Top 30 Movies That Exceeded Expectations
Pleasant surprises! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the films that achieved surprising success, either at the box office, with critics, or both.
Transcript
00:00 "Peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches, peaches,
00:05 AHHHHH!
00:06 AHHHHH!
00:07 YEEEELLLL!
00:08 OHHHHH!"
00:10 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the films
00:14 that achieved surprising success, either at the box office, with critics, or both.
00:20 "I'm gonna do this the old-fashioned way.
00:21 With two swords and maximum effort.
00:25 Hear the music."
00:28 Number 30.
00:30 Black Panther.
00:31 The Marvel Cinematic Universe has featured many surprising successes.
00:35 Black Panther is arguably the most successful of them all.
00:39 Black-led superhero films had largely been misses with critics and at the box office,
00:44 at least since Blade.
00:46 "Not that hard, genius!"
00:49 "You told me to strike it."
00:51 "You didn't say how hard."
00:52 Yet, Black Panther delivered on all fronts.
00:55 The film about the struggle for Wakanda's throne features a breathtaking Afro-futuristic setting,
01:01 a compelling villain, and one of Marvel's best supporting casts.
01:05 "It's about two billion people all over the world that looks like us,
01:08 but their lives are a lot harder.
01:11 Wakanda has the tools to liberate them all."
01:13 It also addresses real issues such as colonialism, the African diaspora, and inequality.
01:20 Not only that, but it became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time,
01:24 and secured the first Best Picture Oscar nomination for a superhero movie.
01:28 "The show-off!"
01:35 Number 29.
01:37 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
01:39 Before this delightful Steven Spielberg film,
01:42 alien movies were usually about scary or at least mysterious beings.
01:46 That all changed in this timeless tale of an extraterrestrial life form befriending a young boy.
01:52 "Hey! Hey, wait a second!
01:55 No!
01:56 It's because E.T. was such a game changer that it's understandable why no one thought it would succeed.
02:04 It was rejected by Columbia Pictures, and even after Universal went ahead with it,
02:09 they still released another alien movie,
02:12 'The Thing,' at around the same time just in case it flopped.
02:22 However, E.T. went on to become the highest-grossing movie ever at the time,
02:26 breaking box office records and inspiring a generation
02:29 with its optimistic view of life from the stars.
02:32 Number 28.
02:40 Triple R.
02:41 Although films from India have seen some success around the world,
02:45 few of them have approached this kind of global mega-hit status.
02:49 Enter Triple R.
02:51 "Hey!
02:51 Raju!
02:54 Akhtar!"
02:54 Imagining the lives of two Indian revolutionaries and turning them into an epic buddy action movie
03:01 may sound niche in concept, but in reality it turned out to have universal appeal.
03:06 The action is gloriously over the top.
03:17 The musical and dance sequences are incredibly catchy and memorable,
03:21 and Ram and Bheem's bromance is one for the ages.
03:25 It's little wonder why Triple R stuck a chord with so many people.
03:28 Number 27.
03:36 Top Gun Maverick.
03:38 These days, it's all the rage to bring back old properties decades later with older stars.
03:43 While the success of these films usually ends at the box office,
03:47 Top Gun Maverick proved a hit with both audiences and critics.
03:50 "Maybe so, sir.
03:52 But not today."
03:56 The story of Maverick training new pilots is filled with great stunts,
04:00 excellent performances, and a healthy dose of nostalgia.
04:04 The crowd-pleasing spectacle was bound to make money,
04:07 but it managed to become one of the highest-grossing films at the domestic box office.
04:12 "Talk to me, Ted.
04:13 Come on, kid, you can do it.
04:17 Don't think.
04:17 Just do it."
04:18 It was also the first in Tom Cruise's long career of blockbusters to pass the billion-dollar mark.
04:25 Top Gun Maverick took the highway to the danger zone and never once to look for an off-ramp.
04:30 Number 26.
04:38 Paranormal Activity.
04:39 While not the first horror movie to popularize the found footage format,
04:43 Paranormal Activity still surpassed all expectations, and a few records.
