# Movies That Were A Lot Better/Worse Than You Expected **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 13, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639 "2010-09-13T19:13:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/1 "2010-09-13T19:13:26Z")
I just watched “Couples Retreat” in the background while I worked, and I can’t BELIEVE how bad it sucks. It was billed as a tropical fun comedy, it was all marital squabbling between generally unappealing characters. A pretty good cast, but who could read a script like that and think they had something fun going on? Jeebus, it stank on ice. Not only not funny, but not funny in an annoying way. I watched “The Sweetest Thing” and expected it to suck – billed as a “gross-out comedy” it was insteady a raunchy chick flick. There were gross-out elements, but they weren’t all THAT prevalent, and I found the characters appealing. Maybe it was the actresses – Cameron Diaz handles “cute” very well, and Christina Applegate had a certain puckishness, and Selma Blair was really appealing in her role. I think the actresses helped a lot here, but there was a fun story for them to work with. You been surprised lately? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/2 "2010-09-13T19:26:41Z")
The Terminator was a lot better than I expected ---
**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:** [September 13, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/3 "2010-09-13T19:29:31Z")
> [@](#): > > The Terminator was a lot better than I expected I’ll second this. I expected, from the ads, that it’d be a low-budget flick featuring people in rubber masks running around LA shooting each other up. The film was infinitely better than that, and very aware of SF and literate. I had the same experience a couple of years later with **RoboCop** , which looked as if it was just going to be a one-note joke. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/4 "2010-09-13T19:47:56Z")
“Hot Tub Time Machine” was much better than it had any right to be. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/5 "2010-09-13T19:49:21Z")
As kooky as **Buckaroo Banzai** was, I thoroughly enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/6 "2010-09-13T19:57:14Z")
_Charlie’s Angels_ had terrible pre-release “buzz” - people were predicting it was going to be an epic fiasco and some said it might not even get released. But it turned out to be a pretty good movie and quite popular. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/7 "2010-09-13T19:58:23Z")
Rambo 4 was so good, I posted a thread about it. I loved it! Best action movie I’ve seen in years! [Rambo 4 thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=576718) ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/8 "2010-09-13T20:12:29Z")
I agree about _Couples Retreat._ Just saw it last night. Bunches of annoying people abrading each other in stereotypical ways != funny. There was probably an uplifting end but I never made it. Uplifting != funny either. _40 Year Old Virgin_ on the other hand was a hoot that I never expected. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/9 "2010-09-13T20:23:46Z")
Years ago I got dragged to see _Three Kings_ by somebody who doesn’t miss a Marky Mark movie. It looked absolutely awful from the publicity, and of course it was a fantastic movie. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/10 "2010-09-13T20:24:03Z")
I know! Let’s make a movie about an abrasive New Yorker in the Deep South and point out cultural differences. We can hang it on some weak story about a court case. That’s B-movie material at best. But not only was **My Cousin Vinny** a tight little flick, it won Marissa Tomei an academy award and is often used in law schools for it’s educational content. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/11 "2010-09-13T20:25:09Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Rambo 4 was so good, I posted a thread about it. I loved it! Best action movie I’ve seen in years! > > [Rambo 4 thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=576718) I expected Jurassic Park 3 to be a run down retread with all the fun sucked out of the story. Instead it was a great little B movie! I still catch it on cable now and then. I wish they’d make a Jurassic Park 4 about a bunch of Central American villagers besieged by dinosaurs who swam over from the islands. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/12 "2010-09-13T20:30:37Z")
**[Vampires Suck](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=575489&highlight=Vampires+Suck)** turned out to be a better movie that I thought it’d be. Of course it helps that it’s source material is Twilight. 😛 ---
**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:** [September 13, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/13 "2010-09-13T20:58:58Z")
There’s been a few movies that have been trashed by critics and the masses lately that I somehow managed to enjoy thoroughly. I’m beginning to question my own tastes. Clash of the Titans 2010. Plenty of mindless action in a straight forward story. No I don’t care how faithful it may be to the mythology. It just looks a lot better than the original which looks really campy nowdays. Australia. Just big epic fun. I never took it too seriously and it was pleasant to watch. Speed Racer. I really got into the story and the storytelling about this racing family vs. evil big business racing. YMMV of course 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/14 "2010-09-13T21:04:25Z")
Piranha 3D, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Date Night were all recent pleasant surprises. I really, really enjoyed them. I thought The Hangover would be great, but it was the worst piece of crap I’ve seen in the past year. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/15 "2010-09-13T21:11:04Z")
yes, “The Hangover” sucked truly and completely. I watched it on cable after reading about it having this huge box office … and it really wasn’t a hell of a lot better than “Couple’s Retreat.” The only place I laughed is when the naked Asian guy jumped out of the car trunk and beat everybody up. Other than that, really predictable, trite and stupid. I had not watched it because the trailers looked stupid … and the trailers were right! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/16 "2010-09-13T21:18:48Z")
“Runaway Train” just sounds like a cruddy B-movie, doesn’t it? But it’s one of the most thoughtful, nuanced character studies I’ve ever seen … that just happens to take place on a train hurtling towards doom and explosions. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/17 "2010-09-13T21:59:39Z")
Who would have guessed that a movie based on a Disneyworld ride would be anything other than utter dreck? Yet _Pirates of the Caribbean_ was great. And I’ve said it many times before, but whoever did the marketing for _12 Monkeys_ ought to be… Well, not shot, maybe, but definitely fired. The commercials and previews all made it look idiotic, but it was the best time-travel movie I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/18 "2010-09-13T22:34:09Z")
Liked most of _ **Waterworld** _ a lot. it’s one of those movies that, if I stumble on it while channel flipping, I’ll usually keep watching. ---
**Author:** ![Jennmonkye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@Jennmonkye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennmonkye)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/19 "2010-09-14T00:27:39Z")
Mr. Jennmonkye and I watched the Zac Efron comedy “17 Again” a couple of months ago on cable and BOTH absolutely loved it! There is not a chance that I would have ever thought that we would have even liked, much less loved that it…everyone was terrific in it! To Chronos…I agree…I thought for sure that “Pirates of the Carribean” was going to be the worst, but I was watching it again the other day on cable and commented out loud to myself how great it was (no excuse for 2 or 3, though). ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639/20 "2010-09-14T00:39:51Z")
You cannot have a thread like this and NOT mention Iron Giant. Superman I did not cry, there was something in my eye. \ Sign me up for any Spongebob Squarepants you happen to find. (yes, there was a time I was certain it was crap). Iron Man…how can they POSSIBLY make a good move about a second tier character…man, they’re really running out of ideas, and Daredevil STUNK…what makes 'em think Iron Man will be any good? He’s no Batman or Superman, that’s fer sure! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-were-a-lot-better-worse-than-you-expected/553639.md?page=2)