We all love a good Fantasy film now and then. Here is a list of the top ten in the genre. You can catch most of these movies on satellite TV.
10. Willow: This is a fun little flick filled with dwarves. Willow is one such dwarf who happens upon a baby princess whom he must protect. The film stars Val Kilmer as a lonesome swordsman and Warwick Davis as the Hafling hero who wants to be a great sorcerer. The movie is heartwarming, funny and poignant in all the right spots; it’s also got fantastic battle scenes that deserved to be watched in high definition.
9. Princess Bride: This charming movie has got some of the best one-liners you’ll ever hear in a fantasy flick. A grandfather tells his grandson a story about one Princess Buttercup who is kidnapped and must be saved by her prince charming. There are giants, one-eyed pirates and some great swordplay.
8. The Labyrinth: Who can forget David Bowie as the mesmerizing Goblin King. In this visually stunning movie, Sarah, played by the young Jennifer Connelly is whisked off into the strange kingdom of the goblins. This is definitely an offbeat and odd movie, which is exactly why you have to watch it.
7. The Adventures of Baron Von Münchhausen: Terry Gilliam has created a fantastical world in this tale of war and sunken ships. The film is available in high definition, which is really a must as Gilliam’s films are absolutely brilliant.
6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Harry Potter movies are, like the books, always entertaining. This particular movie however, is more complex and more nuanced then the others. The characters let their hair down, so to speak and we get to see the darker side of the Potter universe.
5. Spirited Away: This is a gem of a film by the Japanese director Miyazaki. The animation is superb, and the story is both moving and clever. In the movie, a little girl is suddenly whisked into the spirit world, where she must work for a witch in a bathhouse in order to save her parents who have unwittingly been transformed into pigs.
4. Dark Crystal: This film is something of a cult hit-many people love it and still others haven’t even heard of it. The entire movie is shot with Henson style muppets. The story takes place on the planet Thra, which has three suns. The dominant race on the planet are the urSkeks who guard the Crystal of Truth which harnesses the forces of nature for everyone’s benefit. However, the Crystal has become damaged and a period of darkness has ensued. The young orphan Jen must find the missing crystal piece to save his planet from chaos. This another high def must see.
3. The Neverending Story: This is definitely a fantasy classic which many of you, I am sure, have watched as children. Sebastian has encountered a magical book which transports him into another world. He must help save the princess with the help of Falkor and Atreyu.
2. Lord of the Rings: The books were brilliant and Peter Jackson’s theatrical releases were equally stunning. The sheer magnitude of the movies is impressive. You’ve got all these fantastical creatures which actually look and sound real. It’s really quite a feat. You can easily catch any one of the movies while flipping through the channels of your satellite TV.
1. Wizard of Oz: Finally, at number one is the all time classic, the Wizard of Oz. This is a resilient fairy tale that you can watch over and over again. The music is brilliant. The story is multifaceted and complex; in fact Oz has become an icon-there’s no film that matches its radiance.