04:48 The film follows a family whose house is haunted,
04:51 leading them to record the events on cameras set up all over their house.
04:55 Originally shot with a budget less than the cost of a mid-sized sedan,
05:03 the film saw enough success at screenings that Paramount bought it.
05:09 "Mika! Mika! Mika! Mika! Mika!"
05:13 The studio shot a new ending and released it to a wider audience, and even greater profit.
05:23 So much profit, in fact, that Paranormal Activity is by some metrics considered the
05:28 most profitable film ever made. Its particular brand of scares also spawned its own franchise.
05:38 Number 25.
05:40 Puss in Boots The Last Wish.
05:42 Given that it's a sequel to a Shrek spin-off that pretty much no one was asking for,
05:46 expectations were low going in for this movie. But Puss in Boots The Last Wish blew us all away.
05:52 The animation is gorgeous and dripping with style. There are multiple incredible villains,
06:07 and it's heartwarming and laugh-out-loud hilarious.
06:10 "It's all so cute!"
06:13 "Cute is overload!"
06:17 And far from being a movie just for kids, The Last Wish tackles adult themes like panic attacks and
06:23 the inevitability of death. It's one of the best animated films of the last decade,
06:28 and our greatest wish is for a sequel yesterday.
06:36 "Fig it up!"
06:38 Number 24.
06:40 The Shawshank Redemption.
06:41 It can be hard to imagine today, but this film based on a Stephen King story wasn't a success
06:46 at the box office when it was first released. "I must admit I didn't think much of Andy first
06:51 time I laid eyes on him. Looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over."
06:55 To be fair, it had some tough competition. But strong word of mouth, video rentals,
07:00 and the fact that it's literally always playing on TV, has helped make the story of
07:05 Andy Dufresne's time in Shawshank Prison one of the most beloved films of all time.
07:10 "Why'd you do it?"
07:11 "I'm innocent, Red. Just like everybody else here."
07:16 Its universal themes of hope in the face of despair, the stellar performances,
07:21 and Morgan Freeman's legendary narration, are all ingrained in our collective consciousness.
07:27 If you haven't seen The Shawshank Redemption, you need to get busy living.
07:31 "I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really.
07:33 Get busy living, or get busy dying."
07:41 Number 23.
07:42 John Wick.
07:44 At the time of this film's release, star Keanu Reeves had been in a bit of a career slump.
07:49 Additionally, the directors of John Wick were inexperienced with directing a feature film.
07:55 However, this simple yet satisfying action flick surpassed all of the industry's assumptions about it.
08:00 The titular ex-assassin's quest for revenge seems deceptively straightforward,
08:09 though the movie hints at a complex shadow world of killers beneath its surface.
08:20 Meanwhile, the action perfectly toes the line between stylization and grounded choreography.
08:27 John Wick not only helped revive Keanu Reeves' career, it also launched an incredibly successful
08:33 franchise and raised the bar for action movies going forward.
08:36 "You'll find a way back to it. It's time to go home."
08:42 Number 22.
08:44 Edge of Tomorrow.
08:46 Sci-fi movies starring Tom Cruise tend to blend together for some people.
08:50 This phenomenon, along with Edge of Tomorrow's admittedly not-so-great title,
08:55 probably hindered its success upon its release in theaters.
08:59 "What day is it?"
08:59 "For you? Judgment day."
09:05 However, the time-loop war film has since developed a devoted following.
09:10 The action is spectacular throughout, naturally, but the character development and plot are
09:16 also surprisingly great, with both deepening as events repeat.
09:20 "Find me when you wake up. Come find me when you wake up."
09:25 Much like its protagonist, Bill Cage, Edge of Tomorrow improves over time,
09:33 though how much you rewatch it is up to you.
09:36 Sci-fi movies starring Tom Cruise tend to blend... wait a second.
09:41 "You alright, Cage?"
09:42 "I think I broke something."
09:50 Number 21.
09:51 Guardians of the Galaxy.
09:53 We can see how this movie might have been a tough sell to the folks at Marvel.
09:57 "What about my bad side?"
