History VindicatedByHistory / LiveActionFilms

** Fritz Lang's American films were written off by nationalist critics, since they were smaller in scale, more subject to censorship, and on the surface, less artistic than the silent German mega-productions. Thanks to the UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave however, Lang's American films like ''Fury'', ''You Only Live Once'', ''Film/ScarletStreet'', ''The Big Heat'', ''Film/WhileTheCitySleeps'', ''Film/BeyondAReasonableDoubt'' are now considered to be classics. His collaboration with Creator/BertoltBrecht, ''Hangmen Also Die!'', is also regarded as one of the most unusual anti-Nazi propaganda films, and it inspired Creator/QuentinTarantino's ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''.

* Creator/NicholasRay only had ''Film/RebelWithoutACause'' (known more for Creator/JamesDean than for him) among his commercially successful films. Yet he became a major cult director for filmmakers of the UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave, the German New Wave, the MediaNotes/NewHollywood, and for later independent filmmakers, especially former student Creator/JimJarmusch.

** ''Film/{{Walkabout}}'' flopped in 1971 and critics were mainly unresponsive, but it gradually rose in stature. It is now considered to be one of the films that kicked off the UsefulNotes/AustralianNewWave.

** One short film in particular, ''[[Recap/TheThreeStoogesPunchDrunks Punch Drunks]]'' (1934), failed to click with the sensibilities of TheGreatDepression moviegoers. It is now one of the more critically acclaimed Stooge episodes. As of 2021, it's still the only one of their films selected for preservation by the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry.

** "Film/SuckerPunch'' got a lot of negative reviews from critics and audiences alike accusing it of being a "style over substance" movie, as well as having sexist undertones, and the film was an outright flop. However, over the years, re-evaluations of the movie from a feminist lens, especially following the rise of the [=#MeToo=] movement exposing decades of sexual abuse going on in Hollywood, have led to a renewed appreciation for it, with some critics hailing it as a misunderstood yet ambitious FeministFantasy that was [[ValuesResonance ahead of its time]] in terms of its depictions of the abuse women face and the ways they combat against it.

** Even ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', while still without its criticisms, is also agreed as working better alongside 'Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'' as a trilogy, allowing both Batman and Superman a proper arc that pays off well and allowing the bleak atmosphere to be more fitting for viewers as it is building up to a lighter conclusion.

** ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' got no small amount of flack compared to its seminal predecessor ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' and is generally considered the weakest film of Nolan's trilogy. Since then however with Batman getting a more polarising portrayal in the [=DCEU=] and quite a few DC box office bombs coming out, fans are far more charitable to ''Rises'' and acknowledge its positives such as Bane being TruerToTheText in terms of being a GeniusBruiser who breaks Batman's spine and Catwoman is considered much more likeable than the previous love interest Rachel Dawes.

** ''Film/DoctorStrange'', despite being a success when initially released, was criticized for that even with outstanding [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome effects]], the film did have a mediocre story with a mediocre villain. Following the divisiveness of [[Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness its sequel]], many reevaluated the film's more quiet and introspective tone, especially in the first half and the script being a lot tighter and more focused, resulting in many considering the film to be one of the best MCU origin stories.

* ''Film/TheRocketeer'' flopped miserably when it debuted in 1991 opening behind ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves'', ''Film/CitySlickers'' and ''Film/DyingYoung'' with the reasons for its failure cited as there being a “lack of big stars” (despite Creator/JenniferConnelly and Creator/TimothyDalton being fairly well known) and moreover because it was a GenreThrowback in a time where the mainstream was not interested in such things. Of course since then ''The Rocketeer'' has become a certified classic with many people naming it as one of their all time favourite live action Disney films and one of the few [[TwoFistedTales pulp inspired]] films to be genuinely good compared to other genre throw backs like the ''Film/TheShadow'' and ''Film/ThePhantom1996''. It also helps that the film won multiple Accolades and even got a CG spin-off show (where Billy Campbell reprised his role) making it much more than the average Indiana Jones knock-off it was initially viewed as in the long run.

* ''Film/FirstBlood'' was released to mixed reviews in 1982. Today it is considered one of the classic anti-war thrillers of the 1980s with a [[AnAesop resounding message]] about the dehumanization and mistreatment of Vietnam veterans (complete with a famous speech on the subject at the end) that lets it stand out from its more action-oriented and [[BrokenAesop thematically-conflicted]] [[Franchise/{{Rambo}} sequels]].

* Upon its release, William Friedkin's ''Film/{{Sorcerer}}'' was panned by critics outraged that Friedkin had [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks dared to remake]] ''Film/{{The Wages of Fear}}'' (seen as a classic by many) and was a box-office flop due to the release of ''Film/ANewHope''. In recent decades, the film has been reassessed and hailed as a misunderstood classic.

