Top five most underrated animated movies ever

[Lavenderpaw]

5. Lion King 2. Sure, it's not as fresh as the first or as scene-stealing as one-and-a-half but despite it's shortcomings it has solid characters, good humor and deep, thought provoking plot. What was Simba's feelings after he found out Scar killed his father? Who is the cub at the end of LK 1? What happened to the hyenas?
These are all either answered or addressed in LK 2. The drama feels genuine and the development of Simba's child and himself is as touching or more so then Simba and his own father.

4. Balto. I was leaning towards Anastasia or maybe another Disney sequel but this wonderful little movie doesn't get nearly enough kudos (especially on RT) this movie has so many little charms like when Balto rescues a little girl's musher hat from getting run over by a sled race or when Balto shows his crush a light show with broken bottles reflecting light from under a house. while the zany comedy might be a little out of place, this movie is never short on brains or empathy for it's heroes.

3. The Emperor's New Groove. This movie is so underrated it's a new minor crime. right along with the top two which are definitely criminally underrated. this movie has amused me since I was a tot and still does. The humor derives for Bugs Bunny-ish antics but does so in a way where it doesn't feel ripped off. this little comedy gem came out and was all but forgotten by the general public... at least until that lousy Kronk's Groove reared it's ugly head. definitely check this one out for some laughs.

2. How To Train Your Dragon. Anyone who has seen me here before knows I'm a staunch fan of this movie. This was everything Toy Story 3 wasn't, emotionally captivating, funny, clever and justified. This movie owes it's credit to the wonderful voice talents of it's nearly equally enthusiastic cast and the minor geniuses behind Lilo and Stitch. The end is not so much heartbreaking as it is resolved. HTTYD did not follow in the footsteps of other movies and for that matter, Pixar. I can only see good things to come if Dream Works follows in the enlightening wake of the greatest movie of 2010 and possibly all of the 2000's.

1. The Iron Giant. I can't say enough about this movie and sometimes my own findings are only the beginnings of what is really there. I saw this movie when it first came out and watched the 2004 CN marathon. I'm sure the discussion of this movie is exhausted, so I'll stick to why it's so underrated. why it's the top underrated animated movie of all time.

This wonderful, beautiful, horrifically overlooked movie came not from Brad Bird or the terribly counterfeit Disney knock-off WB, but from the writers, music composer, animators, voice talent and everyone else involved. Did u know that Bird originally didn't want the very last scene at the end of IG? Yes, it's true.

In fact, this movie was possibly the leg up that Aniston, Diesel and many of the animators needed. This movie, however, rarely gets credit if just so much as a passing glance. Look at the latest Mission Impossible 4 reviews.

You would not have The Incredibles, it's deplorably anticipated sequel or Ratatouille without this movie. You would not have a cult following and high video sells that led to people looking at animation more seriously without this movie. And, dear readers, you would very possibly not have the Pixar you know and love today without The Iron Giant. Without the Iron Giant, Bird would be a nobody. The people who benefited from this cast aside classic would be fired or doing more grunt work.

Wall-E and all aforementioned Pixar movies owe their very souls to this movie., Though IG and Pixar undoubtedly owe the Toy Story franchise. You want my opinion? Toy Story 3 was abysmal and went against everything the first Toy Story stood for.

Nay we forget this movie, the pillar for which Bird began his hallowed movie legacy, the pre-911 movie that called for peace even as others called to arms and the foundation for animated movies that we have since seen released in the 2000's.

Please, don't forget.

 

[Light Lucario]

5. Lion King 2. Sure, it's not as fresh as the first or as scene-stealing as one-and-a-half but despite it's shortcomings it has solid characters, good humor and deep, thought provoking plot. What was Simba's feelings after he found out Scar killed his father? Who is the cub at the end of LK 1? What happened to the hyenas?
These are all either answered or addressed in LK 2. The drama feels genuine and the development of Simba's child and himself is as touching or more so then Simba and his own father.

While it isn't as great as the first movie, I always thought that Lion King 2 was pretty enjoyable and definitely one of the better of the Disney direct to DVD sequel. The story was pretty good, the songs were nice and the relationship between Kiara and Kovu was quite nice. I don't think that the development for Simba and Kiara is anywhere near as touching as with Simba and his own father, but it's still pretty sweet, especially as one can see how Simba's life made him more of an overprotective father figure for Kiara.

