Surprisingly Good Movies
by neededaccount | created - 01 Apr 2011 | updated - 14 Aug 2013 | PublicThese are movies I never expected to like or find enjoyable but was pleasantly surprised!
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1. Ice Princess (2005)
G | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
With the help of her coach, her mom, and the boy who drives the Zamboni machine, nothing can stop Casey (Trachtenberg) from realizing her dream to be a champion figure skater.
Director: Tim Fywell | Stars: Michelle Trachtenberg, Kim Cattrall, Trevor Blumas, Joan Cusack
Votes: 28,924 | Gross: $24.38M
A movie about figure skating sounds stupid, but this movie has enough heart and good acting to make it well worth your time.
2. 17 Again (2009)
PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Mike O'Donnell is ungrateful for how his life turned out. He gets a chance to rewrite his life when he tried to save a janitor near a bridge and jumped after him into a time vortex.
Director: Burr Steers | Stars: Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon
Votes: 216,458 | Gross: $64.17M
I never thought Zac Efron would escape the stain of High School Musical, but he is genuinely funny in this movie which I never expected.
3. 12 Rounds (2009)
PG-13 | 108 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Detective Danny Fisher discovers his girlfriend has been kidnapped by an ex-con tied to Fisher's past, and he'll have to successfully complete 12 challenges in order to secure her safe release.
Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: John Cena, Ashley Scott, Aidan Gillen, Steve Harris
Votes: 30,519 | Gross: $12.23M
Generic action movie right?--Wrong! I don't know what it is, maybe because Jon Cena isn't trying to be a better actor than he is, or maybe its because it reminds me of the movie Speed for some reason. Whatever the reason, I find this movie to be highly entertaining on a lazy Saturday night.
4. Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
PG | 101 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Tim Robbins
Votes: 115,349 | Gross: $29.26M
It might sound like a Jumanji knock off, but this movie is pretty awesome. It's funny, unpredictable, and most importantly the kids are not annoying.
5. Saving Silverman (2001)
PG-13 | 90 min | Comedy, Crime, Romance
A pair of buddies conspire to save their best friend from marrying the wrong woman.
Director: Dennis Dugan | Stars: Jason Biggs, Steve Zahn, Jack Black, Amanda Peet
Votes: 42,677 | Gross: $19.35M
I never thought that such a stupid movie could find a way to be so much fun to watch and not make me feel bad for enjoying it. Maybe it's Steve Zahn, I find him to be one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood.
6. Penelope (2006)
PG | 104 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
A modern romantic tale about a young aristocratic heiress born under a curse that can only be broken when she finds true love with "one who will accept her as one of their own."
Director: Mark Palansky | Stars: Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Reese Witherspoon, Richard E. Grant
Votes: 66,235 | Gross: $10.01M
I love this movie because Penelope is not a failed feminist, we can all learn from her.
7. Nancy Drew (2007)
PG | 99 min | Comedy, Crime, Family
Teen detective Nancy Drew accompanies her father on a business trip to Los Angeles, where she happens upon clues to a murder mystery involving a movie star.
Director: Andrew Fleming | Stars: Emma Roberts, Tate Donovan, Max Thieriot, Craig Gellis
Votes: 21,551 | Gross: $25.61M
It wasn't what I would have expected from a Nancy Drew movie, and it does fall victim to some of the more annoying children's movie tropes, but I still found myself enjoying the majority of this film.
8. He Got Game (1998)
R | 136 min | Drama, Sport
A basketball player's father must try to convince him to go to a college so he can get a shorter sentence.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Milla Jovovich, Ray Allen, Rosario Dawson
Votes: 51,471 | Gross: $21.55M
I bought this movie because I had to see what Ray Allen acting would look like, but this film blew me away. It's a really good drama, but still a fun watch for basketball fans.
9. The Hangover (2009)
R | 100 min | Comedy
Three buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. They make their way around the city in order to find their friend before his wedding.
Director: Todd Phillips | Stars: Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms
Votes: 846,801 | Gross: $277.32M
I never expected to enjoy it, but this movie is hilarious.
10. Galaxy Quest (1999)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
The alumni cast of a space opera television series have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help. However, they also have to defend both Earth and the alien race from a reptilian warlord.
Director: Dean Parisot | Stars: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub
Votes: 178,294 | Gross: $71.58M
This movie is dumb, but it's soooo good! This film proves that Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver can make anything watchable.
11. Bandslam (2009)
PG | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A new kid in town assembles a fledgling rock band -- together, they achieve their dreams and compete against the best in the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands.
Director: Todd Graff | Stars: Aly Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Scott Porter
Votes: 15,183 | Gross: $5.21M
Any movie that begins with a letter to David Bowie has the potential to be awesome and this movie comes pretty close to that.
12. The Call (II) (2013)
R | 94 min | Drama, Thriller
When a veteran 911 operator takes a life-altering call from a teenage girl who has just been abducted, she realizes that she must confront a killer from her past in order to save the girl's life.
Director: Brad Anderson | Stars: Halle Berry, Evie Thompson, Abigail Breslin, Morris Chestnut
Votes: 129,797 | Gross: $51.87M
13. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
R | 88 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Brother/sister duo Hansel and Gretel are professional witch-hunters who help innocent villagers. One day they stumble upon a case that could hold the key to their past.
Director: Tommy Wirkola | Stars: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Peter Stormare, Famke Janssen
Votes: 216,783 | Gross: $55.70M
Its pretty campy but not taking itself too seriously is what allows it to be enjoyable.
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