5. Outstanding Old-School Special Effects
Not only were the special effects in The Black Hole top notch for the era, this film marked the final time such an extensive amount of matte painting backgrounds, and such a high amount of model work was used in a big-budget sci-fi movie. There's a certain charm in the effects department, and set design you'll see come to life here that you'll be hard pressed to ever see such a style used again within the genre.
One particular scene that always looked convincing enough for my own eyes was when the crew of the Palamino approach the U.S.S. Cygnus as all of its lights are off. It's a very dark, eerie sequence that is helped by the extreme detail in the model design of both ships. Once the Cygnus flips on the lights, it's another fairly breathtaking shot that shows off how incredibly believable models looked on film back in that age of film-making. This is truly one area of The Black Hole that still holds up well to this day!
Other special effects sequences that merit some love are shots of the black hole itself, along with the intense asteroid barrage sequence that serves to break apart sections of the Cygnus as members of the Palamino attempt an escape. These are all just extremely well done portions of the film that help elevate it beyond a fairly one dimensional plot and weak dialogue throughout. Now it's time to take a look at another element as to why this film suits the underrated category...