Top 30 Movies That Exceeded Expectations

[@WatchMojo]

Which movie surpassed your expectations? Let us know in the comments. For more content like this, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/maTFqKynapitfKc Don't forget to play our Live Trivia (www.watchmojo.com/play) games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content guys! And Mario Bros 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@marcusyates3044]

Top 10 Video Games Who Deserve A Cinematic Universe! Mentions: "Mega Man, Spyro the Dragon, Darkstalkers, Street Fighter"

[@ryanking8227]

The Creator

[@seanpatrickcain2]

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

[@StanHalen1936]

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[@michaelmonthey5974]

The Terminator should have been mentioned. This was James Cameron’s second movie after the disastrous Piranha 2: The Spawning, and Arnold Schwarzenegger had only appeared in a handful of movies. Hollywood didn’t take it seriously until it grossed over $84 million against its $6 million budget and was placed on Time Magazine’s list as one of the Top 10 movies of 1984. Its surprise success spawned a franchise and bolstered both Cameron and Schwarzenegger’s respective careers. It is now considered one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made.

[@stephenmiller2337]

Great choice! Even Arnold was privately dismissive of it when someone asked him what his next movie was. Cameron was smart in focusing more on the story between Sarah and Kyle, and making you care about them while this unstoppable killing machine was hunting them. Great effing movie.

[@josh72456]

The sequel overshadows it.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

@@josh72456 Even so, the sequel would not have been made if the original hadn’t done well.

[@josh72456]

@@michaelmonthey5974 Well it was a hit of that year but not like that high up it seems even Michael Biehn said it in an interview once. I prefer it to the sequel though but that’s because I’m a bit of a sucker for 80’s stuff.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

@@josh72456 I love both movies and you are right that the sequel overshadows the original in a lot of ways. Still, the original is an excellent movie in its own right and its themes considering the potential dangers of artificial intelligence are more relevant now than they were decades ago.

[@crisespinoza1979]

It took me months to get that Peaches song out of my head. and you start off with it? You're killing me, Smalls. 🤣🤣🤣

[@WatchMojo]

Haha, sorry about that!

[@Rickywwx]

So you're saying The Sandlot should be on this list? 😉

[@shinellesurph-anderson6550]

When I come home from work and I'm calling my daughter that the only song that we sing

[@TheZippy2005]

I worked at the movies when Slumdog Millionaire came out. Nothing has compared to that phenomenon since. It was expected to be in one small theater for a total of 3 weeks like most independent films. It was moved to the second largest theater and not only outsold Twilight, it stayed at the theater for nearly 4 months, twice as long as Twilight. It was bringing in sold out theaters weeks after it was released because word of mouth would not stop. It was a wonderful slow burn and a perfect reminder that you don't need to get records breaking opening weekends to sustain the industry, just write something good.

[@PamArtsValentine]

Slumdog is one of my all-time favorite films & made me a complete fan of Dev Patel!

[@DarkAngel71180]

I still haven’t seen it 😑

[@timothygouldjr8384]

What about Die Hard (1988)? It had low expectations due to the casting of Bruce Willis who was known as a sitcom star at the time.

[@matthewdrake2210]

Absolutely Right, Die Hard ended up Changing the Action Genre as we know it and Made Bruce Willis a Mega Star, I also think the Karate Kid Should be on this List because it was the Sleeper Hit of 1984 and introduced one of the Greatest Fictional Mentors of all Time in Mr. Miyagi!!!!!

[@BruceStephan]

It was a big budget movie with a major TV star . WTF are you talking about ? Bruce Willis was a major TV star .

[@BruceStephan]

WTF are you talking about ? Bruce Willis was a big name star given a big budget movie based on a best selling book .

[@fanmagicks]

Bruce was a known TV star of a comedy show. He hadn't made a big budget film yet. 20th Century Fox wasn't sold on him in the beginning. They also didn't expect it to be as big as it was. Hence, the mostly unknown (to Americans) the other actors like the beyond AWESOME Alan Rickman (who everyone should watch in "The January Man" with Kevin Klein). In fact, Hart Bochner had a bigger name than Willis at the time due to being a known film actor: "Breaking Away", " Terror Train", "Rich & Famous". History was made and WE WON getting the amazing everyman good cop John McClane.

