15 Unexpectedly Awesome 2014 Movies Everyone Thought Would Suck

15. 300: Rise Of An Empire

Why It Should Have Sucked: Without the returning presence of Zack Snyder, a replacement director without any significant action experience and a lacking cast, why would 300: Rise of an Empire be anything more than a limp reprise of the 2007 Gerard Butler-starring smash hit? Why It Was Awesome: Lead actor Sullivan Stapleton may still be a plank of wood, but as Xerxes' sexually intimidating, bats*** insane naval commander Artemisia, Eva Green is absolutely marvellous here, and dominates the movie every second she's on screen. Director Noam Murro does a decent job of aping Snyder's over-the-top style, and though the plot is simplistic just as in the first movie, the action totally delivers on the video game-inspired thrills fans of the first one were hoping for. It also features one of the most ridiculous (not to mention incredibly hot) sex scenes of all time, as Artemisia attempts to seduce Sullivan's Themistocles into joining her side.