Is JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS Underrated? Rosario Dawson Thinks So

2001's Jose and the Pussycats, which is based on characters from Archie Comics, opened with $4.5M and ended its worldwide run with a measly $14.8M. Just because it didn't do well at the box office doesn't mean it's bad. Sometimes it takes time for a film to find its audience. Is that the case with Jose and the Pussycats? One of the stars from the film, Rosario Dawson ("Sin City: A Dame To Kill For"), she thinks so:

That movie is so amazing, and it really didn’t hit its audience then. People didn’t really get it. But if you watch it now, it’s so on the money — from media manipulation to endorsements and boy bands. We shot it in Vancouver, and [co-stars] Tara Reid and Rachael Leigh Cook were the biggest stars on the planet at the moment. Tara was getting married to Carson Daly, and it was such a weird little crazy moment in time. I’d gotten a perm for the movie so I could have really curly hair, which grew out horribly because I have really straight hair.

Many people assume the film is a light-hearted comedy about an all-female rock band experiencing some bumps along the road to stardom, but it is much more than that. The film provides some sly, and not-so-sly, anti-corporate commentary that still holds up remarkably well over a decade later. There's also a healthy dose of cynicism toward pop-music. Who doesn't like that? Doesn't hurt that the film is filled with fun, catchy tunes like ”Three Small Words,” “Spin Around” and “Backdoor Lover.”

So, is it underrated?

Discover the sexy all-girl rock band that's a national sensation. "The purrr-fect mix of sexy, cool comedy," says KMAX-TV. Hot newcomers Josie (Rachael Leigh Cook), Melody (Tara Reid) and Val (Rosario Dawson) are three small-town musicians with big dreams but little future. Then fate gives the Pussycats the chance of a lifetime when band manager Wyatt (Alan Cumming) of Mega Records signs them overnight to an awesome recording contract. Suddenly, Josie and the Pussycats are living life in the fast lane with sold-out concerts, a number one single and global stardom. But it's not all limousines and private jets. The Pussycats soon discover they're being played like pawns in an evil plot by the record label's maniacal CEO Fiona (Parker Posey) to control the youth of America.