Top 20 Underrated Movies · 5:39am Nov 19th, 2020
I love movies so many characters, stories, themes, and ideas that captured our heart. However so many of them and quite a few slip right under the radar so I'll be counting down 20 movies that I think deserve more attention because again a lot fall under the radar. That's a lot to cover so let's dive right in.
20 Mary and Max A unique movie to say the least in claymation as well. A young girl in Australia picks a name at random out of a phone book and sends that person a letter. Max an autistic man who lives in New York gets the letter and agrees to be her pen pal and that's much the whole movie but going back and forth between the 2 is interesting as we learn quite a bit about them and their relationship grows. There's also some emotional moments like when Mary upsets Max but later forgives her and says "you are my best friend, you are my only friend." that's both really touching and kind of said at the same time. All this leads to a very touching and kind of perfect ending that no way no how am I going to give away see it for yourself.
19 She's the Man A teenage soccer player Viola played by Amanda Bynes learns her team has been cut and so she disguises herself as her twin brother who leaves to follow his dream as a musician so she can play soccer at his school. She does this to prove a point that girls can play as well as guys but has to make sure she doesn't blow her cover while staying at the school and also gets in the middle of a love triangle or 2. There's good laughs, a lot of memorable characters, and while the story might be a little predictable it's still written well and that's the important part.
18 Let's Be Cops This movie didn't do so well with critics but I think it's a really fun flick. 2 old friends Ryan a former athlete and Justin a struggling video game designer decide to dress as cops to go to what 1 thinks is a costume party. After liking the respect a police uniform brings they decide to pretend to be cops and as you can imagine that quickly gets out of hand. The guys then find themselves in the middle of a big criminal operation and need to figure out what to do and how to help the real cops without getting killed. There's this one really great scene where one criminal who Ryan can tell is a complete psycho tries to provoke him but he stays calm and tells him "you're not worth the paperwork." It's a great mix of action, comedy, romance, drama, with a twist or 2 down the road it's loads of fun.
17 Bushwhacked Another movie critics didn't care much for but I think is kind of great. A deliveryman named Max gets framed for a serious crime and sets out to clear his name by getting to a cabin deep in the woods that has a package that can do just that. But as he's about to set out he's mistaken for a scout leader that can lead a group of kids who all have fleshed out personalities and plays along thinking they can help him out. While that's going on an FBI agent and the actual scout leader are trying to catch up so the race is on to get to the cabin and there's a bit more to the story. There's probably not a whole lot of depth but I think it's a really fun comedy.
16 Phonebooth A man is forced by a sniper to stay in a phone booth and again that's the whole movie. This is one of those movies that makes the most with the least so to speak, as it is quite a dramatic story.
15 Falling Down Fun fact this and previous movie were both directed by Joel Schumacher no really I'm serious. A man named William gets out of his car in the middle of a traffic jam and goes home to see if child and ex wife. Along the way he leaves quite a chaotic trail and the everyday working and living routine kind of drove him nuts. While that's going along Martin a cop on the verge of retirement (he doesn't die) tries to find him and put the pieces together and deal the damage William made. A friend of mine sent to movie to me and it blew me away with just how great it is and JS's masterpiece may he rest in peace.
14 The Borrowers Based on the book series of the same name a lawyer played by John Goodman wants to get a family to move out and demolish their house. Once the borrowers learn about this they try to help out the family and befriend the young boy Pete and stop the lawyer and his plans. The characters are well developed the effects and sets look great and it's not just funny it's down right hysterical at times.
13 Short Time Detective Burt Simpson after a mix up at his checkup thinks he's dying soon then he tries to get himself killed. He does this because if he dies before he retires in a week then he can leave a lot of money to his wife and son. Along the way he gets quite a few medals and learns what is really important. The story itself is pretty funny and the characters are well developed it's kind of simple but that's not always a bad thing.
12 Once Upon A Crime Speaking of simple half a dozen people in 1 way or another get right in the middle of a murder mystery. So they try to do what they can to avoid getting found by the police which of course makes them look more guilty so I guess that's the lesson don't lie to the cops. This movie is more focused on telling jokes kind of like Grumpy Old Men it's more about characters who are well developed and memorable.
