Sylvester Stallone in Rocky (1976)
Rocky Balboa
Rocky, a small-time boxer, gets a supremely rare chance to fight heavy-weight champion Apollo Creed.
◄ IMDb Polls
Poll: Fictional Underdogs in Movies
An 'underdog' is a person or group with less power, money, etc., who is expected to lose in a contest or battle.
Who is your favorite fictional underdog? Or, which underdog seems the most inspiring to you?
See also: Real Life Underdogs in Sports
Make Your Choice
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Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Olive HooverOlive is not of the typical pageant ilk. The winner of Olive's recent pageant had to forfeit, and Olive now has a place in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in California.
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Ralph Macchio in The Karate Kid (1984)
DanielDaniel is continually bullied and he is afraid to show his face around the high school. Miyagi teached him karate and he signs up for the All-Valley Karate tournament.
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Billy Crystal in Monsters University (2013)
MikeMike must compete in the Scare Games to prove to everyone, especially the dean, that he is scary.
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Dev Patel in Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Jamal MalikJamal, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, becomes a contestant on India's version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire?"
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Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Maggie FitzgeraldMaggie, a poor thirty-one year old waitress from the very lower classes and with a dysfunctional loser family, is determined to become a professional boxer.
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Simon Pegg in Run Fatboy Run (2007)
DennisClumsy and out-of-shape Dennis decides to run the London marathon to win his ex girlfriend back. For once in his life, he will finish something.
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Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Tiffany and PatTiffany has offered help to Pat, if he in return will be her partner in an upcoming dance competition. Pat, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, reluctantly agrees.
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Joel Edgerton in Warrior (2011)
Brendan ConlonWhen a contender suffers an injury, Brendan convinces his fighting coach Frank to put his trust in him and to allow him to fight in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament.
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Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games (2012)
Katniss EverdeenKatniss volunteers to take the place of her younger sister in the Hunger Games. She have to fight against bigger and stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives.
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Gerard Butler and Vincent Regan in 300 (2006)
King Leonidas of Sparta and a force of 300 menPersian King Xerxes led an Army of 120,000 men to Greece and was confronted by 300 Spartans.
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Eminem in 8 Mile (2002)
Jimmy 'B-Rabbit' SmithJimmy is focused on getting his rap career started, but he seems to have stalled in progress; choking in the middle of a rap battle and getting booed off stage.
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Anthony Edwards, Robert Carradine, Curtis Armstrong, Timothy Busfield, Andrew Cassese, David Moskowitz, Larry B. Scott, and Brian Tochi in Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
Group of nerds from Adams CollegeAt Adams College, a group of bullied outcasts and misfits resolve to fight back for their peace and self-respect.
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Sean Astin and Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Frodo and SamThe Fellowship is broken. For the little hope that is left and without protection, Frodo and Sam continue their journey to Mordor, to destroy the One Ring.
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Jack Black in Kung Fu Panda (2008)
PoThe Dragon Warrior has to clash against the savage Tai Lung. However, the Dragon Warrior mantle is supposedly mistaken to be bestowed upon an obese panda who is a tyro in martial arts.
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Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
John McClaneA group of bank robbers take control of the Nakatomi Corp. building and hold everyone hostage, except John McClane. Unable to escape and with no immediate police response, John is forced to face the robbers.
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Steve Carell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
AndyForty year old Andy is a stereotypical geek and a virgin. When his work colleagues find out, they are on a mission to help get him laid.
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Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes, Corbin Bernsen, James Gammon, Dennis Haysbert, Andy Romano, Chelcie Ross, and Steve Yeager in Major League (1989)
Cleveland Indians Baseball TeamRachel Phelps is the new owner of the Cleveland Indians baseball team. She wants to move the team to Miami. To justify the move, the team has to lose. So she assembles the worst possible team she can.
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Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Luke Skywalker and Han SoloRebel leader Princess Leia is held hostage by the evil forces of the Galactic Empire. Luke Skywalker, a farm boy, and dashing Captain Han Solo attempt to rescue the princess and restore justice in the galaxy.
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Vince Vaughn, Joel David Moore, and Missi Pyle in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Average Joe's Dodgeball TeamAs the wealthy fitness guru White Goodman plots a takeover of the rundown Average Joe's Gym, they enter a dodgeball tournament in order to save the gym.
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Michael B. Jordan in Creed (2015)
Adonis JohnsonAdonis wants to follow his fathers footsteps. His father is the famous boxing champion Apollo Creed. Adonis is offered a chance to fight the undefeated world champion "Pretty" Ricky Conlan.
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Jack Black in School of Rock (2003)
Dewey Finn and his bandDown and out rock star Dewey gets fired from his band, and he faces a mountain of debts and depression. He becomes a substitute teacher and forms a rock band in an effort to win the $10,000 prize money.
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Emilio Estevez, Joshua Jackson, Brandon Quintin Adams, J.D. Daniels, Matt Doherty, Garette Ratliff Henson, Jordan Kerner, Vincent LaRusso, Marguerite Moreau, Jane Plank, Elden Henson, Aaron Schwartz, Jussie Smollett, Danny Tamberelli, and Shaun Weiss in The Mighty Ducks (1992)
Coach Gordon Bombay / The Mighty DucksAfter being charged for drunk driving, the court orders Gordon to coach a peewee ice hockey team, the worst in the league.
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Michael Cera and Alison Pill in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Scott PilgrimScott must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes in order to win her heart.
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Matthew McConaughey in A Time to Kill (1996)
Jake Tyler BriganceJake, an attorney, is faced with the toughest case of his life. Defending a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his 10-year-old daughter, inciting violent retribution and revenge from the Ku Klux Klan.
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Ethan Hawke in Gattaca (1997)
Vincent FreemanVincent, a genetically inferior man, assumes the identity of a superior man in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.
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Hugh Jackman and Dakota Goyo in Real Steel (2011)
Charlie and Max and their robot AtomIn the near future a new sport is created: Robot boxing. When Charlie's son Max finds an old generation robot named Atom and restores him, Charlie tells him he won't last a round.
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Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Wanetah Walmsley, Kelley Jakle, and Shelley Regner in Pitch Perfect (2012)
The Barden Bellas singing groupThe Barden Bellas an all-female a cappella singing group. After a disastrous failing at last year's finals, they have to rebuild the group from scratch for the upcoming season.
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Paul Bettany in Wimbledon (2004)
Peter ColtPeter, an English tennis player, feels it's about time to admit he's getting too old to compete with fitter coming men. His ranking slipped from 11th to 119th in the world.
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"Bad News Bears" Tatum O'Neal,Quinn Smith , David Pollock,Chris Barnes, Walter Matthau 1976 Paramount
Coach Morris Buttermaker / The BearsFormer minor leaguer Morris is a lazy, beer swilling swimming pool cleaner who takes money to coach the Bears, a bunch of disheveled misfits who have virtually no baseball talent.