[@OnseMilTV]

The first Quiet Place movie should be here

[@henri191]

I still remember when i watched Edge of tomorrow and then i said "this movie is pretty cool , why people don't enjoyed that much ?" And i was wrong , the movie is amazing , Cruise and Blunt are great

[@Epic-Epileptic]

there's a rumor they're making a sequel

[@LeonardoKlotz]

Next stop... Road House

[@Amir-uq8gd]

I feel like I love every Tom Cruise movies like Mission Impossible franchise, Top Gun franchise and Edge Of Tommorow. It always exceeded my expectations.

[@jackraider1039]

Road House! ​@@LeonardoKlotz

[@CinemaBear]

I'd recommend swapping Napoleon Dynamite with TITANIC. #JMHO

[@thegood9]

It really is hard to imagine a time when pirates of the Caribbean dropped. I remember virtually no fanfare or juice before it came out, and then…BAM, it hit like a load of TNT. And took off so fast. Just one of the best surprises on this list for sure.

[@cjackmond]

Most pirate movies the 20 years before Pirates of the Caribbean were flops, this was such a turnaround on the trend.

[@jaredwonnacott9732]

The trailer was, and still is, absolute garbage. It was only hardcore Disney Parks fans that were actually excited for it, though even that was paired with apprehension after The Haunted Mansion and The Country Bears and such.

[@Toledotourbillion]

Godzilla Minus One is one of these movies too.

[@CharlieHepp]

