What recent movie (theater or rental) did you end up enjoying a lot more than you expected?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

For me, it would have to be "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone." It pretty much came and went in theaters without much fanfare. When I first read about it, I thought the premise was going to be tired and stale.

But when I finally saw it, it turned out to be really funny. Steve Carrell was great in the lead role, with strong supporting performances by Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey and James Gandolfini (in one of his last roles.)

[Coventina]

1. Theatre: The Wind Rises

Went to see it because a friend wanted to see it.

Had no idea what it was or what it was about.

Incredibly beautiful film with a rich, complicated story.

An animated film for grown-ups.

edited to add trailer and to correct typo!

[femmocrat]

2. "The Butler"

I thought I wouldn't like seeing Oprah in it, but she was pretty good. It was a very good story, although I couldn't understand a lot of Forest Whitaker's dialogue because he spoke so softly.

It kind of reminded me of "Forrest Gump"!

[onehandle]

3. My wife and I saw 'Edge of Tomorrow' on Sunday.

Anything with Tom Cruise is usually a big risk, but the trailers looked good and the reviews were positive.

Also time paradox films are a super big risk. The recent X-Men film was problematic at best.

But Edge of Tomorrow was great. Well constructed, amusing, and satisfying.

[Auggie]

4. The Lego Movie

Much funnier than I would have imagined

[targetpractice]

6. Agreed. It made me forget that I paid $15 to watch a toy commercial. n/t

[Auggie]

7. We paid $4.99 OnDemand ...

so it didn't hurt as much. But I know what you mean.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

44. Everything went by so fast I couldn't get a thing out of it.

My brain and eyes were exhausted by the time it was over. It never slowed down for a single shot where you could see what was happening. I hate movies with extremely fast cuts, where you can't even see the actors' faces long enough to see any acting or emotions.

get off my lawn!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

47. Felt the same way about "The Internship"

I figured it was going to be a 2 hour long commercial for Google. And it was.

But it was a fairly entertaining movie nonetheless.

[targetpractice]

5. Snowpiercer

It's a class warfare allegory, recently released in the US from director, Bong Joon Ho (The Host). It stars Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Song Kang-ho. I saw it last Saturday and can't stop thinking about it. I don't want to spoil anything about it. It's best to see it without seeing a trailer or reading any reviews. It's at 94% currently on Rotten Tomatoes.

The basic premise (slight spoilers):

A couple of decades from now... Humanity is wiped out by another ice age after attempting to reverse global warming with a quick technology fix. A few thousand people survive on a train that perpetually circumnavigates the Earth, the Snowpiercer. The lower class passengers at the tail of train revolt, and attempt to fight their way to the front to take control of the train, and society. Great, great movie.

[CBGLuthier]

11. I look forward to this one

The Host was good. Mother was absolutely incredible and it sounds like this one will be good since Weinstein gave up his idea of cutting half an hour so the "okies" will like it.

[targetpractice]

17. It will be available on iTunes on Friday.

I'm definitely going to buy it, because I want to watch it again soon. It's only playing on two screens in NYC.

I plan to watch Mother based your your recommendation. Thanks!

[antiquie]

22. Okies?

You ain't slammin' us whose ma came to California in the 30s, is ya?
She was proud to be a hard-working Okie -- and life-long Democrat as well as her folks.

[CBGLuthier]

34. Not me, I am an Oklahoman.

Harvey Weinstein on the other hand, maybe he did not use the word okies but he sure as shit implied nobody has any fucking taste in movies in Oklahoma.

here is the slightly edited quote


“TWC people have told Bong that their aim is to make sure the film ‘will be understood by audiences in Iowa ... and Oklahoma.'

Cause we all stupid here.

[NightWatcher]

8. Warm Bodies on Netflix

It's a teenaged rom/com about a zombie who falls for a living girl. It's after the zombie apocalypse....

It was pretty funny and I wasn't expecting much to begin with.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. I liked that one, too. nt

[ReverendDeuce]

41. I agree...

I actually wanted to see this one but missed it. Saw it and was very pleased. It was quite good!

[CBGLuthier]

10. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

After that god awful thing that Tim Burton did I was not expecting much but it was actually a pretty good film.

[arcane1]

27. That was what I was going to post too. VERY pleasantly surprised by that one.

And the sequel comes out this weekend, and looks even better!

[Skittles]

12. The Good Son (Netflix documentary)

it's about Boom Boom Mancini - I crushed on him back in the day - he seemed like the ultimate bad boy - and I felt it was so unfortunate what happened in the fight with the Korean boxer........I thought this documentary would be matter-of-fact with its info but it really tugged at the heartstrings and made me think - Mr. Mancini is disarmingly honest and poignant.

[Tobin S.]

13. "A Million Ways to Die in the West." Stupid funny but I enjoyed it.

I guess I needed a break from all of this thinking I've been doing, lately.

[Initech]

14. Bad Words

Pretty much anything Jason Bateman is in is awesome but I went into this flick expecting it to be Bad Santa with a spelling bee but there's definitely more to this movie than that. It was extremely funny and one of the better movies I've seen lately.

[tenderfoot]

33. I want to check that one out....

The promo posters, featuring a close up of Bateman's mouth getting ready to spew the eff word were giggle inducing.

[Initech]

37. Let's put it this way: there are no winners in this movie.

Jason Bateman's character Guy Tribli is *grossly* unlikable, and most of the supporting characters aren't likeable either. But it works though and it's still funny as shit. Which is funny because Michael Bluth is the exact opposite. If you like It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, or Archer, or Curb Your Enthusiasm, you'll like this.

[Ron Obvious]

15. Waterworld

But I have to admit you had to check your brain at the door. For example, it's just as easy to turn seawater into potable water as it is urine).