09:58 "Farewell, Mr. Quill."
09:59 A space opera action comedy about characters most Marvel fans have never heard of
10:07 probably didn't seem like an obvious choice for the MCU.
10:10 Regardless, it got greenlit, and we're eternally glad it did.
10:15 Audiences loved seeing this gang of space misfits reluctantly come together to be our heroes.
10:20 "It's just a metaphor, dude."
10:21 "His people are completely literal. Metaphors are gonna go over his head."
10:25 "Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast."
10:28 The characters are all instantly memorable and play off each other wonderfully.
10:33 The soundtrack is iconic, and the action and effects are still some of Marvel's most impressive.
10:40 Fans loved it so much that Guardians outgrossed many more well-known superhero properties.
10:45 "You're immortal! How?"
10:48 "You said it yourself, bitch. We're the Guardians of the Galaxy."
10:53 Number 20.
10:54 Kingsman The Secret Service.
10:56 Spy movies are usually pretty entertaining,
10:59 but Kingsman surprised everyone with how unique it was.
11:02 "My point is that the lack of a silver spoon has set you on a certain path,
11:05 but you needn't stay on it.
11:08 If you're prepared to adapt and learn, you can transform."
11:12 "Oh, like in My Fair Lady?
11:14 You're rightly unfulfilled surprises."
11:17 The film follows a foul-mouthed criminal teen who trains to become an organization's next
11:22 secret agent. Marketing couldn't show just how vibrantly violent and darkly comedic the movie was.
11:28 "That's his rank, Harry.
11:30 You blew up his head. It's a bit much, innit?"
11:34 But word of mouth helped spread its hilarious brutality.
11:37 The film was praised for its stylish action sequences,
11:40 as was newcomer Taron Egerton's performance.
11:44 It became director Matthew Vaughn's highest-grossing movie,
11:47 which is pretty impressive considering his previous was part of Fox's X-Men franchise.
11:52 It was successful enough to spark a film franchise, earning a sequel and even a prequel.
11:57 "Eggsy, I'm gonna shove your manners up your fucker."
12:05 "So, are we gonna stand around here all day, or are we gonna fight?"
12:10 Number 19. Slumdog Millionaire
12:12 An underdog story through and through, Danny Boyle's masterpiece did far better than anyone
12:18 could have guessed. "I can seriously say that tonight is the biggest night of both our lives."
12:24 The film follows Jamal Malik, a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire contestant accused of cheating,
12:29 who tells his life story to show how he knows each answer.
12:32 "Are you ready for the final question? For 20 million rupees?"
12:40 "No. But maybe it's written, no?"
12:48 It's a feel-good rags-to-riches story that earned $378 million worldwide,
12:55 on a budget of only $15 million. It also won eight Oscars, including Best Picture.
13:01 But all of its future success was put into jeopardy when Warner Bros. closed
13:05 U.S. distributor Warner Independent Pictures, just as filming wrapped. Warner Bros. clearly
13:11 didn't know what it had on its hands, as a straight-to-DVD release was considered.
13:15 Luckily, Fox Searchlight came on to co-distribute, and the rest is history.
13:19 "This is our destiny."
13:21 "Yes."
13:22 Number 18. Napoleon Dynamite
13:43 There are plenty of indie movies that became box office giants, though not many are as big of a
13:48 cultural phenomenon as Napoleon Dynamite was. The comedy follows an exceptionally odd teen,
13:54 who attempts to help his friend win the school class presidency.
13:57 "Do you think people will vote for me?"
14:00 "Heck yes, I'd vote for you."
14:02 "Like what are my skills?"
14:04 "Well, you have a sweet bike, and you're really good at hooking up with chicks."
14:10 Featuring an incredibly unique sense of humor, the film was made for a mere $400,000.
14:14 Only 1,000 of it went to star John Heeder.
14:18 "Pauline, give me some of your tots."
14:20 "No, go find your own."
14:21 "Come on, give me some of your tots."
14:22 "No, I'm freaking starved, I didn't get to eat anything today."
