What's The Most Unexpectedly Awesome Movie You've Ever Seen?

[Nobody]

We all have one. I'm talking about the movie or movies you watched either to shut your girlfriend/wife up, or to appease a friend. Ones you had either low or no expectations for, that actually ended up being pretty damn good movies. I don't mean ones that you were just like, "oh, that wasn't as horrible as I expected." I mean ones you actually thoroughly enjoyed and have watched again.

For me, it was Zombieland. The trailers did it absolutely no justice at all. They made it look like the same cliche, lame ass zombie movie. Yes, I'm one of those guys who thinks zombie movies are retarded as all hell. Anyway, my brother annoyed me into watching Zombieland, and as anyone who's seen it can imagine, I loved it. Friggin hilarious from start to finish, and a ton of memorable quotes. To this day, I grin and think of Woody Harrelson every time I see a Twinkie. It's just one of those movies that's impossible to hate.

 

[Goaldeje]

The Matrix is the first thing that comes to mind. I went in being coerced by a friend, thinking it was going to be a dumb sic-fi movie. Blew my mind. I remember being absolutely blown away and sitting there talking about for days.
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[Nobody]

The Matrix is the first thing that comes to mind. I went in being coerced by a friend, thinking it was going to be a dumb sic-fi movie. Blew my mind. I remember being absolutely blown away and sitting there talking about for days.
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Good call, I saw it for the same reason, with the exact same result. I absolutely hate Sci-Fi with a passion, always have. I'm the only guy I know that doesn't care for Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. and get ribbed about it quite a bit. I don't know, it's just not my thing.

When The Matrix came out, a hardcore computer nerd Sci-Fi freak friend of mine was on my ass 24/7 about how awesome The Matrix was. To shut him up, I went with him to see it, and just as you said, it completely blew my mind. Not only because of how in depth they went with everything, but because when I was young, I used to think about a lot of what if scenarios, and one was almost on par with exactly what The Matrix was about, so it was nuts for me.

 

[the Omniscient]

Two recent ones come to mind.

The Experiment with Adrian Brody and Forrest Whitaker. I was getting really angry during that movie. It had me on edge.

The second is Daybreakers. I am so sick of vampire movies, but this one was excellent.

Both are streaming on Netflix right now if you all are interested.

Also, Felon with Val Kilmer. I would not claim it was awesome, but it was very good. I was expecting it to really suck. It has a very low budget feel to the movie, which initially turned me off. After it got going, the low budget feel felt right at home.

 

[Elephant]

Not the most unexpectedly awesome, but it was the first movie that came to mind when I saw this thread. I went to see Hall Pass recently and was more than pleasantly surprised. I thought it was better than the Hangover, but I thought the Hangover was way over rated anyway.

 

[Henry]

Zombieland is a good call. I enjoyed that movie a lot more than I thought I would. I refer to The Rules often.

I think my all-time top Unexpectedly Awesome Movie I've Ever Seen award has to go to The Princess Bride. I didn't know anything about it except the title going in so I expected a dopey girly fake fairy tale. Turned out to be one of my favorite movies of all time, second only to Star Wars.

Another one was Big Fish. I'm not Tim Burton fan and I never planned on seeing that movie, but I got stuck watching it on a plane once, and I thought it was excellent.

Oh wait. I got another one. Years ago when I was visiting a high school buddy of mine in college, he made us watch So I Married an Axe Murderer which I thought was going to be a dumb throwaway movie. To this day that's my favorite Mike Myers movie by a long shot.

 

[Nobody]

Two recent ones come to mind.

The Experiment with Adrian Brody and Forrest Whitaker. I was getting really angry during that movie. It had me on edge.

The second is Daybreakers. I am so sick of vampire movies, but this one was excellent.

Both are streaming on Netflix right now if you all are interested.

Also, Felon with Val Kilmer. I would not claim it was awesome, but it was very good. I was expecting it to really suck. It has a very low budget feel to the movie, which initially turned me off. After it got going, the low budget feel felt right at home.

