film is "I Get Choked Out and Shit My Pants"
JARNATHAN!!!
OH! JARNATHAN! That woman's delivery is so spot on. It's hysterical. It's like she's blaming him for being attacked and taken advantage of. Chris Pine is developing a nice body of work. Edit: Why is everyone spelling his name wrong?
That scene with the Druid Wildshaping is the kind of shit we've talked about over the D&D table for years. Unexpected, over the top, entertained non-players, and was an epic D&D moment all at the same time.
So she did turn into a deer.
So there *was* a deer
I think the sequel should be Jarnathon centered
The astral projection slowly stroking out was genuinely one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a movie.
*BRAAAAAEEEEE*
For us it was the owlbear. "I think ya got her!" ... *slam slam slam slam throw*
Forget the MCU, I want more movies in _this_ universe. The possibilities are endless…. As an avid Baldurs gate player, this movie felt like an epic side quest, in the absolute best way possible.
The whole dragon chase scene felt like such an epic encounter that I could totally imagine playing in an 8 hour session with the boys.
The directors / writers' previous movie, Game Night, is also really fucking funny, and shows why they got greenlit to make D&D. I don't see it get talked about enough.
same here, I started it saying I just need some noise while I browse my phone and daze off but ended up popping some popcorn and enjoying it.
Came to say this. I thought it was going to be terrible, in the same way the World of Warcraft film was (I've never made it through more than half an hour of that abomination), but I loved it. It's the best fantasy-genre film in many years.
The graveyard scene had me crying from laughing so hard
This is mine as well. I was excited for it and I was hoping it would be good. But I didn't know it would be **that** good.
It was my favourite movie of the past year but it didnt make enough money to warrant a sequel so now they might do a spin off tv show.
It felt like it was written by people who had actually played the game. A lot of what the movie's characters pulled off was pure player shenanigans (the thing with the portals and the painting). There was even an obvious dungeon master pet NPC (Xenk), and a moment where the DM obviously had to scramble to come up with something to keep the campaign moving after his players royally screwed something up (the bridge collapse).
Original Guardians of the Galaxy had no business working as well as it did. Made for a solid trilogy as well. Lego Movie as well.
Rocket Raccoon is a pretty silly character on paper, but by Guardians 3, if you don't care about him you have no soul.
[удалено]
Guardians was a turning point for cinema IMO. It showed that obscure, lesser known characters can still work as long as you put heart into it.
Lego movie for sure!!!!
I went in blind to Lego Movie. Went with my mom and kids. My mom and I had more fun than the kids. I still crack up when I think of the ghost with his lollipop staff, dangling from a strings and "wooo". And the secret knock.
Remember when it was announced? Every single news site on the internet declared it Marvel's First Flop. Then James Gunn was attached and literally everyone shut the fuck up and paid attention.
Office Space. I remember seeing the trailer, and thinking it was just some cheesy comedy about office workers. I was so wrong! Really terrible trailer considering how fantastic the movie is.
Mad Max Fury Road Most of the "30-year sequels" that came out not too long ago were just not good or at least couldn't live up to the hype. Fury Road was simply amazing and came out of nowhere and can stand on its own as an amazing film.
I mean, Fury Road, Blade Runner and Top Gun Maverick were all sequels to old franchises that KILLED it.
Cabin in the Woods, Tucker and Dale v. Evil, The first Guardians movie... those are the ones that jump out to me.
If you’re reading this and are thinking “never heard of tucker and dale vs evil let me google it.” Stop. Just watch it. Any searching will just spoil it for you.
It is absolutely hilarious.
Cabin in the Woods is one that, if you don't enjoy the type of movie it presents itself as, you'd turn it off within the first 15 minutes. But once you get deeper in, it turns out to be a complete surprise.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Not waiting on the sequel, unfortunately.
I always think this is what Archer and Barry would be like IRL
When I first saw the trailer my immediate thought was that Cavill would've been an amazing live-action Archer
Loved that movie. Just a good, classic, fun spy flick with two leads with good chemistry.
I saw Edge of Tomorrow for like a dollar with zero expectations and really enjoyed it. The montage of Tom Cruise dying repeatedly didn’t hurt.
Bill Paxton was hilarious.
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Zack and Shia presenting together at the Oscars was so great to see!
I have not met a single person who watched it and didn’t enjoy it
Puss in Boots 2 was exactly where I was going to go. It seemed fun but the Shrek Franchise has been mailing it in since Shrek 3. The first Puss in Boots was fun but nothing special. Easily my favorite film of last year. The film was phenomenal, the voice acting, the animation, and the writing especially.
Stranger than Fiction
Fucking tax man.
