There's magic in these movies for those with the eyes to see it! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at fantasy films that have become classics through their loyal fanbase.
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00:00Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at fantasy films that have become classics through their loyal fanbase.
00:13As you wish!
00:18Number 10, Willow.
00:20Warwick Davis plays the novice sorcerer, Willow, who teams up with a mercenary to protect a baby destined to liberate an enchanted kingdom from evil.
00:28You can't leave me in here to die. Not when all I want to do is protect her.
00:33Ron Howard's reunion with George Lucas was clearly quite different from American Graffiti, but it confirmed Howard's capability to direct high-concept genre movies.
00:41What Willow lacks in an original story is made up for in an epic adventure with groundbreaking effects.
00:47It also stands out among contemporary fantasies in striking a chord with families.
00:51It's good for you. For tearing your chest. Doesn't it, Dick?
00:55Her name is not Dick. She's Elora Dunne, the future empress of Tirisflea. And the last thing she's gonna want is a hairy chest.
01:02While the movie critically and financially underperformed, its success on home video spawned sequels in the form of a book series and a Disney Plus show.
01:09Now, Willow is considered a true classic by fans of wholesome high fantasy.
01:14You are on your way to becoming a great sorcerer.
01:21Willow the Sorcerer!
01:22You make us proud!
01:26Number 9. Excalibur.
01:28There have been surprisingly few film adaptations of Thomas Malory's definitive literature on Arthurian legend.
01:33John Borman's Excalibur chronicles the epic rise of King Arthur and his chivalrous Knights of the Round Table.
01:39Muscle, bone, blood, and the heart that pumps it.
01:43And a great heart it is. Sir Lancelot, you will be my champion.
01:49Future acting greats like Helen Mirren, Gabriel Byrne, and Liam Neeson held their own with renowned stars of the British stage.
01:55Still, Borman's ethereal visual style practically dominates the show.
02:09Excalibur brought a unique level of artistry to the fantasy blockbuster without losing any of the romance or action.
02:15Its success also helped propel Ireland as an international filmmaking location and industry.
02:19Some might even say it remains one of the most distinct screen interpretations of a British cultural touchstone.
02:37Number 8. Big Trouble in Little China.
02:39What's happening, Wang?
02:41Chinese standoff.
02:42A what?
02:43Don't make a sound.
02:45Horror and sci-fi visionary John Carpenter showed a more playful side with Big Trouble in Little China.
02:50When a trucker and his friend embark on a rescue mission in San Francisco's Chinatown,
02:54they encounter an immortal sorcerer with sinister plans.
02:57It's a bizarre concept, hastily produced to compete with Eddie Murphy's own Eastern fantasy, The Golden Child.
03:02Big Trouble unfortunately bombed at the box office, but was a surprise hit with critics.
03:07Everybody, got that.
03:08Ready? Follow the leader. One, two, three.
03:14We may be trapped.
03:16The genre-bending adventure shows the full range of Carpenter's creativity,
03:20while evenly matching Kurt Russell's charisma with James Hong's nefarious low-pan.
03:24The latter even influenced many characters in pop culture.
03:27Not so fast, gentlemen.
03:29Is it too much to ask, Thunder? Kill him for me!
03:32As a whole, though, Carpenter's daring romp wound up bigger than anyone expected.
03:37Number 7. Legend.
03:39Are you afraid to kiss me, Jack?
03:41I'm afraid you'll break my heart.
03:43Then steal your heart.
03:45You're dear to me as life itself.
03:47Alien and Blade Runner director Ridley Scott was sure to realize dark fantasy as pure art with legend.
03:53He does owe a lot to Tim Curry's iconically chilling portrayal of the Lord of Darkness.
03:57Was it not your sin trapped the unicorn?
04:01Even now, the evil seed of what you have done germinates within you.
04:08Scott Cruise also made his action debut as the hero destined to save an enchanted realm from being stripped of all light.
04:14But the real stars of the show were the surreal special effects, expressionistic style, and thought-provoking symbolism.
