Making fantasy movies isn’t easy because the worlds are so open and vast that the plots can go everywhere. That’s sometimes a fun adventure, but most of the time, it leads to a messy film that people don’t enjoy. Fortunately, there have been many great fantasy movies over the years that are so close to perfection, giving audiences amazing characters, stories, and moments they will never forget long after watching.
The Hobbit Trilogy
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is an example of a perfect fantasy movie that gets everything spot-on, which is why it has won so many awards. Peter Jackson returned to Middle-earth with The Hobbit trilogy, taking on another classic story and bringing it to life. Things weren’t quite as perfect this time as the source material was being stretched over so many films. But there’s a lot to admire from these films, with some fantastic action sequences, brilliant visuals, and excellent performances that bring characters to life.
Beauty and the Beast
Disney’s live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast brought the beloved animated classic to life with stunning visuals and a talented cast. The story is a magical one that’s easy for people to dive into, and they did lots of positive things with this, such as adding extra songs and expanding the character details. But it wasn’t at the same level as the original, mainly because animation’s charm is almost impossible to replicate in a live-action movie.
The NeverEnding Story
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, The NeverEnding Story is a classic fantasy adventure that takes audiences on an epic journey through the magical land of Fantasia. The film is celebrated for its imaginative storytelling, captivating special effects, and memorable characters, but it has flaws. The structure is a little disjointed at points, with certain plots left without development, which can be frustrating.
Stardust
Based on Neil Gaiman’s novel, audiences had expectations about what they wanted Stardust to be, and for the most part, it delivered. With a brilliant cast and a story that had adventure and romance, there was something for everyone with this story. Set in a world where pirates take to the skies and falling stars are real, this movie proved popular.
The Golden Compass
The Golden Compass was set up to be a great fantasy movie due to the vibrant characters and the fact that a star-studded cast was portraying them. The movie had some amazing effects that helped everything look great, but it was too complex for audiences to understand and connect with.
Pan’s Labyrinth
This movie blended history and fantasy together in a movie that had eerie elements throughout. Pan’s Labyrinth captures the viewers’ attention immediately as they follow a young girl who escapes a mystical labyrinth. However, because of how clever the storytelling is, there are elements of the movie that make it seem too dark to be a fantasy film. They push the boundaries, but they turn them off for some, wanting to watch it completely.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
One of the quirkiest fantasy movies ever made, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is lots of fun for audiences. It takes people through space with amazing performances from the likes of Martin Freeman and Zooey Deschanel. The characters are imaginative, but sometimes, the humor falls flat.
The Fall
The Fall is stunning from a visual perspective, which is something that any good fantasy film should provide. There’s a level of adventure here, too, following a stuntman who tells a story to a young girl in the hospital. The movie takes plenty of twists and turns throughout but doesn’t connect on the emotional level that many other perfect fantasy films tend to do.
Big Fish
Tim Burton is a master when it comes to creating fantasy movies. His vivid imagination and dark tones are unique to his movies but prove to be hit with crowds. Big Fish focuses on a father-and-son relationship via various stories, and in Burton’s typical fashion, the visuals are brilliant. But certain storylines don’t get wrapped up properly, which is disappointing.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Everyone knows this story, as the C.S. Lewis novel is iconic. It tells a fantastic tale as the lead characters are transported to the wintery world of Narnia. With various enchanting characters and stunning visuals, the movie grips audiences from start to finish. However, some people felt that the acting was a little stale, and aspects of the story didn’t get fleshed out as much.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
This fantasy movie also blended elements of realism, which helped to make it unique and enjoyable. The cast also featured some huge names that helped to captivate audiences. However, the movie couldn’t connect to the point of being seen as perfect, as the overall plot was slightly confusing.
The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones took on the story from Alice Sebold’s novel and focused on life, death, and the afterlife. Peter Jackson directs, who is known for being brilliant at working in the fantasy genre. But even though there were many positives from this movie, the lack of emotional depth in the characters stopped the movie from being as good as it could’ve been.
The Brothers Grimm
Bringing Matt Damon and Heath Ledger together ensured that The Brothers Grimm was a great movie for people to enjoy. The story has many magical creatures that audiences can interact with, whether heroes or villains. The storytelling was engaging and interesting, but some critics felt that not everything clicked and came together, stopping it from being seen as a perfect film.
Sleeping Beauty
Disney has created many brilliant fantasy movies over the years with its animated classics, and Sleeping Beauty is certainly one of those. Maleficent is an amazing villain who captures audiences’ attention, while the supporting characters are strong, too. The only thing holding this back is the fact that Aurora is one of the weakest Disney princesses, as she barely gets featured throughout the story.
Dragonslayer
Any fantasy movie based around dragons always has the chance of being entertaining due to the thrill those characters bring. With knights and other typical fantasy characters, a lot is going on in this one to enjoy. But it’s quite a dark movie that doesn’t provide much light, which is a shame.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
The first two movies in this franchise are close to perfect because they are entertaining. They bring comedy, action, and a true swashbuckling adventure. While the third has plenty of positive moments, it does end up being slightly overcomplicated and political. Too many characters are involved in this one, which stops it from being as positive as the previous entries in the series.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Harry Potter series provides an incredible example of how to do fantasy films right. Bringing amazing characters, elements of magic, and all manner of emotions, this series has become a hit for a reason. But there are elements of Chamber of Secrets that aren’t as strong as others in the series. It’s mainly due to how young the majority of the actors are, with the quality not quite being at the level needed to be perfect.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Logan Lerman put together a great performance in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, capturing the attention of everyone who watched. The young cast brings lots of energy to this one, and the story is simple to follow. However, some fans of the book felt the movie was too different, which disappointed them.
