[Vwing]

Thought this would be an interesting topic. The only one I can come up with right now is Galaxy Quest, I thought that was a really good movie and it could've been so bad. What about you guys?

[Just your average movie goer]

Dude, Where's My Car. That movie looked absolutely stupid and it was... but it was actually pretty damn funny.

[Helena]

Agreed about Galaxy Quest - when I first heard of it it sounded like the kind of movie I wouldn't touch with a barge pole. But in the event I loved it, even though I don't like Star Trek.

[Just your average movie goer]

I think it works very well for both Star Trek lovers and Star Trek loathers alike. I'm in the latter category myself - and like yourself, I enjoyed it immensely.

[Esco]

A movie that could have been bad, but turned out good? Hum...oh, I just recently saw one!
I had seen the trailers and commercials for 'Harold and Kumar go to White Castle', and thought it looked terrible. But based off trusted recommendations, my wife and I went to check it out. Sure enough, it had me on the floor laughing! I was shocked at the amount of 80's related humor and inside jokes, as well as preverbial pokes at drug users.

This post has been edited by Esco: 19 August 2004 - 11:11 AM

[civilian_number_two]

CLUELESS: Okay, in retrospect, it had everything going for it, but who'd have thought?

ELECTION: Holy shit, dude.

BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE: Who expected Freudian parody of Freud? And time travel paradox gags that put T2 to shame. The show that put Keanu on the map. ok, that was bad ...

[Just your average movie goer]

Yeah, Clueless was fantastic. And I think I speak for everyone here, when I say I loved Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (shame about the sequel).

I haven't seen Election though, so I can't give an opinion either way on that.

And regarding Keanu Reeves, if he had just remained as Ted Theodore Logan, I would have liked him a lot more. This is the perfect character for Keanu. Seeing him as Jonathan Harker, a cop and the saviour of mankind in the Matrix was a bit hard to handle.

Stay away from serious roles, Keanu and... party on, dude!

[Despondent]

The incredible flying bus. Of course I mean SPEED.

[Mike Mac from NYU]

BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE: Who expected Freudian parody of Freud? And time travel paradox gags that put T2 to shame. The show that put Keanu on the map. ok, that was bad ...

This was a movie I thought was going to be good and was really bad.

Even if your into people like Bill & Ted, you'll find this movie offensive


My choices for movie I thought was going to be bad but turned out good.

Against All Odds

I never saw this move until this year. I mean I heard ABOUT it during the 80s...mainly due to the love scenes and Phil Collins title song. But I always thought of it as one of those corny 80s love movies you always saw during that time period. But when I watched it ...........

........I was surprised about how multi-layered and complex the movie was. And how good the acting was in many places. Specially James Woods. i admired how the movie actually in many ways was about corruption in sports. A topic I would like to make a movie on.....if ever given the chance. {a movie better than Any Given Sunday that;s for sure!!!}

I;m not saying this is a great movie by any stretch of imagination. The movie just intigued & surprised me by it's subtle depth.

[Just your average movie goer]

My God! Mike! It's been a while....

Welcome back. But enough with the formalities... what exactly was offensive about Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure? Just seemed like harmless good fun to me.

[Mike Mac from NYU]

Other movies that surprised me.

1. Boyz in the Hood
This movie many times is placed in the 90s style blaxploitation era of gangsta films. These films became hyped because they featured black directors.

Boyz in the Hood is way different than thos efilms
It had very little violence in it. It really described the aimlessness of urban youths in LA. It also brought up the major point, that the lack of young black males having father figures. Great performances all around by Cuba Gooding Jr, Larry Fishburen & even Ice Cuba.

A very good film that portrays it;s subject rather than exploits it.


2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
I know this is a controvesial subject on this forum. But this movie blew away my expectations. I really thought this movie was all art house hype. But this movie was so unique and exciting in several places that I was truly surprised.

3. Daredevil
Not a great movie. But i found it more enjoyable than either the Hulk or Spider-Man 1 or 2. I blame the bad press on this film due to Ben Afflecks marital hijinks & the overexposure of Marvel Superhero movies.

Any other year and time this movie would lauded as being a good movie.
This movie has 10 minute of the greates action sequence ever filmed. [The scene involving the theft of the Green Destiny}

3.

[Mike Mac from NYU]

My God! Mike! It's been a while....

My apologies........i have a few things in the wind..so to speak that have made me unbelievably busy. A little project of mine that I am doing for a master class I plan on taking this fall.

Welcome back. But enough with the formalities... what exactly was offensive about Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure? Just seemed like harmless good fun to me.

Well..there;s the proble, I fould BATEA neither harmless or fun.

No don;t get me wrong. I like movies like "American Pie, Porky's, Animal House, Fast Times at Ridgemont High & yes, I even saw "Jackass: the Movie" {of which I am ashamed to say I liked }

I expected to see all the slacker humor and was disappointed that there was none of it in the movie.

The movie just seemed to labor along without any genuine laughs.

And I like Winters and Reeves. Heck I remember that great show Winters had on MTV -"The Idiot Box"!

The movie just fell flat to me.

[Vwing]

Well I loved Bill and Ted, but I agree with Mike about Daredevil. I actually thought it was very well done, some of the scenes were very cool where we see through Daredevil's "eyes", and the one where he sees Garner in the rain is really beautiful. I thought it was well-done and Affleck did a good job, and was surprised at how good it was.

[Just your average movie goer]

The movie just fell flat to me.

Fair enough. Not all movies work for everyone obviously, and I think with comedies, this is especially so. Humour is probably more subjective than most other genres out there. Anyway, I guess you may have got an advantage out of not enjoying Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Mike. If you didn't enjoy that movie, then you most likely never saw its awful sequel.

Regarding the movies you listed, I haven't seen Boyz in the Hood and Daredevil... but you've got me intrigued.

And Crouching Tiger was a beautiful movie.... flawed in parts... but beautiful.

I have a funny memory from watching that film actually. When the characters were flying all over the place, from roof to roof, I muttered. "That's impossible. People can't jump like that."

And my brother said. "No, they're not jumping. They're flying."

When he told me that, I was fine with it. They're flying? No problem then.

I guess for me, a completely fantastical element is more convincing than stretching something that's possible until its impossible.

[civilian_number_two]

I guess I disagree about DAREDEVIL. yes, that movie could have been a lot worse, but this thread is supposed to be about films that appear on the surface like they should be bad. Not just "could be bad," because then that's everything ever made, and it's not much of a topic. When DD came out, comic book movies were hot property, and the thing was not only based on some great Frank Miller material (uh-oh!), but also it was filled with bankable stars. In fact, i'd say this was an example of a film that should have been good, and was sort of ok.

CROUCHING TIGER: a lot of folk hate that sort of thing, so I'll meet you halfway. But this wasn't for me a big surprise. I went in expecting to be blown away. When it ended I just turned to my friend and said "wow." That's all I could say.

BOYZ is quite good, yes.

Welcome back, Mac (from a guy who doesn't post very much these days himself).

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ZOOLANDER: Well, this could have sucked ass, and it didn't! I think that counts for something.