The Terminator should have been mentioned. This was James Cameron’s second movie after the disastrous Piranha 2: The Spawning, and Arnold Schwarzenegger had only appeared in a handful of movies. Hollywood didn’t take it seriously until it grossed over $84 million against its $6 million budget and was placed on Time Magazine’s list as one of the Top 10 movies of 1984. Its surprise success spawned a franchise and bolstered both Cameron and Schwarzenegger’s respective careers. It is now considered one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made. I worked at the movies when Slumdog Millionaire came out. Nothing has compared to that phenomenon since. It was expected to be in one small theater for a total of 3 weeks like most independent films. It was moved to the second largest theater and not only outsold Twilight, but it stayed at the theater for nearly 4 months, twice as long as Twilight. It was brought in sold-out theaters weeks after it was released because word of mouth would not stop. It was a wonderful slow burn and a perfect reminder that you don't need to get records-breaking opening weekends to sustain the industry, just write something good. What about Die Hard (1988)? It had low expectations due to the casting of Bruce Willis who was known as a sitcom star at the time. I still remember when I watched Edge of Tomorrow and then I said "This movie is pretty cool, why people don't enjoy it that much ?" And I was wrong, the movie is amazing, Cruise and Blunt are great It took me months to get that Peaches song out of my head. and you start off with it? You're killing me, Smalls. 🤣🤣🤣The first Quiet Place movie should be here Godzilla Minus One is one of these movies too. Always Love Batman Begins Movie Dirty Dancing: - was at first meant to be a straight-to-video distribution - had a budget of merely $4.5 million - have since grossed about $214 million worldwide. - become a cult classic - most famous lift of all time 😅 You forgot Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977), it had low expectations due to creative differences between Julia Phillips and Steven Spielberg, but turned out to be a box office hit in the fall of 1977, the rest is history. Three MCU movies and no horror? C’mon. Jaws? Halloween? Alien? One defined the term “summer blockbuster”, one re-invented horror as we know it, and the last is an absolute sci-fi classic. None of them were supposed to be what they ended up being. I've got two based on casting that I thought would suck: The most recent Batman (the Twilight Kid as Batman?!?) Interview with a Vampire (Tom Cruise?) Ended up enjoying them both. Another great thing about “Kingsman” is that Colin Firth was cast against type and proved himself to be a legitimate action star. Batman should also be mentioned. By that time, most people associated Batman with Adam West, and we all know that the decision to cast Michael Keaton as the hero didn’t sit well with a lot of people. Fortunately, cynics were put to rest when people saw the movie and it was at the time the 5th top-grossing movie ever. Star Wars is definitely a great number 1. Thanks to the first movie we never would have sequel movies, prequel movies, cartoon series, and live-action series. The first movie was great. I feel Batman Begins deserves a higher rank. Because of Batman Begins, we were able to get The Dark Knight which is not only the best Batman movie but the best superhero movie as of today. Heath Ledger is the best Joker, Gary Oldman is the best Commissioner Gordon, and Hans Zimmer did wonderful music. I think straight outta Compton and Django Unchained should be on this list No, 9⃣ I'm so glad this film saved the "Batman" franchise before it was almost dead after "Batman & Robin" there 🦇 Frozen -- when Disney films were beginning to seem formulaic, it was delightful to have that formula turned on its head. Inception -- I had high hopes...for a CGI fest. I did not expect the story to be so heartbreaking and -- dare I say? -- grounded at its core. A few honorable mentions (which I haven't seen listed yet): Good Will Hunting The Mask Rocky Horror Picture Show Clockwork Orange Predator Good Morning Vietnam Raiders of the Lost Ark Jaws Psycho Aladdin Monty Python The Exorcist Grease Pretty Woman Blade Runner (Just to name a few) Maybeafollow-upp video ....? John a man who can literally kill you with a book. District 9 and Planet of theApess were amazing. I love how in D9 they made it like live footage and interviewing stuff. almost like it's legit and real. Mad Max Fury Road is such a masterpiece. I consider myself hugely lucky to have watched it on the big screen in 3D! I don't like 3D but that film's final action shot. When Rictus pull the engine out, the warboy wrecks the truck for them to get to the Citadel. I legit thought that steering wheel was coming at me and my girlfriend in that moment 😂! Im even happier that George Miller decided to come back to that world 30yrs later! Wasn't expecting a Furiosa movie before the sequel but talk about excitement for that film after seeing Hemsworth! MILLER HAS IT IN HIM TO MAKE IT EPIC! I love RRR so much! Besides E.T., Steven Spielberg has made several movies that exceeded expectations, especially Jaws. This was only Spielberg’s second movie and it faced numerous issues during production, particularly the weather and Bruce, causing its budget and shooting schedule to skyrocket. Everyone feared it would flop, so much so that Universal aggressively marketed it, which was more than ever done before. Luckily, it all worked out. Jaws became the first summer blockbuster and is one of the most beloved movies of all time. I remember seeing Star Wars at the theater and being totally blown away! It redefined the genre and led to a whole universe being created around it! When do we learn that not every movie needs a sequel? John Wick changed my entire life. Fox had so little faith in 'A New Hope' that they agreed to let George Lucas keep merchandising rights. Hehehe. Thank you for the update, WatchMojo..!! 1:36 I remember E.T. being huge back in 1982. I was a kid back then, and there was E.T. merchandise in just about everything -- even a telephone. 🤣 One of the best things to wait for, back in the 80s was a new Steven Spielberg movie being released every couple of years. That was awesome. The 80s had the best movies, music, friendlier society, etc.. There was a constant Cold War scare, but other than that. I think that was the best time, ever. That's completely hilarious, im watching 21 Jump Street right now, and you guys made this one of your picks "Starship Troopers." This was an enjoyable video and your 30 selections are hard to argue against. I was surprised at how many of them I've seen. Yet, if asked which movie proved the most surprisingly enjoyable for me, Paul Verhoeven's, "Starship Troopers," always comes to mind first. I was binge-watching matinee offerings as an escape that year and really didn't expect much judging by the trailers. And it started campy, over-the-top, superficial: "Want to learn more?" Yet, somewhere after the destruction of Buenos Aires and the training sequences - maybe the revisiting of the initial battle with the Bugs - I got drawn into the story. It was violent, gruesome, and probably turned many away - yet I started to root for Johnny Rico and the ground forces that had to face the alien race. I also began to question whether the aliens of Klendathu actually started the war. It was a memorable experience for me and I wanted to mention it. I never thought of Erik Killmonger as a villain. Sure, he's the antagonist, but his motives are inspired and righteous. The action of John Wick was definitely a selling point, but not the only one. The world-building and presentation were fascinating. 33 American Actors Who ... In the last few years Golden Era Top 30 Greatest Movie Theme Songs Now playing The Secret Unproduced Season of Justice League Unlimited Watchtower Database Top 10 Funniest Robert Downey Jr. Interview Moments WatchMojo.com

[@Greenpenguin-s1q]

Did you just write a whole novel?

[@michaelmonthey5974]

Before it became an all time classic, The Godfather had a rocky start. Up and coming director, Francis Ford Coppola was forced to butt heads with Paramount executives and crew members. Plus, the production received death threats from the mob.

