# Movies and TV you had a low opinion of going in, but were pleasantly surprised by **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2021, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329 "2021-06-01T03:40:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/101 "2021-06-17T23:16:10Z")
Fourthing, or whatever number, the 40 Year Old Virgin. It’s actually a touching movie with characters who are pretty much all likeable, and the end scene is fantastic in many, many ways. Agreed with the Orville too. It’s completely unlike any other Seth McFarlane show. Closer, the 2000 movie with Natalie Portman et al, is not my usual type of movie - I’m just not that into romantic dramas. But this one had better cinematography than most, in a subtle way (no amazing colours or beautiful scenery, just ordinary scenes well arranged), and everyone is at the top of their game, Jude Law especially. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/102 "2021-06-18T17:20:41Z")
Going in to see _ **The Day the Earth Stood Still** _ and _ **Forbidden Planet** _ years ago at university film nights, I was expecting a couple of cheezy 1950s “sci-fi” flicks, the kind I usually laugh at because they’re so bad and yet take themselves very seriously. How wrong I was! Both are rightfully regarded as landmarks in the history of filmed science fiction . ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/103 "2021-06-18T18:31:09Z")
Thought of another recent once: _Cobra Kai_. A nostalgia-based re-boot of an 80s movie series, focused largely on the bad guy from the original movie, which introduces a copy of the original rivalry between the main characters involving their own kids? There’s no way this series should have been as good as it is. They hit a near-perfect balance of humor, honest heart-felt character growth, cheesy karate fights, honoring the story of the original movies while also moving beyond those stories, while also riffing on the original themes, giving them a new twist. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/104 "2021-06-18T18:45:52Z")
⤴ 100% agreement. One that I recently mentioned in another thread: _Sky High_. A friend of mine really wanted to see it. I had no desire to pay movie theater prices to see a Disney Channel Original. However, part of being a friend is going to movies you have no desire to see, so I reluctantly went…and I _loved_ it. I honestly think it’s the best live action version of the school-for-supers premise, and overall it’s probably one of the top 10 superhero movies ever. It actually manages to take a fairly nuanced view of what makes someone a hero, and has a brooding antihero character and some “hero” characters who are actually villains, without being in the least grimdark. It’s also just _fun_. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/105 "2021-06-19T11:35:45Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Thought of another recent once: _Cobra Kai_ . To me the Community episode which covered the Karate Kid, via Chang working in a play of it, pointed out the valid (and missed point by me), that the film was largely about Mr Miyagi rather than the annoying child. Does that come up much at all in Cobra Kai? ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/106 "2021-06-19T11:53:37Z")
**The Last Kingdom** looked _really_ dumb — Vikings, goofy hair and makeup, etc. It’s actually pretty awesome, well-plotted TV. I think the fact that it’s based on a series of novels helps — they’re not making shit up as they get renewed each season (I assume). I hope they can stick the landing, unlike Game of Thrones. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still goofy stuff going on, but that kind of lightens the mood on a series that at its heart is kind of grim. I had medium-low expectations of **Mad Max: Fury Road,** given that the Gibson movies got (IMHO) progressively worse _and_ I’d just seen Tom Hardy in something rather stupid (can’t remember what). Five minutes in I was having the best cinematic experience I’ve had since I stopped using psychedelics. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/107 "2021-06-19T12:18:59Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > To me the Community episode which covered the Karate Kid, via Chang working in a play of it, pointed out the valid (and missed point by me), that the film was largely about Mr Miyagi rather than the annoying child. Does that come up much at all in Cobra Kai? No. There are frequent references to the impact he had on Daniel, and on Daniel trying to live up to his teachings and carry on the traditions of Miyagi-do, and how his memory still serves as Daniel’s moral center. But the unfortunate fact is, Pat Morita is deceased, William Zabka (Johnny) and Ralph Macchio (Daniel) are alive, and the series centers on the perspectives of the characters that are in it. What it does do, especially in the first season, is re-visit the movie from Johnny’s perspective, and show that Daniel was also kind of a jerk in a lot of ways, and that while Johnny was a bully, he actually had some valid reasons to dislike Daniel. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/108 "2021-06-19T12:27:19Z")
> [@YamatoTwinkie](#): > > **Dredd** (2012). I skipped it initially because the previews made it seem like it was a low-budget direct-to-video sequel of the Sylvester Stallone movie from the 90’s, with some “Now in 3-D!!!” gimmicks thrown in. I was going to say **Dredd**. Seconding **Cobra Kai**. It’s almost brilliant how it is a continuation of the original movies, and yet incorporates more humor and modern themes. I particularly like how occasionally the show makes subtle references to their community’s odd fixation with karate. Because IRL, outside of 80s martial arts films, most people don’t give a crap about karate! **Future Man** I thought it was just going to be a rehashing of sci-fi/comedy time travel fish out of water tropes. But it was actually pretty hilarious. **The Lego Movies** I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I found really all 4 of them to be very entertaining. Plus, having 2 small Lego obsessed kids, I thought it was very smart how the films incorporated “meta” aspects of the real world. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/109 "2021-06-19T14:49:01Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > To me the Community episode which covered the Karate Kid, via Chang working in a play of it, pointed out the valid (and missed point by me), that the film was largely about Mr Miyagi rather than the annoying child. Does that come up much at all in Cobra Kai? Not so much explicitly, but Daniel realizing how much he misses Mr. Miyagi, and how hard it is to take on his role in a new generation, is a big part of it. As I said, it’s incredibly respectful of the original movies, while still having fun with their sillier parts. If you’re at all a fan you owe it to yourself to at least give it a chance. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/110 "2021-06-19T15:18:52Z")
The Last Kingdom book series by Bernard Cornwell are one of my favorite series and the tv series really does a great job staying as true to the books as any tv series can. I liked Vikings but I feel Last Kingdom is a much more interesting portrayal of that time and conflict. King Alfred is really a fascinating person. Uhtred (son of Uhtred 😉 ) is also very close to what imagined him to be. ---
**Author:** ![Ziberian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/919ad9/32.png) [@Ziberian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ziberian)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/111 "2021-06-22T02:08:34Z")
Orange is the New Black (OITNB). I avoided it for years, expecting a trite and tired show based on clueless-rich-girl goes to prison. But it ran for 8 seasons so I finally gave it a try on the basis that a show that stays that long must have _something_. Not at all trite, incredible cast, original storylines, an amazingly well done series. Then found out it was based on Wentworth, which is even better. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/112 "2021-06-22T07:57:59Z")
> [@Ziberian](#): > > Orange is the New Black (OITNB). I avoided it for years, expecting a trite and tired show based on clueless-rich-girl goes to prison. But it ran for 8 seasons so I finally gave it a try on the basis that a show that stays that long must have _something_ . Not at all trite, incredible cast, original storylines, an amazingly well done series. Then found out it was based on Wentworth, which is even better. Sadly, I think it’s one which is better than expected… at first, then changes to be something different around Season 4. The appeal of it was that the other inmates are much much more interested than the rich girl who is the main character. You shudder when you see Piper onscreen with that other one, but Crazy Eyes, Red, Pussae, Pensatucky and a bunch of other ones make up for it much more Then it sort of changes about Season 4, loses a lot of the charm for the characters, a lot also disappear after that and it feels as if it’s going through the motions after that. It’s one of those definite jumping of the shark moments, but strangely undefinable as to what they did… ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/113 "2021-06-23T00:28:31Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > Sadly, I think it’s one which is better than expected… at first, then changes to be something different around Season 4. > > The appeal of it was that the other inmates are much much more interested than the rich girl who is the main character. You shudder when you see Piper onscreen with that other one, but Crazy Eyes, Red, Pussae, Pensatucky and a bunch of other ones make up for it much more > > Then it sort of changes about Season 4, loses a lot of the charm for the characters, a lot also disappear after that and it feels as if it’s going through the motions after that. It’s one of those definite jumping of the shark moments, but strangely undefinable as to what they did… Mostly agreed. I resisted it for ages due to, uh, loads of my friends liking it 😃 We’ve all been there, right? Then I gave up at some point, which might have been season 4. However, I did actually like Piper and her story arc, at least until I stopped watching - and that wasn’t down to her. Not entirely sure what it was, TBH. It just sort of stopped telling coherent stories. I think possibly it went down the same route as other prison-based dramas (like Prison Break and even the original Prisoner Cell Block H), of wanting to keep going, so making its main characters stay in prison for ridiculous reasons. Lots of prisoners end up staying in prison for good reasons, but that would generally involve them being either too bad to sympathise with or would mean that there was never a chance of them getting out. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/114 "2021-06-23T00:36:30Z")