14:25 However, a successful showing at Sundance led to Fox Searchlight's purchase,
14:30 which led to a limited theatrical run, followed by a wide release,
14:33 and a worldwide pull of $46 million. Heeder was able to renegotiate his contract to earn more,
14:40 and you couldn't go to a department store without seeing Vote for Pedro t-shirts everywhere.
14:44 "Vote for Pedro."
14:46 "Vote for Pedro."
14:47 "Vote for Pedro."
14:48 "Vote for Pedro."
14:50 "Vote for Pedro."
14:52 Number 17. Saw.
14:54 The Saw franchise is one of the most successful of all time, but it has a very humble origin.
15:00 "Hello, Amanda. You don't know me, but I know you. I want to play a game."
15:08 It began as a low-budget short film so that writers James Wan and Lee Winnell could receive funding.
15:14 That funding was only around $1.2 million, and the production only lasted 18 days.
15:20 "That clock, what about it?"
15:22 "It's brand new."
15:23 "So?"
15:25 "So, somebody obviously wanted us to know the time."
15:29 Directed by Wan and co-starring Winnell, Saw was a monster hit at Sundance and TIFF. In theaters,
15:35 it pulled $103 million, making it one of the most profitable horror movies of all time.
15:41 It ushered in a new horror trend that Hollywood would be obsessed with throughout the 2000s,
15:46 itself receiving several sequels. More importantly,
15:49 it jumpstarted Wan and Winnell's careers as modern horror icons.
15:53 Number 16. Star Trek.
15:56 Although J.J. Abrams had made a name for himself in TV, this 2009 reboot of the beloved sci-fi
16:03 series was only his second feature directorial effort after Mission Impossible III.
16:07 "If you're half the man your father was, Jim, Starfleet could use you.
16:11 You can be an officer in four years, you can have your own ship in eight."
16:16 Not only that, but there hadn't been a new movie in seven years. And with the franchise's
16:21 reputation for odd-numbered entries being less than great, the 11th overall film had
16:26 fate stacked against it. "Your argument precludes the possibility of a no-win scenario."
16:30 "I don't believe in no-win scenarios."
16:31 However, the back-to-basics plot, fantastic cast, and incredible effects
16:36 made Star Trek a hit. It earned a couple of sequels, helped begin an era of new TV shows,
16:42 and led to Abrams jumping into another cherished sci-fi film series.
16:46 Number 15. The Hangover.
17:01 You'd have been forgiven for writing this one off as just another raunchy comedy from the
17:05 director of Old School. And while it featured plenty of risque jokes, it was also much more
17:10 clever than anyone could have guessed. "It's not gambling when you know you're gonna win.
17:14 Counting cards is a foolproof system." Following an especially wild bachelor party,
17:19 three friends awaken to find the groom missing and must piece together the previous night.
17:24 "I don't think I've ever been this hungover."
17:25 "After the hard rock got blacked out, it was like emptiness. Okay."
17:30 "We have up until 10 p.m., so that gives us a 12-hour window where we could have lost him."
17:34 It's hard not to get sucked in by the mystery as every scene adds another piece to the absurd
17:40 puzzle. And every hilarious encounter is navigated by rising stars Bradley Cooper,
17:45 Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis. With a budget of $35 million, it brought in $469 million worldwide
17:53 and spawned two sequels, for better or for worse. "Guys, one time. Deal?" "Deal." "Deal."
18:01 "Okay." "Oh, dear lord!" "That's classic!"
18:10 Number 14. Casino Royale. There were plenty of good reasons to not be excited about a new bond
18:16 in the mid-2000s. "Vodka martini. Chicken or stirred?" "I don't like a give-a-damn."
18:21 A big part of the fandom insisted that Daniel Craig wouldn't work simply because he's blonde,
18:26 which sounds ridiculous in retrospect. A more understandable reason was that the franchise's
18:32 formula had gotten stale, especially in 2002's schlocky, CGI-heavy Die Another Day.
