Audiences often generate their own assumptions about certain movies before they even watch them, but some movies surpass all expectations and become classics. A troubled production is often an indicator that a movie will end up as a flop, but behind-the-scenes drama doesn’t always derail a movie. Classics likeThe GodfatherandDirty Dancingwere almost shut down, and it’s a wonder that they ever got finished.
In other cases, audiences can form opinions about a movie before watching it, only for the movie to pack a surprising punch. For example,Titanicwas seen as an expensive gamble by a director with no experience making period romances, and Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy was initially derided as an ill-judged attempt to film Tolkien’s unfilmable novels. Ultimately, movies shouldn’t be judged before people watch them, because some of them can overcome the odds.
2014’sPaddingtonis a great family comedy, bringing one of Britain’s most beloved literary characters to the big screen in style. However,the first sequel surpassed all expectations.Paddington 2’s reviews were peppered with superlatives, with many critics describing it as one of the best children’s movies in years and one of the best comedies of the decade. There were even some slightly tongue-in-cheek remarks thatPaddington 2should be considered one of the best movies of all time.
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Of the threePaddingtonmovies so far,Paddington 2is generally considered a cut above the others. It’s as wholesome and downright charming as the first movie, but with even more humor and more joyfully serendipitous storytelling. The final act pays off tons of minor details from the beginning of the movie, which creates an immensely satisfying conclusion. Hugh Grant’s flamboyant villain is another big bonus thatPaddington 2holds over the other movies in the franchise.
Considering the intense behind-the-scenes turmoil facing Paramount and Francis Ford Coppola, it’s a minor miracle thatThe Godfatherever got made in the first place. Coppola frequently butted heads with studio representatives throughout production. Paramount disagreed with his vision for thecast ofThe Godfather,especially Coppola’s choice of Al Pacino to play Michael Corleone. They also had to rein in some of his unorthodox directorial choices, so the finished product is a compromise between Coppola’s ideas and the studio’s interventions.
Considering the intense behind-the-scenes turmoil facing Paramount and Francis Ford Coppola, it’s a minor miracle thatThe Godfatherever got made in the first place.
The production ofThe Godfatheralso faced challenges from outside influences. Mario Puzo’s novel was popular among Italian-American organized crime families, but these syndicates were wary of how a movie might represent their business on the big screen.The producers faced threats from criminal syndicates to shut down production.The Godfathereventually went ahead with the blessing of certain crime families, but this meant that the movie was forbidden from using the word"mafia,“and some other minor changes had to be made.
TheMad Maxfranchisehad been dead for 30 years when George Miller decided to bring it back to life, which was especially risky considering howMad Max Beyond Thunderdomedidn’t exactly earn the best reviews. In the intervening years, Miller had abandoned the action genre entirely, directing family-friendly movies likeHappy FeetandBabe.Mad Max: Fury Roadwas more than anyone could have hoped for, and it quickly earned the reputation of a modern action masterpiece.
AfterBeyond Thunderdome, Miller had abandoned the action genre entirely, directing family-friendly movies likeHappy FeetandBabe.
It seemed unlikely at the time that Miller would be able to recapture the glory of his initialMad Maxmovies, especially since he was replacing Mel Gibson as the star. Even during production, there were plenty of issues that threatened to derail the movie. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron have both spoken about the difficult, intense working conditions that they had to put up with in the desert, and there were reports that they didn’t see eye-to-eye during production.
Rumor has it that Steven Spielberg originally set his sights on directing aJames Bondmovie, but he came up with the idea ofRaiders of the Lost Arkinstead when he was turned down. The firstIndiana Jonesallowed Spielberg to direct an action-packed story about a daring hero without doingBond,but the idea of a debonair archaeologist seemed less enticing than a movie about a spy.
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Raiders of the Lost Arkis a throwback in many ways. While its World War II setting wasn’t too much of a problem, the style and the characters were outdated by the 1980s. Spielberg based Indy on a generation of adventurers from film serials and adventure comics, andRaiders of the Lost Arkis the kind of story that would have been perfect for Old Hollywood. Although it seemed like a relic,Raiders of the Lost Arkproved to be a crowdpleasing hit, and it’s still just as popular today.
Orson Welles was already a famous writer, actor and director before he made his Hollywood debut, since he had developed his reputation on the radio and in theater. He turned down a few offers from major studios before deciding to direct and star inCitizen Kane,and this proved to be a shrewd move, asCitizen Kanehas since been recognized as one of the greatest movies ever, and an outstanding directorial debut.