04:20The box office suggested it was a tough sell to mainstream audiences,
04:23but camp curiosity has turned into artistic discussions, especially since Scott released his director's cut.
04:29You belong here.
04:33You're my prince.
04:38I'm only Jack.
04:40Legend has now passed into its namesake as an ambitious fantasy gem that's still worth remembering.
04:45Number 6. The Neverending Story.
04:47You would be willing to go on a quest?
04:52Yes, of course.
04:55What kind of a quest?
04:57To find a cure for the Empress.
04:59A troubled ten-year-old becomes a figure of hope when a book pulls him into the endangered land of Phantasia.
05:04And so begins this adaptation of McCall Enda's beloved novel, The Neverending Story,
05:09which is so epic that the movie ironically just tells half of the story.
05:12The English-language production was still the most expensive film ever made in Germany at the time.
05:17What would you like to wish for next?
05:27The investment paid off, as critical and commercial success inspired a sequel to complete Enda's saga.
05:33Then, The Neverending Story 3 appropriately kept the story going.
05:38Still, the original carries more 80s nostalgia than most contemporary family fantasies.
05:43With unforgettable visuals, whimsy, and the mall's infectious theme song,
05:47The Neverending Story has a permanent place in pop culture.
05:51The marathon, the rainbow, the breeze
05:55Is the answer to our never-ending story
06:04Arnold Schwarzenegger had just retired from bodybuilding when he flexed more than his muscles in Conan the Barbarian.
06:10Based on Robert E. Howard's groundbreaking pulp character,
06:13the epic follows a warrior's quest for revenge against a mystical cult.
06:17Two snakes coming together.
06:21Facing each other.
06:23But they're one.
06:25Audiences were ultimately taken aback by the effects-heavy, ultra-violent machismo of it all.
06:29For fans, though, it was an instant pop culture phenomenon that launched Schwarzenegger as a leading man.
06:34My father took me into the forest.
06:37And we ate wild blueberries.
06:40More than 20 years ago.
06:43I was just a boy of four or five.
06:46The successful sequel, Conan the Destroyer, cemented this breakout.
06:49The mighty legacy of these movies eventually gave Jason Momoa his own break,
06:53as an action lead with a 2011 reboot.
06:56Of course, there's nothing like the quotable spectacle of John Millis' Conan the Barbarian,
07:00or its sterling star for that matter.
07:02Grant me revenge.
07:05And if you do not listen,
07:08then to hell with you.
07:10A tough night of babysitting gets tougher when a teen wishes for goblins to take her brother away.
07:16I can bear it no longer!
07:18Goblin King! Goblin King!
07:21Wherever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me!
07:25When the Goblin King realizes that terrible wish,
07:28it can only be undone by solving his dangerous labyrinth.
07:31Director Jim Henson's last feature skillfully navigates his passion for high fantasy and musical puppetry.
07:37It also can't hurt to have music legend David Bowie as the cast's headliner.
07:41My baby blue, nobody knew
07:46What kind of magic spell to use
07:51Still, Labyrinth had an initially underwhelming run with critics and the box office.
07:56Since Henson's death, however, its majesty has won over audiences to become a viewing tradition.
08:01It's still being spun off into books, video games, and more after four decades.
08:05Thank you, it's great.
08:12You have no power over me.
08:16Despite the initial trials, Henson's Labyrinth has come out a staple of 80s fantasy.
08:21Number three, Clash of the Titans.
08:24Inspired by ancient Greek myths,
08:26Clash of the Titans follows the demigod Perseus' quest to save Joppa without the sacrifice of its princess.
08:31There will be no more bonfires, no more nightmares.
08:37Light has conquered darkness. You're free.
08:42Divine action-adventure ensues with iconically designed stop-motion effects by the immortal Ray Harryhausen.
08:48His final project was a hit, but its clash with blockbusters like Raiders of the Lost Ark meant an uncertain legacy.
08:54Ultimately, Clash of the Titans thrived as one of Hollywood's last great Greek epics.
