With the passing of Val Kilmer, Hollywood has lost one of the biggest stars of the 1980s and ’90s. With some seriously impressive work on his filmography, from Tombstone to Heat, there are plenty of examples of films that are well worth watching to celebrate his time on Earth and on our screens. But what about the films of his that weren’t as financially successful, or don’t hold a spot in as many viewers’ hearts? Kilmer was an active performer for over thirty years, so naturally there are a few that slipped under the radar when they deserved to fly high.
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There were a few that didn’t quite make the cut. For instance, while Kill the Irishman is solid, it’s more a film that belongs to the late Ray Stevenson than Kilmer. And, while Batman Forever gets unfairly lumped in with the awfulness of Batman & Robin, it’s hard to call any movie that was the highest-grossing of its respective year underappreciated or underrated. Not to mention, to this day, many a ’90s kid still loves it.
Thunderheart
Thunderheart did well enough at the box office back in 1992, but since then it seems to have been forgotten. It’s a shame because it’s a thoughtful, intelligent mystery with some of Kilmer’s best work at the center.
Kilmer stars as Ray Levoi, an FBI agent with a slight amount of Sioux heritage (though it’s not a part of himself he’s ever acknowledged much less embraced). Because of this heritage, he’s chosen to investigate a homicide on a South Dakota Native America reservation. Once there, he finds out that just because someone is wearing a badge doesn’t mean their heart is in the right place, or that they have an ethical bone in their body.
The Island of Dr. Moreau
John Frankenheimer’s The Island of Dr. Moreau is a ’90s sci-fi movie worth watching if only because it’s such a bizarre cultural curiosity. Initially helmed by Hardware‘s Richard Stanley, Dr. Moreau‘s production is one of the most notorious disasters in studio cinema history. It’s amazing the film works at all.
And it does work. The odd eccentricities that populate the film (pretty much everything Marlon Brando brought to the table, for instance) are part of its charm. And, while Kilmer ends up being a bit underutilized, he sure showed himself capable of doing a spot-on Brando impression in his character’s final moments. Once you’re done watching it, check out the documentary Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau.
The Ghost and the Darkness
Stephen Hopkins’ safari movie The Ghost and the Darkness is essentially Jaws in Tsavo, Kenya. And, while Michael Douglas is first billed, his role is far more of the supporting variety (he’s only in about 30 minutes of its 110 total). This is all Kilmer’s show.
Kilmer plays Lt. Colonel John Henry Patterson, who is tasked by the ultra-rich and snooty railway financier Robert Beaumont (Tom Wilkinson) to oversee the production of the Uganda-Mombasa Railway, which has been lagging behind for some mysterious reason. Patterson hopes the job will be short, because he has a baby on the way. Too bad for him: upon arrival, he learns what exactly has been holding up production: a pair of lions that kill just for the sport of it.
[RELATED: Val Kilmer’s 10 Highest-Rated Movies on IMDb]
Spartan
Most of the movies Kilmer fronted in the aughts were subpar, which is probably why David Mamet’s Spartan never made much of an impact. But this sometimes genuinely surprising, thoroughly well-written and acted film deserves a substantially larger audience.
Kilmer plays former U.S. Marine master gunnery sergeant Robert Scott, who spends his time honing the abilities of trainees until he’s called to find and rescue the president’s daughter (Kristen Bell, just shy of Veronica Mars) from human traffickers. He pairs up with young protégé Curtis (Derek Luke) to identify the kidnappers, the leader of whom might be someone a bit close to home.
MacGruber
One of the funniest comedies of the 2010s, MacGruber nevertheless came and went from theaters faster than the title character can memorize the license plate number of a guy who dissed him (KFBR392…KFBR392…KFBR—). But perhaps it was the type of movie that was always destined to have a small, but fervent, fanbase. And that’s exactly what happened, to the point it ended up being popular enough to be worthy of a solid follow-up miniseries on Peacock.
Is some of the humor juvenile? It sure is. After all, the name of Kilmer’s villain is Dieter Von Cunth. But even the film’s detractors would have to give MacGruber this: it has the best pair of sex scenes in cinematic history. Better than Basic Instinct, better than Body Heat, better than Last Tango in Paris, better than them all.
RIP Val Kilmer. We hope fans enjoy rewatching his impressive work, onscreen.
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Image courtesy of Peacock