18:38 Casino Royale took the character back to its roots, literally, by showing him earn his double-O
18:43 license. "I knew it was too early to promote you." "Well, I understand double-Os have a very short
18:49 life expectancy, so your mistake will be short-lived." The grittier take from GoldenEye
18:55 director Martin Campbell and Craig's grounded, brutal portrayal breathed life into the tired
19:00 series. Thrilling stunts and a fantastic villain also helped make it a franchise high.
19:06 "The name's Bond. James Bond."
19:09 Number 13. Get Out. It's not unheard of for a comedic actor to transition to something serious,
19:19 but Jordan Peele's move to horror, behind the camera no less, surprised everyone.
19:24 "Get out." "Sorry, Mia." "Get out!"
19:29 Known mostly for his work on sketch comedy shows Mad TV and Key & Peele,
19:34 Peele's directorial debut came out of nowhere. Trailers for Get Out couldn't give too much away,
19:39 but that means no one knew what to expect from it. "Now you're in the sunken place."
19:50 It ended up being an incredibly clever and chilling tale about institutional racism,
19:55 as well as one of the most important horror films in recent memory.
19:58 On a budget of $4.5 million, it brought in $272 million worldwide. It also earned four
20:06 Oscar nominations, with one win to Peele's screenplay, which is incredibly rare for the genre.
20:11 "Oh, no. No. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Aren't you something?
20:23 That's not my experience? Not at all."
20:27 Number 12. The Lego Movie. At first glance, or maybe even the second and third,
20:34 the Lego movie seemed like a cash-grab feature meant only to sell more of the iconic bricks to
20:39 kids. "What do I do? I don't have my instructions." "Touch the knees. Touch the knees."
20:51 How wrong that assumption was. Following an ordinary construction worker prophecy to special,
20:56 the movie told an interesting story about conformity. "Park between the lines. Yes.
21:02 Drop off dry cleaning before noon. Read the headlines. Don't forget to smile.
21:06 Always root for the local sports team. Go sports team!"
21:09 It featured incredible voiceover work from the likes of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks,
21:14 Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Will Arnett as the scene-stealing Batman. "Hey, guys,
21:19 I think we're about to crash into the sun." "Yeah, but it's gonna look really cool."
21:23 The animation was surprisingly fantastic, and the jokes were often hilarious. Its worldwide pull of
21:28 $468 million on a $60 million budget led to a sequel and two spinoffs. Not too shabby for
21:35 a tie-in movie about toys. Number 11. How to Train Your Dragon.
21:40 This adaptation of Cressida Cowell's book has turned into one of DreamWorks' most successful
21:46 franchises, though you wouldn't have guessed it back in 2010. "So I guess we'll share?" "Reddit."
21:50 "All mine then. Wow. So, uh, okay. I'll see you, uh, tomorrow." Marketing didn't make it look very
21:59 original or special from DreamWorks' other works, like Shrek or Madagascar. "Everything we know
22:05 about you guys is wrong." But the story of the misunderstood creatures and the boy who sought
22:10 to redeem them was extraordinarily heartwarming. Beautifully animated flight sequences made great
22:16 use of 3D, and although it had a hefty budget of $165 million, it brought in close to half a billion
22:22 worldwide. Two Oscar nominations, two sequels, and numerous TV spinoffs later, How to Train Your
22:28 Dragon stands as the gold standard for the studio's animation capabilities. "Times out. All we needed
22:34 was a little woof. Like this. You just gestured to all of me." Number 10. Pirates of the Caribbean,
22:42 The Curse of the Black Pearl. While the franchise has definitely fallen from grace, the first entry
22:48 was a stellar adventure movie. But it was the family-friendly Disney's first PG-13 film,
22:54 and it didn't exactly draw positive word of mouth for being based on a theme park ride.
22:59 "The devil's whip action was really bad."
23:01 However, the PG-13 rating ended up being entirely necessary. The explosive action and spooky effects
23:15 for the Black Pearl's cursed crew made it thrilling and captivating. It also earned Johnny Depp his
23:21 first Oscar nomination, and led to him, as well as pirates in general, finding massive mainstream
23:27 success. "That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen." "So it would seem." On a budget of
23:34 $140 million, it brought in over $650 million worldwide. "Now, bring me that horizon."