** ''Film/Legend1985'' much to Scott’s dismay was yet another bomb after ''Blade Runner'' failing utterly to make its $24.5 million budget back, grossing only $23.5 million it was declared “Dead on Arrival” and absolutely savaged by critics and audiences who found it too weird and too MagicalLand fanciful especially compared to the RatedMForManly movies that came out in the mid-1980s. In more modern years ''Legend'' has faired far more positively with it being considered a prime cult classic and one of Ridley’s most underrated films with the make up work by Rob Bottin, cinematography by Alex Thomson and the cast of Tom Cruise’s Jack, Mia Sara’s Princess Lili and especially Tim Curry’s BigRedDevil Darkness all fantastic. The esoteric elements that were disliked at the time are far more accepted today and loved precisely for them, helped by the fact fantasy films are now even more liked and successful than they were in the 1980s (barring ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'') due to works like ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''. Even Roger Ebert softened his initially poor opinion on it, acknowledging its heart. ''Legend'' also has many uncanny similarities to the beloved ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series to the extent where its influence is clearly felt on later games (Nintendo in general being fans of Ridley Scott, with ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' homaging the aforementioned ''Alien'').

* ''Film/Constantine2005'' while it did decently still got absolutely thrashed by critics and especially by fans of ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' who loathed its alterations to the source material and of course Creator/AlanMoore disowned it like the majority of adaptations of his work. However in the years since and especially after Creator/KeanuReeves’s CareerResurrection the film has gotten reassessed with many people citing it as a genuinely cool supernatural action thriller with a great cast that unfortunately came out in a period where most comic book movies didn’t aim for great accuracy (see the Film/XMenFilmSeries). Nowadays even some fans of ''Hellblazer'' can admit the film is actually pretty damn good on its own merits and did get the DidYouJustScamCthulhu aspects of the comics right. Further vindicated by ''Series/Constantine2014'' as well as ''Series/TheSandman2022'' both of which to comics fans’ upset depict a different Constantine from the comics as well (especially the latter), taking a lot of the singular ire away from the 2005 film for its changes.

** Though it remains divisive, the overall opinion of ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'' has improved overtime. In particular a lot of fans look at it more fondly due to seeing it as something with more passion and creativity put into it compared to subsequent live-action Disney films.

** With the implementation of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode in 1934, many films from UsefulNotes/ThePreCodeEra were banished from American screens until TheSeventies. Since then, later audiences have rediscovered this era, and many films that were once condemned by MoralGuardians and forgotten by audiences have come to be seen as classics, primarily for their OlderThanTheyThink appeal.
** Likewise, the genre films of Old Hollywood enjoy a far higher reputation among artists and audiences than the more hyped-up glossy studio productions. FilmNoir mostly contained crime thrillers adapted from cheap {{pulp magazine}}s, [[BMovie B-movies]] made on micro-budgets, and yet these films were far more influential and well-respected by artists from all fields and critics than the movies that won the [[MediaNotes/AcademyAwardWinners Best Picture Academy Award]] in their respective years of release. The fact that they had less oversight and fell BeneathSuspicion of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode was one reason.

* Creator/FrankCapra, one of the most successful directors of UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, had his fair share of disappointments which turned out to be undeserved for a particular film.

* Creator/NicholasRay only had ''Film/RebelWithoutACause'' (known more for Creator/JamesDean than for him) among his commercially successful films. Yet he became a major cult director for filmmakers of the UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave, the German New Wave, the UsefulNotes/NewHollywood, and for later independent filmmakers, especially former student Creator/JimJarmusch.

* After ''Film/TaxiDriver'', the legendary Creator/MartinScorsese made the disastrous ''Film/NewYorkNewYork'', and a losing streak started for him in the '80s as the "UsefulNotes/NewHollywood" crumbled down on him and other major '70s filmmakers.

* Creator/DWGriffith's ''Film/{{Intolerance}}'' was such a failure that it bankrupted his studio -- even though his previous film, ''Film/{{The Birth of a Nation|1915}}'', was the most successful movie of the time and in fact the first Hollywood blockbuster. Today, ''Intolerance'' is considered one of the greatest films of UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood, and while ''The Birth of a Nation'' is better known today (and still appreciated by film historians for its pioneering cinematography), it's mostly for the stunning levels of ValuesDissonance.

* The UsefulNotes/RiseOfTheTalkies destroyed the box-office potential of two major 1928 releases from MGM: Creator/KingVidor's ''Film/TheCrowd'' and Victor Sjostrom's ''Film/TheWind1928''. Both have been hailed in recent years as highlights of silent cinema.

* ''Film/NightmareAlley1947'' was a critical and financial failure when it was first released, but is seen today as one of the defining noirs of its era. Such is its later acclaim, that a later adaptation, now freed of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode censorship, came out in [[Film/NightmareAlley2021 2021]].

* ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory'' had a disappointing theatrical run in 1971, a time when family movies just weren't big draws (this being when the UsefulNotes/NewHollywood wave was sweeping over the film landscape), and only found its audience through TV and home video -- after Creator/{{Paramount}}'s rights to the film were transferred to Creator/WarnerBros Ironically, the exact opposite happened with [[Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory its source material's]] [[Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory 2005 film adaptation]]; in fact, this movie's enduring legacy is what ''caused'' the backlash against the latter film.

