From toy adaptations to long-awaited sequels, these films had us rolling our eyes... until they didn't! Join us as we explore recent movies that defied expectations and proved skeptics wrong. From surprising box office successes to critical darlings, these releases showed that first impressions aren't always right.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we're looking at movies released between 2022 and now that
00:11we honestly expected to suck until something changed our minds.
00:15The surface? Easy. I know a way, but it won't be easy.
00:2210. Thunderbolt
00:24Several years ago, simply being affiliated with the MCU was enough to guarantee a hit.
00:34After Endgame, though, the masses began losing interest in the overarching story.
00:39Now, it usually takes an A-tier name like Spider-Man or Deadpool to pack theaters.
00:44Being primarily comprised of B-players, Thunderbolt sounded like another misfire rather than a shot in the arm.
00:49Surprisingly, the critics didn't just praise the cast and their dynamic, but also the film's mature portrayal of mental health.
00:55I'm just drifting, and I don't have purpose. I thought throwing myself into work was the answer.
01:06If the reviews didn't hook you back in, then the title rebranding post-release most certainly did.
01:13Somewhat mirroring the film's reception, the main characters were initially discarded as damaged goods.
01:17By the end, they've won the public back with a vengeance.
01:21But eventually, you've come to realize that there are bad guys, and there are worse guys, and nothing else.
01:309. A Minecraft Movie
01:32Although Minecraft exploded into a cultural phenomenon in the 2010s,
01:36the sandbox game left a certain generation saying, I don't get it.
01:40No, no, in this Minecraft forest, how do you get wood?
01:44P-punching trees?
01:45Right. You punch the trees to get the wood. You get the wood to build the cabin.
01:50Oh, I see. So when does the game start?
01:53You are playing the game. This is the game.
01:56I don't get it.
01:57We guess something similar can be said about a Minecraft movie. Immediately labeled a soulless sellout baking on IP and trendy actors, the film seemed destined to fail after the teaser triggered eye rolls across social media.
02:09Once it hit theaters, I Am Steve went from a groaner to a rallying cry for fans.
02:14Several other moments became interactive memes. Most notably, the chicken jockey.
02:19Chicken jockey.
02:26Chicken jockey.
02:30Whether you found this behavior obnoxious or just plain fun, it suddenly made a Minecraft movie a cinematic experience.
02:37An experience that might not be for everybody, but to say the film found an audience would be an understatement.
02:42You hear that? That's the sound of sizzling.
02:45Mm-hmm.
02:47Smell that smell.
02:48La-la-la-lava. Ch-ch-ch-chicken.
02:52Steve's lava chicken. Yeah, it's tasty as hell.
02:56Number 8. Anyone but you.
02:58So are you gonna ask me out now?
02:59Yeah. Yeah, I am.
03:04Quietly released during a busy holiday season, it seemed this rom-com would get drowned by the competition.
03:10While Sidney Sweeney and Glenn Powell are appealing stars, it sounded like we'd heard this story before.
03:15And not just because Much Ado About Nothing provided the basis.
03:18With mixed reviews, we expected Anyone But You to come and go.
03:22But critics undersold the chemistry between the leads.
03:24Can you not swim?
03:26I'm an excellent swimmer.
03:27Why are you so out of breath?
03:28I'm fine. How much further do you think?
03:31Are your eyes closed?
03:32I think it's dark.
03:33Why are you so out of shape? You have like a 10-pop.
03:36I'm not out of shape. I've been to 295, 300 once. I just don't do cardio.
03:41Over the following weeks, the film demonstrated remarkable legs at the box office, hanging in the top 10 until mid-February.
03:47In true sleeperhead passion, word of mouth propelled the film past the $200 million milestone.
03:52It goes to show that people still want to see rom-coms on their silver screen.
03:56So, maybe think twice before dumping them on streaming.
03:59How do you know my serenity song? How do they know my serenity song?
04:02Number 7 Avatar The Way of Water
04:05The most dangerous thing about Pandora is that you may grow to love her too much.
04:14For over a decade, we constantly heard two things. Avatar 2 is still happening and nobody wants Avatar 2.
04:21Despite being the highest grossing movie of all time, the long-delayed sequel faced what felt like endless discourse as naysayers argued that the first Avatar was overrated and people wouldn't return to Pandora 13 years after the fact.
04:33Between the massive budget and the pandemic alienating theatergoers, the haters were ready for this to be an epic flop.
04:40The narrative started shifting after the title and teaser were unveiled at CinemaCon.
04:55From there, The Way of Water just kept making waves, encouraging audiences to see this visual marvel on the biggest screen possible.
05:02As he did in 2009, James Cameron proved why you should never doubt him.
05:25Number 6 Wonka
05:37We just didn't understand why a Willy Wonka origin story was necessary.
05:41The 1971 film starring Gene Wilder is a classic that's never going to be topped.
05:46Sure, Wonka had a promising director in Paul King of Paddington fame and Timothee Chalamet as the titular chocolatier.
05:52Of course, the same logic could be applied to 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which left a bad taste in our mouths despite having Tim Burton and Johnny Depp at the peak of their popularity.
06:19Wonka had a golden ticket, though, winning audiences over with charming songs, appetizing visuals, and an everlasting heart.
06:26Even Hugh Grant's Oompa Loompa, which everyone thought would be the worst part of the movie, wound up being one of the most amusing.
06:32Huh.
06:33You did it again.