[@Gor85]

So many fantastic movies! ET,Kingsman,Super Mario(didn't watch but I love him,played so much with mom 😀),How To Train Your Dragon(great tv show),Pirates of the Caribbean-epic!,Batman Begins. Star Wars: New Hope.Fantastic,epic,beautiful! Introduced us to Luke,Obi-Wan,Leia,Chewie. So so many characters we love. Took us on wonderful advebnture. It still does. Great video!😀

[@grayshigami6797]

Kung Fu Panda, no one expected a movie about a goofy panda to be so inspiring

[@ThePinkDragon]

i expected it to be goood

[@thewackykid]

or rather shrek should have been mentioned... with the success of shrek it launches dreamworks animations.. also toy story should be included too...

[@grayshigami6797]

@@thewackykid Toy Story had high expectations because it was the first CGI animated movie

[@An0nymous_L0gic]

SHAKABOUIE

[@mattalan6618]

@@grayshigami6797 Toy Story basically invented CGI

[@joelmbaumgartner]

Three MCU movies and no horror? C’mon. Jaws? Halloween? Alien? One defined the term “summer blockbuster”, one re-invented horror as we know it, and the last is an absolute sci-fi classic. None of them were supposed to be what they ended up being.

[@parinchoensawat9302]

Saw is Great comedy romantic movie

[@mikewinter]

totally agree, especially Alien

[@Rickywwx]

Hmmm....you must not have watched the same video I did, because I "saw" 3 horror flicks on this list.....And MCU was Iron Man, GOTG, and....? (Spiderverse and Batman Begins are not MCU)

[@jaredwonnacott9732]

This is what happens when you forget that Get Out isn't in the MCU.

[@matthewbaduria]

You forgot Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977), it had low expectations due to creative differences between Julia Phillips and Steven Spielberg, but turned out to be a box office hit in the fall of 1977, the rest is history.

[@OscarMPG1]

Wonka, JUMANJI welcome to the Jungle, World War Z, Frozen, Crazy Rich Asians, those were films for various reasons I was expecting to hate. But I ended up liking all of them.

[@FaiTCRaH]

oh man... WWZ is my always movie I'm gonna keep watching it when i'm switching channels and they're playing it...

[@LeatheRockz]

Dirty Dancing: - was at first meant to be straight-to-video distribution - had a budget of merely $4.5 million - have since grossed about $214 million worldwide. - become a cult classic - most famous lift of all time 😅

[@christophermerlot3366]

I've got two based on cast that I thought would suck: The most recent Batman (the Twilight kid as Batman?!?) Interview with a Vampire (Tom Cruise?) Ended up enjoying them both.

[@wildanmendi5919]

Always Love Batman Begins Movie

[@michaelmonthey5974]

Another great thing about “Kingsman” is that Colin Firth was cast against type and proved himself to be a legit action star.

[@katashworth41]

I love Colin Firth in anything but seeing him kick arse in the pub fight was such a surprise.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

@@katashworth41Don’t forget about him kicking arse in the church.

[@BlenderStudy]

Thank you for the update, WatchMojo..!! 1:36 I remember E.T. being huge back in 1982. I was a kid back then, and there were E.T. merchandises in just about everything -- even a telephone. 🤣 One of the best thing to wait for, back in the 80s was a new Steven Spielberg movie being released in every couple of years. That was awesome. The 80s had the best movies, music, friendlier society, etc.. There was a constant cold war scare, but other than that.. I think that was the best time, ever.

[@t3knyn]

Shawshank redemption will forever be my all time favorite movie

[@michaelmonthey5974]

Batman should also be mentioned. By that time, most people associated Batman with Adam West, and we all know that the decision to cast Michael Keaton as the hero didn’t sit well with a lot of people. Fortunately, cynics were put to rest when people saw the movie and it was at the time the 5th top grossing movie ever.

[@josh72456]

@michaelmonthey5974 Well I think it may be forgotten but I agree it was groundbreaking.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

@@josh72456 It isn’t forgotten. People are still watching it 35 years later, and Keaton is arguably the best Batman ever.

[@josh72456]

@@michaelmonthey5974 I meant forgotten if you compare it to the other Batman films like The Dark Knight trilogy, but I guess Michael Keaton has had a bit of a resurgence though The Flash I don’t think it’s a good film but he’s certainly the best part in it and now he will come back as BeetleJuice later on this year. I could see why some people would say The Tim Burton Batman films would be dated but I think they are still good.

[@GamerFunOriginallyAarush]

I love The Super Mario Bros Movie so much!