* ''Film/HeavensGate''. Well-publicized reports of its legendarily TroubledProduction meant that many critics went in having sharpened their knives beforehand, and they found the film to be a bloated, self-indulgent mess. This poor reception led the film's release to be delayed into 1981 in order to do a ReCut that cleaved over an hour from the film, which only made matters worse. For decades, ''Heaven's Gate'' was remembered as arguably the most notorious BoxOfficeBomb in history, one that not only [[CreatorKiller destroyed the career]] of writer/director Creator/{{Michael Cimino|Director}}, but took down Creator/UnitedArtists as an independent studio with it and [[GenreKiller wrote the obituary]] for both TheWestern as a mainstream genre and for the [[UsefulNotes/NewHollywood "auteur period"]] of '70s Hollywood. However, European critics, having not been constantly exposed to the reports from the set, had long felt that their American counterparts were too hard on the film; while it flopped in the US, it met rave reviews at Cannes. In 2012, a director's cut of ''Heaven's Gate'' that was not dissimilar to the original edit premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was released as part of Creator/TheCriterionCollection, causing many critics who had previously dismissed the film to reassess it as an overlooked gem, arguing that the theatrical edit did the film a grave injustice and that many people at the time of its initial release were too focused on the cloud of its production to judge it fairly.

** A TV special on the director showed that the public chased it on video after hearing its name over and over during the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s. A theatrical re-release also took place during the Oscar season, in which the film was much more successful.

*** And bizarrely, there is a certain [[SoBadItsGood ironic delight]] at watching the films. Following the divisive fan and critical reception to the Sequel Trilogy, there was a newfound appreciation for the prequels, and in some sense the "ironic" appreciation of them led to a more genuine fandom. Nowhere is this more evident in the "[[MemeticMutation Prequel Memes]]" [[Website/{{Reddit}} subreddit]], which started out ironically quoting the prequels but became a gathering place for genuine fans where they could join forces to state their case. Even professional critics came to acknowledge that the Prequel trilogy had a consistent authorial vision whereas the Sequels lacked a clear direction and felt like a mishmash of clashing ideas.

* ''Film/SuperMarioBros1993'' was the trope codifier for VideoGameMoviesSuck during TheNineties and the TurnOfTheMillennium. Views towards it have softened a ''bit''. Primarily citing its technical achievements and its willingness to take a risk. The latter especially became relevant after how the film industry has become StrictlyFormula. Some people see it as SoOkayItsAverage or simply SoBadItsGood. Further vindicated by the fact that the TruerToTheText ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' ironically does actually burrow story beats from the live-action 1993 film, especially in regard to depicting Mario and Luigi in Brooklyn as plumbers and how they enter the other dimension that is the Mushroom Kingdom. Also now with the benefit of a faithful movie adaptation, the 90s film can be considered an interesting novelty rather than the unredeemable mess it was once viewed as.

* Creator/FriedrichWilhelmMurnau was regarded as a genius and great filmmaker even by his contemporaries, but his films weren't always commercially successful. Still, he was invited to America, where he made three films that are now regarded as landmarks -- ''Film/{{Sunrise}}'', ''Film/CityGirl'', and ''Film/{{Tabu}}'' -- but which were unable to recoup their cost in their day. They were also dismissed by nationalist critics who felt he was a SellOut for going to Hollywood. ''Tabu'' was cited by later filmmakers for being especially modern for its criticism of colonialism, its use of non-professional Polynesian actors, and its avoidance of general stereotypes.

** ''Film/{{Ran}}'' wasn't a success (nor was it a flop) when it was released in the US in 1985, doing modestly at the box office (if not slightly above average for a foreign film) and winning only a handful of awards, despite near-universal critical acclaim. Its response in Japan, however, -- like most of Kurosawa's post ''Red Beard'' efforts -- was largely of disinterest and the Japanese film board actively sabotaged its chances of being nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar. Nowadays, it's widely considered among Kurosawa's masterpieces and among the best movies of all time.

** ''Film/{{Predators}}'' was sadly only a “moderate” success when it initially released in 2010 coming behind both ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'' and ''Twilight: Eclipse'' on its opening weekend. It also largely got mixed to average reviews with an audience score of 52% and other reviews from Metacritic and [=CinemaScore=] giving the film average “C+” reviews, citing the characters as flat. Probably not helped by the fact both ''Film/AlienVsPredator'' and ''Film/AliensVsPredatorRequiem'' were still very fresh in moviegoers’ memories and 2010 being a big year for blockbusters. Since then however aided by the poor reception to ''Film/ThePredator'', ''Predators'' has steadily gotten more and more acclaim with people acknowledging it’s actually a pretty damn excellent and underrated action film with a unique concept and good twists as well as having a very off-kilter performance from ''Film/ThePianist'''s Creator/AdrienBrody. It’s now generally considered easily the best follow up to the 1987 film, rivalled only by ''Film/Prey2022''.

