There are a lot of bad movies out there – some are even considered the worst of all time. Some movies are so bad…but just so good. I don’t know what it is, but these movies have a certain quality that makes them enjoyable despite their quality (or lack thereof).
As you may have discovered by now, I rate every movie I see on IMDb. In scrolling through my ratings, I was surprised to discover several of the ones I enjoyed are rated very low by other users and critics. I’m not saying I think they deserve to be on IMDb’s top 250 list, but I also don’t think they deserve to be below a five-star rating (which I simplify to a two-star rating on my reviews and movies of the day).
Here are some of my favorite guilty pleasures. Some of these are also on my list of underrated films.
Losin’ It (1982)
My brother and I watched this film repeatedly over the years. I think we recorded it from an airing on Comedy Central. My brother found a copy on DVD, which I’m sure he still cherishes since it’s no longer available. This film is a true laugh-riot starring Tom Cruise and Shelley Long in their early days.
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
This film is a must-see, solely because Stephen King directed it. I can’t think of many authors who are given the opportunity to direct a movie based on their works. Unfortunately, King has said he will never direct another film again because of how this one turned out. This is no masterpiece, but it’s still a fun movie.
Emilio Estevez stars as a cook in a roadside diner when the world goes through a strange phenomenon. Every man-made machine (cars, kitchen appliances, arcade games, you name it) turns against mankind and tries to murder anyone nearby.
Sure, the plot is silly, but this film is simply fun – it’s hard to dislike.
Loose Cannons (1990)
Tell me you’ve put Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd together in a film, and I’m sold. Despite a ridiculously implausible plot, this film still makes me laugh. Hackman and Aykroyd are two cops searching for a sex film featuring…ahem…Adolf Hitler. They don’t want to see it, mind you. They’re simply trying to keep it away from a bunch of German bad guys who don’t want it out in the open (why this should exist in the first place is beyond me, but I digress).
The Germans think they can outsmart the cops, but with Hackman’s tough guy attitude and Aykroyd’s multiple personalities, they have another thing coming. I think Hackman and Aykroyd have great chemistry in this film. It doesn’t deserve all the negativity it received.
Nothing But Trouble (1991)
Speaking of Dan Aykroyd, here is another film of his that is not that bad. He still makes me laugh as a centenarian judge who lives in a run-down mansion full of lost artifacts and booby traps.
Chevy Chase and Demi Moore stand before the judge because of a minor traffic infraction but end up staying the night with Judge Valkenheiser (Aykroyd) and his weird family. It’s like a comedic version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), though I promise this film isn’t as disturbing. It’s a lot of fun!
The Flintstones (1994)
I can’t imagine anyone being a better live-action Fred Flintstone than John Goodman. Mark Addy is a great actor, but his performance as Fred in the sequel couldn’t hold a candle to Goodman’s.
The universal negativity regarding this film is beyond me. I thought it was a treat for fans of the original cartoon. I suppose many didn’t care for the plot about Fred earning a promotion at the quarry he works in, only to become a scapegoat for the schemes of his superior (Kyle MacLachlan). I’m sure this storyline was meant to appeal to the adults who brought their kids to the theater – adults who were the original childhood audience of the cartoon. I’m glad it still did well at the box office.
Street Fighter (1994)
This film was over-the-top, but in a fun way. Raul Julia shone as General Bison in a performance rife with overacting. Jean Claude Van Damme couldn’t shake his native Belgian-French accent to play Colonel Guile, who has the American flag tattooed on his shoulder.
You can’t expect movies based on video games to be incredible, but so much about Street Fighter is entertaining. I think the movie had the production value of what could be a great film, unlike Super Mario Bros. (1993).
Wagons East (1994)
I talked about Wagons East in my list of underrated films, but my opinion on it hasn’t changed. This film may not have been one of the classic John Candy comedies such as Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987) and Uncle Buck (1989), but it’s still teeming with hilarious scenes.
Every critic panned this film, as it has a 0% Rotten Tomatoes score. Candy sadly passed away late in the production. As sad as I am that Candy is gone, at least he didn’t have to deal with a career downturn and rebound. This film was intentionally silly – certainly not as bad as critics made it seem. Candy’s performance, as always, was outstanding.
Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
Ray Liotta and Danny Glover play two American soldiers in Vietnam who must escort an elephant across enemy lines. I think of this film as a good way to put an actual historical event in a story for all ages – a Disney film set in Vietnam.
I’ve read that Liotta and Glover only did the film for the money, but I’m sure they still had fun making it. This film will always be special to me because it’s the first one I watched with my wife when we were first dating.
The Stupids (1996)
If I was tasked with defending this film to a panel or classroom, I would probably fail. I just can’t help but like it. I’ll admit that this film is a big step down for John Landis, who directed the comedy classics National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), The Blues Brothers (1980), and Oscar (1991), but it has so many funny scenes and dialogue.
Tom Arnold is Stanley Stupid, the patriarch of the Stupid family. As you may have guessed by now, the family lives up (or down?) to its name. They get in a huge pickle and lack the intelligence to overcome it, but it’s entertaining to watch them try. I can still hear Tom Arnold singing “I’m My Own Grandpa,” quite a clever song for someone with limited intelligence to improvise.
