GoldenJCJ

So we all like to endlessly debate movies and a lot of the time that debate starts when movies are first announced or casting decisions are released. Which begs the question,

When have you argued one way regarding the making of a movie when News was first released only to realize you were wrong when you watched the actual movie?

Probaly the most famous recent example is Heath Ledger as the Joker. He and Nolan were shit on when it was first announced that he would be playing the role but it turned out extremely well. So what are your mistakes? It’s doesn’t have to necessarily be casting decisions, it can be anything you can admit you were wrong about.

For me, I just recently re-watched John Wick 3. I remember pissing all over Halle Berry being in the movie. Turns out, her fighting sequence was the best part of the movie (the badass dogs helped too).

Decker

The very first time I saw Seven in a movie theater, I thought it was sick, sadistic, exploitative trash. Essentially "torture porn" before the term was coined.
I rewatched it on DVD a few years later and realized that the movie doesn't show anything. It's all messing with your head and actually what you think you saw was just in your mind. Then I decided it was a brilliant thriller, a near-masterpiece. That was probably my biggest turn-around. Now I (almost) understand why people got so worked up and upset about Janet Leigh in the shower sequence.

Count Dooku

Not exactly what the OP is asking for, but I didn't like Raising Arizona when I first saw it in the theater. Somehow watching it on video, I realized how hilarious it is.

TomOpus

While I wasn't totally against Gal Gadot as WW, I did have some reservations. Now I can't see anyone else playing the part.

Crocker Jarmen

In 1989 I complained about Jack Nicholson being cast as the Joker. I said I thought he would make more sense as the Penquin.

Maybe I've since judged a movie before I've seen it, but honestly, I can't think of the last time I've done that.

TGM

the first time I saw Dark City I fucking hated it. The second time, many years later, I absolutely loved it. The opposite could be said for Donnie Darko.

MLBFan24

The Social Network - my original reaction - a movie about Facebook? Sounds lame. Well, I was wrong. It was fantastic.

Ant-Man - my original reaction - who? Sounds like Marvel is running out of movie ideas. Well, I was wrong again. It was funny and a welcome addition to the MCU series. And I don't read comics, so I had no idea what my bias was based on haha

fujishig

I didn't have a problem with Nicholson, but even though I liked Keaton I couldn't see him as Batman.

Also, I am a gigantic Guardians of the Galaxy fan (the original, the Silvestri 90s run, Abnett and Lanning, etc.). I like James Gunn. But Chris Pratt headlining a movie with Batista, a talking tree and a raccoon? I thought I would like it ok but I didn't think anyone else would.

GoldenJCJ

i had the same reaction to The Big Lebowski. I saw it in the theater and absolutely hated it. Several years later I revisited it on DVD and loved it. I think it’s one of the funniest movies ever now.

I also had the complete opposite reaction to Burn After Reading. I saw it in the theater and laughed non-stop throughout. I bought the blu-ray a year or two later and couldn’t believe how bad it was.

Damn Coens...

Good one. I remember pushing for Gina Carano.

Michael Corvin

I was always down for Gadot but remember a the push for Carano on this forum. After seeing her in Fast (whatever #) and Mandalorian, we dodged a bullet there. That casting probably would have sank WW from day one.

Hokeyboy

My favorite movie. Brazil. The first time, I thought it was unwatchably bad. I didn't get it at all.

Years later (1994ish) I watched it again and enjoyed it. It started to click for me and I appreciated what it was trying to convey.

A year later I watched it again and LOVED it. Every last bit of it was magnificent. Still is. An absolute masterpiece.

Daytripper

While I didn't poo poo Berry being in the film, I wasn't expecting much from her. But fucking hell did she turn this movie on it's head with that sequence. And I didn't think anything could top the other spectacular fight scenes before and after. It was the best part of the movie. Hands down.

My choice would be "The Fight Club". While I didn't think it was a bad film, I thought was pointless. With senseless violence. A few years later I watched it again and absolutely loved it.

asianxcore

I didn't like The Witch (2015) when I first saw it but hold it in high regard now.

