by Diana Roach

Created on: September 11, 2009

When I hear the word "underrated," to me it generally means lesser known and therefore under appreciated, though there are the better known villains who don't get their due credit. Here's my list of those top 10 underrated baddies and why I think they deserve some love. Even if said love does come with an equal or larger quantity of hate. But that's why we love them isn't it? Okay... here's my list before I pull myself into a conundrum of love/hate:

*This contains SPOILERS! You are warned.*

10. MALEFICENT (voiced by Eleanor Audley in Disney's "Sleeping Beauty") - A horned sorceress with goblin henchmen. She has a vendetta against the good King and Queen and decides to take it out on their daughter Aurora when she turns 16. Why? That seems to be left up to speculation, though my theory is she was miffed about not being invited to the party in the beginning of the film. Whatever her motives, Maleficent has awesome panache in the way that she takes care of those pesky goodies.

9. CHAUVELIN (played by Ian McKellen in "The Scarlet Pimpernel" 1982) - During the French Revolution, Citizen Chauvelin is out to stop the blasted Englishman, known as the Scarlet Pimpernel, from saving the aristocrats from Madame Guillotine. If Chauvelin fails to discover the identity of the Pimpernel it will he his head rolling into the basket. Dressed in black (in accordance to rule 1B of the villains' handbook), he blackmails his old fling Marguerite into helping him. Little does he know that she's married to the slick bastard that he's after. So, this baddie's motives are simple: To save his own head, and that's good enough for me. Besides, one almost pities him... His old girlfriend left him for a pinky flailing, inane fop who is secretly a dashing hero. Ouch.

8. PROFESSOR FATE (played by Jack Lemmon in "The Great Race") - Ah... Professor Fate. Modeled after the gags of Laurel and Hardy, this villain is not only comical (if sometimes corny) but he pulls off the black top hat, mustache, and cape so well. He is driven to beat his nemesis, the white-clad Great Leslie, at all costs, and more importantly, "On his own terms." He is more than willing to cheat and swindle his way into the winner's circle, but he will not accept the trophy, no matter how giddy it makes him, if it was the Great Leslie who let him win. This villain has an astounding sense of pride and has his priorities all mixed up.

7. GERALD LOVELL (played by Basil Rathbone in "Love From a Stranger" 1937) - He marries wealthy

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