4. Balto. I was leaning towards Anastasia or maybe another Disney sequel but this wonderful little movie doesn't get nearly enough kudos (especially on RT) this movie has so many little charms like when Balto rescues a little girl's musher hat from getting run over by a sled race or when Balto shows his crush a light show with broken bottles reflecting light from under a house. while the zany comedy might be a little out of place, this movie is never short on brains or empathy for it's heroes.

I love this movie and I agree that it's extremely underrated. I remember when I first watched it way back on Cartoon Network's Cartoon Theater and it was just so cool. Balto is a really likable lead and the story has some touching and intense moments, such as Balto seeing those small coffins before going to help the sled team and Steel fighting him when he wanted to take the medicine back. While I can see how the comedy is misplaced, I don't think it's too distracting. The animation is quite nice as well and Balto's relationship with Jena was pretty sweet. The ending theme song was great too. I liked the sequel Wolf Quest, even though the ending feels rushed and doesn't work as well as it could have, but the third movie was quite weak and disappointing.

3. The Emperor's New Groove. This movie is so underrated it's a new minor crime. right along with the top two which are definitely criminally underrated. this movie has amused me since I was a tot and still does. The humor derives for Bugs Bunny-ish antics but does so in a way where it doesn't feel ripped off. this little comedy gem came out and was all but forgotten by the general public... at least until that lousy Kronk's Groove reared it's ugly head. definitely check this one out for some laughs.

I don't know how underrated The Emperor's New Groove is, but I agree that it is hilarious. The timing for the jokes work well and the fourth wall jokes aren't too overwhelming like they were in the series. It's just a fun movie. I actually thought that Kronk's Groove was a really fun movie too. I don't know if it would be one of the better Disney sequels when I've only seen it once, but I remember really enjoying it when I did watch it. Part of it might have been from how much I liked Kronk in the first movie, so seeing him with his own movie was awesome for me.

2. How To Train Your Dragon. Anyone who has seen me here before knows I'm a staunch fan of this movie. This was everything Toy Story 3 wasn't, emotionally captivating, funny, clever and justified. This movie owes it's credit to the wonderful voice talents of it's nearly equally enthusiastic cast and the minor geniuses behind Lilo and Stitch. The end is not so much heartbreaking as it is resolved. HTTYD did not follow in the footsteps of other movies and for that matter, Pixar. I can only see good things to come if Dream Works follows in the enlightening wake of the greatest movie of 2010 and possibly all of the 2000's.

Even though I haven't seen this movie yet, and I really should one of these days, I don't think it could be called underrated. They're making a sequel for the movie, they release a new short to go along with a new video, or at least I think that was the case, and it's getting a TV series on Cartoon Network in the near future. It's not like it isn't getting that much attention, especially compared to the last couple of movies that you've mentioned here.

1. The Iron Giant. I can't say enough about this movie and sometimes my own findings are only the beginnings of what is really there. I saw this movie when it first came out and watched the 2004 CN marathon. I'm sure the discussion of this movie is exhausted, so I'll stick to why it's so underrated. why it's the top underrated animated movie of all time.

This wonderful, beautiful, horrifically overlooked movie came not from Brad Bird or the terribly counterfeit Disney knock-off WB, but from the writers, music composer, animators, voice talent and everyone else involved. Did u know that Bird originally didn't want the very last scene at the end of IG? Yes, it's true.

In fact, this movie was possibly the leg up that Aniston, Diesel and many of the animators needed. This movie, however, rarely gets credit if just so much as a passing glance. Look at the latest Mission Impossible 4 reviews.

You would not have The Incredibles, it's deplorably anticipated sequel or Ratatouille without this movie. You would not have a cult following and high video sells that led to people looking at animation more seriously without this movie. And, dear readers, you would very possibly not have the Pixar you know and love today without The Iron Giant. Without the Iron Giant, Bird would be a nobody. The people who benefited from this cast aside classic would be fired or doing more grunt work.

Wall-E and all aforementioned Pixar movies owe their very souls to this movie., Though IG and Pixar undoubtedly owe the Toy Story franchise. You want my opinion? Toy Story 3 was abysmal and went against everything the first Toy Story stood for.

Nay we forget this movie, the pillar for which Bird began his hallowed movie legacy, the pre-911 movie that called for peace even as others called to arms and the foundation for animated movies that we have since seen released in the 2000's.

