Like most people, I love a good animated movie, and there are many great ones to choose from. Many good, some bad, but every once in a while, there comes an animated film that tends to slip under the radar, but definitely deserves attention, some of which deserve to rank up with some of the highest-regarded animated pictures of all time. If you’re ever curious about these movies, definitely give them a watch. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

5. The Iron Giant

I put this one pretty low on my list, because it actually is gaining a massive following, to the point where it actually got a limited re-release in select theaters last fall (which I was lucky enough to attend). However, it’s still not a household name like some of Brad Bird's other films, like "The Incredibles" or "Ratatouille", but it really should be. This film has a lot of creativity, comedy, and heart. It’s about a kid in the late 50s who befriends a giant robot alien and, of course, wants to keep it a secret. Unlike E.T., the robot can’t fit in his room, which leads to a lot of clever and funny moments. It's actually important to know this film is set in the 1950s because a lot of how people react to the robot in this movie comes from the state of paranoia we were in during the heat of the Cold War. I think what I love the most about this film, as well as Brad Bird's other films, is the subtle relationships that everyone has; not just Hogarth and the giant, but his relationships with his mother, the agent, Dean and the relationships they have with each other. All of the relationships are present, but they're not forced; they feel very natural. That's always been a strength in Brad Bird's films, and this one is no exception. Probably my favorite scenes are the ones involving Hogarth, Dean, and the giant. Also, the ending is one of the saddest scenes in animation. If you've seen the movie before, you know what I'm talking about. This film is subtle, kind, action-packed, funny, and of course has a great deal of heart. Much like the giant himself, it's very well-constructed and a whole lot of fun.

4. The Rescuers Down Under

Everybody has their pick for the most underrated Disney film. For some, it’s "The Black Cauldron", for some it’s "The Great Mouse Detective", for some it’s "Robin Hood", but for me, it’s easily "The Rescuers Down Under". I liked the first Rescuers, but it's not one of my favorite Disney movies, it was just OK to me. This film, however, gets a guaranteed spot in my top 10 favorite Disney films. This is one of the best adventures if not the best adventure film that has ever come out of Walt Disney, and I still have no idea why this one still gets overlooked. This time, Bernard and Bianca have to go to Australia to rescue a young boy named Cody who was captured by a poacher while freeing a giant golden eagle from a trap. At the same time, Bernard is trying to find the proper time to propose to Bianca. And it all ties in to make an absolutely perfect adventure film. This movie has some of Disney's best animation, as well as some really underrated voice-acting. Of course, Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor come back to reprise their roles from the first film, but we also get some new guests, like the always hilarious, always passionate John Candy as Wilbur, and the always intense George C. Scott as the villain.

But my favorite part of the movie is the opening scene. The animation on the eagle alone is Oscar-worthy, but what they do with the eagle is even better. When Cody frees her, she could've just taken him back to the nest, right? Wrong. Instead, we get an intense fall off a mountain, flying through the sky, skating down a river, jumping off a waterfall... You'd have to see it to believe it. I really wish they'd re-release this film in 3D, because that scene deserves to be seen in 3D. In fact, it seems like the flight scenes from "How To Train Your Dragon" might have taken a lot of influence from this movie. You can probably find it wherever Blu-Rays are sold in a combo pack with the first film. Trust me when I say this film is definitely worth the money.

3. The Road To El Dorado

This film is one of my all-time favorite comedies. Top three easily. The story is about two con-men, Miguel and Tulio who come across the map to the legendary city of gold, but once they find the city of gold, the natives believe them to be gods. So, they play the part while trying to figure out how to get the gold back to Spain, along with their new friends, a young thief named Chel and a horse named Altivo. However, after a while the plan starts to change. What makes this film so hilarious to me is how the characters work off one another, especially our two leads. Every line uttered from these two, as well as the deliveries, is absolutely pitch perfect. Even the side characters are fantastic. For example, Chel has some great reactions from dealing with Miguel and Tulio's situations. Also, even though Altivo doesn't have any lines, the way he works off Miguel and Tulio is constantly hilarious. I could watch Altivo forever, he cracks me up that much. On top of that, there's great music, great suspense and a great deal of heart. You can find this movie on Netflix right now. Trust me when I say El Dorado is truly worth its weight in gold.

