hype and disappointment: the best and worst movies that lived up to their expectations

Introduction: Cinematic universes, beloved book adaptations, and revivals of classic properties have all been used to create anticipation for films that, when they are released, sometimes disappoint and sometimes thrill fans. Some movies live up to the hype, while others collapse under the weight of it. These are the movies that both delighted and disappointed with their execution.

1. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021): The marketing for No Way Home teased fans with a meeting that would bring villains and at least one other Spider-Man into the MCU, leading to fervent anticipation from fans. The movie delivered more than just a meeting of characters. It offered surprising emotional heft and wonderfully charming interactions between the three Spider-Men.
2. Spider-Man 3 (2007): Over a decade before No Way Home delivered on its promise, Spider-Man 3 left Spider-Man fans less than thrilled. The movie introduced beloved Spidey antagonist Venom but fumbled the narrative. Now, instead of being remembered for any of its sometimes genuinely scary horror elements, the movie is best remembered for the mostly uncomfortable dance scene.
3. Batman (1989): Courtesy of Warner Bros., Tim Burton's Batman rode into theaters on a wave of excitement engineered by the studio. Burton's distinct vision of Gotham, along with the fantastic performances of Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, made the film a hit and one of the most beloved cinematic iterations of the Dark Knight.
4. Suicide Squad (2016): By the 2010s, DC was looking to expand its movie output and somewhat surprisingly went with an adaptation of the Suicide Squad team-up. But when the first trailer for the movie dropped, offering a glimpse at an energetic and sharply funny take on supervillains, the hype train left the station. Yet when the movie arrived in theaters, viewers discovered something very different from what the trailer had promised. Instead of a joyous, edgy action comedy with bad guys as heroes, audiences got a slow, poorly written, and overly sentimental movie that no one wanted. That didn't stop it from winning an Oscar, though.
5. Wonder Woman (2017): The year after Suicide Squad, DC won back some goodwill with the first big-screen