12 Most Underrated 1980s Sci-Fi Movies
6. D.A.R.Y.L.
This 1986 'family friendly' Sci-Fi adventure deserves its spot on this list thanks to its ability to not treat its tween/teen target audience with kid gloves. From the very first sequence we are shown that there is genuine stakes at play, as the adult characters choose to either look after or hunt down the titular D.A.R.Y.L.
D.A.R.Y.L. looks like an everyday kid, but is actually a super robot created in a government laboratory. D.A.R.Y.L.'s ability to feel real emotions is something that proves to be an unexpected and unwanted side effect of the experiment, with only several determined scientists and the kind country folk of Barkenton, South Carolina stopping him from being terminated. D.A.R.Y.L. forms a close bond with 'Turtle', whose friendship leads to the titular character to finally feel like a human being.
The middle act of the film concentrates on this developing relationship and D.A.R.Y.L.'s adoptive parents attempts for him to fit into everyday life, setting us up for the tense final act.
The finale proves surprisingly gripping and like the opening scene of the film, is not afraid to kill off characters who are seemingly doing the right thing. The possibility of D.A.R.Y.L. being captured and killed at anytime lurks ominously for the viewer, while also allowing us to become truly invested in the youngster's efforts to be treated just like any other kid.