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Just watched Looper. Much better than I thought it had any right to be.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young Bruce Willis was particularly good.
Got me thinking, which other films were better than you expected them to be?
WTF??? I just watched that too - thought it was good
Yeah, but it's a contraversial choice. I fully expected 'attack the block' to be absolutely awful but it wasn't half bad to be honest.
Moving on, after the absolutely god-awful bat man series of films, I fully expected the dark knight to be utter bilge and yet... it totally blew me away. Who played batman, I can't remember, who played the joket? Heath Ledger, ..absolutelyt stunning performancxe and totally owned the film. I was entranced. That guy could act!
Lilo and Stitch. I was dragged along to see it, it was amazing.
Lilo and Stitch. I was dragged along to see it, it was amazing.
This. One of my favourite films.
Before Sunrise
Thought it was going to be soppy romantic pish....actually it probably is but despite that it really struck a chord with me...the sequel Before Sunset is just as good, 2 of my favourite films.
Apocalypto- Mrs dragged me along to see a film directed by Mel Gibson, about the native mayans in the rainforest, completely subtitled and to top it off its over 2hrs long. I didn't expect to be conscious by 10 mins in, but it was bloody brilliant.
I agree with Looper also:
Up
Wild Bill
City of God (Probably my favourite film ever)
Life of Pi.
Sweepy , I have to agree 'Apocolypto' was ****in awesome . I think most of my favourite films are subtitled. The fact you have to pay attention and read subtitles makes Oldboy , Life Is Beautiful and Lives of others all the more enjoyable.
Obviously this is all subjective.
[i]City of God (Probably my favourite film ever)[/i] I personally thought this film was rubbish.I just didn;t get why it was popular.
^^^ I dont know . Personally I thought It was stunning , deemed as a Brazillian 'Trainspotting' but I thought so much better and not In many ways **** all like Trainspotting. In my mind well written , stunningly shot and a great soundtrack and I actually felt for the characters unline many popular films.
My usual answer to this question is "In Bruges"
Argo
+100 for apocalypto, just ****ing awesome.
Weird, I read the title of the thread before clicking on it, and thought ah Looper, saw the trailer and it being likened to The Matrix and insta-wrote it of as being shoite, really enjoyed it though.
+1 for Argo!
Argo just needed sympathy for the devil or gimme shelter to start belting out like in Flight....to be truly epic.
But then again, I'm a Stones fanboi.
The Hide - tv film, 2 people in a mudflat birdwatching hide, gf wanted to watch it, I didn't - ever so glad I did
Robot and Frank - watched on a flight recently and loved it. A beautiful film.
Black Swan. Thought it'd be worth putting up with a chick flick to earn some brownie points, but was thoroughly amazed. I'm an emotional retard and am almost never moved by films, but that is one powerful film. I couldn't even say [i]what[/i] emotion it elicited, it was just powerful.
A good year
Watched it a few times and it just grows on me every time
The music is amazing, interesting mixture of story lines love the comedy and acting.
Not my usual choice of film but now rate it as one of my all time favourites.
The Sweeny. expected it to be crap especially after what I had been told by friends. It was crap, but was enjoyable trashy no brainer crap. If I had watched it with high expectations I would have been disappointed though.
Snow White & the Huntsmen. Nephew chose this I palmed it off as rubbish based on the fact it was a 12 & had that miserable looking vampire girl in it. Really enjoyed it, it reminded me of Willow. The big white deer reminded me of something I saw in a studio ghibli film.
+another for Apocalypto. Way better than it has any right to be.
For me though it's Moulin Rouge. Hated Strictly Ballroom, tolerated Romero & Juliet so went to see it under duress. At the end of the running time I had a new 'top 5 films ever' entrant.
Having seen Django Unchained recently and also loving that, I'm realising more and more that I just love films that are about loving cinema.
The Hobbit. No, really. I thought it was going to be pants tbh but loved it.
In Bruges.
Lock, Stock etc. Watched it for the first time about 2 months ago and loved it.
TS
Stardust. Love it.
Ransom!