2. The Secret of N.I.M.H.

Here's an animated movie that really treats its audience like adults, and is actually a lot more clever than it seems. Everyone has their favorite Don Bluth movie; for some it's "The Land Before Time", for some it's "Anastasia", but for me it's "The Secret of N.I.M.H.", because this film has a certain sophistication that very few other animated films have, especially considering the subject matter. The story focuses on Mrs. Brisby, who is not a brave hero, but rather a frightened mother trying to protect her child. In doing so, she realizes the best way to keep her family safe is to seek help from the rats of N.I.M.H., who were very close with her deceased husband. Mrs. Brisby's fear is our fear, but its her courage that pulls us through and keeps us with her all the way. On top of that, "The Secret of N.I.M.H." is a three-way battle between the evolution of nature, science, and the unknown. All three are in constant battle throughout the film, which results in extreme ideas and uncertain decisions from the rats of N.I.M.H. The rats have created their own technology after being altered through experiments. Because of this, they now have a responsibility to their power, and they must decide what to do. Ultimately, it's a balance of all three elements (science, nature and the unknown) that is needed to move on to stronger future.

But what I love the most about this film is Mrs. Brisby herself. To me, she is the embodiment of true courage. All throughout the movie, it's made very clear that she is not used to what she is encountering and that makes it all the more suspenseful. People forget that danger is not measured by other stories, it's measured by what this character normally faces in life, and how they're willing to take on the danger. If a character is used to doing this stuff all the time, it's not as interesting, and we get the impression that the character has little to lose. Throughout the movie, it's made very clear what Mrs. Brisby is risking; not just her own life, but her child's life too. On top of that, it's made very clear that her normal life is usually just taking care of the children and providing for them, so when you do see her in fear, you know how much it gets to her, which makes it all the more admirable when she faces her fears anyway. "The Secret of N.I.M.H." is powerful and intense, and is one of favorite films of all time. Most definitely worth the search.

1. Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm

I'm sure most of us are familiar with the 90s cartoon, "Batman: The Animated Series", but believe it or not, they actually did get one film released in cinema. Released in 1993, this film did get a lot of critical praise, but did not do well at the box office. Thankfully, though, more and more people are discovering this film every year. This belongs right up there with "The Dark Knight" and Tim Burton's "Batman" as one of the best Batman movies ever. In this film, Batman is being framed by the Phantasm for murdering a couple mobsters, and must find out who the Phantasm is before he kills off the rest of the mob, which includes the Joker. Also, half of this film dives into Bruce Wayne's past, showing that he almost had a normal life before becoming Batman. And the past scenes tie in perfectly to the mystery. I won't give away why, but if you've seen the movie before, you'll know what I'm talking about.

One of the great advantages that both this movie and the series had is that it encompassed everything that was Batman before: the comic books, the Burton movies, and even some of the Adam West show. It managed to combine elements from every other incarnation of Batman, but it also stood as its own unique entity. This film is not ashamed to be a comic book movie. It's got some deep dives into Bruce's psyche, but it's also got death traps. On top of that, some of these scenes can get quite gruesome. This is one of the few animated films that truly earned its PG rating. There's quite a few death scenes, and plenty of bleeding, and you feel every impact. I still can't watch the blade cut Batman's arm without grabbing my own.

What you may have noticed in the other films is that there's not much mystery in them. Batman is said by many to be the world's greatest detective, but in the live-action films, both good and bad, there's not as much to solve; at least, not a mystery that the audience needs to figure out to. This is a fantastic mystery, with clues, twists and turns scattered all throughout the film. On top of that, the score in this movie is the most underrated of all. The late Shirley Walker always did great scores for the TV show, but now with a bigger budget, she has access to a choir, and she makes it sound as dark and epic as you can possibly get.

This film was so underrated that Siskel and Ebert did a special segment on their show for the movie two years after it was released, because they thought it deserved more attention. While I personally like "The Dark Knight" and Burton's "Batman" more, "Mask of the Phantasm" is clearly the best representation of Batman. It has great action, it has great comedy, it has great suspense, and it has some of the best writing in Batman history. "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", my pick for most underrated animated film.

While some of these films might be harder to find than others, every one of these films is worth the search, and in my opinion, they all line up with the great classics in animation, such as "Lion King", "Aladdin", etc.