Please, don't forget.

I agree that The Iron Giant is terrific and helped paved the way for Brad Bird's other movies, but I don't know if it's really underrated at this point. It does get a lot of attention from animation fans, it's always praised as underrated despite all of the attention it gets and for a few years, Cartoon Network would play it every year. There was even one time where they played the movie for a whole day.

 

[HG Revolution]

How To Train Your Dragon is not underrated in the slightest. It got great reviews, made a lot of money, has TV specials, a traveling stage show, and a bunch of sequels greenlit. Iron Giant also barely counts as underrated anymore; at most, underexposed because there are some people who haven't seen it, but when it's always listed among those who've seen it's list of favorites, it's not exactly underrated. If anything, it might even get a little overrated around these parts.

Actually underrated animated films? Porco Rosso gets passed over a lot as a "minor" Miyazaki film, but IMO it's one of his most entertaining. There seems to be a strange movement to hate on Ponyo among a lot of anime reviewers, though the general body of critics tended to like it, so I guess that could count as an underrated one too. Antz always gets tossed aside because it isn't the Pixar ant movie but semi-suspicious reasons for making it be damned, it's a well-written, well-acted movie that's way better than any of the films Dreamworks Animation would make in their post-Shrek pre-Panda/Dragon era. And while it's well-liked enough, that it wasn't a Ghibli-level critical and commercial hit is enough for me to consider Summer Wars underrated.

 

[Surreal Kangaroo]

5. Lion King 2. Sure, it's not as fresh as the first or as scene-stealing as one-and-a-half but despite it's shortcomings it has solid characters, good humor and deep, thought provoking plot. What was Simba's feelings after he found out Scar killed his father? Who is the cub at the end of LK 1? What happened to the hyenas?
These are all either answered or addressed in LK 2. The drama feels genuine and the development of Simba's child and himself is as touching or more so then Simba and his own father.

I don't know if I would call it underrated because it seems like this is the one that everybody goes to when they try to come up with a DTV sequel that wasn't bad.

4. Balto. I was leaning towards Anastasia or maybe another Disney sequel but this wonderful little movie doesn't get nearly enough kudos (especially on RT) this movie has so many little charms like when Balto rescues a little girl's musher hat from getting run over by a sled race or when Balto shows his crush a light show with broken bottles reflecting light from under a house. while the zany comedy might be a little out of place, this movie is never short on brains or empathy for it's heroes.

Whenever I see a thread like this, Balto is the first to come to mind. Unlike most of the other Disney want-to-be movies from the '90's, this one had heart.

3. The Emperor's New Groove. This movie is so underrated it's a new minor crime. right along with the top two which are definitely criminally underrated. this movie has amused me since I was a tot and still does. The humor derives for Bugs Bunny-ish antics but does so in a way where it doesn't feel ripped off. this little comedy gem came out and was all but forgotten by the general public... at least until that lousy Kronk's Groove reared it's ugly head. definitely check this one out for some laughs.

I am neutral towards this movie, but it does seem like it has been forgotten.

2. How To Train Your Dragon. Anyone who has seen me here before knows I'm a staunch fan of this movie. This was everything Toy Story 3 wasn't, emotionally captivating, funny, clever and justified. This movie owes it's credit to the wonderful voice talents of it's nearly equally enthusiastic cast and the minor geniuses behind Lilo and Stitch. The end is not so much heartbreaking as it is resolved. HTTYD did not follow in the footsteps of other movies and for that matter, Pixar. I can only see good things to come if Dream Works follows in the enlightening wake of the greatest movie of 2010 and possibly all of the 2000's.

Although very good, it is anything but underrated.

1. The Iron Giant. I can't say enough about this movie and sometimes my own findings are only the beginnings of what is really there. I saw this movie when it first came out and watched the 2004 CN marathon. I'm sure the discussion of this movie is exhausted, so I'll stick to why it's so underrated. why it's the top underrated animated movie of all time.

This wonderful, beautiful, horrifically overlooked movie came not from Brad Bird or the terribly counterfeit Disney knock-off WB, but from the writers, music composer, animators, voice talent and everyone else involved. Did u know that Bird originally didn't want the very last scene at the end of IG? Yes, it's true.

In fact, this movie was possibly the leg up that Aniston, Diesel and many of the animators needed. This movie, however, rarely gets credit if just so much as a passing glance. Look at the latest Mission Impossible 4 reviews.