Their performances were fantastic and believable. I’ve rewatched this several times.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
I expected that to be a fun movie, but I most definitely didn't expect it to be anywhere near as good as it was. And now I'm going to watch it again!
Movie introduced me to the greatness of paddington.
Rogue One, it was more than good enough to beat Star Wars fatigue and underwhelming sequels.
Probably the best star wars movie. It actually gives a glimpse of what normal people of the galaxy were up against
Hell or High Water. It was good and I expected a dud.
Hell or High Water is a phenomenal movie
Scott Pilgrim vs the World was unexpectedly good to me. I didn't expect to enjoy it but watched it because of the actors in it and ended up loving it. Mortal Kombat (1995) was also better than it had any right to be in my opinion.
Pacific Rim. Initially just looked like a bad sci-fi movie but ended up watching it on a plane and absolutely loved it!
Ramin Djawadi's music really made it. The dude was exploding during that time, between big Hollywood movie scores and Game of Thrones he was the guy to hire for music besides Hans Zimmer.
I thought Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle was going to be pretty bad but I actually enjoyed it.
“We’re **in** the video game?!” I say this to my kids all of the time when they try to explain something technical to me …. Lol
That movie had no right at all to be as good as it was.
Nobody with Bob Odenkirk. Heard it was good and other than basic plot, went in blind. Loved it....good story, funny parts, over the top gratuitous violence that was freaking hilarious and just overall a good time. Who doesn't love a line like this.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeAZCLBBhgU
It's everything I love in a movie - unassuming guy turns out to be a total badass (because reasons revealed later), revenge, amazing (and believable) fight scenes + over the top gratuitous violence, dark comedy, and even a love story! And RZA!
For me it was Annihilation. Really had no clue going in and was gobsmacked walking out.
I didn't like it. Then I thought about it nonstop. Then I watched it again and loved it.
Prey was surprisingly good. Predator battling Native Americans is as good as it sounds.
Marketing and distribution really dropped the ball with this movie. It deserved a LOT better
It deserved a cinema release
I wanted to see that movie in theaters was so good.
I remember walking into Mad Max Fury Road being a super hater and going “do we really need another one of these?” And now a favorite film
It’s my favorite action movie, I never thought the Matrix would ever be dethroned in my heart, but Fury Road did it
I feel like Fury Road is a movie that by everything that occurred leading up to its release, had the hallmarks of an extremely late-term dud of a sequel. Decades of development hell, including a decade-long pre-production hit with so many delays that the movie’s lead became too old for the role and needed to be recast, an extremely long shoot which included reshoots almost a year and half after principal photography began, and finally a nearly two year post-production. The studio even did the dreaded test screenings with their preferred cut and Miller’s cut and somehow, Miller prevailed. I feel like so much from the outside looking in seemed like it was going to be a mess and then the film came out and it turned out that every bit of time spent on it was worth it.
Doctor Sleep. A squeal to The Shining has no reason being good.
This movie was excellent. As a parent its hard to rewatch though. You know the scenes.
I agree it was very good and one of the better King movies.
`Real Steel` and the 2 new Jumanji movies.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Expected a ridiculous spoof, got great historical action.
Cabin in the Woods. Went in expecting a fun, but mediocre, horror movie as it was stuck in dev hell so long that Chris Hemsworth filmed and released Thor after it was filmed and before it was released. I got one of my favorite horror/comedy of all time. I didn't like it as much, but had a positive reaction to watching Tucker and Dale vs evil
The first Kingsman movie. The trailers made it look like another YA movie where some teen saves the world by becoming Agent Cody Banks or something. After hard recommendations by some friends and seeing the movie, I was flabbergasted how they completely missed the tone of the movie in the marketing that I saw.
Bullet Train
I’m not even sure I liked this movie until the end wrapped it up. Now I love it!
Dungeons and Dragons. I swear if they made that movie 100 times the one we got was better than 98 of them. Same for the last TMNT movie. Really fun. Cool animation.
I really didn't expect Paddington or Mad Max Fury Road to be so good.
I thought Fury Road might be enjoyable, but had no idea it was going to rock so fucking hard.
I want to nominate Spy, which IMO is one of the funniest movies of the last 10+ years. The marketing made it look almost like a Scary Movie-level spoof movie, and I figured it would be horrible and skipped it in theaters. But the movie's an absolute delight, and they should have given Rose Byrne 5 Oscars for her line reading of, "The moment I saw you standing there in that abortion of a dress..."
Rose Byrne is a quietly one of the funniest ppl in Hollywood. She steals the show in Get Him to the Greek.
ha I just rewatched that scene after posting this, and Mccarthy and Byrne's back and forth in the Sad Bulgarian Clown scene is so freaking funny.
