# Box office bomb that surprised you the most? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719 "2006-03-24T14:44:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/1 "2006-03-24T14:44:31Z")
What movie absoultely tanked that you thought would be a big hit? I remember seeing Meet Joe Black on opening day in a college town. The theater was packed and the reaction was incredible. The girls were all crying. I enjoyed it a bit. Then it was panned by the critics and rejected by the masses. I was surprised. I thought it was a typical box office tearjerker that would ride the Titanic wave of the moment to 200 million. What movie missed and shocked you? What movie smelled like a hit and missed? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/2 "2006-03-24T15:29:49Z")
_Van Helsing_. I didn’t particularly like it, but the movie wasn’t out-and-out bad. It just wasn’t good. But the SFX and cinematography were solid (I really like the set design), and our hero did a decent job. But given the relatively dull stretch of movies coming out then I figured it would do pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/3 "2006-03-24T15:33:43Z")
I’ll second _Van Helsing_ (which really isn’t that bad), and also add _Last Action Hero_ - despised by almost everyone who’s seen it, I rather enjoyed it and thought Arnie did a pretty good job taking the piss out of himself. I also enjoyed _Bulletproof Monk_ and _Kung Pow: Enter The Fist_ immensely, but mention either of those films in public around here and you can hear crickets chirping in the background as you dodge the tumbleweeds… ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/4 "2006-03-24T15:40:54Z")
> [@Martini Enfield](#): > > I’ll second _Van Helsing_ (which really isn’t that bad), and also add _Last Action Hero_ - despised by almost everyone who’s seen it, I rather enjoyed it and thought Arnie did a pretty good job taking the piss out of himself. > > I also enjoyed _Bulletproof Monk_ and _Kung Pow: Enter The Fist_ immensely, but mention either of those films in public around here and you can hear crickets chirping in the background as you dodge the tumbleweeds… I love Kung Pow: Enter The Fist. I’ve never laughed so hard at any movie. “My nipples look like mulkduds” “I’ve got some yellow liquid for your popcorn, and it’s non-dairy” “That’s a lotta nuts” Now I need to watch it again. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/5 "2006-03-24T15:42:47Z")
I didn’t think _Willow_ was so awful and I never got why everyone else hated it. I thought it was OK. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/6 "2006-03-24T15:43:11Z")
I’ll second **Last Action Hero** , which was actually pretty wittily written, with lots of not-immediately-obvious jokes. I understand that the new \*\*Wallace and Groomet[/] movie didn’t do anywhere near as good as expected. Bummer. My personal favorite obscure film is Will Vinton’s **The Adventures of Mark Twain** , which is practically unknown, but which is _Great_. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/7 "2006-03-24T15:45:25Z")
I’m a fanboy, but I really expected _Serenity_ to do better than it did. Same with _Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow_ (although in retrospect it’s a much flimsier movie than I first thought). Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/8 "2006-03-24T15:54:05Z")
I don’t know if it was a bomb or not, but I think _Mystery Men_ should have a better cult reputation than it does. It’s got as many quotable lines as _The Big Lebowski_ if not more. “If only we had a rich benefactor like Lance Hunt.” “Lance Hunt supports Captain Amazing because Lance Hunt _is_ Captain Amazing” “Not this again. Lance Hunt wears glasses. Captain Amazing doesn’t wear glasses” “He takes them off when he transforms.” “That doesn’t make sense. He wouldn’t be able to see!” ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/9 "2006-03-24T16:08:03Z")
A movie that grossed $132 million probably can’t be considered a total failure, but \*Hulk \* certainly didn’t do as well as I thought it would. I think if it had been released any time other than summer (and Christmas, too, I guess – \*King Kong \* taught us that a big-budget holiday release doesn’t guarantee boffo box office), it would have at least met with more critical approval. A resounding second vote for _Mystery Men_, too – that was a ton of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/10 "2006-03-24T16:10:59Z")