[@FollowJJWhiteheadComedy]

The movie that surprised me the most because I had zero expectations was Oceans 11. I know that time has made it average and all BUT in the actual moment it was really impressive and fun and really original. I remember having zero expectations but being super impressed by it.

[@farfaraway4285]

When do we learn that not every movie needs a sequel?

[@sergecharlebois6114]

...or godam remakes...

[@jonw8694]

Considering that this list is about movies that exceeded expectations and quite a few either have sequels or are sequels, probably we won't learn it anytime soon.

[@christophergarza9118]

Preach!

[@Vinh1949]

Who cares

[@josh72456]

@farfaraway4285 That’s Hollywood it profits that way.

[@mireilledavidson9427]

A few honourable mentions (which I haven't seen listed yet): Good Will Hunting The Mask Rocky Horror Picture Show Clockwork Orange Predator Good Morning Vietnam Raiders of the Lost Ark Jaws Psycho Aladdin Monty Python The Exorcist Grease Pretty Woman Blade Runner (Just to name a few) Maybe a follow up video ....?

[@quinndrakon9468]

Fox had so little faith in 'A New Hope' that they agreed to let George Lucas keep merchandising rights. Hehehe.

[@johnmilligan2964]

I remember seeing Star Wars at the theater and being totally blown away! It redefined the genre and led to a whole universe being created around it!

[@WatchMojo]

Absolutely! Star Wars truly revolutionized filmmaking and storytelling, creating an expansive universe that continues to captivate audiences across generations. It's incredible how one movie can have such a lasting impact on popular culture.

[@matthewchelette9088]

Star Wars is definitely a great number 1. Thanks to the first movie we never would have sequel movies, prequel movies, cartoon series and live action series. The first movie was great. I feel Batman Begins deserves a higher rank. Because of Batman begins we were able to to get the Dark Knight with is not only booted the best Batman movie but the best superhero movie as of today. Heath Ledger is the best Joker, Gary Oldman is the best Commissioner Gordon, and Hans Zimmer did wonderful music.

[@TyTy-kk6hm]

I think straight outta Compton and Django unchained should be on this list

[@TheKrazyKajeevieShow]

No

[@dontcomply3976]

Why Django Unchained? Taratino was already huge by the 2010s Reservoir Dogs, or Pylp Fiction at a pinch

[@Rickywwx]

Django unchained? No. *Maybe* Pulp Fiction, but I don't think that belongs on here either.

[@sourpatchkid394]

When I was 13 me and my friend we went and saw pirates of the Caribbean at the movies so many times. We loved it and were so excited for it.

[@ajkool101]

Godzilla Minus One, Blair Witch Project, Princess Bride, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Parasite, 2001 Space Odyssey, Tropic Thunder, Citizen Kane

[@DustyChalk]

Frozen -- when Disney films were beginning to seem formulaic, it was delightful to have that formula turned on its head. Inception -- I had high hopes...for a CGI fest. I did not expect the story to be so heartbreaking and -- dare I say? -- grounded at its core.

[@albertPI007]

John Wick changed my entire life.

[@TheKrazyKajeevieShow]

That's sad lol

[@cedricgist7614]

"Starship Troopers." This was an enjoyable video and your 30 selections are hard to argue against. I was surprised at how many of them I've seen. Yet, if asked which movie proved the most surprisingly enjoyable for me, Paul Verhoeven's, "Starship Troopers," always comes to mind first. I was binge-watching matinee offerings as an escape that year and really didn't expect much judging by the trailers. And it started campy, over-the-top, superficial:"Want to learn more?" Yet, somewhere after the destruction of Buenos Aires and the training sequences - maybe the revisiting of the initial battle with the Bugs - I got drawn into the story. It was violent, gruesome and probably turned many away - yet I started to root for Johnny Rico and the ground forces that had to face the alien race. I also began to question whether the aliens of Klendathu actually started the war. It was a memorable experience for me and I wanted to mention it.

[@dawntraci]

"Peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches...." Now I can't get it outta my head. 😂😂😂😂

[@lestercaldera3776]

Wow great list

[@Cap285]

That's completely hilarious, im watching 21 Jump Street right now, and you guys made this one of your picks

[@hunterrousseau3770]

No 9️⃣ I'm so glad this film saved the "Batman" franchise before it was almost dead after "Batman & Robin" there 🦇

[@marcusyates3044]

Top 10 Video Games Who Deserve A Cinematic Universe! Mentions: "Mega Man, Spyro the Dragon, Darkstalkers, Street Fighter"

[@christophergarza9118]

Though the zombie crazy has kind of died out (you could always come back) Zombies Ate My Neighbors would be fun!