Haven't seen Daybreakers for the exact reason you described. I might actually have to watch it now.

Felon was really good. It was low budget as hell, but it fit so perfect with the movie. It took me a minute to realize it was Val Kilmer. I was like holy ****, he got huge. He played the crazy badass prefect too.

 

[McD5]

Great thread. Now I have some new movies to watch. I haven't even heard of some of these, like Zombieland. I will have to check them out.

Two other comments: I would rather have a double root canal than be forced to watch even ten minutes of the Matrix again. Definitely in my top three worst movies ever. Stupid actor, terrible story. I've left things in my toilet that are better than that movie. It's crazy how people have different tastes.

One guy's movie that I thought was going to be a total bomb, but really kicked ass was Stone Cold, with Brian Bosworth. I was expecting a nightmare--put the hot name at the time into some stupid script, and have him blow things up. But I loved it.

 

[Burgundy Burner]

An obscure movie from the early 1970s - What's Up Doc, is one that I fondly remember. It was an underrated comedy that gained an audience over the years.

It starred Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. It also introduced us to John Hillerman (Higgins in Magnum, PI), Randy Quaid, Sorrell Booke (Boss Hog), and John Byner. Making her debut was Madeline Kahn in an incredible and memorable performance.

A second movie from the same time period was American Graffiti. It's better known than Doc, but was rather obscure at the time. The writer/director/producer was a new guy by the name of George Lucas. The movie introduced us to Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, MacKenzie Phillips, Wolfman Jack, Suzanne Somers, Joe Spano, Kathleen Quinlan, and some guy named Harrison Ford.

 

[Nobody]

Great thread. Now I have some new movies to watch. I haven't even heard of some of these, like Zombieland. I will have to check them out.

I personally guarantee you will love Zombieland, it's so damn awesome. It mixes the regular zombie movies with perfectly timed and delivered comedy. And it has Bill ****ing Murray. You'll understand why that's hilarious when you watch it.

The first couple minutes will have you wondering what the hell you just got yourself into, but trust me, well worth the watch.

Always limber up, and don't forget the double tap.

 

[Goaldeje]

Cardio. Rule number one, ya know.
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[the Omniscient]

Bill Murray was my favorite part of the movie and I am not a big fan of his. I like some of his stuff, just not all.

Also, I love the first Matrix. Seen it many times. The other two, I have seen once each. I need to go back and watch them again. Quite often, I like movies better a second or third time. I did not like those two the first time around. Zoolander was like that for me. When I first saw it, I thought it was horrible, now I think it is hilarious.

 

[Nobody]

Bill Murray was my favorite part of the movie and I am not a big fan of his. I like some of his stuff, just not all.

Also, I love the first Matrix. Seen it many times. The other two, I have seen once each. I need to go back and watch them again. Quite often, I like movies better a second or third time. I did not like those two the first time around. Zoolander was like that for me. When I first saw it, I thought it was horrible, now I think it is hilarious.

The first time I watched Zoolander, I thought it was horrible too. Since then, I have tried to watch it a few more times, and although it isn't as horrible as I originally thought it was, it is just plain stupid. Not stupid funny, just dumb. Although I do love the line where the chick is explaining why she hates models, and Owen Wilson replies, " Oh, I completely agree, but why do you hate male models?" That has me rolling every time.

To me, Ben Stiller is like Adam Sandler in the respect that his movies are either completely hilarious, or too absurdly stupid to watch.

Personally, the only movie I have ever seen that is worse than Zoolander as far as a comedy goes, is You Don't Mess With The Zohan. My brother and sister have annointed it the god of comedies, and the most hilarious thing in the history of the world, but it didn't get so much as a chuckle or smirk out of me. I don't know, maybe there's something about it I just don't get, but never before in my life have I had to force myself to finish watching a movie. I hate turning one off before it's over, because I like to give them all a chance, but I was so overcome with joy when Zohan ended, that I could hardly control myself. Epic in terms of how atrocious it was.