* The 2000 [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] of ''Literature/AmericanPsycho'' deeply polarized critics at the time, for many of the same reasons as the aforementioned ''Fight Club''. Its Website/RottenTomatoes score is 68%, decent but not spectacular. In addition, audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the movie a ''D''. Since then, it's gone on to be recognized as one of the greatest horror films of its time, and a stinging satire of '80s yuppie culture. One could say that [[MemeticMutation it really came into its own, commercially and artistically]].

* The 2009 horror-comedy ''Film/JennifersBody'' met a poor reception from both critics and audiences at the time, with a 43% on Website/RottenTomatoes and a C- Cinemascore, and while it made its money back due to its low budget, it was still a box office disappointment. It [[StarDerailingRole killed the buzz]] that Creator/MeganFox had after ''Film/{{Transformers}}'', and it also [[CreatorKiller cast a cloud]] over the then-white-hot career of its writer Creator/DiabloCody, who was following up her Oscar win for ''Film/{{Juno}}''. Nowadays, it's [[https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/10/31/18037996/jennifers-body-flop-cult-classic-feminist-horror hailed]] as an unsung classic of feminist horror, one that was [[ValuesResonance ahead of its time]] in both its treatment of rape culture and in how it portrayed [[PseudoRomanticFriendship the friendship of its two teenage girl leads]], and which had the misfortune of being [[NeverTrustATrailer marketed as a campy sex romp]] and alienating its target audience while being a victim of the pop culture HypeBacklash against both Fox (seen as a vapid [[MsFanservice glamour model]] after ''Transformers'') and Cody (seen as a {{hipster}} one-trick pony after ''Juno'').

* A minor example with ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'' and ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon''. The former was widely seen as [[{{Sequelitis}} vastly inferior to the first film]], and the latter was [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel somewhat of an improvement]], but it was seen as [[SoOkayItsAverage too little, too late]]. With the releases of ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction'' and ''Film/TransformersTheLastKnight'', the first two sequels to ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' are looked upon more favorably, with many recognizing the various merits in those films. While they still have many detractors, most of the haters have gone forward to attack the newer films, and defenders point out the NarmCharm provided by Creator/ShiaLabeouf, the SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome, the SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic provided not just by Music/SteveJablonsky, but also Music/LinkinPark ([[PosthumousPopularityPotential especially after the passing of Chester Bennington]]), and the more interesting cast of characters.

** Likewise, the genre films of Old Hollywood enjoy a far higher reputation among artists and audiences than the more hyped-up glossy studio productions. FilmNoir mostly contained crime thrillers adapted from cheap {{pulp magazine}}s, [[BMovie B-movies]] made on micro-budgets, and yet these films were far more influential and well-respected by artists from all fields and critics than the movies that won the [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardWinners Best Picture Academy Award]] in their respective years of release. The fact that they had less oversight and fell BeneathSuspicion of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode was one reason.

** ''Film/TheThing1982'', competing against Creator/StevenSpielberg's ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'', was a flop at the box office that made only $13.8 million in the US against a $15 million budget, with most critics dismissing it as nothing but [[{{Gorn}} "gore for gore's sake"]] and a pale shadow of the original 1951 ''Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld'', with even the director and star of the original [[DisownedAdaptation coming out to trash it]]. As people rediscovered it in the '90s, they started seeing the strength of those practical effects, as well as the [[ParanoiaFuel horrifying]] [[CosmicHorrorStory story]] underneath the gore. Nowadays, it's seen as a rival to ''Halloween'' as Carpenter's masterpiece, it regularly appears on lists of the best sci-fi and horror movies ever made, and it has spawned a [[ComicBook/TheThingFromAnotherWorld comic book]], a [[VideoGame/TheThing2002 video game]], and a [[Film/TheThing2011 prequel]]. While ''The Thing from Another World'' is still fondly remembered today by those who have seen it, Carpenter's version has become a classic case of AdaptationDisplacement.

** It also took decades just to be ''found''. The film was mercilessly chopped down and taken apart by censors just after its premiere, and the original copies were all but destroyed. The director's original cut was thought to be lost for years until a copy was found in a closet in a Norwegian mental institution in ''1981.'' Up until then, only the dissected and significantly shorter censored version was available. Since its rediscovery, the full cut of the film has been very well-received, especially by musicians and composers, who have created a variety of scores for the silent film.

** Eisenstein's ''Film/IvanTheTerrible'' was regarded in its time as Stalinist propaganda and people regarded him as a has-been who hadn't made a movie since TheRoaring20s (two of his productions were aborted while ''Film/AlexanderNevsky'' was shelved). The release of the shelved Part II during the [[UsefulNotes/NikitaKhrushchev Khrushchev Thaw]] radically changed opinions, and today, both films are considered to be masterpieces and rank alongside ''Film/TheBattleshipPotemkin'' as his best works.

