I SAID, I'M GONNA BE SOMEBODY! I'M GONNA MAKE MY STAND!
You know the song, the iconic end credits song of Police Academy.
Police Academy did exactly what my thread title said despite being among the lowest rated movies in history (by critics) and it went on to spawn over half a dozen sequels, becoming one of the longest movie franchises ever, spanning multiple decades. The sequels were hit or miss but they also have many fans that have given them a bit of a cult following. Mahoney, Hightower, and Michael Winslow created iconic beloved characters, making the most of a thin script and likely improvising the best parts. The whole cast of especially the first one was great, I even liked the police chief because he would always call everyone dirtbags and his delivery was great. The hot blonde police lady was also a badass who put all the weak dudes in their place. This movie legitimately was epic, I don't want to spoil what happens in the end for those who haven't seen it, but it goes in a direction I didn't expect, expanding its scope and scale for one of the most unforgettable and satisfying finales I've ever seen to a comedy, with a bit of social commentary thrown in for good measure, as well as plenty of action. This movie shows that critics aren't the final or leading voice on what movies become classics. Look at The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey, two of the greatest movies of all time, panned by critics on release. A Clockwork Orange, cmon, the list just goes on. I watched them all because I love these actors and the characters they portray, the feel like family even if you only see the first one. This is movie magic, baby, no critic can tell me what I can and cannot like. Police Academy 4 life!
Iconic theme song too, absolute classic.