Belinda's All Time Top 5 Fantasy Movies
Top 5 best fantasy movies of all time ~ In my opinion anyway~
With the school holidays heading our way like a runaway freight train; I thought I’d do a few lists of movies you can use to kill a few hours. Maybe you’re baby-sitting some tweens, or just want to escape for a while.
With the help of IMBD, here’s a quick rundown of each of my personal choices for the top 5 best fantasy movies, in chronological order.
#5 The Dark Crystal (1982) – Another planet, another time. 1000 years ago the mysterious Dark Crystal was damaged by one of the Urskeks and an age of chaos has begun! The evil race of grotesque birdlike lizards, the Skeksis, gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. Meanwhile, the orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of the peace-loving wizards called the Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal which gives the Skesis their power, and restore the balance of the universe.
Jim Henson, Frank Oz and David Odell are the genius behind this oddity. As the fame of the name Jim Henson suggests, this movie is almost purely puppets and large puppet like creatures. Probably wouldn’t show this one to anyone under about the age of 7 as it is a little trippy.
#4 Legend (1985) – A demon who seeks to create eternal night by destroying the last of the unicorns and marrying a fairy princess is opposed by the
forest boy Jack and his elven allies in this magical fantasy.
Ridley Scott and William Hjortsberg brought this amazing movie to life. Starring Tom Cruise, Mia Sara and Tim Curry, it’s hard to believe that this movie isn’t better known than it is.
#3 Labyrinth (1986) – Young Sarah is left home alone by her parents and she has to babysit her little brother Toby. But the baby keeps crying and Sarah, while telling him a story to make him sleep, inadvertently conjures from a fantasy world the Goblin King, who steals the child and brings him to his castle in the middle of a labyrinth.
Sarah has to rescue him before midnight, or the baby will became a goblin.
Jim Henson, Dennis Lee and Terry Jones worked meticulously to create this luscious fantastical world. The cast include one very primped and preened David Bowie, a young Jennifer Connelly and Toby Froud as Toby.
David also did the memorable soundtrack.
#2 Willow ( 1988) – Willow, a small farmer/apprentice magician, meets Mad Martigan, a great swordsman, and together they journey through a war-torn land of magic and monsters, to save a baby princess from death at the hands of an evil queen.
Ron Howard, George Lucas and Bob Dolman blew our minds with special effects that had never been seen before in this movie. Morphing is something to see in the special features if you get the right version of the DVD release. Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley and Warwick Davies top the cast list and carry you right into the storyline… again probably not for the really young kids as there is a little blood and the evil queen is REALLY evil.
#1 The Princess Bride (1988) – A kindly grandfather sits down with his ill grandson and reads him a story. The story is one that has been passed down from father to son for generations. As the grandfather reads the story, the action comes alive. The story is a classic tale of love and adventure as the beautiful Buttercup, engaged to the odious Prince Humperdinck, is kidnapped and held against her will in order to start a war. It is up to Westley (her childhood beau, now returned as the Dread Pirate Roberts) to save her. On the way he meets a thief and his hired helpers, an accomplished swordsman and a huge, super strong giant, both of whom become Westley’s companions in his quest.
Ron Reiner and William Goldman did a wonderful job making this film melt into our hearts. The cast is one to be seen, but the highlights in my opinion are Billy Crystal, André the Giant, Mandy Patinkin, Peter Fralk and Fred Savage.