You would not have The Incredibles, it's deplorably anticipated sequel or Ratatouille without this movie. You would not have a cult following and high video sells that led to people looking at animation more seriously without this movie. And, dear readers, you would very possibly not have the Pixar you know and love today without The Iron Giant. Without the Iron Giant, Bird would be a nobody. The people who benefited from this cast aside classic would be fired or doing more grunt work.

Wall-E and all aforementioned Pixar movies owe their very souls to this movie., Though IG and Pixar undoubtedly owe the Toy Story franchise. You want my opinion? Toy Story 3 was abysmal and went against everything the first Toy Story stood for.

Nay we forget this movie, the pillar for which Bird began his hallowed movie legacy, the pre-911 movie that called for peace even as others called to arms and the foundation for animated movies that we have since seen released in the 2000's.

Please, don't forget.

I honestly haven't see The Iron Giant from start to finish since the I rented it when it first came out. I don't really remember anything about it.

 

[MadMan400096]

5. Lion King 2. Sure, it's not as fresh as the first or as scene-stealing as one-and-a-half but despite it's shortcomings it has solid characters, good humor and deep, thought provoking plot. What was Simba's feelings after he found out Scar killed his father? Who is the cub at the end of LK 1? What happened to the hyenas?
These are all either answered or addressed in LK 2. The drama feels genuine and the development of Simba's child and himself is as touching or more so then Simba and his own father.

I'm not too sure about that. I personally prefer the other two movies. But that's just me. Also, I don't really like how much of wimp they turned Simba into in the second movie. I'm sorry if it's too extereme for you, but that's what I think. Even being near the son of Scar isn't enough to justify his distrust. You know you've got a thorn in your butt whan your own daughter shuts you up. Also, I think 1 1/2 had better animation than the second one, though still not beating the original.

4. Balto. I was leaning towards Anastasia or maybe another Disney sequel but this wonderful little movie doesn't get nearly enough kudos (especially on RT) this movie has so many little charms like when Balto rescues a little girl's musher hat from getting run over by a sled race or when Balto shows his crush a light show with broken bottles reflecting light from under a house. while the zany comedy might be a little out of place, this movie is never short on brains or empathy for it's heroes.

I haven't seen that movie in years. Still fondly remember it, though.

3. The Emperor's New Groove. This movie is so underrated it's a new minor crime. right along with the top two which are definitely criminally underrated. this movie has amused me since I was a tot and still does. The humor derives for Bugs Bunny-ish antics but does so in a way where it doesn't feel ripped off. this little comedy gem came out and was all but forgotten by the general public... at least until that lousy Kronk's Groove reared it's ugly head. definitely check this one out for some laughs.

Yeah, that was a great movie. I never saw Kronk's New Groove, though.

2. How To Train Your Dragon. Anyone who has seen me here before knows I'm a staunch fan of this movie. This was everything Toy Story 3 wasn't, emotionally captivating, funny, clever and justified. This movie owes it's credit to the wonderful voice talents of it's nearly equally enthusiastic cast and the minor geniuses behind Lilo and Stitch. The end is not so much heartbreaking as it is resolved. HTTYD did not follow in the footsteps of other movies and for that matter, Pixar. I can only see good things to come if Dream Works follows in the enlightening wake of the greatest movie of 2010 and possibly all of the 2000's.

Yeah, it was one of DreamWorks' best. I'm not too sure about it being better than Toy Story 3, though.

1. The Iron Giant. I can't say enough about this movie and sometimes my own findings are only the beginnings of what is really there. I saw this movie when it first came out and watched the 2004 CN marathon. I'm sure the discussion of this movie is exhausted, so I'll stick to why it's so underrated. why it's the top underrated animated movie of all time.

This wonderful, beautiful, horrifically overlooked movie came not from Brad Bird or the terribly counterfeit Disney knock-off WB, but from the writers, music composer, animators, voice talent and everyone else involved. Did u know that Bird originally didn't want the very last scene at the end of IG? Yes, it's true.

In fact, this movie was possibly the leg up that Aniston, Diesel and many of the animators needed. This movie, however, rarely gets credit if just so much as a passing glance. Look at the latest Mission Impossible 4 reviews.