** ''Film/BladeRunner'', while it’s incomprehensible to think nowadays with the mark it has left on Sci-Fi fiction — actually bombed quite badly when it first released in 1982. Audiences at the time were simply nonplussed by the broodingly slow cerebral tone and felt Scott’s visuals and special effects took precedent over the plot and acting (Creator/HarrisonFord and his costars did get frustrated over the fact Ridley gave them little input character-wise). This was also coupled with an infamously TroubledProduction resulting in [[https://screenrant.com/blade-runner-movie-multiple-versions-cuts-differences-explained/ seven different cuts of the film]]. Yet despite all these setbacks and initial poor reception the film still won awards, became a cult classic and absolutely pioneered the {{Cyberpunk}} TheFutureIsNoir genre with some of the most popular Sci-Fi media of all time such as ''Film/TheTerminator'', ''Film/Robocop1987'', ''Anime/GhostInTheShell'', ''Film/TheMatrix'', ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' and ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' having all taken direct influence from it. Tragically history would repeat itself with the non-Scott directed belated sequel ''Film/BladeRunner2049'', which was also a box office bomb despite being an exceptional follow up that Scott himself approved of.

** [[TheWestern Westerns]] were once seen as disposable genre movies. It took till The90s with ''Film/{{Unforgiven}}'' and ''Film/DancesWithWolves'' for Western to win Best Picture at the Oscars and officially come OutOfTheGhetto, and even Creator/JohnFord only won Oscars for his non-Western films. Yet, today, Westerns are considered a lost art, and the Hollywood Westerns of Ford, Creator/HowardHawks, Creator/RaoulWalsh, Creator/AnthonyMann, Creator/SamuelFuller, Budd Boetticher, and Creator/SamPeckinpah are considered masterpieces and among America's best films.

** Early in his career, Burton worked with Disney but was fired in 1984 after the production of ''Frankenweenie''. They thought he wasted their money for a film that was too scary for children (it was intended to run in theaters with a ''Pinocchio'' reissue). Burton went on to become a successful director, and finally, the short saw a home video release in The90s. And a quarter of a century later, Burton [[WesternAnimation/{{Frankenweenie}} remade it as a stop-motion feature]] -- produced by Disney.

** ''Film/BatmanReturns'' (1992) disappointed at the box office, due to both its overhyped U.S. release and parental outrage at the gruesome horror and sexual themes in a film that was [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids blatantly marketed toward children]]. While it didn't quite ruin Burton's career, it did bring his late 1980s/early '90s hitmaking period to an abrupt end and forced Warner Brothers to move in a much LighterAndSofter direction with the ''Batman'' franchise. In the years since it's been acknowledged as perhaps the best pre-2005 ''Batman'' movie and a major influence on almost all superhero movies released since.

** ''Film/Legend1985'' much to Scott’s dismay was yet another bomb after ''Blade Runner'' failing utterly to make its $24.5 million budget back, grossing only $23.5 million it was declared “Dead on Arrival” and absolutely savaged by critics and audiences who found it too weird and too MagicalLand fanciful especially compared to the RatedMForManly movies that came out in the mid 80s. In more modern years ''Legend'' has faired far more positively with it being considered a prime cult classic and one of Ridley’s most underrated films with the make up work by Rob Bottin, cinematography by Alex Thomson and the cast of Tom Cruise’s Jack, Mia Sara’s Princess Lili and especially Tim Curry’s BigRedDevil Darkness all fantastic. The esoteric elements that were disliked at the time are far more accepted today and loved precisely for them, helped by the fact fantasy films are now even more liked and successful than they were in the 80s (barring ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'') due to works like ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''. Even Roger Ebert softened his initially poor opinion on it, acknowledging its heart. ''Legend'' also has many uncanny similarities to the beloved ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series to the extent where its influence is clearly felt on later games (Nintendo in general being fans of Ridley Scott, with ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' homaging the aforementioned ''Alien'').

** ''Film/BigTroubleInLittleChina'' bombed especially bad (an $11.1 million gross versus a $25 million budget). [[CloudCuckooland Its campy outrageousness]] has since become extremely well-loved, especially by those who grew up in The80s, and its self-aware tone and DeadpanSnarker protagonist have proven especially influential on modern blockbusters, most notably the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse through films like ''Film/{{Guardians of the Galaxy|2014}}'' and ''Film/ThorRagnarok''. The fact that it was not what mid-'80s American audiences were expecting from a MartialArtsMovie (and in fact predated many Hong Kong supernatural kung fu classics!) may have contributed. As ''Literature/BlowingUpTheMovies'' put it:

* Film/TheThreeStooges made hundreds of 18-minute comedies for Creator/ColumbiaPictures from the mid'30s to the early '50s. They weren't very popular back then, even in comparison to other comedians in the short subject field. Nowadays they remain extremely popular with countless generations.