23:42 Number 9. Batman Begins. Christopher Nolan is one of the biggest directors working today,
23:49 but at the time he signed on to Batman Begins, he was yet unproven with big budget productions.
23:55 Not only that, but the caped crusader's reputation had taken a hit thanks to 1997's overly cheesy
24:01 Batman and Robin. "You get the ice, I'll get the ice man." And many fans were probably fine
24:09 leaving him on the page or in animation. "Well, a guy who dresses up like a bat clearly has issues."
24:15 Nolan's more realistic interpretation turned out to be just what the character needed.
24:19 Darker visuals and more insight into Bruce's training gave a better understanding of the
24:23 hero who strikes fear into the thugs of Gotham. "If you make yourself more than just a man,
24:29 if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you,
24:34 then you become something else entirely. Which is legend." And it gave us what many consider
24:44 one of the best trilogies of all time. "I never said thank you. And you'll never have to."
24:54 Number 8. Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Rebooting a beloved sci-fi film series is always hard.
25:06 "Hey, some things aren't meant to be changed. You need to accept that." But it's especially
25:15 difficult to garner excitement when the previous reboot is as maligned as Tim Burton's 2001 film
25:20 was. Add on the fact that this movie was swapping out practical effects for CGI, and it left some
25:25 moviegoers scratching their heads. "I swear you know everything about the human brain except the
25:31 way it works." However, said CGI effects were astonishing, earning several prestigious awards
25:37 and an Oscar nomination. Andy Serkis' layered mocap performance as Caesar was heart-wrenching,
25:43 carrying the fascinating origin of the hyper-intelligent apes.
25:46 "Caesar is home."
25:54 "Okay." As a result, Rise became the highest-grossing film in the series at $481 million
26:08 worldwide. That is, until the sequel was released in 2014. Number 7. 21 Jump Street. When Hollywood
26:16 adapts a TV show into a feature film, it usually doesn't go well. "Fortunately for you two,
26:21 we're reviving a canceled undercover police program from the 80s and revamping it for
26:26 modern times. You see, the guys in charge of this stuff lack creativity and are completely out of
26:30 ideas." However, turning the Johnny Depp-led cop show into an action comedy with Jonah Hill and
26:36 Channing Tatum was a genius idea. The film follows two younger-looking cops going undercover as high
26:42 schoolers to stop the spread of a new drug. "Infiltrate the dealers, find the supplier."
26:47 "We get to be brothers?" "Infiltrate the dealers, find the supplier."
26:52 "What if we find the supplier first? We don't have to worry about the dealers." "Goddamn."
26:55 "Infiltrate the dealers, find the supplier." The comedic chemistry between Hill and Tatum
27:00 resulted in one of the best buddy cop movies in some time. Not only did it pull in $201 million
27:07 on a $42 million budget, but its sequel was even more successful. This could have easily been a
27:12 serious slog of a movie given its source material, but it was a delightful and hilarious surprise.
27:18 Now, if only we could get that third movie. "We're like in the end of Die Hard right now,
27:22 but it's our actual life. It's crazy." "Number one or two?" "Three." "Sam Jackson style."
27:31 Number six, District 9. From a failed adaptation of the video game Halo rose this groundbreaking
27:37 sci-fi film from producer Peter Jackson and director Neil Blomkamp. Although its original
27:43 incarnation was a failure and the filmmakers were forced to recycle props and set pieces,
27:48 the film soared past any expectations. "Well, the truth is nobody really knew what this place was.
27:53 There's a lot of secrets in District 9." The film's grimy set design fits splendidly with
27:59 the documentary aesthetic and story of xenophobia. That's not to mention its
28:03 terrific visual effects, which earned it one of four Oscar nominations.
28:07 Worldwide, District 9 earned seven times its $30 million budget.
28:11 That's insanely impressive considering it mostly relied on viral marketing and stylistic,
28:27 humans-only ads. "They must just go. I don't know where they go. They must just go here."