[Tommy_Carcetti]

19. I love Waterworld.

Like you say, it's mindless fun. But it was a lot of fun. And it got a lot of bad pre-release rep that unfortunately cast a shadow over what was otherwise an enjoyable movie.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

43. It's the same plot as the second Mad Max movie

Which was much better.

[wyldwolf]

16. Edge of Tomorrow

[magical thyme]

18. Cold Mountain

I saw it when it first came out during a matinee at the local theater. I was in the mood to lose myself in an epic type period romance. Unfortunately, a bunch of teens decided to play hookey that day and deliberately spoiled it by jumping up and down, running around the theater and sliding down the bannister with every climactic moment. They actually broke the railing with a huge crash during the famous kiss scene.

So I was happy to try again, years later. Turns out I'd forgotten much of it, so it was almost like seeing it for the first time. And even though it was on my little laptop screen, I still was able to lose myself in it.

Nicole Kidman was better than I remembered. And I remembered why I always thought Jude Law was hot

[Coventina]

20. Oh man, Jude Law

I don't know what it is about that guy, I really can't say anything specific, but just something about him sets my ovaries burning.

[magical thyme]

23. ...

[Coventina]

24. I'll be in my bunk.....

[magical thyme]

26. I'm already in mine...

[mainer]

21. Thor

I thought it'd be schlocky, and couldn't understand how Natalie Portman agreed to it. Found out that it was really pretty entertaining.

[geardaddy]

25. Small Time

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2310109/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_5

It was refreshingly sweet. I didn't expect Meloni to be able to play a softhearted guy.

[LWolf]

28. Godzilla. Maleficent.

When my 14yo grandson and I go to the movies, it's always a negotiation. I've stated that, since he is now in his teens, 99% of the animated "family" crap I sat through with him ad nauseum when he is younger is off the table.

So are most movies rated "R." I'm his grandma. It's up to his dad to take him to movies with more "adult" content. For the most part, anyway.

That leaves some stuff. He, of course, wants action movies. I like movies with a decent plot and some character development. I don't like graphic violence. We both like humor.

Still, if we are going to the movies, it's always about negotiation and compromise. These 2 movies were my most recent compromises. Godzilla, because there simply wasn't anything else on offer that either of us WOULD compromise on, and Maleficent because I refused "Transformers" and he nixed John Greene's novel to movie.

Godzilla? How many can I see without being completely jaded? I'd rather watch the original, with extra cheese. Maleficent? It's got so much going against it: Jolie, and strong female as baaad...

We both ended up enjoying these 2 more than we thought. I admit it. The new Godzilla was good. I was wrong about Maleficent, Jolie not withstanding.

[clarice]

29. Rescue Dawn. nt

[clarice]

30. The Good Shepard. nt

[Tuesday Afternoon]

31. About Time

At the age of 21, Tim discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life. His decision to make his world a better place by getting a girlfriend turns out not to be as easy as you might think. Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers he can travel in time... The night after another unsatisfactory New Year party, Tim's father (Bill Nighy) tells his son that the men in his family have always had the ability to travel through time. Tim can't change history, but he can change what happens and has happened in his own life-so he decides to make his world a better place...by getting a girlfriend. Sadly, that turns out not to be as easy as you might think. Moving from the Cornwall coast to London to train as a lawyer, Tim finally meets the beautiful but insecure Mary (Rachel McAdams). They fall in love, then an unfortunate time-travel incident means he's never met her at all. So they meet for the first time again-and again-but finally, after a lot of cunning time-traveling, he wins her heart. Tim then uses his power to create the perfect romantic proposal, to save his wedding from the worst best-man speeches, to save his best friend from professional disaster and to ...

Stars:
Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy

[tenderfoot]

32. Shaft, starring Samuel L. Jackson

A surprisingly good film.

[Mr.Bill]

35. Blue Jasmine

Good script, great cast, superb acting. A real movie with characters, emotion, humanity, who knew?

It's nice to see a movie once in awhile where everything on the screen doesn't explode.

[sendero]

36. The Station Agent..

... with Peter Dinklage. A quiet, thoughtful film.

[Populist_Prole]

42. +1

I kind of expected to be indifferent about it. After watching it, I really liked it. A lot. Wasn't a comedy, but was funny. Thoughtful, but didn't take itself too seriously. Bought the DVD and now it's one of my favorite movies. A "comfort film", if you will.

[WolverineDG]

38. Edge of Tomorrow

Wasn't expecting much, but was surprised at how good it was. Very interesting premise.

[winter is coming]

39. "The Fault in Our Stars".

It's based on a young adult novel about teens with cancer that I'd read and liked, but I was afraid the movie would Hollywoodize the book. Surprisingly, it didn't.

[ReverendDeuce]

40. Transcendence

I think this one went over too many heads. The whole story was brilliant and creepy. The film's execution was first rate. I hate the fact that a movie this good gets 19% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. How do these clowns become movie reviewers? Is the requisite IQ in the mid 80s?

[Broken_Hero]

45. Pain and Gain,

I thought it was going to be a funny/comedy type movie, didn't realize it was based on a true story.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

46. "Finding Vivian Maier"

I subscribe to a series of sneak previews, and one day, when I was preoccupied with other things, I saw that the day's feature was going to be a documentary about a photographer, and I almost turned around and went home, but I wanted to get my money's worth, so I stayed, and I'm glad I did.

The movie was like a detective story in which a man who buys the contents of abandoned storage lockers found a trove of black and white photographs, mostly street photographs, of amazing quality. He became curious about the photographer and gradually tracked down people who knew her but gave contradictory stories about her character and origins. Eventually, he found literally thousands of photographs and more about the photographer, an enigmatic woman who spent her entire adult life as a nanny and was very secretive about her past.