** Welles made ''Film/CitizenKane'' at the age of 25, and he was seen, and widely resented, as an EnfantTerrible upstart who was being pampered by Creator/RKOPictures rather than a genius. The controversies of his notorious ''Radio/TheWarOfTheWorlds1938'' broadcast and his theatrical productions had already made him infamous. ''Kane'' became notorious because media mogul William Randolph Hearst was tipped that Charles Foster Kane was [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed based on him]] in an [[TakeThat unfavorable light]], and did his best to suppress the film. Hearst ensured that the film would be poorly publicized upon its release: no newspaper or radio station under the jurisdiction of his empire was allowed to print an ad for ''Kane'', and movie critics for those papers and stations, if they wrote a review at all, were pressured into writing a negative one. Theatres refused to run it, and it only played on a tiny number of screens. ''Kane'' lost money in its initial 1941 opening, and was even booed at the Academy Awards. It was well-received critically, at least by the few who had seen it, and it was nominated for multiple Academy Awards, with Welles and Herman Mankiewicz winning Oscars for the Screenplay. But it was only in The40s and The50s, mainly in UsefulNotes/{{France}} (where it played at the Cinematheque), that it came to be seen as the Greatest Film Ever Made. For instance, the first Sight and Sound didn't include ''Citizen Kane'' on its list. ''Kane'' would go on to top the decennial list every decade onwards from The60s to The90s.
** A test screening of ''Film/TheMagnificentAmbersons'', based on the novel by Booth Tarkington, was met with complete ridicule. RKO then proceeded (without Orson's approval) to change the ending, which did nothing for its appeal to American audiences in The40s. Nowadays, while it might not be as fantastically unforgettable as ''Citizen Kane'', it is very highly regarded and still considered a masterpiece.

** Although ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'' actually did quite well at the box office, the critical reception was far from ideal with audiences disliking the DarkerAndEdgier tone (both Creator/StevenSpielberg and Creator/GeorgeLucas were going through break ups and it shows) and many people fairly criticised the inaccurate and stereotypically racist depictions of India and Hinduism and the sidekicks [[DamselScrappy Willie in particular]] were disliked. For the longest time ''Temple of Doom'' was considered the low point of the 80s trilogy between the beloved ''[[Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' and ''[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade Last Crusade]]''. Since the divisive reception to the fourth movie ''[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'' and later fifth movie ''[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny Dial of Destiny]]'' however, ''Temple of Doom'' has been greatly reaccessed with fans acknowledging ''Temple''’s many strengths, particularly its memorable action set pieces such as the opening club fight, the mine cart chase and bridge cutting climax. Not to mention the film’s heart tearing villain Mola Ram played by the late Amrish Puri, whom is agreed among Indy fans to be the most memorable antagonist of the 80s trilogy, compared to the more stuffy Beloq and Donavon. Then there’s Short Round played by Creator/KeHuyQuan, who plenty of fans found annoying at the time but who now most consider the heart of the movie, to the extent some see him as the “true son of Indy”, rather than his actual son Mutt. With Ke Huy Quan nabbing an oscar for ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'' a lot of fans wish he had returned as Short Round in the following movies, especially ''Dial of Destiny''.

** ''Film/TwoFastTwoFurious'' got slammed with poor reviews when it released in 2003 with many decrying the lack of Creator/VinDiesel and the more comical tone compared to the sleek and edgy first film to the point where a lot of people treated it like a direct-to-DVD sequel. Nowadays with the Fast saga getting more and more ego-driven, many now view the second film as refreshing precisely because it’s less straight faced thanks to Creator/TyreseGibson’s Roman being plenty of fun and it gives Brian room to breath as a character without being joined at the hip to Dom — something even more appreciated after Creator/PaulWalker’s passing. The second film also wasn’t afraid to depict its heroes as vulnerable and [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FJNIqkSzSKc responding realistically]] to crashing their car into a boat whereas later films (due to actors’ contracts) has the cast be [[InvincibleHero Invincible Heroes]] who just shrug off numerous crashes without so much as a scratch.

* ''Film/{{Freaks}}'' was actually banned in 1932 in many countries, to the point of ruining the careers of many people involved (the freaks themselves were able to walk it off, or, in Prince Randian's case, crawl it off), because it was seen as offensive and exploitative. During The60s, someone dug it up and realized that it was neither.

* Despite winning the Best Picture Oscar, ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' was treated by audiences and critics, and its cast, in 1942, as SoOkayItsAverage. The film became a classic in The60s when it was constantly played on college campuses, leading to its colossal reputation.

* Happened to the French film ''Film/EyesWithoutAFace''. The film had some troubles from the start. First, the themes of the film shocked European critics, especially the MadScientist who was a case of poor timing for German critics and audiences. Also, the gore scenes, while short and downplayed, were too extreme for formal circles of The60s. Critical and public responses were neutral at best, and outright terrible at worst. Years later, the film was rediscovered by modern audiences and new critics praised the film for its haunting atmosphere, nods to GermanExpressionism, and the complexity of its characters. ''Eyes Without a Face'' was saved from fading into obscurity and is now considered among the best examples that the Horror genre has. In fact, it averted the Horror genre ghetto as it attracts fans of classic art-house films.

* All the works of Creator/JeanLucGodard in The60s are praised by lovers of European film, but there was a period in the early part of that decade when a handful of his movies (including ''Vivre Sa Vie'' and ''Contempt'') were initially bombs.

