9 Underrated Kid's Movies You Didn't Realise Were Awesome

9. Oliver & Company (1988)

Based off of the Dickens' classic Oliver Twist, this movie is basically the same idea except with dogs and a cat in 1980s New York City. Oliver is an abandoned kitten on the streets who joins a gang of dogs that steal things for their hapless human master; Fagin. Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 44% Why It's Actually Awesome: The movie is a musical with a pretty great soundtrack. Billy Joel and Bette Midler both voiced characters in the movie, and both sing on the soundtrack. Joel's "Why Should I Worry?" and Midler's "Perfect Isn't Easy" are both marvelous contributions. The opening sequence of the movie gives the background for Oliver's abandonment, and it is gut-wrenching. Seriously, it is a surprisingly adult scene to be found in a kid's movie, because if you aren't sobbing after watching it you have no soul. Fagin and his gang of dogs are a colorful bunch that provide an entertaining side story, and the movie is worth watching alone for Cheech Marin's Tito, a Chihuahua who steals the show with his antics and his budding romance with Georgette, the snooty poodle voiced by Midler. As for the villain, Sykes, he is genuinely scary. He's sinister, threatening, and accompanied everywhere by his vicious Dobermans; Roscoe and DeSoto, who attempt to kill Oliver the first time they meet him. The final confrontation between them and the rest of the cast is intense and terrifying, perhaps also better suited to an adult viewer. This film deserves more respect. It's got a great voice cast, a fun soundtrack, and a surprisingly compelling storyline and characters. Plus, it's teaching you classical literature in an entertaining way, so bonus points for getting smarter!