Few could have anticipated that Welles' very first movie, made at the age of just 25, would achieve such sweeping critical acclaim. Many great directors strive for decades before creating their best work, but Welles needed no time. Despite its reputation as a highbrow, inaccessible relic,Citizen Kaneis still enjoyable.Its style has helped shape the language of modern cinema, but it still packs plenty of surprises for first-time viewers.
BeforeTitanic,James Cameron was primarily known as a director of action blockbusters, with movies likeAliens, True LiesandtheTerminatormovies.Titanicoriginally drew a lot of attention for its enormous budget and its hefty runtime. Since Cameron was working on a passion project that seemed far beyond his usual territory,Titanicrepresented the ultimate filmmaking folly, and the jokes wrote themselves. Ultimately, Cameron proved the doubters wrong.
Titanicrepresented the ultimate filmmaking folly, and the jokes wrote themselves.
James Cameron was just as interested in thetrue story behindTitanicas he was in the love story between Jack and Rose. Hours of research went into meticulously recreating every detail of the ship, and many of the movie’s characters are based on real passengers and staff. This focus is one reason why Cameron was able to succeed in a new genre, andTitanicbroke records at the box office and during awards season.
Certain novels get tagged as"unfilmable,“no matter how popular and influential they are. J. R. R. Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsbooks are considered seminal in the fantasy genre, butit took a long time for Hollywood to give someone the green light for a big-budget adaptation. Peter Jackson was trusted with the budget to adapt all three books at once, filming them back-to-back in New Zealand.
Peter Jackson managed to make aLord of the Ringstrilogy that the overwhelming majority of fans respect and admire.
Peter Jackson managed to make aLord of the Ringstrilogy that the overwhelming majority of fans respect and admire, proving that the books were only considered unfilmable because nobody had figured out how to do so. Jackson made somechanges for hisLord of the Ringsmovies, but these have mostly gone down well with fans, and his trilogy is now considered definitive.
Dirty Dancinghad a tight budget and a shoot that lasted just 44 days. During this time, there was plenty of behind-the-scenes drama which threatened to put an end to production.There were last-minute rewrites of the script, some frantic cast changes and difficulties with the weather, but the biggest issue was the fractious working relationship between the two stars, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.
Swayze and Grey have both spoken out about how their personal differences got in the way of their work.
Swayze and Grey first worked together on the Cold War action movieRed Dawn,and this seems to be where their difficulties began. The two actors simply didn’t see eye-to-eye, but they were reunited forDirty Dancing.Although their on-screen chemistry is part of what makes the movie so endearing and soulful, Swayze and Grey have both spoken out about how their personal differences got in the way of their work. It’s remarkable thatDirty Dancingturned into a nostalgic 1980s classic under these circumstances.
Pulp Fictionwas just Quentin Tarantino’s second feature-length movie, but it represents a leap forward fromReservoir Dogsin terms of ambition.Reservoir Dogsis relatively straightforward, focusing on a few characters in just a handful of locations. It follows the aftermath of a robbery gone wrong, but it doesn’t show the action of the heist. By contrast,Pulp Fictionfeatures a series of interconnected stories in non-linear order.
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The basic premise ofPulp Fictionwould have been enough to get most major studios to turn Tarantino down, but he got his shot, and it paid off massively.Pulp Fictionis often listed asQuentin Tarantino’s best movie, and it’s also had a huge impact on the crime genre. The large ensemble cast and the non-linear storytelling have been imitated many times, and Tarantino’s unique dialogue has also inspired other filmmakers.
Most legacy sequels feed off of nostalgia, and this means that they limit themselves in terms of their ambitions. It’s practically impossible to surpass the original movie when a legacy sequel merely wants to mimic it, butTop Gun: Maverickbucked this trend by bringing a new approach. While it still honors the originalTop Gunand has some satisfying callbacks for fans, it’s confident enough to do its own thing.
The flying scenes inTop Gun: Mavericktake things up a notch, and the drama that takes place at ground level is also thoughtful and entertaining.Top Gun: Maverickseemed like it could offer cheap thrills and nostalgia, but it rose above other legacy sequels of the 2010s and 2020s, and it means that the franchise could have a real future that isn’t so beholden to its past.It’s much more than the cash grab it first appeared to be.