G.L.O.W. took me by surprise. It had some decent acting and a love story mixed in with the ladies’ wrestling. Alison Brie and Marc Maron were quite good in the leads and had some great chemistry on the set. Not a great show by any means but a pleasant thing to binge on for a few nights. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/115 "2021-06-23T09:08:20Z")
> [@grimmybee](#): > > the one that surprised me the most was _We’re the Millers_ . Not my taste, genre-wise (I’ve probably seen fewer than 12 post-2k English-language films) and I’m lukewarm on Jennifer Anniston’s acting even at the best of times, but this hooked me from the word ‘go’ and quickly became my go-to whenever I have an hour or two to kill. I’ve probably watched it more often than films I rate as all-time faves and I still laugh as hard as I did on first viewing. I remain a huge Will Poulter fan. He doesn’t appear in much but he’s always good value. > [@SciFiSam](#): > > Fourthing, or whatever number, the 40 Year Old Virgin. It’s actually a touching movie with characters who are pretty much all likeable, and the end scene is fantastic in many, many ways. I slightly disagree. Steve Carrell and Catherine Keener are a delight to watch but there was a lot in that film that made me uncomfortable, most notably the scene where Carrell’s character runs off from the hot tub scene with Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogan just wanders in to take his place and “it’s all good”. I realize that the immaturity of the characters is the point in large part but still, it was a little jerk-heavy for my tastes. Speaking of immature jerks, I’m going to mention **Final Space**. Gary’s irrepressible (to the point of delusion) optimism and persistence in the face of harsh reality make him seems like a complete idiot at the beginning and become his most enduring traits in the end. Haven’t seen Season 3 yet but I am completely hooked. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/116 "2021-06-23T13:52:10Z")
Two shows that I am somewhat surprised to have not seen mentioned yet. First is Firefly. The promos made it look like a super cheesy camp sci-fi. I thought it may be a decent timewaster, so mentally noted it, but not so much that I actually remembered that it was on until nearly the last commercial break. The “This is all the money that Niska gave us in advance.” speech got me hooked though. Second is What we do in the Shadows. I was at a friends, and they hadn’t seen it either, but it had been recommended. I thought the blurb looked pretty dumb. We started watching it, and I thought it was the dumbest thing ever, for about the first minute. Then it was pretty amazing the rest of the way through. (Of course, then the second season kinda sucked, but what can you do?) ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/117 "2021-06-23T17:12:35Z")
Did not expect to like “Clarkson’s Farm” on Amazon Prime. Jeremy Clarkson, of Top Gear fame, buys a 1,000 acre farm in the Cotswolds and becomes a gentleman farmer. Of course he buys a Lamborghini tractor and proceeds to do characteristically stupid things. However, you get to see a somewhat different side of him, especially the “Sheeping” episode. Well worth the time to see all 8 episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/118 "2021-06-23T17:42:48Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Second is What we do in the Shadows. I was at a friends, and they hadn’t seen it either, but it had been recommended. I thought the blurb looked pretty dumb. We started watching it, and I thought it was the dumbest thing ever, for about the first minute. Then it was pretty amazing the rest of the way through. (Of course, then the second season kinda sucked, but what can you do?) I’m assuming you are talking about the tv show. I found the movie to be better. The energy vampire is a brilliant idea though that’s not in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/119 "2021-06-23T19:58:05Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Then I gave up at some point, which might have been season 4. However, I did actually like Piper and her story arc, at least until I stopped watching - and that wasn’t down to her. Not entirely sure what it was, TBH. It just sort of stopped telling coherent stories. It’s been remarked on more than once that [Jenji Kohan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenji_Kohan) productions tend to follow that pattern. She starts really strong and eventually writes herself into a corner while trying to re-invent the wheel every season. I stuck through Weeds for its entire run, but I’ll admit it became a little bit of a chore by the end. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329/120 "2021-06-24T14:17:36Z")
You can substitute David Kelley for Kohan and say the same thing about his career. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-and-tv-you-had-a-low-opinion-of-going-in-but-were-pleasantly-surprised-by/943329.md?page=7)