Top 5 underrated/guilty pleasure films

I don't usually write lists, but on this occasion I thought it was appropriate. There are always films which are universally seen as terrible, Pluto Nash comes to mind. But there are also those bad films which if you turn off half your brain, and look beyond the surface are actually not as bad as you'd think. There are of course film's which were underrated on release but when you look back on them, they deserved more praise than they got.

1. Super Mario Brothers

Ask any fan of the most renown videogame franchise what they thought of this film and the chances are they will scowl at you, they completely disown it. It's true that it has very little in common with the game, Mario and Luigi apparently live in Brooklyn, and Bob Hoskins in dungarees just doesn't work. However the film is very entertaining, the goombas are a work of genius, and those jet shoes (is that what they're called?) are simply amazing. It's the perfect film to watch at Christmas or on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

2. Final Fantasy- the spirits within

Groundbreaking for its time, it got a mixed reception at the time and spectacularly failed at the box office. The animation is a bit dated now, but the heart of the film is still very sound, and the story is actually very good and at times even quite emotional, the villain is not two dimensional, and at times even sympathetic. But again like the first film in my list it wasn't faithful to its source material, which is why fans of the games disown it. Which is a shame because in my opinion it's still the best videogame movie adaptation in my opinion.




3. Lost in Space

Watch this and try not to think that it's Joey Tribiani and not Matt LeBlanc on screen, it's impossible. But the film is very entertaining, Gary Oldman again plays the campy villain perfectly, the special effects understandably vary in quality, the opening scene still holds up very well indeed. Some of the dialogue is atrocious, 'DESTROY, DESTROY, DESTROY', but it only makes the film even better. It's a shame because the film leaves with a cliffhanger, and because of the film's under performance the planned sequels never happened, and we will never know what happened next. Shame.



4. You've got mail

Unlike some of the others on the list, this film wasn't universally hated on release, it has just kind of been forgotten. But You've got mail is a great New
York romcom, not only is it an original plot it is also a rare film that actually makes you feel better about the world, it provides perfect comfort watching. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are perfect in both roles, on a rainy day put this film and try to be depressed, impossible.



5. Small Soldiers

Tommy lee Jones was born to voice Major Chip Hazard of the commando elite, the great thing about this film is that it's fun and doesn't take itself seriously
at all. If this film was made now it would most probably be done in CGI, which is why it would never work or be made in the current climate of the film industry. Added in with the great action scenes is
plenty of tongue in cheek humour. Small Soldiers was sadly crowded out by the incumbent of CGI kids films.