* ''Film/{{Head}}'', an experimental comedy by Music/TheMonkees which late 60s audiences (somehow!) found too weird, has become embraced by critics as one the greatest examples of that era's counterculture.

* ''Film/ToraToraTora'' (1970) flopped in the United States, only picking up its classic status after its home video release in The80s.

* ''Film/BlowOut'', Creator/BrianDePalma's thriller about a slasher-flick sound mixer who finds audio evidence of a murder, bombed at the box office due to negative word of mouth. Its reputation has since climbed and the film is highly lauded as an artistic gem of The80s.

* ''Film/FirstBlood'' was released to mixed reviews in 1982. Today it is considered one of the classic anti-war thrillers of The80s with a [[AnAesop resounding message]] about the dehumanization and mistreatment of Vietnam veterans (complete with a famous speech on the subject at the end) that lets it stand out from its more action-oriented and [[BrokenAesop thematically-conflicted]] [[Franchise/{{Rambo}} sequels]].

* The non-Muppet non-''Sesame Street'' movies of Creator/JimHenson are a major example, gaining large enough fanbases after their theatrical runs in The80s that since their initial DVD releases in 1999, they have been among Sony's best-selling titles. Each also enjoys an ExpandedUniverse via graphic novels.

** Before all of these were the first two Coen films in the 80s, ''Film/BloodSimple'' and ''Film/RaisingArizona''. They were not flops (in fact they turned enough of a profit to satisfy the distributors), but they were also not considered artistic masterpieces until MANY years later.

* ''Film/DemolitionMan'', when it was released, was seen as a subpar sci-fi action movie getting mostly panned by critics, barely recouping its budget despite opening at number one, though it did make up for it internationally. In recent years, it's seen more for what it really is, a pretty solid fish-out-of-water satire of sci-fi action movies from The80s and a DeconstructiveParody of PoliticalOvercorrectness.

* ''Film/SuperMarioBros1993'' was the trope codifier for VideoGameMoviesSuck during The90s and the TurnOfTheMillennium. Views towards it have softened a ''bit''. Primarily citing its technical achievements and its willingness to take a risk. The latter especially became relevant after how the film industry has become StrictlyFormula. Some people see it as SoOkayItsAverage or simply SoBadItsGood. Further vindicated by the fact that the TruerToTheText ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' ironically does actually burrow story beats from the live-action 1993 film, especially in regard to depicting Mario and Luigi in Brooklyn as plumbers and how they enter the other dimension that is the Mushroom Kingdom. Also now with the benefit of a faithful movie adaptation, the 90s film can be considered an interesting novelty rather than the unredeemable mess it was once viewed as.

** With the implementation of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode in 1934, many films from UsefulNotes/ThePreCodeEra were banished from American screens until The70s. Since then, later audiences have rediscovered this era, and many films that were once condemned by MoralGuardians and forgotten by audiences have come to be seen as classics, primarily for their OlderThanTheyThink appeal.

** ''Film/AssaultOnPrecinct131976'' was made on a very small budget, and had a lukewarm critical reception and unimpressive box office returns. This was no doubt in large part thanks to it being largely a modern-day Western (Carpenter himself has often described it as a SpiritualAdaptation of ''Film/RioBravo''), a genre that was in decline with American audiences by 1976 due to oversaturation. However, when shown in Europe, it gained both critical acclaim and box-office success, as European audiences weren't as tired of Westerns. It subsequently underwent a reevaluation in the States once Carpenter hit it big with ''Film/Halloween1978'', and is now considered to be one of the best action films of The70s and a true CultClassic in its own right, such that it was eventually [[Film/AssaultOnPrecinct132005 remade in 2005]].

** ''Film/MonsieurVerdoux'' suffered similar misunderstanding. Critics and audiences in America, expecting the light-hearted humor of Chaplin's Tramp films, instead got a bleak and edgy murder-mystery-comedy, so people backed away from it in disgust. [[spoiler:The film's anti-war message at the end gained condemnation because some audiences perceived that Chaplin was likening the heroes of World War II to a serial killer, and was later used as "evidence" of him being a Communist sympathizer, which ended his Hollywood career.]] A European fanbase sprouted a few years later, but Americans never fully embraced ''Verdoux'' until The70s.

*** A further vindication: the original ''2001'' story had ''Discovery'' going to UsefulNotes/{{Saturn}}, and finding the Monolith near its moon [[UsefulNotes/TheMoonsOfSaturn Iapetus]] (or Japetus in [[UsefulNotes/BritishAccents the Queen's English]]). Production issues associated with recreating Saturn for the screen led Kubrick to change the setting to UsefulNotes/{{Jupiter}}, with the Monolith near [[UsefulNotes/TheMoonsOfJupiter Europa]] instead. The Voyager probes in the late 1970s would find Europa to be infinitely more interesting with its possible subsurface ocean of liquid water, ultimately making Europa ''even more likely than Mars'' to host extraterrestrial life. ''2010'' and further novels would take the idea and run with it. As for Iapetus... ''Cassini'' discovered it to be little more than a flying walnut, though sister moon Enceladus could possibly have subsurface water as well.

