Underrated Movies
by ndude1997 | created - 01 Nov 2014 | updated - 01 Mar 2015 | PublicWhether they are dated, lack critical acclaim, are forgotten by the masses, or are simply misunderstood, some movies are just plain underrated. Here are my picks for movies that are under appreciated more than any others.
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1. Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
Approved | 112 min | Comedy, Musical
A rock singer travels to a small Ohio town to make his "farewell" television performance and kiss his biggest fan before he is drafted.
Director: George Sidney | Stars: Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Maureen Stapleton
Votes: 9,333 | Gross: $13.13M
Although it sports a dashing 100% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, Bye Bye Birdie's acclaim ends quickly thereafter. The critics say that the film is "dated, but lovable," which is true, but despite its dated tone, Birdie is an underrated classic with the kind of charm that one just doesn't see anymore in modern filmmaking.
2. The Secret of NIMH (1982)
G | 82 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she suspected.
Director: Don Bluth | Stars: Elizabeth Hartman, Derek Jacobi, Dom DeLuise, Arthur Malet
Votes: 45,180 | Gross: $10.14M
Head's up, there's going to be a good bit of animation on this list. Anyway, Don Bluth left Disney at age 41, took 18 other animators with him, and went on to make several animated films and even the successful and revolutionary video game, Dragon's Lair. However, The Secret of NIMH is his masterpiece, and although it's filtered with a rather creepy undertone, it is still a great feature with beautiful animation.
3. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
PG | 95 min | Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
In a small American town, a diabolical circus and its demonic proprietor prey on the townsfolk.
Director: Jack Clayton | Stars: Mary Grace Canfield, Richard Davalos, Jake Dengel, Jack Dodson
Votes: 10,618 | Gross: $8.40M
If you like this movie and haven't read the novel, you ought to read it because it is absolutely fantastic. Something Wicked actually spawned from a situation not unlike the composition of 2001: A Space Odyssey, where the novel was actually written after the screenplay. As a matter of fact, Bradbury pitched the film to Gene Kelley, who was working on Singin' in the Rain at the time, and he turned it down due to his overbearing schedule and urge to stay out of the horror genre. Nonetheless, thirty-one years later, Disney released the film, and to this day, it remains, in my opinion, one of the studio's best live-action films that is adequately acted, interestingly directed, and sports a stellar production design above all else.
4. The Addams Family (1991)
PG-13 | 99 min | Comedy, Fantasy
Con artists plan to fleece an eccentric family using an accomplice who claims to be their long-lost uncle.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Dan Hedaya
Votes: 180,018 | Gross: $113.50M
Ironically, critics actually preferred the sequel to this film (Addams Family Values) over the original. The reason for that is the fact that the sequel succeeds more in being a straight-up comedy, but the original is a more adequate Addams Family movie, and if you're a dedicated Addams fan like me, you'll enjoy the original over Values too. Plus, if you aren't familiar with the completely original Broadway show of the same name, you're missing out, as it is possibly the best re-imagining of the original cartoon.
5. Groundhog Day (1993)
PG | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day.
Director: Harold Ramis | Stars: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky
Votes: 685,280 | Gross: $70.91M
Ah, good old Harold Ramis. This film is tied 8.1 with Perks of Being a Wallflower for the highest IMDb rating. Nonetheless, it is still highly under appreciated by critics and viewers alike. Ramis's other works like Ghostbusters and Caddyshack are what mainly give him his claim to fame, but I think, out of all of them, Groundhog Day is the best, and is what I would call one of the best films ever. It took the number 1 spot on my list of the Top 50 Fantastical Movies of All Time, and has a certain kind of wit and humor that's just inexplicable through text. On that note, go watch it yourself and see what I mean!
6. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
PG | 99 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Egyptian Prince Moses learns of his identity as a Hebrew and his destiny to become the chosen deliverer of his people.
