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Movies that you didn't like the first time you watched them but ...

PeaceBaby

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... after watching them again, you've changed your mind. You like them now!

(Or at least see more virtue in them ...)


Sometimes, after watching a movie a second or (dare I say) even a third time - I find they've really grown on me. I appreciate different aspects of them too. I'm not so hung up on what happens as much as how the story was told, the screenplay, the music, the color palettes, stuff like that.


What movies have you enjoyed more as they age, like a fine wine?


What made me think of this thread topic?
I watched "Unbreakable" again last night, hadn't watched it for a few years ... although a stronger reveal at the end would have made the film nearly as powerful as "The Sixth Sense" it's a damn decent film, some excellent scenes, some wonderful construction.

(And to digress, I would love to see something as powerful as this from M Night again.)
 

Totenkindly

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"Unbreakable" would be in that category for me as well. It's a shame that M. Night's career is probably over in any relevant sense; he came out of the box strong and then just continued to fade/meander as time passed; he's too internally focused to perceive and correct his errors so as to remain pertinent to the human condition. I felt like the end of Unbreakable was weak too, but the whole opening sequence (through the crash and up through the doctors examining him) was very strong, his relationship with his son and wife was strong, and the scene in the train station and having intuitive flashes where he is embracing his ability is strong as well. It was a neat idea that just never quite got sealed, but I do enjoy more and more the bulk of the movie.

"Super 8" by JJ Abrams is another of those movies. I really was kind of disappointed when I saw it in the theater (in NYC, for $18!!) But now it's one of my favorite movies. I think I just very much identify with the kids (they seem to be "lost kids" like I was), and the lessons learned are ones that I learned as well, and the movie touches me on a deep level. And Elle Fanning, to me, might be a better actor than her sister.

A third such movie would be "What Lies Beneath" by Robert Zemeckis. It seemed kind of shaky on first pass, but only seems to get stronger each time I watch it. I enjoy the slow build to the final reveal. And a lot of the plot is tied together and constructed properly; things build off each other and eventually fall into place. It ends up being pretty haunting. The cast also is just great, and Claire's best friend (the quirky one) grew on me the more I saw it.
 

PeaceBaby

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"Unbreakable" would be in that category for me as well. It's a shame that M. Night's career is probably over in any relevant sense; he came out of the box strong and then just continued to fade/meander as time passed; he's too internally focused to perceive and correct his errors so as to remain pertinent to the human condition. I felt like the end of Unbreakable was weak too, but the whole opening sequence (through the crash and up through the doctors examining him) was very strong, his relationship with his son and wife was strong, and the scene in the train station and having intuitive flashes where he is embracing his ability is strong as well. It was a neat idea that just never quite got sealed, but I do enjoy more and more the bulk of the movie.

:yes:

I found too that the scenes were so intentionally constructed with comic-book-like framing, the colors accentuate that, and that scene when he's in the train station, wearing the rain coat ... yep, like it. Edit: and I like the score too ... they just needed to underpin some extra scenes with it too. But very, very powerful.

"Super 8" by JJ Abrams is another of those movies. I really was kind of disappointed when I saw it in the theater (in NYC, for $18!!) But now it's one of my favorite movies. I think I just very much identify with the kids (they seem to be "lost kids" like I was), and the lessons learned are ones that I learned as well, and the movie touches me on a deep level. And Elle Fanning, to me, might be a better actor than her sister.

Me too! Came out of the theatre kind of feeling ambivalent in a way ... Elle Fanning was fabulous too.

Watched it again over Christmas ... let myself sink into the kids and their characters, and it pretty much captured that 70's feeling for sure. It's a great movie.

A third such movie would be "What Lies Beneath" by Robert Zemeckis. It seemed kind of shaky on first pass, but only seems to get stronger each time I watch it. I enjoy the slow build to the final reveal. And a lot of the plot is tied together and constructed properly; things build off each other and eventually fall into place. It ends up being pretty haunting. The cast also is just great, and Claire's best friend (the quirky one) grew on me the more I saw it.

Have not seen this, putting it on my watch list. :)
 

C.J.Woolf

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On first watching I found Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles to be disappointing compared to Young Frankenstein, but every time I watch it I like it more. The ending blows though, and I'll never change my mind about that.
 

Standuble

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Terry Gillam's Twelve Monkeys. On first viewing my only knowledge of the film was its basic premise and unfortunately I did not enjoy it. It was a combination of being unsettled by the gritty and dark presentation of the piece, being tired and only ever being partially focused on the film and missing out key plot points which I was not aware of. I did enjoy the ending however.

As time went by however I did explore the film via message boards and found myself engaging in the scientific, psychological, philosophical and religious discussion surrounding the piece more and more. I learnt about points I had missed on first viewing and through discussion realised the plot and the temporal science inside the piece was extremely well thought out, devised and consistent. There was also humour in places too. When I finally watched the film a second time many years later I enjoyed it immensely. I noticed all the themes and ideas that had been presented and found myself musing about the various characters and their world in my spare time. Although the gritty and dark atmosphere still unsettles me it is pretty much one of my favourite movies now.
 