Gone Fishin’ (1997)
Here is another film with Danny Glover, this time with Joe Pesci (no, not the Lethal Weapon franchise). As the title implies, they are a couple of Average Joes that travel from their native New Jersey to the Florida Everglades for a fishing trip.
I think Glover and Pesci’s characters are very kind-hearted and funny. They mean no harm and only want to fish, but inadvertently end up on the bad side of a wanted criminal. This may not have been a well-made film, but it still makes me laugh.
Krippendorf’s Tribe (1998)
Richard Dreyfuss will forever remain one of my favorite comedic actors. His best comedic performances are in the Stakeout movies and What About Bob? (1991).
In a comedy of errors, James Krippendorf is a renowned historian who receives a large grant to find a long-lost tribe, only he hasn’t. When Krippendorf learns that he must provide tangible evidence of the tribe’s existence, he comes up with one…in his backyard. This film has many laughs and is worth checking out.
Big Momma’s House (2000)
Tootsie (1982) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) show how a man playing a woman can work in a comedy. While this film isn’t as believable as those two, it still works.
Martin Lawrence plays an FBI agent who must pose as the grandmother of an important witness to his case, with hilarious results. I wondered early on why the charade would fool anyone. Then I quickly forgot about it and enjoyed the film for its many hilarious scenes. Suspension of disbelief can be a marvelous thing.
The Animal (2001)
I’m not usually a fan of Rob Schneider’s solo work, but The Animal works for me. It’s enjoyable in many ways, primarily the hijinks involved in portraying Schneider as an animal in human form. Marvin Mange (unfortunate pun aside) is a cop involved in a deadly accident, saved by a mysterious stranger who “rebuilds” him with spare animal parts.
Mange then develops many animal characteristics, such as peeing on his date’s chair to mark his territory. I also love the late Norm MacDonald’s cameo as a hunter who has an endless list of questions for John C. McGinley’s character. It makes me laugh every time!
Stealing Harvard (2002)
Nobody should make promises they can’t keep. John Plummer (Jason Lee) should have thought of that when he promised to pay for his niece’s college education. Years later, she is accepted into Harvard and Plummer doesn’t have a way to pay for it – especially since he is trying to pay for his upcoming wedding. So, he and his buddy Duff (Tom Green) rob any place they can to get the money.
I think this film has a funny plot, along with many memorable laughs. One of my favorites is when a police detective (again, John C. McGinley) slams his hands on his desk demanding that John and Duff leave his office…but to please leave the door open. Such an underrated film.
Envy (2004)
Ben Stiller and Jack Black are great together in this comedy about…envy. Nick (Black) comes up with a spray that instantly makes dog poop vaporize, called Vapoorize. His best friend Tim (Stiller) instantly laughs off the idea and turns down a partnership with Nick. However, Nick’s invention becomes an instant success and Tim couldn’t be more envious.
It’s admittedly a silly premise, but it works. I love many of Tim and Nick’s scenes together. One of my favorites is when Nick notices syrup on Tim’s pants and swipes some off with his finger. Upon watching Nick lick his finger clean, Tim responds with “Don’t taste my pants.”
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)
This chapter in The Santa Clause franchise got a lot of poor reviews, which I didn’t think it deserved. Was it as good as the first one (or two)? No. But Tim Allen returns as Santa, and Martin Short joined the cast as Jack Frost, bringing a lot of charm to the film. Tim Allen and Martin Short are always wonderful together.
I suppose most people didn’t care for copying the oft-replicated plot device from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): what would life have been like if something didn’t happen? This film explores what would have happened if Scott Calvin didn’t become Santa Claus. I think it’s clever having one classic Christmas film referenced in another. I also think the critics were way too hard on The Santa Clause 3.
All About Steve (2009)
My expectations were low going into this film, but I enjoyed it. Sandra Bullock was hilarious and quite charming in this film, as she almost always is. I think stalker films are done to death, but this one was cute and funny. This feel-good comedy is likely to brighten your day.
Left Behind (2014)
To me, Christian films receive a lot of unnecessary flack. I don’t know why audiences get put off by them. For example, films such as Courageous (2011) and Overcomer (2019) are well-written, acted, and directed, but cannot find the approval they deserve.
Left Behind is another story with a Christian allegory. It explores the world during the rapture, where all the people who have not accepted Jesus are left on earth. I think it’s a good story regardless of my personal beliefs.
The Ridiculous 6 (2015)
This film has a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is far below what it deserves. It certainly doesn’t qualify for a “fresh” rating, but it’s a great comedy. Adam Sandler and his pals made an interesting and satisfying film – I still don’t know what critics thought was so bad about it.
Playing with Fire (2019)
I also had low expectations for this film, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is cute, heart-warming, and funny – enough so that my wife and I bought it on DVD immediately. John Cena plays the chief of a group of tough firefighters who can navigate their way out of any tough situation…except one.
The crew unexpectedly becomes guardians to three kids whose parents go missing. None of these guys know how to be parents or even how to change a diaper. Many hilarious results ensue, and I recommend this film to anyone looking for a decent family film to watch.
Happy watching!
