Because, really, this list of top 10 fantasy movies is a joke. A really, really bad joke. It must be. They can’t be serious. Well, to prove my point here is what I consider to be the top 10 fantasy movies of all time. And if you disagree, feel free to post in the comments. You know you want to.
- Return to Oz
Mombi. She takes off her head and replaces it with other heads. A tick-tock man. This is brilliant, and makes that poor-steampunk-wannabe The Tin Man a sad shadow of how awesome a Steampunk Wizard of Oz movie can be. - Read or Die
This is one of the best movies, ever. Super secret spies. Characters coming out of books. And giant steampunk floating cathedral spreading an insanity virus from Beethoven’s music. What’s not to love? - The Princess Bride
Not listing this would be a crime against the whole world. - The Pirates of the Caribbean 3: Dead Man’s Chest
The best of the three, and probably one of the greatest fantasy films of all time. - Dark Crystal
Jim Henson’s first large scale fantasy movie. It uses no human actors, but puppets for everything. And the end result is a breath taking, beautiful film. - Lord of the Rings.
It’s one movie, not three seperate. - Star Dust
A really great movie. Like the Princess Bride, but not as witty in the conversations. - The Last Unicorn
Haunting. Fleeting. A movie that in some aspects is actually better than the book. - Something Wicked This Way Comes
Ray Bradbury’s classic novel turned into a brilliant movie. Amazing. - Clash of the Titans
One of the first fantasy films I’d ever seen, and still one of my favorite childhood memories. A classic.
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Oh, I forgot Being John Malkovitch, although I have no idea where to put it.
Can we add “Pan’s Labyrinth”? Maybe it is too new, but that movie struck me in the gut and didn’t let me go. The juxtaposition of relaity and fantasy was fantastic.
Other than that, I have seen most of the movies on your list, and they are indeed among my favorites in the fantasy genre. Do you have a link to the AFI top ten?
On whether “The Last Unicorn” is better than the book, I am not sure. I find them both to be masterpieces on slightly different levels, each containing a certain something the other is missing, but both terrifyingly beautiful in themselves. Peter S. Beagle is my hero.
OMG, I want to be Peter S. Beagle some day, lol.
On Pan’s Labrynth- I didn’t like it that much. I liked the historical Spanish stuff, and the fantasy stuff was amazing to look at, but felt very vague in application.
And you CAN be Peter S. Beagle! All you have to do is find a floor between floors with a portal into his head…
I can make a portal into his head…hehe
You’ve got some great stuff on here–The Dark Crystal and the Labyrinth are two of my favorite movies ever, and they, along with Return to Oz and Star Wars were huge influences on my imagination as a child/teenager. Dark City is great too, although I think might be sci-fi (but, you know, genre distinctions are a little bit silly). But Pirates of the Caribbean 3? I seriously did not like that movie.
I haven’t seen Read or Die but I totally want to now. What did you think of Stardust?
Oh My God! How could I forget Stardust? I’ll need to go and change that.
Yeah, I like Pirates 3- Pirates 2 had some good stuff, but 3 was better. Except for the ending. there was so much wrong with that ending.
After #4, I agree with you. #1 and #2 I haven’t seen, so can’t judge. #3… What are you THINKING, man???!!!
I’m thinking PIRATES 3 WAS AWESOME. It was. No denying it. No trying to be hip and cool and saying, oh dear it wasn’t literary or something. Sure there were flaws, (racism, cough cough, terrible ending) but other than that it had some great scenes.
I think the movie that got me down the fantasy path has to be Clash of the Titans… How can that not be on the list! It has everything that is wonderful!
How could I forget Clash of the Titans? That movie was my first fantasy as well. Need to update the list again
A little late, but what about the Sword and the Sorcerer? Still one of my favorites.