The Ü™

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Well, a more recent example would be Dredd. Another would be TRON Legacy, although it's still not as good as the first, and I still dislike how they sacrificed the simplicity of the computer world in the first film for one that was a little too realistic...and the CG 80s Jeff Bridges was very apalling in some shots (though outstanding in others).

As far as older movies (and I'm talking before the 21st century), that's a good question. Off the top of my head, Apollo 13, then again, I was 10 when I first saw it.



EDIT: And I have to disagree about Unbreakable. That has always been M. Night's best movie.
 

KDude

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I walked out on Anchorman the first time I saw it.

Now I've seen it at least 10 times.
 

PeaceBaby

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Terry Gillam's Twelve Monkeys. On first viewing my only knowledge of the film was its basic premise and unfortunately I did not enjoy it. It was a combination of being unsettled by the gritty and dark presentation of the piece, being tired and only ever being partially focused on the film and missing out key plot points which I was not aware of. I did enjoy the ending however.

Hmm, you make me want to re-watch this one ... it has been a while.

As far as older movies (and I'm talking before the 21st century), that's a good question. Off the top of my head, Apollo 13, then again, I was 10 when I first saw it.

Agreed - this one def improves on a second viewing. I have yet to see the remake of "Dredd" and "Tron Legacy" was just eh. Maybe I'll watch it again!

EDIT: And I have to disagree about Unbreakable. That has always been M. Night's best movie.

You are not alone in feeling that way. But, "The Sixth Sense" is one of the few movies that has blown my mind when the twist was revealed. I totally did not see that coming. So, I have to reserve first place for that.

On first watching I found Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles to be disappointing compared to Young Frankenstein, but every time I watch it I like it more. The ending blows though, and I'll never change my mind about that.

Heh, there's something addictive about that film, but I can never get through it start to finish lol

I walked out on Anchorman the first time I saw it.

Now I've seen it at least 10 times.

I can relate.

Will Ferrell's movies often have that effect on me too ... I've watched "Land of the Lost" and "Blades of Glory" more times than I wish to admit lol
 
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What made me think of this thread topic?
I watched "Unbreakable" again last night, hadn't watched it for a few years ... although a stronger reveal at the end would have made the film nearly as powerful as "The Sixth Sense" it's a damn decent film, some excellent scenes, some wonderful construction.

(And to digress, I would love to see something as powerful as this from M Night again.)

A co-worker and I were talking about Unbreakable today at work. I liked it the first time I saw it and thought it was underrated by critics. It's definitely one of my favorite superhero/comic book movies precisely because it's not like all of the others. Some criticized it for being too boring and lacking action. I assume these are the kind of people who are mesmerized every time a car explodes on screen and probably think The Transporter is a good movie.

I think Unbreakable is exceptional because of Samuel Jackson's character moreso than Bruce Willis'. I felt bad for the villain, aside from his crimes. He wasn't some stereotypical arch enemy bent on destroying the world. He was a damaged idealist who was obsessed with finding someone who was exactly the opposite of him; perhaps even in hopes that finding this person could eventually lead to a cure for his own ailment that destroyed his life. He is a pitiful character who seemingly doesn't even fully comprehend that he is villainous until the end...much to his own dismay. His motives were innocent, but his willingness to do whatever it took, even murder, to cope with his affliction was his downfall. A thought-provoking plot, indeed. In my opinion, it surpasses most superhero movies by a long shot.
 

Poindexter Arachnid

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-Unbreakable. Took over a year to warm up to it.
-Vertigo. Hated first time I saw it; now in top ten.
-Apocalypse Now. Weird, baffling, saw it when young--Ni wasn't developed at that point.
-The Bourne Trilogy. Meh, at first. But Ultimatum improved the series entire.
-2001: A Space Odyssey. B-O-R-I-N-G. Came to enjoy. Good Ni food.
 
E

Epiphany

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-Unbreakable. Took over a year to warm up to it.
-Vertigo. Hated first time I saw it; now in top ten.
-Apocalypse Now. Weird, baffling, saw it when young--Ni wasn't developed at that point.
-The Bourne Trilogy. Meh, at first. But Ultimatum improved the series entire.
-2001: A Space Odyssey. B-O-R-I-N-G. Came to enjoy. Good Ni food.

I went looking through my previous posts to find this thread just so I could mention Apocalypse Now. Good call, sir.

I don't recall liking it the first time I saw it years ago, but now I would say it's probably the best war movie I've ever seen, especially of the Vietnam era. It almost has a film noir presence to it. They don't make movies of this caliber anymore.
 

Abbey

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American Psycho.. at first it was very ..morbid and a bit scary for me haha but then I really began to appreciate and fall in love with Patrick Bateman even more, now it's one of my favourite movies
 

OrangeAppled

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When I was a child, my older sister discovered The Rocky Horror Picture & excitedly informed me that I would LOVE "The Time Warp". She was like, "This totally reminds me of you. Everything about this is YOU!". But I was an ornery, stubborn child and when people tried to get me to like something, I'd resist as a knee-jerk reaction. I was like, "NO, I will NOT like it!" :mad:.

So I stubbornly insisted on not liking The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but once I got a bit older & let go of my bias, I did like it. I wouldn't say I love it now, but my sister was entirely right about The Time Warp - it is right up my alley.
 
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