You would not have The Incredibles, it's deplorably anticipated sequel or Ratatouille without this movie. You would not have a cult following and high video sells that led to people looking at animation more seriously without this movie. And, dear readers, you would very possibly not have the Pixar you know and love today without The Iron Giant. Without the Iron Giant, Bird would be a nobody. The people who benefited from this cast aside classic would be fired or doing more grunt work.

Wall-E and all aforementioned Pixar movies owe their very souls to this movie., Though IG and Pixar undoubtedly owe the Toy Story franchise. You want my opinion? Toy Story 3 was abysmal and went against everything the first Toy Story stood for.

Nay we forget this movie, the pillar for which Bird began his hallowed movie legacy, the pre-911 movie that called for peace even as others called to arms and the foundation for animated movies that we have since seen released in the 2000's.

Please, don't forget.

Again, haven't seen it in years. I might check it out again, though, considering how everyone loves it.

 

[SF4Ever]

This wonderful, beautiful, horrifically overlooked movie came not from Brad Bird or the terribly counterfeit Disney knock-off WB, but from the writers, music composer, animators, voice talent and everyone else involved.

Let's get something straignt, Warner Bros. is its own studio, not a Disney knockoff. Here's my 5 from WB:

5. Twice Upon a Time- One of WB's finest movies from 1983, based on a storybook and features rather unusual animation for a feature film as well as some interesting voice-over talent, including Julie Payne, Lorna Luft, Lorenzo Music and Paul Frees.

4. The Hobbit- Based on the Lord of the Rings books and one of Rankin-Bass' finest feature films from 1977, which starred the voices of Orson Bean and Theodore Bikel and featured the music of legendary folk singer Glenn Yarborough.

3. Space Jam- The one movie from 1997 to combine both animation and live-action. Primarily a sports movie with the Looney Tunes as well as legendary NBA player Michael Jordan.

2. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm- Very dark movie, with the Caped Crusader going up against a murderous new force. The Joker is also in the movie, too. Normally, animated movies don't show blood, but this one did(Personally, I'm not a fan of blood in movies)

1. The Flight of Dragons- Probably one of Rankin-Bass' best movies about kings, dragons, sorcery and all-around fantasy, which best exemplified the 1980's and also features a voice-over cast to include James Earl Jones, John Ritter and Harry Morgan.

These are just five movies by Warner Bros. but I'll have five more from various studios, later.

 

[HG Revolution]

Let's get something straignt, Warner Bros. is its own studio, not a Disney knockoff.

But the perception in the late '90s, when Iron Giant was released, was that WB Feature Animation was just making Disney knock-offs at the time. The movie they made before that was Quest For Camelot, which absolutely was a knock-off in its finished form. Probably a big reason why Iron Giant got overlooked initially.

 

[Classic Speedy]

There seems to be a strange movement to hate on Ponyo among a lot of anime reviewers, though the general body of critics tended to like it, so I guess that could count as an underrated one too.

That's the first I've heard about a backlash against Ponyo. What do some have against it? Anyway, I wouldn't be one of those; I love the film and consider it one of Ghibli's best.

 

[Light Lucario]

I'm not too sure about that. I personally prefer the other two movies. But that's just me. Also, I don't really like how much of wimp they turned Simba into in the second movie. I'm sorry if it's too extereme for you, but that's what I think. Even being near the son of Scar isn't enough to justify his distrust. You know you've got a thorn in your butt whan your own daughter shuts you up. Also, I think 1 1/2 had better animation than the second one, though still not beating the original.

I don't think that Simba was a wimp in the sequel. It felt more like he was too blinded by his anger and the emotional damage he received from Scar to trust Kovu. Technically, Kovu wasn't Scar's son, but chosen by Scar to take his place. I thought that his distrust of Kovu and the other lioness that sided with Scar was justified. After what Scar put him through, he wouldn't want anything around him to remind him of Scar, especially when he still had to deal with the psychological damage of losing his father in such a traumatic way. Plus, given Zira's belief that the Pride Lands still belonged to Scar and their attempt to kill Simba later on in the movie, keeping them around after Simba had become king would have been placing many lives in danger, especially his own cub. I also don't think that Kiara convincing Simba to trust the outsiders was bad. It really makes a lot of sense to me. Not only because of her relationship with Kovu, but she also was just more trusting and forgiving of others as she risked her life to help Zira, despite all she had said and done. Unlike Simba, she didn't have to deal with emotional and psychological damage, so she could see the flaws in his decisions better than he could because of his distrust and anger.