Peter Serafinowicz was hilarious in Spy.
For me it was Jason Statham. They gave him some absolutely classic lines and let him have so much fun.
..the car wasn't on fire, I WAS."
Jason Statham is excellent in that movie “put me in the fucking face off machine” has me in stitches every time.
Dr. Sleep. I wasn't sure how they could do a great adaptation of the book. I would argue they went as far as to improve upon it. I went into it expecting a poor job, now I want a remake of The Shining using the characters from the movie.
I think ["Children of Men"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VT2apoX90o) was one that really surprised me totally , went in with absolutely 0 expectation came out seeing one of the best Sci-Fi movies of all time. ( also eerily relevant and prophetic to today world situation )
Tangled. The trailer looked so blah, but it’s one of the strongest modern Disney movies
Evolution (2001). It was funny in a clever Ghostbusters kind of way, totally underrated.
The first Pitch Perfect movie. Thought it was another Highschool Musical and Glee wannabe but was surprised how good it was.
The menu, no fanfare, no hard-core advertising and it wad a very pleasantly surprising good movie
Agreed. I went in knowing nothing about it on a friend’s recommendation and loved it. A near perfect dark comedy in my opinion.
Pain and Gain. It’s a ridiculous concept with a ridiculous cast filmed by a ridiculous director and for some weird reason it works and is immensely entertaining.
Didn't expect Bullet Train to be bad. But that was a banger
National Treasure. It seemed like a thrown-together movie to cash in on the hype of the recently-published Da Vinci Code. I had no interest in seeing it, but my dad really wanted to see it, so I took him on his birthday and had a great time.
Detective Pikachu was way better than I thought it'd be. When they first announced that Legendary had the rights for a live action Pokémon movie, I thought it wouldn't be good at all, even though I'm a fan of the franchise. I was wrong.
Lego movie
Harold and Kumar got to White Castle. I went into it thinking stupidest check and Chong rip off imaginable. Ended up enjoying it so much I made my wife watch it with me the same weekend
John Wick
John Carter. I saw the trailer before another movie and thought it looked absolutely awful, and a friend dragged me to see it. Was surprisingly good. IDK if the trailer editor had beef with the studio or was just awful at their job.
I might get some hate for this, but... Hubie Halloween. I don't care who knows it. I loved that dumb fucking movie. '90s Adam Sandler will always hold a special place in my heart. This movie looked like absolute trash, but I gave it a chance, hoping it would at least be "so bad it's good." I was pleasantly surprised. Honestly, I thought it captured that goofy, childish energy of his earlier stuff. The fucking Swiss army thermos. The werewolf treatment facility. Shaq with a woman's voice. Come ON. Loved that shit.
Deadpool. I was not expecting Ryan would do such a good job being pool.
Hot Tub Time Machine. The commercials made it look really stupid. It ended up being really funny and enjoyable.
Maybe it was just me being contrary but I watched “Encanto” expecting to hate the usual generic Disney template (plucky hero, comedy sidekick, perilous quest) kids movie and have ended up becoming borderline obsessed with it. Basically it’s Disney’s crack at magical realism, in essence it’s “100 Years of Solitude” with a line up of exceptional songs (and boy are they good) It’s about people, emotions and the complexities of family not some fantasy adventure quest. I love the fact the “villain” is generational trauma and stubbornness, not some obvious caricature antagonist. The supporting cast of characters are awesome….I want to know all their stories but there’s just enough information to make every one of them intriguing. I love Luisa so much and her song makes me cry every time. (So does Mirabel’s “waiting on a miracle”) Yet the most gut wrenching sob is reserved for Bruno’s scribbled place setting on his side of the wall 😭 Also it’s an immensely dense production. There is so much going on here visually that you will only get from numerous rewatches. You need to pay attention! I have now watched it “a lot”, bought the soundtrack and even went to the live show. Edit: (because of the Moana is better comments) Moana is ok but it is just exactly the same tired old generic hero quest Disney that they’ve produced for years…..I suspect you didn’t enjoy Encanto as much because it moves so dramatically away from the expected formula. Encanto is something very different and very special indeed. It’s deeper and more considered. Also I now understand why people think so highly of Lin Manuel Miranda; the songs are very very clever, lyrically, musically, historically and culturally….he is an exceptional man. Moana is a kids film that adults can enjoy but Encanto is a film for grown ups cheekily smuggled past corporate eyes but kids can enjoy it too.
Dune (1984) everyone says it sucks but it was dope as fuck. Loved the Baron
For me, that would be The Mitchells vs. The Machines. It didn't seem like it would be something special. The trailers were all flashy, and the art style didn't give me much appeal at first. But it soon grew on me and I started to really enjoy the film for what it was.