11 Treasure Planet A Disney movie that came out when Disney movies weren't making whole lot of movie but they were still good. This movie is an adaptation of Treasure Island but with a sci-fi twist in this version Long John Silver is a cyborg but he's still a fun character. The sci-fi angle actually has some interesting points like how the pirate Flint managed to appear and disappear without a trace when he plundered treasure and they he did it is really clever and interesting. As for the story it's pretty much Treasure Island Jim Hawkins set out on a voyage to find a treasure and has to figure out how to get him and his friends out of harm's way. But he does make a strong connection with Silver as well and the climate isn't half bad either.
10 Secondhand Lions A young boy named Walter gets dropped off by his mother to stay with his 2 grand uncles Hub and Garth. They have a fortune and have lived interesting lives to say the least but now they just live on the farm and chase away salesman with their shotguns. The movie kind of reminds me a lot of Forrest Gump how it's really not so much story as it is character like when Hub beats up a teenager in self defense mind you. Or when they buy a lion to shoot it so they can put it's mane on their wall but it turns out to be a female lion so they keep it as a pet. But it doesn't shy away from emotional moments between the characters and Walter dealing with his mother not acting like a very good one but it also has a very touching ending.
9 Rango The title character a lizard gets flung out of a car and finds a town right in the middle of the desert. There since he rather considers himself an actor makes himself out to be a hero and he becomes sheriff. After that he has to protect the town as well as figure out what happened to the water supply. Good action along with memorable characters as well as a fun mystery and a little romance make this quite the modern western. There's a bit of the liar revealed cliche but it doesn't dwell on that on it and does lead to some interesting scenes some of which don't even have dialogue. All this leads to the classic shot out but with a twist if you're a fan of westerns this is most likely a movie for you also Rango is voiced by Johnny Depp so that's a bonus.
8 Atlantis Another Disney movie that doesn't get a lot of attention I made a video where I talk about this movie on my YouTube channel so you can find more information on it there but here's a basic rundown. A young man named Milo sets out to find to find the lost city of Atlantis and gets help from numerous side characters that are interesting and memorable in their own way. Also the lore of Atlantis is really interesting their source is a type of crystal that protects them in exchange for a host in times of a crisis so it's kind of alive. The bad guy is just some jerk that wants money but to be fair he does get in quite a few funny lines the climate of the movie is also really good and might be one of Disney's best. Okay maybe that was a bit much but it's still good and makes for a good ending for a fun action adventure movie.
7 Anastasia This was made by Don Bluth the same guy that made Land Before Time and An American Tale. A woman named Anya wants to find her family but her only clue is a necklace which is has "together in Paris" on it. She meets an man named Dimitri and his friend Vlad who are planning a scam to fool Empress Marie and get her to help by saying she could be the grand duchess Anastasia but in fact she actually is she just doesn't remember. Marie is offering a big reward for who can bring her beloved granddaughter Anastasia who was lost after the revolution caused by Rasputin who is quite the fun villain in this movie with a funny bat sidekick that later got his own movie. So the 3 set to Paris while trying to avoid Rasputin's magic who bent on making sure his curse is complete. The songs are great and the romance between Anya and Dimitri is done well and again the villain is really funny it's so good you'd think it was Disney in fact I think some do.
6 The Iron Giant This was made by Brad Bird the same guy who directed Ratatouille and The Incredibles a giant appears from outer space but bumps it's head and loses it's memory. A young boy named Hogarth finds it and of course wants to keep it a secret there's just 1 problem where's he gonna hide it? With help from a man named Dean they hide him and of course have fun and spend time with him while also making sure he isn't spotted. There's a lot of interesting characters including the giant who has quite a few cool powers and interesting themes such as you are who you choose to be. There's also a spot where they see a deer killed by hunters and Hogarth the cute little kid has to explain death to the giant and how souls don't die. It's a classic without a doubt I'd say see it if you haven't but that kind of goes for all of these movies.
5 The Phantom Tollbooth Based on the book of the same name a young boy named Milo finds a tollbooth in his house that has a car in it which takes him to the Land of Wisdom. There he tries to get to the Castle in the Air not to be confused with The Castle in the Sky and comes across all sorts of strange obstacles and characters. Someone once said this story is like Wizard of Oz meets Alice in Wonderland and that's a good way to put it Milo teams up with Toc the watchdog and the Humbug as they set out to the Castle in the Air. That's where the Princesses of Rhyme and Reason are locked up and that's why everything is so screwy there's no rhyme or reason. But to get to them they have to get past the demons of ignorance first along with a few other things making for a very fun not to mention bizarre adventure.
