What have you expected to be bad but were pleasantly surprised by?

[Joelist]

This is related to the "shows you like" post.

What movies or shows have you seen that you had expected to be bad but they turned out good - hence pleasantly surprising you?

Same thread general rule - no bashing anyone's choices - this is about what pleasantly surprised you

 

[Joelist]

I'll lead off with a Godzilla movie that based on internet stuff and preview stills I expected to be crud - Shin Godzilla.

When it was announced we even questioned in this forum whether or not it was even a good idea to make it, and I was really turned off by some pre-release photos of Godzilla that turned out to be inaccurate (I said he looked like a blackened teriyaki lizard).

Then I got to see it at a nice local theater we have that runs a lot of indie films and such.

It turned out to be pretty good. In many ways a throwback to the 1954 Gojira but a new origin story. It was VERY pointed politically, skewering the sclerotic Japanese government responses to the Tsunami and Fukushima disasters. Despite some partial misfires in one of the evolving forms of Godzilla it really worked well.

 

[Overmind One]

For me, Oblivion was one of those. I mean, it was Tom Cruise? The trailers were not really that great, and the supporting cast seemed like unknowns. Then, I watched it and was impressed by the story and the writing and even the visuals. Since then, I have rewatched it several times and it is one of my favorite movies.

 

[Joelist]

I have to agree on Oblivion too. While I knew the actors (Tom Cruise and Olga Kurylenko), the previews made the film look naff. Instead it was a nice, more complex film.

 

[Jim of WVa]

Killjoys

 

[Tripler]

Jason Bourne movies ... Man were they awesome but originally I thought because its Matt Damon they would not interest me but he surprised me and still does ... At a boy Mattser !!!

 

[YJ02]

I have to agree on Oblivion too. While I knew the actors (Tom Cruise and Olga Kurylenko), the previews made the film look naff. Instead it was a nice, more complex film.

found this video on yt of some behind the scenes type stuff on OBLIVION,
even 6 yrs later, it is still my favorite sci fi film

it is so minimalist but also very "rich(right word?)"

 

[Overmind One]

Killjoys

You know, Jim, I still have not seen this movie yet! I will watch it.