Changeling
Expected it to be a chick flick for some reason as Mrs Wilko recommended it. Good god how wrong I was and was completely blown away by it - no film has ever had such a lasting impact - the fact it's a true story too. Unreal
Wizard of Oz.
First saw it a couple of years ago in my early 40's.
Managed to avoid it up till then.
It's actually quite good, isn't it?
the human centipede, what an amazing film!!!
The Mission and Moulin Rouge - two films my better half wanted to see and I got dragged along to see. Very glad I did, sadly through he film choices tend to be a little poor, so these were the exceptions
Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Lots of worthies up above, but on a more mundane level, if some reason it's advisable for you to sit through a rom com, I'd recommend this one, even though Russell Brand grates on me dearly.
Oh, and Hot Tub Time Machine. With a name like that how can it be anything but utter crap, but really quite enjoyed it.
Stardust. One of my favouritest films. Due another watch.
Narnia was pretty bloody awesome too.
Despicable Me is another.
Dredd
+1 forgetting Sarah Marshall - love that film
2 films I really enjoyed recently that I wasn't expecting much from
Another Earth
Crazy, Stupid Love
How to train your dragon.
Got it in as we were babysitting our 9yr old niece. She fell asleep, we didn't 🙂
Wall-e
The diving bell and the butterfly. Its a french film about a bloke with locked in syndrome, nothing happens pretty much. It's amazing, and had me in floods by the end of it
Reign over me..
Adam Sandler does a serious film, bound to be rubbish??
Err, no. Briiliant
I thought I'd give El Mariachi ten minutes on Lovefilm late last night to see if it might be worth watching another time. Ended up watching it all the way through there and then.
+1 Reign over me
Also really enjoyed Stardust
Julie and Julia. Meryl Streep thing about a tv cook from the sixties. Was expecting to ignore it whilst mywife watched and i pissed about on my phone, loved every minute.
On a related note, I accidentally watched the Christmas special of Downton Abbey. Am now totally unabashedly addicted and about to start series 2. Really.
+ 1 for How To Tame Your Dragon. Wasn't expecting much but the OH and I were absoulutely enthralled.
Stardust. One of my favouritest films. Due another watch.
Yes yes a thousand times yes, one of my favourite films that.
The Emperor's New Groove is also pretty awesome.
Bridesmaids
Expected it to be along the lines of "Hangover" but for the girls(very sexist I know)
However was quite impressed,dont get me wrong its not the best film ever but much better than expected.
End of watch
Another good un that exceeded expectations.
Moon.
The Guard.
Wasn't expecting much but it's comedy genius.
In Bruges
Hot Tub Time Machine - it's just so ridiculous.
Just got around to watching Dredd, I didn't realize the screenplay was by Alex Garland otherwise would have checked it out ages ago. My one word review is 'brutal'.
Stardust is awesome. Makes me cry at the end too. Love the centegenarian kungfu wall guard as well, and the pirate whoopsie.
Just seen Django Unchained. Had expectations based on the thread last week, but it exceeded it. Loved the krap klansmen scene.
'Shrek'...thought I was going to see a film to keep the kids happy...ended up seeing a film that entertained me at the same time.
'Matrix'...so good on so many levels....it's just a shame the Wachowski's couldn't keep the dream going.
+ Another for Apocalypto, had me hooked all through the film, despite the bad things he has done in the past (the drunken racial remarks and more specificaly, lethal Weapon 3) I will always remember Mel Gibson for this gem.
Pan's Labyrinth, dragged in to see it, great on so many levels.
Others....Moon (shows what you can do with a good story), Thank you for Smoking (great topic) , Ill Manors (really suprised by this one as I cant stand UK gangsta stuff) and the last Rambo film (classic 80s shoot fest with a classic Terry Thomas style villian).
Another + for the recent Dredd film, bought back my youth a little, now where is the Rogue Trooper film?
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Inglorious Basterds
But especially Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. If you haven't seen it - rent it NOW. Very funny.
Kiss Kiss, Inglorious and Apocalwhatsit added to my LoveFilm list. Cheers.