4 Robots But you can guess what this movie is about. A young inventing robot named Rodney Copperbottom sets out to the big city to follow his dream of becoming a great inventor but finds that things have changed and not for the better. This movie has tons of visual gags and memorable characters plus the CGI looks really great since the characters are robots speaking of which one of the side characters is voiced by Robin Williams and he's having almost as much fun as he did in Aladdin. Fun, funny, great characters, and a good lesson about following your dreams what more can you ask for?
3 Surf's Up A penguin named Cody enters a big surfing contest to be like his hero after proving he's good enough. There he befriends a chicken as well as a penguin that lives all alone that teaches him how to beat the champion Tank who is kind of penguin Shooter Mcgavin. The animation is good, the characters are memorable, and it's actually really funny considering the story and honestly the basic idea. Not to mention the good emotional moments and lesson about winning isn't everything and to just follow your dreams.
2 Disney's Robin Hood This is one of my all time favorite movies. Like Atlantis the Lost Empire I made a video where I talk about it and you can more info about it there. Basically it's Disney take on the classic story of Robin Hood as he robs the rich to feed the poor and stop Prince John who is one of Disney's funniest villains. Some people might have some issues with Robin being a thief but his story is more about fighting corrupt authority than stealing so I think he's a good role model especially this version. He and Little John are great characters who work off each other great and speaking of characters Maid Marian is great too. While the action and adventure is great along with a fantastic climate one of my favorites moments in the movie is where she's alone with Robin Hood and they just quietly look into each other's eyes. In a nutshell I think this movie is a masterpiece that might just be my opinion but then again so is this whole list.
1 Cats Don't Dance A cat named Danny sets out for Hollywood to become a great actor however animals don't get much screen time on top of that there's a child actor Darla Dimple who doesn't like sharing the spotlight. Speaking of which Darla is a rather unique and fun villain, honestly I'd be rather surprised if the MLP writers said they didn't take a lot of Cozy Glow directly from this character who also has a giant butler named Max that gets a lot of laughs as well. Danny tries to prove to others that he has the talent to follow his dream and encourages others to follow him making this a great movie about following your dream and dealing the various obstacles along the way. I also heard this movie got 2 thumbs by Siskel and Ebert unfortunately this movie had a lot of competition in theaters like Star Wars special edition, Disney's Hercules, and Titanic. It didn't do so well on the big screen so try to find it and watch on the small screen there's great music, lot's of memorable side characters, a good romance all that and more make this movie in my opinion the best underrated classic ever.
Were there any I missed of course I did because too many movies go unnoticed or get too little attention. so feel free to leave a comment about movies you think should get more attention.
Edit: I decided to switch 1 and 2 because if I'm gonna call Cats Don't Dance the greatest underrated classic ever then it should probably be number 1 on a list like this. 2 is still very good for the record and again one of my all time favorite movies also I added a little more to 1 and 2 just so you know.
FINALLY!!! Someone recognizes the awesomeness that is Surfs Up!
Cats don't dance should be number one. That movie got screwed over by Hollywood
5401049 Hey it probably should have but it was a toss up between that and of my favorite movies perhaps I could switch them if you really think I should.
21, 5, and 6 are about the only ones I can get behind.18 was pretty good, it was decently entertaining I thought.
16 is tense and my vocabulary is failing me because all I can think to describe it is 'cool'.
15 I've never met anyone else that talks about it or who's ever seen this movie, which is a shame.
1 is probably my favorite animated Disney. It's hard to argue with the power of *that* much nostalgia. I still hum/whistle the theme tune. Oodalolly oodalolly golly what a day!
5401093
I can see why you say your number one choice is underrated. I personally think it is when it comes to Disney classic films. My thing with Cats Don't Dance is that besides the point it went through production hell, the studio that eventually got ahold of the movie didn't bother to advertise it well because they didn't think the movie was good or would do well anyways. But this movie was actually good, and unlike Robin Hood, this movie is not really well known to many people which is so sad cuz it's perfect, and anyone who sees this movie agrees. That's why I said it’s number one but it's your opinion.
Also, Darla reminded me of Cozy Glow too. I found it funny when others think so too.