28:32 "If they were from another country, we might understand, but they're not even from this
28:35 planet yet." Number five, Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse. It's no secret that Sony's handling
28:42 of Spider-Man has let down fans on several occasions. "You know, with great ability
28:46 comes great accountability." "That's not even how the saying goes, Dad." "I do like your cereal,
28:50 though. I'm giving that." With low reviews for Venom released a few months prior, the fact that
28:54 this was animated instead of live-action, and that it was anything but a traditional Spider-Man
28:59 story, were all signals to not get our hopes up. "When do I know I'm Spider-Man?" "You won't.
29:06 That's all it is, Miles. A leap of faith." However, Spider-Verse blew all expectations
29:15 out of the water. The revolutionary animation was unlike anything we'd ever seen, and made it feel
29:20 like we were watching a comic book. Miles Morales' journey to discover that anyone can wear the mask
29:26 was at times heartwarming, and at others downright tragic. "Miles, the hardest thing about this job is
29:32 you can't always save everybody." "Look, it was my fault. You wouldn't understand." "Miles,
29:40 we're probably the only ones who do understand." It surprisingly beat Disney and Pixar for the
29:46 best animated feature Oscar. 4. Iron Man Despite the MCU now being the biggest film
29:53 franchise in existence, it began on the backs of an actor and character who weren't exactly popular.
29:59 Iron Man was far from a Marvel A-lister at the time, and Robert Downey Jr.'s career was only
30:14 beginning to reform after drug arrests in the early 2000s. With Marvel movies dropping in
30:19 quality in the mid-2000s with the likes of Fantastic Four and Spider-Man 3, the newly
30:24 formed Marvel Studios needed to reassure moviegoers. Although picking the director of
30:29 Elf was a strange choice, Jon Favreau proved himself a capable action filmmaker. Iron Man
30:35 earned $585 million worldwide on a $140 million budget. "Worst things have happened, I think we're
30:42 going to be fine coming up with it." More importantly, it ushered in a new and exciting
30:46 era of superhero films. 3. Rocky The original Rocky was written in just over three days,
31:09 filmed in 28 days, and only given a budget of around $960,000, because then-newcomer Sylvester
31:16 Stallone refused to sell the script unless he could star. So the bar for its monetary
31:24 expectations was probably already low, but its underdog production and story acted as signs for
31:30 its future performance. The film would go on to become a resounding success, earning a whopping
31:42 $117 million at the box office and winning three out of ten Oscar nominations. It turned Sylvester
31:49 Stallone into a bona fide movie star. It also kickstarted a decades-long
32:00 lasting series that spawned another franchise. 2. Mad Max Fury Road People may have been surprised
32:08 to see George Miller return to this post-apocalyptic franchise 30 years after the last entry,
32:13 and multiple problems behind the scenes surely didn't help the morale of cast and crew members.
32:18 However, what was achieved is now considered one of the best action films of all time.
32:36 A simple plot and high-octane thrills meant any general moviegoer could be entertained.
32:40 The film was praised for Charlize Theron's intense performance,
32:44 and the use of practical effects and real, modified death cars bolstered the film's extreme
33:02 chase sequences. While it didn't necessarily wow at the box office, it did win six Oscars out of
33:08 ten nominations, an unheard-of feat for action movies. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe
33:21 to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos. You have the option to
33:26 be notified for occasional videos or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into
33:31 your settings and switch on notifications. It might be strange to think about now,
33:40 but Star Wars did not have a strong start. George Lucas and 20th Century Fox were initially
33:46 convinced it wouldn't perform well among other blockbusters that summer.
33:49 Apparently, many theater chains held the same belief, as the film only received a limited
34:00 release in around 40 theaters. But swarms of crowds wanting to see the movie led to a much
34:05 wider release, pulling in $503 million on an $11 million budget.
34:10 Star Wars earned seven Oscars, and its cast were made superstars overnight. The little movie that
34:28 could built an empire of sequels, TV shows, video games, and of course, toys.
34:34 Which movie surpassed your expectations? Let us know in the comments.
34:45 Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,
34:56 and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
35:02 Thanks for watching.