Oddly enough, there are oddball comedies in this same category that I should hate, like Elf, but I think Elf is ****ing hilarious.

 

[DieselPwr44]

Another one was Big Fish. I'm not Tim Burton fan and I never planned on seeing that movie, but I got stuck watching it on a plane once, and I thought it was excellent. .

I was about to post that one too Henry.

The ending,where the son had to tell the story to his Dad, even got me misty eyed.

 

[the Omniscient]

To me, Ben Stiller is like Adam Sandler in the respect that his movies are either completely hilarious, or too absurdly stupid to watch.

Those are the only two that I can stand stupid comedies from. In fact, I love their stuff. If there is anything else similar, I will turn it off. I thought Zohan was great as well. I laughed the whole time in the theater. In fact, I saw it twice in the theater and bought it on DVD.

I cannot stand the guy from Elf, but that movie was good along with a couple of his other movies, Old School and Stranger than Fiction.

 

[Nobody]

Those are the only two that I can stand stupid comedies from. In fact, I love their stuff. If there is anything else similar, I will turn it off. I thought Zohan was great as well. I laughed the whole time in the theater. In fact, I saw it twice in the theater and bought it on DVD.

I cannot stand the guy from Elf, but that movie was good along with a couple of his other movies, Old School and Stranger than Fiction.

Stranger Than Fiction was one of those movies that was so weird that when you're done you're wondering, "what the hell was that?" I liked it though, even if I did watch it completely by accident.

Yeah, I must have missed the point with Zohan, it was just god awful from start to finish for me. It amazing how people can have such different tastes.

 

[the Omniscient]

I really like movies like Stranger than Fiction. For example (well, besides my wife), I am the only one that I know that enjoys the strange movies that George Clooney does. I am never fascinated by his movies, but they keep me entertained. I really enjoyed Up in the Air (I think that is the correct name) and the American.

You do not like Sandler, but what do you think of his movies like Spanglish and Reign on Me (not sure if that is the correct name either, the one with Don Cheadle)? I thought they were both excellent, especially Spanglish.

Typically, my friends, family, and I disagree on movies. It is hard to recommend non-blockbuster movies to each other. They recommend something, and I think it is horrible and vice versa.

 

[Goaldeje]

Up in the Air is terrific. I have a copy of that somewhere, one of my favorites. Clooney has done some strange ones, but they are usually solid. Haven't seen the American, i will check it out.
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[Nobody]

I really like movies like Stranger than Fiction. For example (well, besides my wife), I am the only one that I know that enjoys the strange movies that George Clooney does. I am never fascinated by his movies, but they keep me entertained. I really enjoyed Up in the Air (I think that is the correct name) and the American.

You do not like Sandler, but what do you think of his movies like Spanglish and Reign on Me (not sure if that is the correct name either, the one with Don Cheadle)? I thought they were both excellent, especially Spanglish.

Typically, my friends, family, and I disagree on movies. It is hard to recommend non-blockbuster movies to each other. They recommend something, and I think it is horrible and vice versa.

I like some Sandler movies. Click comes to mind. Never seen Spanglish or Reign On Me, but I might have to since you mentioned Don Cheadle. I haven't seen one of his movies yet that wasn't great.

I completely agree about Clooney. For me, he's one of those actors that get me to his movies regardless of what they're about. I haven't seen a Clooney movie yet that I didn't love. The only other actors that are like that for me are Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Edward Norton.

 

[the Omniscient]

I have a couple of friends that hate Adam Sandler, but they enjoyed those two. I agree about Cheadle. He always does great movies.

Also, the American was really slow. I thought it was going to be more action packed, so I was disappointed in that regard. I would not go out of my way to watch it again, but if I was flipping through the channels and it happened to be on, I would watch.

I saw the American in the theater and when we left I heard a woman saying it was the most boring crap she ever sat through.