Daytripper

At the time, I thought Nicholson was too big of a star to play the Joker. Which was a supporting part. But he did a great job, of course. And it didn't turn out to be "The Joker Movie". I've never been a huge fan of Keaton though. And he was completely miscast as Batman IMO. He's only 5'9, but apparently 6'1 or taller in a suit. Had that strange perm with a mullet. Kim Basinger though as Vicki Vale. Rrrrrrrr. That's casting gold there!

I did not like the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" at all. In fact, I walked out of the theater after 45 minutes. Tried watching it again another time, and finished it. And felt the same. Just wasn't wasn't my cup of tea. I didn't enjoy it at all. But I loved, loved, the sequel. Go figure.

Nesbit

Have only seen it once and didn't like it at all but as soon as it ended I planned on giving it another shot someday.

Really disliked Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas the first time I saw it. Rewatched it, loved it, and got REALLY into Hunter S Thompson's writing. Only real tattoo I have is his double thumbed freak power fist with the sheriff symbol around it.

Hazel Motes

Just about everyone in this thread has completely misunderstood the question. From what I gather the question isn't about seeing a movie, hating it, and then changing your mind. But rather, hearing an announcement of some kind about a particular movie, and then thinking it was going to be awful based on that announcement, and then being completely wrong once you saw said movie.

For example, during the 30 year period following Mad Max: Thunderdome, George Miller directed The Witches of Eastwick, Happy Feet 1& 2, Babe Pig in the City and Lorenzo's Oil. When it was announced that he was rebooting the Mad Max franchise with Tom Hardy, I didn't think he had the chops anymore and that it was probably a money grab. I thought it was a terrible idea and assumed it would be awful, as almost all reboots and remakes are. Then I saw the film and and not only was I ashamed that I ever thought George Miller didn't have the chops anymore, but 70+ year old George Miller made a fool of every person in Hollywood who currently call themselves directors of action movies. He turned in a masterpiece. And I ate crow.

Bandoman

2008 Bandoman: "Iron Man? A comic book movie? I don't see how this is going to be any good. Who the hell even knows who Iron Man is aside from comic book nerds?"

majorjoe23

When I first saw a trailer for The Matrix, I thought it looked like Johnny Mnemonic Redux.

Similarly, the first preview for Pirates of the Caribbean I saw looked like a mess and the only thing I took away from it was that they said the name Captain Jack Sparrow about 50 times.

morriscroy

(Without getting heavily into politics).

The first time I watched Idiocracy, I thought it would take several centuries for something like this to happen.

Fast forward to today, the timeline may be off by several centuries and is happening much sooner.

It may very well be a "documentary" in the near future.

mwbmis

It took 25 years and multiple viewings for me to truly "get" Blade Runner as a masterpiece. There were things I always appreciated about it, but as a whole it left me "meh".

fujishig

To me, it was the difference between the Theatrical Cut and the Final (or whatever) cut (I realize some people prefer theatrical). But I was way too young at the time to form an opinion before the film came out.

Paul_SD

Same. I still don't think she's a great actress- but she has qualities, beyond her physical appearance, that transcend those limitations and serve the property well.

BR for sure.
Another from that same summer- as a teen I was wrong about John Carpenter's The Thing. I saw it at the theater upon release and it struck me as a huge misfire with too much time and focus spent on masturbatory special effects work at the expense of characters and suspense.
I watch it now and it's the exact opposite. The spfx set pieces are just punctuation. Characters, mood, atmosphere are all firmly subject and predicate.

morriscroy

Back in the day, I didn't really pay much attention to the underlying philosophical issues in Blade Runner. I was primarily interested in the imagery and special effects, which I thought was the embodiment of "cyberpunk" style scifi.

I didn't quite understand the movie either, until I got around to reading the original Phllip K Dick "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" book and thinking more about philosophical issues.

Red Hood

I'll join the group that didn't think Gal Gadot would be able to pull off Wonder Woman. I always had in my mind someone like Monica Belucci for that role and at the time of casting, Gadot was incredibly thin and her career had sunk to the level of being in a Captain Morgan commercial. As many have said here, I can't see anyone else in the role right now. It helps that Gadot acquired some weight and that she has a natural charm that makes her special for the character.

mwbmis

I saw the theatrical cut on VHS in the 80s, which is admittedly not the best way to see it. I saw the director's cut in college when it got released to theaters in '93, and then eventually bought that version on VHS, but I agree it was the final cut on that five disc Blu-Ray that finally clicked with me.