Directors: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells | Stars: Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock
Votes: 146,428 | Gross: $101.22M
Dreamworks' 2-D animation library is often forgotten, along with this film. This endearing musical wonder is a very unique movie, and it is right up there with The Ten Commandments as one of the best Biblical movies of all time.
7. The Iron Giant (1999)
PG | 86 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A young boy befriends a giant robot from outer space that a paranoid government agent wants to destroy.
Director: Brad Bird | Stars: Eli Marienthal, Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Aniston, Vin Diesel
Votes: 227,567 | Gross: $23.16M
Unbeknownst to most viewers who don't watch the credits, this film was written and directed by none other than legendary animation mogul Brad Bird, who went on to work among the other luminaries at Pixar. Not unlike his other films, Iron Giant is among the more mature animated films, without being a straight-up "adult" film like The Simpsons Movie. It achieves this by using subtle language, a well-stocked cast, and a no-holds-barred story. With a rather blatant gun-control theme, Iron Giant proves to be an endearing oddity, which some say will go on to be appreciated in retrospect like It's a Wonderful Life.
8. The Road to El Dorado (2000)
PG | 89 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Two swindlers get their hands on a map to the fabled city of gold, El Dorado.
Directors: Bibo Bergeron, Don Paul, Jeffrey Katzenberg | Stars: Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Rosie Perez, Armand Assante
Votes: 107,493 | Gross: $50.86M
The Road to El Dorado was called "The Most Underrated Kids Movie of All Time" by internet raters WatchMojo.com. I disagree because I don't personally see it as a kids movie. Therefore, its formula adds up to the perfect storm: mature filmmaking, non-Disney animation, and marketing towards children when it possibly shouldn't have been. Nonetheless El Dorado makes do with a quirky story, funny script, and the rare quality of knowing when to be animated and when not to be.
9. Night at the Museum (2006)
PG | 108 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A newly recruited night security guard at the Museum of Natural History discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and wreak havoc.
Director: Shawn Levy | Stars: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke
Votes: 377,443 | Gross: $250.86M
10. Monster House (2006)
PG | 91 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Three teens discover that their neighbor's house is really a living, breathing, scary monster.
Director: Gil Kenan | Stars: Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner, Spencer Locke, Ryan Whitney
Votes: 138,255 | Gross: $73.66M
This film was actually produced in-part by none other than Steven Spielberg, and was directed by the great Robert Zemeckis! However, it wasn't produced by Disney, so no one cared. But despite all that, this is a very unique fantastical tale told through the eyes of the middle-school-aged DJ. What makes the film unique is its nods to the past through a B Horror Movie production design and a capitalization on growing up through the early teen years--both of which (20th Century filmmaking and adolescence) are often ignored by animators. Therefore, it is a good-nature Halloween cult classic enjoyed by hipsters and animation gurus alike.
11. Coraline (2009)
PG | 100 min | Animation, Drama, Family
Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, an 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.
Director: Henry Selick | Stars: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders
Votes: 263,881 | Gross: $75.29M
12. ParaNorman (2012)
PG | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Directors: Chris Butler, Sam Fell | Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Tucker Albrizzi
Votes: 109,954 | Gross: $56.00M
13. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama
Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
Director: Stephen Chbosky | Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd
Votes: 548,155 | Gross: $17.74M
14. Les Misérables (2012)
PG-13 | 158 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker's daughter. The decision changes their lives forever.
Director: Tom Hooper | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried
Votes: 346,074 | Gross: $148.81M
15. The Great Gatsby (2013)
PG-13 | 143 min | Drama, Romance
A writer and wall street trader, Nick Carraway, finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his mysterious millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby, amid the riotous parties of the Jazz Age.
Director: Baz Luhrmann | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire
Votes: 597,105 | Gross: $144.84M
16. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
PG-13 | 125 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Author P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.
Director: John Lee Hancock | Stars: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell
Votes: 170,063 | Gross: $83.30M
17. Get on Up (2014)
PG-13 | 139 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis
Votes: 26,146 | Gross: $30.51M
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