While 1 1/2 did have better animation and it was pretty funny, I thought it was just really unnecessary to retell the Lion King through Timon's point of view, as well as add them in practically every scene of the movie. The sequel felt more enjoyable and interesting to me.

 

[suss2it]

I agree with everyone who said How to Train Your Dragon isn't underrated. It made a ton of money, was nominated for two Oscars and it won the best animated movie Annie and 9 other Annies.

Iron Giant used to underrated, but I don't think it is anymore. Everyone always cites it as one of the best animated films, and it's constantly on people's most underrated lists.

2. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm- Very dark movie, with the Caped Crusader going up against a murderous new force. The Joker is also in the movie, too. Normally, animated movies don't show blood, but this one did(Personally, I'm not a fan of blood in movies)

I don't think this is underrated either. Sure it flopped in the theaters, but nowadays it's constantly cited as one of the best Batman movies, animated or otherwise. And tons of animated movies have blood in them. I think every 'DC Universe' movie so far has shown blood in them.

 

[HG Revolution]

That's the first I've heard about a backlash against Ponyo. What do some have against it? Anyway, I wouldn't be one of those; I love the film and consider it one of Ghibli's best.

Zac Bertschy and Justin Sevakis on the ANNCast talk a lot about how much they hate that movie frequently. Kind of strange, given than Zac's initial review gave it an A- (he also gave Steamboy an A and now talks about hating that film as well; while I don't like Steamboy nearly as much as Ponyo, it also could be considered somewhat underrated since it doesn't do anything to warrant hatred other than not being Akira). Hope Chapman/JesuOtaku from TGWTG also hates it and says it's Miyazaki's one bad movie. I've seen other people on similar anime-themed sites cite it as a reason Miyazaki is "in decline" and should retire.

 

[Classic Speedy]

Zac Bertschy and Justin Sevakis on the ANNCast talk a lot about how much they hate that movie frequently. Kind of strange, given than Zac's initial review gave it an A- (he also gave Steamboy an A and now talks about hating that film as well; while I don't like Steamboy nearly as much as Ponyo, it also could be considered somewhat underrated since it doesn't do anything to warrant hatred other than not being Akira). Hope Chapman/JesuOtaku from TGWTG also hates it and says it's Miyazaki's one bad movie. I've seen other people on similar anime-themed sites cite it as a reason Miyazaki is "in decline" and should retire.

Do they give reasons for their hate, though? Or do they hate on it just because it has critical acclaim (i.e. the "if it's popular, I'm going to hate it just to stand out from the crowd" mentality)?

At any rate, I wouldn't classify three people as a lot of anime reviewers.

 

[Lavenderpaw]

But the perception in the late '90s, when Iron Giant was released, was that WB Feature Animation was just making Disney knock-offs at the time. The movie they made before that was Quest For Camelot, which absolutely was a knock-off in its finished form. Probably a big reason why Iron Giant got overlooked initially.

Yes, it was unfairly lumped in with all the other Warner Brothers movies that flopped or received little to no notice. thank you.

 

[Light Lucario]

Yes, it was unfairly lumped in with all the other Warner Brothers movies that flopped or received little to no notice. thank you.

Even though I don't think it did well in the box office when it was released, it still doesn't feel like an underrated film. It was when it first came out, but I don't think that's the case now. It's always mentioned whenever underrated films are mentioned and has gathered a lot of attention over the years. It has a strong cult following, so I don't think it can really be seen as an underrated movie anymore.

 

[Lonestarr]

Flushed Away - Aardman's first foray into CGI filmmaking...and its first flop. Not really sure why. I found this film to be a nice mix of British and American sensibilities.

Mars Needs Moms - Pretty much the reason I decided to post in this thread (well, this and the fact that someone at TGWTG.com called it one of the worst movies of the year and "one of the worst animated movies ever", leading me to rightly suspect that the number of animated movies this person has seen is somewhere between 'zero' and 'are you freaking kidding me?!'). With this and another movie that I'll get to in a moment, people need to let go of their 'motion-capture animated movies are the debbull!' prejudice. I thought this film was very exciting and engaging. It really finds its legs once it gets to Mars, and if you aren't crying

Spoiler

when Milo's mom sacrifices her life to save her son's

...well, I'm afraid we can't be friends anymore.

