What Low-Expectation Comic Movie Was Shockingly Not Bad?

**Alan Smithee** · 12-02-2012, 06:49 PM

The worst Sunday in available NFL games of the season today, so I watched the basic cable version of the first "Punisher" flick, the one with Thomas Jane, and I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. It had humor ranging from deadpan to slapstick, a sort of Raimi-Jarmusch mashup.

I'd seen the second Punisher with Ray Steph (v?) ens a couple of times because I found it so not terrible. I'm curious about the positive impact of low expectations. I kind of think that's what "Man of Steel" has going for it.

Like most humans, I detest mutants and wish they would go away, but X-Men: First Class was ridiculously good and even Wolverine: Origins (whatever) I liked better than the other non-'60s X-Men movies. No expectations, but strangely enjoyable in the end.

I thought the Ed Norton/Ralph Kramden "Hulk" was pretty good, though the Ang Lee barf bag was unwatchable.

Anybody shocked that they actually liked a comic book movie they may have been predisposed to not like, if not hate?

And this is coming from somebody who has seen Halle Berry's "Catwoman" a coupla times because geezus, two hours of Halle Berry in a cutaway leather catsuit? I've wasted my time in worse ways.

**Deep_Sleeper** · 12-02-2012, 07:03 PM

I thought the Shadow movie was pretty good.

**Alan Smithee** · 12-02-2012, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by Deep_Sleeper

I thought the Shadow movie was pretty good.

That one was completely off my radar. But I got a guilty and unexplainable kick out of "The Spirit."

**Phelpzy** · 12-02-2012, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by Alan Smithee

That one was completely off my radar. But I got a guilty and unexplainable kick out of "The Spirit."

I liked that movie as well

**Chiasm** · 12-02-2012, 10:10 PM

Daredevil.

It gets a lot of flack but really if you take away the ridiculous playground fight the movie wasn't that bad. Realistically Daredevil is at best C list to the general public so expectations should have been tempered.

**Frank** · 12-03-2012, 01:43 AM

Originally Posted by Alan Smithee

That one was completely off my radar. But I got a guilty and unexplainable kick out of "The Spirit."

A film with so many hot chicks cannot possibly be that unpleasant, really. Eva Mendes in this movie....

**ForeverTaskmaster** · 12-03-2012, 06:29 AM

Constantine! When I heard Reeves was gonna be Constantine I thought :"There goes the movie."
But it was surprisingly good. It was not really Hellblazer like if you ask me, but I found it a very unjoyable movie.

The first Blade. Before I went to the cinema I thought :"Why should I go see it? Blade is a lame character." During the disco scene I thought :"Holy shit, this is really good." The disco scene is still one of the greatest starts of a movie if you ask me.

**Alex** · 12-03-2012, 06:34 AM

I had an opposite problem with First class, the internet built it up as the greatest thing ever, so when i watched it and found at least half the characters to be non essential or boring it hurt the movie since people told me it was awesome.

**jesse_custer** · 12-03-2012, 06:46 AM

The Thomas Jane version was not the first Punisher movie. The first version starred Dolph Lundgren, and it's the best of the three and had the lowest expectations of all.

**Surtur** · 12-03-2012, 06:53 AM

I enjoyed V for Vendetta.

**SephirothDZX** · 12-03-2012, 06:59 AM

I went into Green Lantern with low expectations and I walked away thinking the movie was okay. (I still attest its not as bad as people claim it is).

Thomas Jane's Punisher movie is a personal favorite of mine. The directors cut of Daredevil is watchable.

**T Hedge Coke** · 12-03-2012, 07:07 AM

The ones that surprised me the most, with unexpected quality, would be Blade, G-Men from Hell, and Josie and the Pussycats.

I like most of what's been listed so far, though. I just didn't have as low expectations and possibly had too high expectations for the Jane/Travolta Punisher, 'cause that's definitely the weakest of the three for me (Dolph's in the middle).

**Romero** · 12-03-2012, 10:45 AM

That TV Nick Fury movie with Hasselhoff was fun. I would watch it again.

I've seen "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "Elektra" many times and I can't say I hate them or they were all that terrible. I just can't. Mainly because I have also seen the "Man-Thing" movie and THAT was a true abomination of sight and sound.