the underdogs

First off, let me say I respect IMDb's rating system: it is statistically sound and draws on a large and diverse voter base. Like most curmudgeons, I have more than my share of movies I think are overrated. But there are also a number which I think are significantly underrated.

Partly, this is due to statistics: it takes relatively few one-star ratings to knock a movie out of the highest ratings; only two movies, The Godfather and The Shawshank Redemption have broken 9 stars. At the high end, the ratings are artificially low.

But when the rating is more than about two stars too low, I start looking for explanations. Currently, 17 (out of 1781 I've voted on) movies are rated by IMDb voters at more than two stars below my own vote. Many of these are "lighter" fare: musicals, comedies, family, and action movies which usually have no chance of getting the top ratings. I believe part of the explanation for this is a pervasive bias for serious, important movies among most critics, pro or amateur. But some of these movies are serious, and these discrepancies are even more interesting to me.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
IMDb: 5.8 / Me: 10
Some decry this Hollywoodization of the Mad Max series. But it seems to me more refreshingly quirky than its prequels — all the more so for not looking like a film school project. It's a well-made action movie with enough imagination to create a sense of being in another world. You might take issue with my 10 (this has long been one of my favorite movies), but 5.8 when Return of the King gets an 8.9?

Gigi
IMDb: 7.0 / Me: 10
Partly, the low rating is due to it being a musical: the highest-rated musical on IMDb, Singin' in the Rain is only ranked #60, with a rating of 8.3. Still, Gigi is not even close to making it into the Top 50 Musicals on IMDb — a list that includes tripe like Aladdin — and this is inexplicable to me. The movie combines a classic story with fun, memorable songs, top-notch technical work, a nice mix of luscious sets and location shots. Every one of the principal actors gives an enthusiastic, charismatic performance. What's not to like here? The accents?

The Tender Trap
IMDb: 6.1 / Me: 9
I admit part of my rating here is due to the fact that I'm in love with Frank Sinatra and Debbie Reynolds. But my guess as to what's really going on here: we've been taught to look down on Fifties conformity, and this picture takes those values as its theme, blinding the overanalyzers to great performances and a sparkling, fun script.

Strictly Ballroom
IMDb: 7.2 / Me: 10
It is my opinion that genius in directing can sometimes be all that's necessary to make a classic movie. No, it's not perfect — and I expect that explains some others' ratings — but a 10 in my book doesn't mean perfection — it means better than that.

National Velvet
IMDb: 7.3 / Me: 10
I'm guessing this one suffers a great deal from commercial breaks on TV. It also probably loses points for not having the least bit of cynicism. In my book, that's a strength when done right, and this one has all the elements of a bona fide classic.

Jerry Maguire
IMDb: 7.3 / Me: 10
I don't have much to argue about here: I'm on the fence myself between a 9 and 10 rating. The principals are good, but the supporting cast (Gooding and Hunt) has never gotten its full props for this one.

The Cider House Rules
IMDb: 7.4 / Me: 10
My rating here relies on the fact that the story really moved me. If it didn't move you, I can see how it's just another well-made period drama.

To Catch a Thief
IMDb: 7.5 / Me: 10
Again, not perfect, but so much more than the sum of its parts. This may not be the best Hitchcock film, but it is the most fun of the famous ones, and I think it may just be my favorite.

Raising Arizona
IMDb: 7.6 / Me: 10
I hate Nicholas Cage, but not in this movie. It's a small, idiosyncratic comedy, but it is positively poetic in execution, and utterly memorable.

Swingers
IMDb: 7.6 / Me: 10
Explanation here is pretty simple: it's a comedy for guys in their 20s, and so has limited scope and appeal. But there is so much truth in it for my generation, that it's impossible not to think about it everytime someone mentions Vegas.

When Harry Met Sally…
IMDb: 7.7 / Me: 10
Given how this movie has entered the vernacular, I'd have thought it would've rated higher. Perhaps Billy Crystal doesn't make the best match for Meg Ryan, but Rob Reiner does make the best match for Nora Ephron.

Reign of Fire
IMDb: 5.7 / Me: 8
It's not a classic, but it's not far from one, at least within the fantasy-action genre. The story and setting are fresh and well-executed. Certainly above average; the average IMDb rating being 6.8.

Delicatessen
IMDb: 7.8 / Me: 10
It's an idiosyncratic black comedy, which maybe prevents it from getting universal approval.

In A Lonely Place
IMDb: 7.8 / Me: 10
A small film, albeit a studio effort with big stars. I won't argue with this one, since it's hard to like Humphrey Bogart, especially in this movie.

Jules and Jim
IMDb: 7.8 / Me: 10
A truly one-of-a-kind, iconic movie even within Truffaut's body of work. I'd've thought the stature this movie has among film critics alone would've merited a higher rating just from copycats.

City of Lost Children
IMDb: 7.9 / Me: 10
7.9 is a high rating for IMDb, but IMHO, not high enough for this all-time great. Maybe it's not serious/deep enough for some. Or perhaps people are put off by the music-video-style visuals.

How Green Was My Valley
IMDb: 7.9 / Me: 10
This one is very much in the same category as National Velvet, and I’d give the same arguments for it. Maybe I just love Donald Crisp.