08:58It had such an impact on pop culture that the god Zeus is almost synonymous with the decree.
09:03Release the Kraken.
09:05It also spawned a franchise featuring a 2010 remake and its sequel, Wrath of the Titans.
09:10But the phenomenon that started it all has become mythic itself among fantasy cinephiles.
09:15What a dangerous precedent. What if one day there were other heroes like him?
09:20What if courage and imagination were to become everyday mortal qualities? What would become of us?
09:25Number two, The Dark Crystal.
09:28But master, I'm only a gelfling.
09:32I should have told you these things long ago.
09:38Muppet fans were probably expecting Jim Henson and Frank Oz to direct a lighter fantasy flick.
09:43In fact, The Dark Crystal lives up to its title in the realm of Thra,
09:46where a humble gelfling must repair an artifact to defeat the evil Skeksis.
09:50Henson's Tolkienian vision is uniquely realized by elaborate art direction and animatronics that make this surreal world feel real.
09:58A message.
10:04I wish I'd never heard of this shard.
10:07Nogen!
10:09Even with this playful format, the movie manages to be as epic and artful as any fantasy adventure of its era.
10:15As audiences came to appreciate this ambitious aesthetic,
10:18The Dark Crystal was hailed as a serious breakthrough in its format and genre.
10:22It's hardly kid stuff, but Henson and Oz's gem has enthralled fans for generations.
10:27What was sundered and undone shall behold the two made one!
10:34Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:37The Last Unicorn.
10:39Nostalgia lives on for Rankin Bass' charming and poetic love story about an endangered unicorn.
10:44Unicorns are in the world again.
10:47No sorrow will live in me as long as that joy.
10:51Save one.
10:53And I thank you for that part, too.
10:55Stardust.
10:56The mis-marketed journey of an unlikely hero and a living star still shines for fantasy fans.
11:01He told me that my true love was right in front of my eyes.
11:08And he was right.
11:09Jason and the Argonauts.
11:10A prospective king must find the golden fleece in this indie-produced underdog of a Greek epic.
11:15But for Jason, there are other adventures.
11:19I have not yet finished with Jason.
11:23Let us continue the game another day.
11:26The Lord of the Rings.
11:27Before Peter Jackson, one film ruled Tolkien's trilogy with concise, richly animated spectacle.
11:33Valiant friends of Frodo, as their gallant battle ended, so too ends the first great tale of The Lord of the Rings.
11:44The Fall.
11:45Two hospital patients spin a tale with astonishing visuals and heart to stun a growing audience.
11:50He wasn't her father, either.
11:53She loves him.
11:56Just survive.
11:58She's young.
12:00I don't want you to die.
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12:17Number 1.
12:19The Princess Bride.
12:20It doesn't get much more quintessentially fantasy than The Princess Bride.
12:24An old man tells his grandson a bedtime story about outlaws rescuing a fair maiden from a villainous prince.
12:30The Princess Bride.
12:34By S. Morgenstern.
12:36Chapter one.
12:37William Goldman adapts his own novel with an ingenious mix of celebration and spoof of fairytale tropes.
12:42Director Rob Reiner naturally nails the comedy while living up sincere production values, action and heart.
12:48Give us the gate key.
12:50I have no gate key.
12:52Isaac, take his arms off.
12:54Oh, you mean this gate key.
12:56The movie was instantly beloved, despite having only a modest box office performance.
13:00Home video and the internet turned it from a niche critical darling to a pop culture institution.
13:05Endlessly dazzling, funny and quotable, The Princess Bride is not only one of the great classics of the 80s,
13:11it may be the ultimate fan favorite fantasy film.
13:14Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure.
13:21This one left them all behind.
13:24What cold fantasy flicks do you worship?
13:26Are there any that deserve more appreciation?
13:28Conjure a conversation in the comments.
13:30True love is the greatest thing in the world.
13:33Except for nice MLT, mutton lettuce and tomato sandwich when the mutton is nice and lean.
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