I was 10 years old in 1980 when Star Wars was just huge. My dad took us to a new movie called **Flash Gordon**. The one with Max Van Sydow and the Queen music. I thought it was just awesome (I was 10) and was certain to be the next Star Wars. Unfortunately everyone else thought it sucked. I also thought **Zoolander** was awesome. One of the best Stiller/Wilson/Farell comedies. I’m still suprised not a lot of people have seen it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/11 "2006-03-24T16:12:22Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’ll second **Last Action Hero** , which was actually pretty wittily written, with lots of not-immediately-obvious jokes. > > I understand that the new **Wallace and Groomet** movie didn’t do anywhere near as good as expected. Bummer. > > My personal favorite obscure film is Will Vinton’s **The Adventures of Mark Twain** , which is practically unknown, but which is _Great_. I agree with you on all of these, except that **Wallace and Gromit** did respectably for its budget, even if it wasn’t a blockbuster. The most mysterious flop for me was **Cobb**. Good move, good reviews, but no audience. **Ishtar** was a pretty good movie overall, too, though I’m not surprised it flopped, since most critics reviewed the price tag, not the film. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/12 "2006-03-24T16:16:03Z")
It always amazed me that The Powerpuff Girls Movie only did 11 million at the box office. It killed the cartoon practically overnight and I can’t understand why no one wanted to see the movie made from something as ridiculously popular as The Powerpuff Girls. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/13 "2006-03-24T16:17:47Z")
Quick Change. Easily one of the best movies EVAR, with a great cast. Not even available on VHS. ---
**Author:** ![arcticdonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e95f7d/32.png) [@arcticdonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arcticdonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/14 "2006-03-24T16:18:22Z")
How bad did Willow bomb. I remember thinking it was unbelievably cool when i was in fourth grade. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/15 "2006-03-24T16:20:39Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Ishtar** was a pretty good movie overall, too, though I’m not surprised it flopped, since most critics reviewed the price tag, not the film. Agreed. Almost 20 years on, I still find myself chuckling over bits from **Ishtar** , although it’s true that they probably could have made the same movie for a quarter of the price. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/16 "2006-03-24T16:21:23Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > It always amazed me that The Powerpuff Girls Movie only did 11 million at the box office. > > It killed the cartoon practically overnight and I can’t understand why no one wanted to see the movie made from something as ridiculously popular as The Powerpuff Girls. Probably because their main audience isn’t little girls, it’s stoned adults, who were too embarrassed to show up at the box office. Also I agree with **Left Hand** on _Serenity_. I didn’t think it would do great business, but I was surprised it tanked so badly. I thought it would get 30-40 mil or so. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/17 "2006-03-24T16:25:35Z")
I’ll third _Mystery Men_. Love that movie. Should be a cult classic. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/18 "2006-03-24T16:26:08Z")
I really liked _Paycheck_, but I don’t think anybody expected a blockbuster out of that. One reason \*Wallace & Grommit \* didn’t do well in theaters was, I suspect, lots of the audience, like me, knew the movie would be added to their DVD collection, so we just waited 'til then. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/19 "2006-03-24T16:27:43Z")
The Tim Burton flick **Mars Attacks!** did poorly and a lot of people disliked it (including myself). I think a lot of people were expecting a Burton version of War of the Worlds, not a campy comedy. However, watching it now is a lot of fun and the performances of the all-star cast are pretty damn funny. Jack Nicolson, Martin Short, Sara Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Pierce Brosnan, Glen Close, Natalie Portman, Jack Black, Annete Bening, etc. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719/20 "2006-03-24T16:30:27Z")
I don’t know if \*\*The Hudsucker Proxy \*\* bombed per se (it couldn’t have cost a lot to make), but most people either have never heard of it, heard of it but didn’t get around to watching it, or consider it a lesser Coen brothers effort. But God I love this movie! Talk about an abundance of quotable lines/memorable scenes. And it’s just a fun and funny movie. You know, for kids. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/box-office-bomb-that-surprised-you-the-most/349719.md?page=2)