** Lang's second sound film ''Film/TheTestamentOfDrMabuse'' was banned by the Nazis and internationally released in heavily-edited, dubbed versions. The uncut German version was eventually found in the [[The70s mid-'70s]], becoming one of his best-regarded movies.

* The weirdness of ''Film/HaroldAndMaude'' was not in sync with [[The70s the early '70s]], what with [[{{Squick}} a teenage boy having a romance with a septuagenarian woman]], and it failed horribly. People have since come to understand the film's finer qualities better, and its reputation has skyrocketed.

** ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' was generally considered to be one of the weakest Phase 1 films, if not the weakest, with an admittedly intentional one-dimensional villain (unlike ''{{Film/Thor}}''), an apparently bland protagonist (unlike ''Film/IronMan''), and many were turned off by the premise, receiving tepidly positive reviews and resounding 'meh'. ''Honest Trailers'' famously quipped in their review of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' that prior to that film, he was "nobody's favourite Avenger." However, reappraisal in light of the rest of the Captain America trilogy - considered to be by far the MCU's most cohesive - and Steve's character arc across the films, has led to praise as a well-judged and superbly cast period piece with some of the strongest character studies in the MCU, with one of the most popular supporting casts, leading to Peggy Carter's SmurfetteBreakout, Howard Stark's EnsembleDarkhorse role, and Bucky Barnes' SidekickGraduationsStick.

** Downplayed though with ''Film/TheLastJedi'', which despite being a critical hit, was regarded as 'extremely' divisive in the eyes of audiences when it was first released and is still as such, with many of its detractors claiming that it heralded the [[DarthWiki/RuinedForever death of the franchise]]. However, after the release of its much more detested follow-up ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' (which undid much of ''Last Jedi's'' plot due to Creator/JJAbrams not liking its direction), as well as Disney's newer ''Star Wars'' projects becoming more experimental with the franchise to varying results (''Series/{{Andor}}'' in particular being considered quite good for its different take on the universe), the reputation may have begun to look better at ''The Last Jedi'', with more appreciation due to its ambition and attempt to deviate from the cookie-cutter blockbuster style of [[Film/TheForceAwakens its predecessor]], with many defenders of the film even claiming it to be one of the greatest Star Wars movies as a result.

** Downplayed thougt with ''Film/TheLastJedi'', which despite being a critical hit, was regarded as 'extremely' divisive in the eyes of audiences when it was first released and is still as such, with many of its detractors claiming that it heralded the [[DarthWiki/RuinedForever death of the franchise]]. However, after the release of its much more detested follow-up ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' (which undid much of ''Last Jedi's'' plot due to Creator/JJAbrams not liking its direction), as well as Disney's newer ''Star Wars'' projects becoming more experimental with the franchise to varying results (''Series/{{Andor}}'' in particular being considered quite good for its different take on the universe), the reputation may have begun to look better at ''The Last Jedi'', with more appreciation due to its ambition and attempt to deviate from the cookie-cutter blockbuster style of [[Film/TheForceAwakens its predecessor]], with many fans even claiming it to be one of the greatest Star Wars movies as a result

** Downplayed thought with ''Film/TheLastJedi'', which despite being a critical hit, was regarded as 'extremely' divisive in the eyes of audiences when it was first released and is still as such, with many of its detractors claiming that it heralded the [[DarthWiki/RuinedForever death of the franchise]]. However, after the release of its much more detested follow-up ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' (which undid much of ''Last Jedi's'' plot due to Creator/JJAbrams not liking its direction), as well as Disney's newer ''Star Wars'' projects becoming more experimental with the franchise to varying results (''Series/{{Andor}}'' in particular being considered quite good for its different take on the universe), the reputation may have begun to look better at ''The Last Jedi'', with more appreciation due to its ambition and attempt to deviate from the cookie-cutter blockbuster style of [[Film/TheForceAwakens its predecessor]], with many fans even claiming it to be one of the greatest Star Wars movies as a result

* ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'' in the block buster heavy year of 2003 failed to regroup its budget at the box office with its fianical and critical failure putting breaks to the planned Looney Tunes film franchise with Buggs and co not appearing in a theatrical film again until ''Film/SpaceJamANewLegacy''. Nowadays, ''Back In Action'' has gotten greatly reassessed with people acknowledging its many strengths such as having humour closer to the original shorts and wonderfully starring Creator/BrendanFraser whom has undergone CareerResurrection in the decades since. It also helps its successor ''A New Legacy'' was a far greater flop with accordingly weaker jokes strengthening ''Back In Action'''s BuddyPicture humour by comparison. Further vindicated by the film’s BreakingTheFourthWall and BitingTheHandHumor as ''Back In Action'' portraying Warner Bros as incompetent NeverMyFault execs who mishandle their properties and characters has only gotten more and more apt since the film was released, to the point where you can make a case for the film predicting the future of the company.