Meet the Robinsons - Loved the characters, loved the production design, loved the humor.

Monster House - Sort of like a throwback to 80s kids movies.

The Road to El Dorado - I've long considered this film and The Emperor's New Groove spiritual cousins: wacky, colorful, South America set features riffing on classic comedy formulae. While TENG referenced Warner Bros. cartoons, TRtED homaged Hope-Crosby films. Though the Elton John-Tim Rice songs aren't nearly as hummable as their Lion King tunes, everything else about this movie is dynamite: beautiful animation, hilarious dialogue, a lively Hans Zimmer/John Powell score, stellar voice work (the chemistry between Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh is electric)... I can't say enough good things about this movie.

And that's five. Pity I can't say anything about Astro Boy, Atlantis, Bolt or Cats Don't Dance.

 

[Light Lucario]

Monster House - Sort of like a throwback to 80s kids movies.

I saw that movie on Cartoon Network a couple of years ago and I thought it was a pretty nice movie to watch around Halloween.

The Road to El Dorado - I've long considered this film and The Emperor's New Groove spiritual cousins: wacky, colorful, South America set features riffing on classic comedy formulae. While TENG referenced Warner Bros. cartoons, TRtED homaged Hope-Crosby films. Though the Elton John-Tim Rice songs aren't nearly as hummable as their Lion King tunes, everything else about this movie is dynamite: beautiful animation, hilarious dialogue, a lively Hans Zimmer/John Powell score, stellar voice work (the chemistry between Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh is electric)... I can't say enough good things about this movie.

I agree that it's a great movie. The setting was nice, the chemistry between the main leads is terrific and the humor works quite nicely. The songs aren't too memorable with the exception of maybe "The Trail We Blaze" for being so catchy, but it's a really fun movie to watch.

I also think that Brother Bear is an underrated movie since I've heard more negative comments about it than positive ones. It does have some flaws and even though it's one of my favorite movies, I wouldn't say it's one of the strongest Disney movies, but it's still an enjoyable film. The story is engaging, the pacing works well, the development for Kenai works nicely, the artwork is great, the music is wonderful and the ending is quite satisfying. I think it's a great movie that's worth checking out at least once.

 

[Infusions]

Would Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs count as underrated? It made its budget back and was a box office success, enough to warrant a sequel, but it's hardly ever mentioned by the animation community or acknowledged now-a-days. It just sorta came and went with no further comments about it.

Which is odd because I think it's one of the cartooniest, funniest CGI movie to date. It knows how to have fun while still remaining engaging with the characters and visually impressive (I think it's one of the prettiest and appealing looking CGI films around), but even many animators in my college haven't seen it... I thought they WOULD have since it's pretty Looney Tune-y.

 

[Rainbow Sharpie]

^ Seconded this post wholeheartedly.

It's a shame really, Cloudy is definitely one of the most visually creative and funniest movies I've ever seen. With all the demand within the animation community for a modern day Looney Tunes-esqe movie with genuine heart, this movie should be up their alley.

 

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Do they give reasons for their hate, though? Or do they hate on it just because it has critical acclaim (i.e. the "if it's popular, I'm going to hate it just to stand out from the crowd" mentality)?

At any rate, I wouldn't classify three people as a lot of anime reviewers.

I have not known Justin and Zac to be Armond Whites, so I don't know if "hate" is the right word. I am surprised to hear that they would go back on past enthusiastic reviews. I'd have to ask them about it, but a critic should have the courage of his/her convictions to not be swayed by outside opinion. If you liked a film and then it got slammed by everyone else afterwards, don't change your spots just to hide behind them.

There is however a large consensus on ANN and other major anime sites that Ponyo is lesser Miyazaki. This has been the case since it was released in theatres, actually. I'm often one of only 2 or 3 people on those ANN and Fandompost/Mania anime forums--when I do participate in those Ghibli threads--to declare that Ponyo is a top 5 Miyazaki work.

Much of the criticism tends to centre around the apparent "kiddieness" of Ponyo's story and the somewhat underplayed climax.

Still, I wouldn't consider it underrated overall. Even if many consider it lesser Miyazaki, most anime fans still agree it is at least a good movie on its own.

Now, as to why I'm bumping this thread NOW, well, I was googling for defences of Steamboy because I'm curious about it, and ended up linked to HG's post...