[@Deathstroke4200]

Mad Max Fury Road is such a masterpiece. I consider myself hugely lucky for watching it on the big screen in 3D! I don't like 3D but that film's final action shot. When Rictus pull the engine out,the warboy wrecks the truck for them to get to the Citadel. I legit thought that steering wheel was coming at me and my girlfriend in that moment 😂! Im even happier George Miller decided to come back to that world 30yrs later! Wasn't expecting a Furiosa movie before the sequel but talk about excitement for that film after seeing Hemsworth! MILLER HAS IT IN HIM TO MAKE IT EPIC!

[@michaelmonthey5974]

Of all the Mad Max movies, Fury Road shines the brightest.

[@seanbigay1042]

@@michaelmonthey5974 I disagree. For me, this movie didn't shine so much as it SEETHED with more than enough FURY to live up to its title and then some! IF I'M GONNA DIE, I'M GONNA DIE HISTORIC ON THE FURY ROAD! OH, WHAT A DAY! WHAT A LOVELY DAY!

[@michaelmonthey5974]

@@seanbigay1042 I counter-disagree. The title of the movie is merely an afterthought for me. It’s crazy action coupled with its memorable characters and some deep storytelling are what makes this the best Mad Max movie ever. The other Mad Max movies are good, but Fury Road is by far the most spectacular.

[@seanbigay1042]

@@michaelmonthey5974 Now why should I quarrel with a perfectly valid opinion like this one? Especially when we're both saying "This movie was the coolest of the coolest," just in different ways?

[@MrJSchweezy]

I'd have to say Starship Troopers surpassed my expectations, and I still love rewatching it to this day.

[@fanmagicks]

Dirty Dancing & Ghost should both be on the list. As one of my favorite TV character Dean Winchester says : Swayze always gets a pass!"

[@shearecj]

The Matrix was the very definition of a sleeper. Everyone was waiting for TPM. Nobody saw it coming

[@matthewdoliveira9421]

Im a 90s baby and 2023 was the first time i watched the Shawshank redemption...i never expected it to be soo good

[@nbrown487]

The MCU started on the back of Wesley Snipes with Blade..

[@davionnebrantley6609]

How?

[@nbrown487]

@@davionnebrantley6609Blade was Marvel’s FIRST superhero movie period. U can’t be a marvel fan and not know that. Blade’s success paved the way for superhero movies to be taken seriously.

[@cyclopstb]

No. The MCU started with Iron Man. The Blade movies were made before the MCU started.

[@nbrown487]

@@cyclopstbmarvel would have went bankrupt without the success of Blade. Blade laid the foundation period. But u didn’t know that and it’s ok…

[@lee-the-artist-1392]

Marvel released loads of superhero films before blade,,,,,, What about the punisher,, That was before blade

[@seantlewis376]

I never thought of Erik Killmonger as a villain. Sure, he's the antagonist, but his motives are inspired and righteous. The action of John Wick was definitely a selling point, but not the only one. The world-building and presentation were fascinating.

[@FearItselfNarrates]

Enslaving everybody that’s not my color because my color was enslaved…..yeah really righteous

[@donnybishop9688]

Top Gun Maverick was so good

[@josh72456]

@donnybishop9688 I just thought it was ok, I agree on the cinematography, Miles Teller’s performance and the scenes with Val Kilmer. The story I thought was derivative.

[@JRC2001]

I love how the story of “Rocky” shows similarities with the production of the movie: both of them are underdog stories which will inspire generations to come. Best movie ever made

[@FSteezy77]

Putting RRR before black panther is crazy

[@Moosegrove1989]

How is Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle not on this list??

[@BeautyByLinnoria]

The Black Panther came at an unusual time of complicated feelings felt worldwide....and dropped like an atom bomb that vaulted it to classic status instantly....it's budget and casting captured lightning in a bottle during the perfect storm of social awareness.....

[@sarathbabu1245]

I love RRR so much!

[@Crosswalker.]