06:34Tell me what it is or I shall poke you quite viciously with a cocktail stick.
06:37Number 5 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
06:40What a wonderful day!
06:42Rise of the Planet of the Apes exceeded expectations in 2011, only getting better with each installment.
06:48As far as we were concerned, though, the story ended with Caesar.
06:52There was no reason to continue.
06:55Caesar was first after.
06:57No.
06:58I.
06:59Am.
07:00Caesar.
07:01He is not Caesar.
07:06So, when Disney officially announced that another Apes film was in the works,
07:12it sounded like the company was milking every last ounce of brand recognition from the Fox
07:16deal.
07:17It didn't help that neither Andy Serkis nor director Matt Reeves would be returning.
07:21Nevertheless, the trailer's stunning visuals got us into the theater where we were ultimately sucked in by the new characters and thought-provoking themes.
07:28A twist ending also became a talking point, compelling audiences to spread the word that there was still life in the franchise.
07:50Number 4 Transformers 1
07:56A few exceptions aside, the Transformers movies have repeatedly burnt us.
08:00An animated origin story sounded like a refreshing change of pace until we saw the trailer.
08:05The animation itself appeared underwhelming, as did the attempts at comedy.
08:09But how does that saying go?
08:11More than meets the eye?
08:12That pretty much sums up Transformers 1, which was not only funnier and more visually interesting than the advertising suggested,
08:18but at the story's core it was a heartbreaking story of brotherhood turned rivalry.
08:22Rave reviews and an A Cinema score sadly wouldn't be enough to make it a financial success.
08:38Yet, more people are discovering why this has been praised as the best Transformers movie ever, hopefully putting it on the path to shaking that underrated status.
08:46Actually, it's pronounced Badass-a-tron.
08:51In case you were wondering.
08:53Badass-a-tron.
08:55You like that, right?
08:57Badass-a-tron.
08:58I'm gonna need you to talk less.
08:59Number 3 Prey
09:01We have him.
09:07No.
09:08He has us.
09:09While the original Predator is an action staple, the follow-ups have ranged from bad to better than expected, but still not the first film.
09:16With Prey being a streaming exclusive, we figured it must have been so terrible that Disney skipped a theatrical release.
09:22Sometimes a studio doesn't know what they have, however.
09:25I've been practicing.
09:26It's time.
09:27I'm ready for my katamia.
09:29You really think you're ready?
09:34You wanna hunt something that's hunting you.
09:36We were completely blindsided to see its Rotten Tomatoes score in the 90s, with critics hailing it as the best Predator movie in 35 years.
09:44Breaking records for Hulu, Prey honored its predecessor without relying on nostalgia.
09:48Instead, it took the series in a new direction, with a period setting and a badass heroine who doesn't need the heaviest artillery to turn the hunter into the hunted.
09:57Seriously, why wasn't this in theaters?
09:59I don't know that this thing can be killed.
10:02If it bleeds, we can kill it.
10:092.
10:10The Last Wish
10:12Excuse me, does this have shellfish in it?
10:14Yes, sir.
10:15Meh.
10:16Although we enjoyed the first Puss in Boots well enough, nobody demanded a sequel over a decade later.
10:21By 2022, we were kinda over the Shrek franchise.
10:25Who could've guessed The Last Wish would be the series' best entry since Shrek 2?
10:30Sing, Puss, sing!
10:32Nah, I couldn't possibly—
10:38Months ahead of its release, the film screened its first half hour at Annecy, where audiences were blown away by its mature themes and Spider-Verse-esque visuals.
10:47Buzz continued to build following its premiere at Lincoln Center, making a Best Animated Feature nomination seem inevitable.
10:53Not only did Puss go to the Oscars, but the film had nine lives at the box office, keeping audiences coming back for months.
11:00Sometimes, a close call with death leaves you with a new lease on life.
11:04Is that a stick?
11:05What are you gonna do with that?
11:06Ow!
11:07Ow!
11:08He knuckles!
11:10You shouldn't have done that, mate.
11:12Yeah.
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11:29Number 1.
11:30Barbie
11:32Flat?
11:33Yeah.
11:34Never seen that before.
11:35Really?
11:36A movie based on Barbie?
11:38Clearly, this is going to be a corporate-mandated cash grab that defines everything wrong with cinema.
11:44That's what we all assumed until Warner Bros. threw the most uncharacteristic of curveballs.
11:49Greta Gerwig was directing and had full creative control.
11:53The trailers confirmed what Gerwig's involvement promised.
11:56This wouldn't just be another IP movie.
11:58It'd be an auteur picture that just so happened to be based on a billion-dollar property.
12:03Could I just meet the woman in charge?
12:05Your CEO.
12:06Oh, that would be me.
12:08Oh, your CFO.
12:09Me.
12:10Your COO.
12:11Here.
12:12President of the Barbie division.
12:13Present.
12:14I'm a man with no power.
12:15Does that make me a woman?
12:16Just as the ads targeted those who love and hate Barbie, the film managed to be a mainstream
12:20crowd-pleaser while still appealing to diehard cinephiles clamoring for unique voices.
12:25Even getting a Best Picture nomination, Barbie threaded the needle in ways nobody could have
12:30anticipated when it was first announced years earlier.
12:33You're so beautiful.
12:35I know it.
12:37What recent movies surprised you the most?
12:39Let us know in the comments down below.
12:41What madness is this?
12:42Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!