+1 for How To Train Your Dragon. Rented it on a whim and it's superb.
The Sessions
A great movie based on a true story about a bloke who had polio when he was a kid and hires a sex surrogate to help him lose his virginity
The Bourne Identity. Saw the trailer and thought 'that has the potential to be ace but will probably be guff'. bored one evening and went to see it and have loved it ever since. It is probably one of my favorite films.
Stardust was great too. I thought id really dislike it. Loved it.
Moulin Rouge. Wasn't a big fan of musicals so was very sceptical. It is fantastic. The segment where they dance around to 'Like a virgin' is brilliant.
Hairspray. Travolta aside it is great.
Kevin & Perry Go Large 😀
+1 for despicable me.
watched it last weekend and wasn't expecting much. Was brilliantly good fun. The minions were the superstars
Dead Man's Shoes.
Oh and really liked 'oh brother where art thou'. Rightly or wrongly.
Moon. Low budget, but well shot and well acted. Well, I enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed the Colin Farrell Total Recall. Thought it was much better than Arnie's.
Quartet
Sideways
I really enjoyed the Colin Farrell Total Recall. Thought it was much better than Arnie's.
What!
The only film CF hasn't managed to ruin ([cough] Alexander, Miami vice ffs! [/cough]) is Horrible bosses, and that's only because I never realised it was him. Let him off for In Bruges, but only because of the quality of the dialogue and other actors.
Girl with Dragon Tattoo - the one with Daniel Craig in but watched for Rooney Mara's performance. Clubbed, District 9, The Eagle (had very low expectations), Wolverine, The Wrestler. Not many lately.
Just watched the remake of Total Recall - was expecting it to be rubbish, but I was pleasantly surprised. You wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Kate Beckinsale 😯
Oh, I would.
Hot tub time machine 🙂
Oh, burn after reading, awesome! Especially when get to the dildo rocking chair scene. Along with O brother where art thou Clooney has done some pretty decent films
Troll Hunter - class film
The first Matrix film
The Bourne Identity
Collateral
Toy Story
Casino Royale
Pans Labyrinth
The lives of others
The wrestler
Skyfall
Kung Fu Panda and only a bit different was Human Centipede; Sat through the whole film thinking this can't get any more disturbing and in that very respect it most
definitely exceeded my expectations.
I'll add a couple of others too.
Fight Club. The title is awful and I expected it to be a film about fighting which is why I took so long to watch it. Now it's in my top three films ever. I've seen it about ten times. AWESOME!
Up. I wondered how a cartoon could be that good so never watched and turned it on by accident over christmas. Best love story intro ever and a really good film.
[i]You wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Kate Beckinsale[/i]
oooh, she can punish me any time she likes.
....Human Centipede; Sat through the whole film thinking this can't get any more disturbing .....
You obviously haven't seen the second one then!!
Argo,
Love Actually,
Get Him to the Greek (even though i hate Russel Brand),
The Fighter,
Crazy Stupid Love
...Basically anything the wife makes me watch. I should really be less reluctant!
Watch UpsideDown (2012) very good
Just watched the remake of Total Recall - was expecting it to be rubbish, but I was pleasantly surprised. You wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Kate Beckinsale
That anorexic bird who can't act would die if you so much as sneezed in her direction.
I've never laughed so hard before at a 'bad guy/girl' in a film.
Katee Sackhoffs 'Starbuck' is the best 'tough girl' act I've seen and she's also the only actress I've properly fancied.
American Mary- shocking and captivating
Hot Fuzz - was almost forced to watch it by the Mrs..I must have seen it about 20 times now! Brilliant
Yeah district 9. Went to see it cos someone said it was good and i like a bit o sci fi. It was sooo much better than i was expecting. Really fresh take on that old aliens come to earth idea and a great modern subtext racism/segregation/aparteid etc. Really enjoyed that film.
Oh and solaris. What?with gorgeous george clooney out of er? That's going to be the worst remake ever right? Thought it was ace!
yeah I ended up enjoying the Solaris remake.