12:56 never seen the movie but i hope that wasn't the 20million question 😅😂 Also District 9 needs a sequel 😊👍

[@srikanthsusarla3494]

What about LOTR fellowship of the ring? That should be included in the list

[@christophergarza9118]

Nah, It may have exceeded expectations, but expectations were never low

[@srikanthsusarla3494]

@@christophergarza9118 gotcha!

[@Rickywwx]

@@christophergarza9118 agree. Exceeded expectations? Yeah. Top 30 exceeded? Nah. Pretty high expectations for it. To its credit, it delivered and then some.

[@thewackykid]

​​@@christophergarza9118it may not be top 30... but black panther is top 30...?? i think lotr is above black panther on this list...

[@MrEiniweini]

It is a hard list to fill out but there were a lot of modern movies there. The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory should have been on it. They became cult classics that are still watched by children to this day even though they had little initial box office success.

[@jalabi99]

I'd add both _Bad Boys_ and _Rush Hour_ to the list. Even though Will Smith at the time was a pretty solid movie star, his co-star Martin Lawrence was still more of a TV sitcom actor. And a buddy cop action movie with Jackie Chan, one of the biggest Hong Kong movie stars of all time and a stunt legend, alongside Chris Tucker could really have gone sidewise.

[@pawliksworldofentertainmen1734]

For me personally, Rush Hour drastically surpassed my expectations. I was not overly enthusiastic about going to see it. I definitely was not expecting much out of the movie. It was absolutely awesome!!!

[@superdave3000]

I expected to see the Super Mario Bros movie on here. So many people expected it to flop after the live action disappointment and the casting of Chris Pratt as Mario but then Bam!!! in the top 20 grossing films of all time. Had a budget of 100 million and banked a whopping 1.36 billion worldwide.

[@whitetallon8784]

How about Movies that were HYPED up and did NOT live up to the expectations?

[@imgladiquitdestiny2401]

Bowser(mario Movie) and Ken(barbie Movie) are such well written characters even though most of us know their stories already.

[@Epic-Epileptic]

John Wick, a man who can literally kill you with a book. District 9 and Planet of the apes were amazing. I love how in D9 they made it like a live footage and interviewing stuff. almost like its legit and real.

[@Unknown-oo4hh]

Can you do this in horror movies

[@Boncomics]

26:31 LOL We love when a movie tells on itself. Metatextual.

[@Boncomics]

27:11 "21 JUMP STREET" & 22 Jump ST are Masterpieces of comedy!

[@wvpirate]

Dirty Dancing wasnt mentioned. I think there needs to be a part 2 added.

[@HeatherJSN]

Shawshank was a movie that didn't look that interesting, yet it changed my life.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

Besides E.T., Steven Spielberg has made a number of movies that exceeded expectations, especially Jaws. This was only Spielberg’s second movie and it faced numerous issues during production, particularly the weather and Bruce, causing its budget and shooting schedule to skyrocket. Everyone feared it would flop, so much so that Universal aggressively marketed it, which was more than ever done before. Luckily, it all worked out. Jaws became the first summer blockbuster and is one of the most beloved movies of all time.

[@jamalvargas6146]

Road To Perdition (2002) Just Saw A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (2019) and Tom Hanks deserves the the title of America's Dad unlike Bill Cosby this early 2000's Graphic Novel film was better than I expected

[@AllenHansford-xz3mv]

Awesome 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@jarod349]

Home Alone wasn’t expected to do well. It’s a classic now

[@williamsummerson1204]

A New Hope definitely deserves the no1 spot. It turned me into the movie buff that I am today. May the force be with you all.

[@Jeremiah_Rivers76]

Likewise, Will. What’s your favorite installment, whether it’s a comic, novel, movie, or TV show, in _Star Wars_ canon? Of the OT, mine is _A New Hope._

[@williamsummerson1204]

The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite movie in the franchise and sequel of all time.

[@williamsummerson1204]

Thx.

[@BruceStephan]

Yeah , George Lucas really got screwed out of an Oscar for STAR WARS . He showed the next generation of Hollywood how to make good to great movies .

[@TheNZMuppet]

Life would be better if the 21 Jump Street films were never made

[@dimitariordanov6048]

All of them are really good movies ,but you can never forget that line ,,my name is Jeff'' 😂

[@jerryschramm4399]

"American Graffiti". "The Godfather". "The Terminator". "Alien".

[@ARIXANDRE]

Edge of Tomorrow really struggled with that name.

[@marcel_max]

Napoleon Dynamite went to read a top ten list and Letterman could not control himself, hilarious moments those was. Every time I see J Hill's face I always think of the drug scene in the wolf of wallstreet.

[@texantactical7787]

The fact that black panther was nominated for best picture is still hilarious.

[@Yezhanium]

Keep in mind, save for Lawrence Kazdan and Marcia Lucas, *_no one_* had faith in George making it work. Not crew, not actors, not studio. Heck, so much went wrong, from stoned out SFX team, to a very 'timely' sandstorm, that happens once in a few decades in the area. To the point that George had a nervous breakdown and was put to hospital, then leaving on vacation to not be at the premiere, because he's thought it'll be a bust. Yet, Star Wars worked out well.

[@markwallerich1455]

I saw Star Wars on opening night. It blew EVERYONE away and was in Phoenix theaters for 6 months. It might have been doubtful before it was released, but after was phenomenal. I saw it 6 times. The only other movie that I saw that many times was 2001; A Space Odessey.

[@danlove12k]

Shawshank Redemption was better than Forrest Gump 😅

[@DavidJacobs-rl1rj]

If the point is exceeding expectations, and "Paranormal Activity" is (even if by 'some metrics') the most profitable movie ever made, how is it not #1?

[@dontcomply3976]

Because it is not just about percentages

[@marcel_max]

... wait a second ... 😂😂😂

[@lanceyanos622]

Now, I'm wondering if Deadpool crosses over with the Regular Show guys for a chimichanga party... I'm imagining how ridiculous and hilarious the scenes will be between Pool, Mordecai, and Rigby.

[@charlestyner8631]

"You're about to be killed by a Zamboni!"

[@toddj1910]

Indiana Jones was made because they thought Star Wars was going to flop

[@PrawiSucia_Official]

i didn't feel batman begins exceeded my expectations but the dark knight did. One of the best superhero movies and sequels of all time.

[@danwarrjack]

I never pay attention to this kinda stuff super closely, but are these “all time box office gross” or whatever inflation adjusted? Because 500 mill in the early 80s is a heckuva lot more than 500 mill today

[@cashmircmb]

The Spiderverse movies are so much better than Tom Hollands Spidy

[@TylerBoryla]

WatchMojo: #1, Star Wars Me: RAGE!

[@pablovargas7078]

Edge of tomorrow is awesome 😎

[@AsurasAmaterasu]

Warner brothers studios really would block and dry hate on ideas they didn’t come with

[@mikewinter]

Blair witch. Contact. Home Alone. Big Fat Greek Wedding. Any movie with 100m+ budget should not qualify as ‘exceeding expectations’.

[@tahoemike5828]

King Ralph. It's so much better than it has a right to be. The cast is fantastic, and it's a little movie that could.

[@michaelmonthey5974]

Sound of Freedom should also be mentioned. It endured a lot of uphill battles after production was finished. Its distribution rights were traded from one studio to another. It ended up in the hands of the lesser known Angel Studios. The studio’s marketing and distribution abilities were so limited that it organized an equity crowd funding campaign. 7,000 people invested; giving Angel the funds it needed. It also encouraged its patrons to buy extra movie tickets so that others could see the movie for free. Word of mouth encouraged people to flock to the theaters, and Sound of Freedom grossed over $250 million against its $14.5 million budget, becoming one of the highest grossing independent movies in history.

[@sabienjrdeasis2577]

According to Wikipedia, it received "mixed" reviews implying it neither lived up to nor surpassed its expectations

[@michaelmonthey5974]

@@sabienjrdeasis2577 It doesn’t need strong reviews to meet financial expectations. Critics tend to be biased towards movies with Christian themes anyway, but judging by its surprise box office success, audiences disagreed with critics.

[@seanbigay1042]

It strikes me that if the movies on this list share one theme in common, it would be "Who dares, wins." You don't score if you don't take the chance. That said, as any SAS trooper will tell you, having decided to take the chance you have to put your back and your balls into making that chance work -- and if Lady Luck's looking the other way it still might not.

[@brucenatelee]

JJ Abrams was obviously more of a *Trek fan than a *Wars fan...

[@RayMcElroy50]

Phil Lord and Chris Miller gave us... * 21 Jump Street * The Lego Movie * Spider-Man Into The Spiderverse Sony should just let them in charge of their Marvel movies, because they're the only ones that know what they're doing

[@pdgf]

The Matrix and Mad Max Fury Road and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon !