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Dragonheart was an embarrassment to both Connery and Quaid who did their best not to mention it or promote it after it's very dismal and critically panned release. It was an underproduced studio cash grab at a fantasy market which was reignited by the likes of Willow and Conan The Destroyer and it deserves to be ridiculed and reviled for the poorly written/directed garbage it is.
Almost all of the movies on this list are favorites that I watch regularly. The Explorers and Flight of the Navigator are also an excellent mix of science fiction and fantasy that people should watch.
I guess they felt that The Never-ending Story and Labyrinth have both had enough attention... they were a big part of my childhood. Also The Princess Bride.
Those are all are not underrated, though The Dark Crystal has been celebrated since it came out - it was just too surreal for many. I tried to show it to my wife and we had to stop because she had never seen anything like it and continuously blew her mind.
I rewatched it last week...I dunno, I'm still angry with the Time Bandits for abducting Kevin away from Agamemnon. And the Napoleon sequence kinda drags. Amazing George Harrison them song though.
I don’t understand how Time Bandits didn’t even make the list? The film is pure brilliance. Dark crystal isn’t even underrated for besides it being loved and known by everyone it has a new series adaptation on Netflix and a new game even. I was so expecting Time Bandits to be number one..
@Engel990 Same here when I got to the end. I thought to myself, " Did I miss Time Bandits?" So I had to go back and check bc I knew I wasn't the only one that loved that flick.
20 - Dragonheart (1996) (seen it) 19 - Ladyhawke (1985) (seen it - LOVE it) 18 - Krull (1983) (seen it - love it) (early roles for Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane) 17 - Solomon Kane (2009) (if it takes place after the renaissance is it truly fantasy?) (haven't seen it) 16 - Conan the Destroyer (1984) (seen it - enjoy it) 15 - The Lord of the Rings (1978) (haven't seen it) 14 - The Beastmaster (1982) (seen it - love it) (also love Marc Singer in the made for TV miniseries V & V The Final Battle) 13 - Excalibur (1981) (seen it - good film, not on my love it list) (early roles for Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson) 12 - Dragonslayer (1981) (seen it - need to rewatch) 11 - The Fountain (2006) (not only haven't seen it I don't even recall ever having heard of it) 10 - Trollhunter (2010) (haven't seen it) (again, if it's set in the modern age is it truly fantasy?) (Edit: okay, urban fantasy is a thing (fantasy elements in the modern world)) 09 - The Gate (1987) (seen it, scary movie) 08 - The Witches (seen it, can't rightly remember it well, need to see it again) 07 - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) (need to watch it again, as I do not recall anything from the film, but I know I've seen it) 06 - The Last Unicorn (1982) (haven't seen it, might have to fix that) 05 - Stardust (2007) (seen it - love it - want to watch it again now) 04 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) (my grandmother had it on VHS, watched it a ton as a kid, loved it) 03 - Legend (1985) (seen it - LOVE it - have recommended it to others) 02 - The Black Cauldron (1985) (can't recall if I've seen this or not) 01 - The Dark Crystal (1982) (seen it, tried watching it again as an adult and couldn't do it, that girls 'battle cry' annoyed me too much) All together I've watched 15 out of 20 of these and will most likely watch most of those again sometime in the near future.
I've seen all of them except for 'The LastUnicorn' and possibly 'The Black Cauldron', and at least liked all of them except maybe 'Legend' (which kind of surprised me, given its reputation and the creative team behind it.) Technically, 'Star Wars' is fantasy: you've got robots instead of dwarves and fairies, the swords that the swashbuckling heroes and villains duel with are given a laser-beam makeover, the dragons are alien monsters, sailing ships were upgraded to starships, and the wizards' magic has been rebranded into "The Force", but it's absolutely a fantasy movie at its core. Much of what gets pigeon-holed as science fiction is actually fantasy at its core, really, and the distinction several generations ago was a bit different from today - the point being that fantasy covers a great deal of ground! Fantasy pre-dated the very influential work of Tolkien, and it's worth checking out the sort of thing that was accepted as fantasy before it somehow got "codified" as "generic dungeons-and-dragons medieval European stuff" over the last 20 years or so: 'Wizard of Oz'? Fantasy, even though it was set in the then "modern era" of the 1900s... the 'Narnia' novels were set during WWII... A lot of influential pulp fantasy from the likes of Clark Ashton Smith was set in the far-flung future of a dying Earth beneath a nearly burned-out sun... HP Lovecraft and Lord Dunsany set their "Dreamlands" fantasy stories in their respective "present day" of the early 20th century (translated to a sort of parallel world or astral realm), and Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos stories - absolutely a dark fantasy setting in spite of the horror and sci-fi elements - are given a signature "Jazz Era" setting that is routinely updated to the modern era of almost any movie adaptation. Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter and Tarzan stories were set in the then-modern era of the 1900s or so, but absolutely qualify as fantasy, even though the fantasy elements of Tarzan are relatively subdued, and the fantasy elements of the John Carter stories were (like the later Star Wars movies that copy from John Carter) given a superficially sci-fi setting. The classic Universal monster movies based on Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf-Man, and the like are also a (gothic) fantasy setting that exists in a sort of loosely Eastern European nowhere land in a loosely late-Victorian-to-then-current-day-1930s "no-when" time period. Robert E. Howard's" Conan the Barbarian stories are classics of sword-and-sorcery fiction, but set in prehistoric earth ("The Hyborean Age" of a post-Lemurian/Atlantean apocalypse); REH's similar Bran Mak Morn dark fantasy stories were set during the decline of the Roman Empire, and Solomon Kane - another REH creation - were dark fantasy set loosely during the English Civil War of the mid-1600s... The Superhero genre? Basically evolved directly from Edgar Rice Burroughs creations of Tarzan and John Carter (among other influences) - Superman was essentially a John Carter clone, with an alien superman on earth instead of a super Earthman on Mars... the superhero genre also works with much of the same Atlantean and Lemurian Theosophical source material that influenced Robert E. Howard, and may not be obvious as "fantasy" stories due to the lack of obvious sword-and-sorcery material, but is absolutely still firmly in the realm of fantasy - it's a little easier to see the connection between the two closely-entwined subgenres of what used to be called "speculative fiction" in superheroes like Thor, Doctor Strange, Namor the Submariner, and so on.... There's a whole genre of 'sword-and-sandal" fantasy movies that were a little more popular in the '60s than today, that is typically made up of fantasy set in a world of classical mythology and sometimes "exotic" fairy tales or legends - expect the likes of Jason and the Argonauts, Hercules, Sinbad the Sailor, King Arthur and Merlin, or even Biblical strongmen and heroes muscling or swashbuckling their way through chimeras, dragons, rocs, cyclops, hydras, and other great mythical monsters. This also counts as fantasy! Check back into "kaiju" movies, the genre that includes Godzilla, King Ghidorha, King Kong, Gamera, Rodan, and so on: fantasy movies, though it might be kind of hard to tell at first glance. The Mothra movies are real easy to spot as fantasy stories, with magical pixies and wicked witches in addition to giant butterfly-spirits and giant dragons.... Doctor Who and Star Trek technically cross pretty far over into fantasy territory - Doctor Who in particular has had moments of pretty openly being treated as a "magical man in a box with a sonic-screwdriver magical wand" kind of story. (Science fiction again is a twin to the fantasy genre, split off of what used to be called "speculative fiction", with the distinction between fantasy and sci-fi being a bit vague, perhaps best divided along the loose boundary of how "realistically" the limits of technology are portrayed, compared to just using science-y "technobabble" - holo-decks, teleporters, sonic-doodads, nanites, etc. - to just stand in for magic: there's a lot more fantasy in Star Trek than there is in a low-magic fantasy setting like Gormenghast, for example!) How does ET make that bike fly? Come on, it's magic!' Gremlins' is fantasy, too, though there's almost no obvious magic, and it's a little easier to think of this movie as a horror film (the magical little mogwai creature is introduced to us by a strange Chinese "wizard", to begin with....) 'Pirates of the Caribbean'? Fantasy, and of course "Harry Potter', too - settings in the '80s, the golden age of piracy, and the '90s (I think), respectively. The Indiana Jones moves and similar fare are also pulp fantasy, often set in the early or mid-20th century, though there are "clones" and the like that could end up being set in other decades. Again, no obvious swords or wizards or dragons or "medieval" setting going on there, but it's fantasy material nevertheless, and you can see the most obvious fantasy elements in adventures into strange lands on quests for wondrous (and magical) artifacts like the Ark of the Covenant, Holy Grail, Spear of Destiny, and so on. The "knights in shining armor" for these stories wear fedoras and khakis and sling revolvers and bullwhips instead of the expected swords, but it's in the same fantasy territory! And really, those are the only loose requirements for story to qualify as fantasy, and even these are a bit flexible: an exotic land to explore (or an unexpected exotic side to a seemingly mundane setting, as in urban fantasy), a quest of some sort, a bit of magic (perhaps dressed up as psychic powers, super powers, super-science, or the like), an adventurer (perhaps a brave one, but not necessarily so), and perhaps some strange creatures (which might be fairy creatures, but can instead be dressed up "scientifically" as aliens or mutants or newly-discovered species or the like....) In short, fantasy covers a LOT of territory - older fantasy stories were pretty comfortable about embracing all sorts of settings that would seem exotic to us today, but even modern fantasy isn't afraid to explore outside the "generic medieval European fantasy" cliche!
20 - Dragonheart (1996) Seen it & loved it 19 - Ladyhawke (1985) No interest 18 - Krull (1983) No interest 17 - Solomon Kane (2009) Never heard of it 16 - Conan the Destroyer (1984) Pass 15 - The Lord of the Rings (1978) Have it on DVD and rewatched it with my daughters after we viewed Jackson's LOtR (Side note: we also watched both Hanna/Barbera ones as well) 14 - The Beastmaster (1982) Saw it once...meh 13 - Excalibur (1981) It's not so much "have I seen it" but "how many times" 12 - Dragonslayer (1981) Didn't see it but want to 11 - The Fountain (2006) Never heard of it 10 - Trollhunter (2010) Never heard of it 09 - The Gate (1987) Seen it 08 - The Witches Seen it 07 - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) Desperately need a re-viewing 06 - The Last Unicorn (1982) I've collected unicorns since childhood & was 17 when it came out. Now have it on DVD & rewatch it frequently. My daughter even got me the book. 05 - Stardust (2007) No interest 04 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) This is odd. I love Disney. I have it on DVD. I've never watched it. 03 - Legend (1985) Unicorn...duh! 02 - The Black Cauldron (1985) Love it 01 - The Dark Crystal (1982) Watched it several times.
I LOVE Return to Oz. I find it to be a very faithful adaptation despite being an amalgamation of the second and third novels in the Oz series. The problem for most audiences is that they are unfamiliar with the source material. It isn't like the Judy Garland film, so, to their ignoramus brians, that means it's bad.
Same. It was always on rotation on HBO back in the late 80’s, early 90’s so me and my brother have seen it well over something ridiculous like 50 times or so.
You guys are going to need a part 2 for sure. I love every single one of those movies and they are always on a constant watch. You still have gems like Willow, Narnia 79'
I'm surprised there's only 3 I'd not heard of. If you like fantasy films, I'd also recommend checking out Labrynth, Willow, Clash of the Titans (original), Hawk the Slayer, and Erik the Viking.
@@NelsonStJames absolutely. But even more than that, this film has so many hidden messages through its’ remarkable visual storytelling! And it never stops being optimistic, uplifting and exhilarating!
The Fall (2006) with Lee Pace is criminally unknown. It has a sweeping surreal style, extraordinary imagery, deceptively dark undertones, and a clever framing device. Absolutely top tier
Excalibur was by far the best Arthurian film ever made. Truly Epic with an incredible giving masterful performances. Having it on this list gives your line-up chops. Legend, Dark Crystal, Beast Master all bring back some good memories. What fun those were to see in theatre.
Excalibur is hands down my favourite movie. There are moments corny and less 'real' than the modern scifi movie but the characters and epic look of this movie soar above others of the similar genre.
Both Willow and Labyrinth were sorely missed on this list. I kept waiting for it to show them and when it ended, I was thinking wtf? And by the way, I saw every one of these movies at the theatre. I was in my 20s in the 80s. I graduated High School in 1979.
Ladyhawk I love that one. I saw that in the theatre when I was young. It's a beautiful love story with the dark desolate backdrop of the dark ages. So good
Ladyhawke is one of my all-time favorite movies. Fantastic and one-of-a-time premise, entertaining, well acted, quotable moments. For a fantasy film it is still my favorite after all these years.
Angelica Huston is a living treasure. She was BORN to be Morticia Addams, just as Christina Ricci was to be Wednesday. I adore Terry Gilliiam's films, with Munchausen being tied with Doctor Parnassus for my favourites of his. In terms of fantasy films overall, Willow, Legend, and Stardust win for me.
Yes the Addams Family Series and Movies Were Great Classics Legends I was so sad they stopped making the Movies due to the Great Actor who played Gomez dying young so sad
You guys absolutely KILLED it with this list. Can't disagree with a single pick. And extra points for including one of the best and most under-rated films: THE FOUNTAIN. This list proves one thing without question: the '80s was the best decade for everything.
@@Magnum3144 agreed. it fits in this list (esp as it blends fantasy with socrcery and swashbuckling so well), but i will give credit to the channel that this is an actually comprehensive and appropriate list (against what I think usually happens ). I feel like in similar listings you wanna see Dark Crystal / Labyrinth / Willow / Neverending Story but somethings gotta give and 'you cant have them all'...
I don't know about Bakshi's Lord Of The Rings. While interesting in parts and it made an impression before any other proper films were made it's actually quite bad. Can't get over C-3P0 playing Legolas and those elven eyes.
I think they do a good job adapting it too. They change a few things but it keeps the core and most important parts and afaik Neil Gaiman was involved with the changes made and approved of it.
This is a pretty solid list... And I want to thank you for using the US theatrical cut of Legend. It's the version I grew up with and loved (we rented it practically every other weekend when I was a kid). The director's cut is good, but I really feel like Jerry Goldsmith's score is over the top. I would add "The Secret of Roan Inish" and Bakshi's "Fire and Ice."
They mention the Tangerine Dream score being great but the clips they show are from the director’s cut. Meg’s line she says is not in the theatrical cut, nor is Gump’s, and the score playing in the background in that scene is the Goldsmith one. I also prefer the Tangerine Dream cut/soundtrack.
I grew up watching Bedknobs and Broomsticks at least once a week. The good old days of VHS saving movies from TV. The ending with the magical army of empty armor was always my favorite part. And I liked the Black Cauldron in theaters but was frustrated when it never seemed to get a home release. Best I had was a story book with art that retold the first half of the movie.
I was just a little too old to see Bednobs and Broomsticks in a theater. I will definitely watch it the next time I have a Disney+ susbscription (I am rotating through the streaming services to save money). I finally saw the Black Cauldron a couple of years ago and was a bit disappointed. Good animation, but the plot just didn't seem gripping enough.
I was about 7 years old, my mom and grandmother took me to see Bedknobs at Radio City. It was magic. Decades later, I saw it again on DVD and was suddenly 7 years old again.
Excalibur, to me is the TOP TIER King Arthur movie to date! No other movie based off his legend has even come close to matching it in terms of cast, music quality, cinematography or story. I love Sword in the Stone, the classic Knights of the Round Table from the 50s, Monty Python's Holy Grail and even The Kid Who Would Be King. But Excalibur will always be No. 1
@@ElroyMcDuffAgreed, it also shows how good of a hero and eventual leader Arthur will be. Rather than force his rival to acknowledge his authority, Arthur WILLINGLY hands Excalibur over to Uriens; so he could be knighted and made his equal. Many would expect Uriens to strike him down right there...but he does the exact opposite
One of the biggest things that makes it a great movie, is also what knee-caps this movie. There is a ton of set and music references back to Wagner operas.
Such a great list! I see a lot of people mentioning popular ones but this is about the lesser spoken gems of the past. These guys really did their homework.
Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Time Bandits, those are my favorite fantasy films, I suppose among many others. Great video on all those fantasy greats. Fantasy gives so much more to life, don't you agree?
I agree, I think 20 people would all have 20 completely different top 20 lists. I only like 2 of the films on the list, most are boring in my opinion. LadyHawke I believe is one of the most overrated fantasy films. I didn't care for it, others do. Beastmaster on the other hand is epic!
@@billybatson8657I agree with this. Most people are going to come up with one or too gems that you have never seen nor at the very least slipped your mind. And I tried to watch Ladyhawke once or twice when films on regular television were the norm. Never finished it. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe it just wasn't for me.
@@cujoedaman People not caring is kind of the point. If a movie was good and nobody gave a damn that's the definition of underrated. And while I can't speak to Trollhunter or the Fountain don't blanket pan early 2000s as Stardust is phenomenal.
There's a couple of the movies in WatchMojo's list that I didn't like (I'm looking at you, 'Legend'), but I think they did a fine job of compiling it anyway - with a "top 20" list, there's bound to be one or two that each of us will disagree on, but I can at least agree with WatchMojo that these are all films that deserve to be seen at least once and appreciated by someone more than they have been, even if it's not our own cup of tea. 'Return to Oz' is a great choice for a list like this, and one of the first movies I thought of! It definitely suffered in its day as a much darker fantasy movie than audiences at the time were comfortable with: it was released in 1985, just a couple years after ET and before the Satanic Panic really took off, and kind of fell in a time when I think parents were looking for lighter-and-fluffier fair for their kids to watch, and getting a bit uncomfortable with the more adult, dark, violent, angle that sci-fi and fantasy were taking in a world post- 'Alien' and 'The Thing'. I remember critics and audiences alike complaining about how scary 'Return to Oz' was, and it just didn't seem to go anywhere at the time. Much more surprising to me today is the fact that it never found a "cult" audience later on, the way these sorts of movies tend to do: it's definitely better than its reputation would suggest (when it's remembered at all), and deserves to have found an audience that appreciates this sort of thing. It should have been right up the alley for audiences that loved 'Harry Potter' or 'Pirates of the Caribbean', for example!
Ive seen most of these. To be underrated? Thats insane!! Ive seen these movies countless of times as a kid & still watching them today with my own kids. They never get old.
it's just clickbait to lead us here and discuss how they are not underrated, because they are not. Comment = more attention of algorythm and more viesw. It's list of most known fantasy movies classics.
Happy to see Ladyhawke, Dragonslayer, The Last Unicorn, and The Dark Crystal called out; growing up in the 80s, I loved seeing the heroines in these movies as active, resourceful partners rather than standard-issue helpless damsels.
Very good list. Seen most of these. Missing more though. The Flight of Dragons, Return to Oz, Red Sonya, Time Bandits, The Company of Wolves, Wizards, A Chinese Ghost Story, Heart and Souls, The Fisher King, Warriors of Virtue and many more
I loved The Flight of Dragons as a kid, rewatched it 2 or 3 years ago and feel it is a bit less good than I remembered, an A not a A+ Explorers was F'n awesome though. A++, Wizards would be a B tier unless I was taking some good stuff. Time Bandits is awesome, I think I've seen it 7 or 8 times, "it's EVIL"
Wow Yes the Company of Wolves In a Different League only Excalibur and the first Conan Movie are in this League Classics Legends People will still be watching in a thousand years if Humanity is not Hooked up to AI Sadly nearly a Billion of Humanitys Bravest Finest Tried let down By Billions
We had such a player, but because we were a late adopter, it was far cheaper when we bought it. That Philips beast outlasted many player of those we knew, but the programmer who cobbled together the key sequence to plan a recording should be sent to a recursive function without an escape clause.
The Dragon in Dragon Slayer was a Wyvern, but one of the best Dragons ever put to film! The bit where it stalks through the cave is *chefs kiss* superb!
Hours could be spent on the brilliance of the Dark Crystal, but two things that should have been mentioned were the extreme detail of the set to create the illusion of a living, alien world and that incredible score. It grabs you and doesn't let go.
I'm still holding out hope they revive the prequel series one day. Its cancellation was a tragedy and one of many examples where money won out over art.
@@zstick To be fair to Netflix, they are a private business not a charity. If they are losing money on a series there is no incentive for them to continue it.
This is a list of "underrated" fantasy films. Time Bandits and Labyrinth were appropriately rated as "remarkable" and "triumphant" both today and when they were first released.
By the Gods, what has happened to me? Having been born in the 70's, EVERY movie you have listed from the 70's to the 90's I either saw in the theater, have on DVD, or both. Then... nothing after 2000. The 3 movies you listed from then I haven't even heard of before. Did I get old? I still play D&D with friends and love fantasy movies and yet here I am having missed out on these gems. Thank you for this list. I'll look up those 3 movies and give them a well deserved view.
I'm also a child of the 70's and about five months ago I joined a DnD group. I've seen most of these movies and very much enjoyed them. Time Bandits was also pretty good but it got super slow during the Napoleon era act.
I think the trick is that you simply missed them. Bad PR or, as the list does point out, a different variety of fantasy than what you were looking for.
Terrific list! I could suggest The Fall ('06), Immortals ('11), and Kubo and the Two Strings ('16). Those might be bending the intended genre a bit. But I'd stand firmly behind naming Return to Oz ('85): beautiful, dark (the books were pretty dark!), definitely fantasy. I had no idea Matthew Vaughn directed Stardust, and shame on me as I watched this sitting across from my DVD copy. No wonder I like it so much. Thank you. Really terrific list!
I really like your choices. I would have added Mirrormask written by Neil Gaiman and directed by Dave McKean. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. 👍🏽👍🏽
@@williamdixon-gk2skNot at all. Neil Gaiman is just a phenomenal writer. Unless that is a consideration of the list I would think both of those films have earned themselves a place.
How a movie from 1996 has better CGI than marvel today? Disney just can't seem to make any progress in the world of CGI without George Lucas, can they?
'Dragonslayer' was a great little movie, much better than I think most of us remember. I don't remember now why it just didn't seem to catch on with audiences at the time, but suspect it had something to do with the fairly dark story in a movie that seemed at the time like it was "kid's stuff"... I think 'The Black Hole', 'Return to Oz', and 'The Secret of NIMH' suffered much the same fate over the years as fairly dark fantasy/scifi films that audiences at the time just weren't really ready for. 'Dragonslayer' would fit in really well today in a post-'Game of Thrones' world!
This list is jam-packed with some all-time favorites for me. Legend, Ladyhawke, Dragonslayer, Excalibur, the Dark Crystal, Conan, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Moonk- howz-'n) all sit at the top of my favorites list. All the rest of these films are in my list of favorites in various places as well. Those top films have all been re-watched in the last year or so.
Ladyhawke is definitely in my Top 10 favorite movies. I've watched it many times and still tear up at the end! I also love Excalibur. Great list! Now I want to go back and rewatch all those movies again. I would like to nominate I Am Dragon, which is a 2015 fantasy movie - I think it's Russian. Really beautiful movie.
I think Ladyhawke is one of the most romantic movies ever. I think my favorite scene is after the night at the farm. They never tell us how cognizant they are in animal form. So you get the impression that Navarre knows what basically happened the night before and is only listening with half an ear until Mouse says that she spoke. Then he starts paying full attention. It appears they can remember and understand some of what happens but definitely not everything. And that great line, "No, I believe in dreams. I've waited a long time for a woman like that." He says it simply but there's a depth of emotion behind his words that only an actor like Rutger could pull off.
Funny how in the 80's when we saw Krull that Boomerang bladed thing was sooo epic & larger then life. And when we watch it today were like umm yeah it looks cheesy cheap.... 80's kids FTW!!!
OMG, I remember watching The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen all the time as a kid. And I'm sill waiting for a live-action of The Last Unicorn, because you know it's going to happen one day.
There was almost a live action The Last Unicorn. Christopher Lee was going to reprise King Haggard but it couldn't get out of developmental hell and then Lee died. Massive bummer.
The last unicorn The Dark crystal Bedknobs and broomsticks Top 3 fav Fantasy movies I still get chills when Molly grew says to the unicorn how dare you come to me now when I'm like this I've been watching that movie my whole life and I will never tire of it and you are correct the score by America is just fantastic Also, my MomMom looks just like Angela Lansbury so I have an extreme affinity for that movie as well
Yeah this is yet another instance of not taking the word underrated under advisement. I've seen Time Bandits, Labyrinth, Willow and now The Neverending Story mentioned. Except everyone generally agrees those are good films. As with many internet inquiries someone has to miss the point and shoe horn something else into the answer. Let's not use the most celebrated fantasy films to take the place of hidden gems we might not know about.
@@MorinehtarTheBlue there are generations out there, who have never seen Labyrinth, Neverending story, Willow or any of the entries on the list. _WE_ agree that those movies are great, but to all those that will never get a chance to see them I say they are underrated. They have become obscure, there are so many movies filled with effects, who lack soul that get viewed today. So, for me I am happy to see ALL of the old fantasy films on this list and if it leads to one of the movies to be discovered by a young mind. I call it a victory!
I think the Chronicles of Narnia sequels are underrated. People complained how Prince Caspian deviated from the book too much, but I still think the stuff they added were fine additions. And it had great action and costume designs. And yeah, the Dark Crystal is a master-piece.
Everything narnia is awful, live action, books or animated they are consistently awful. I was offended by its preachiness at the age of 3 and I have less tolerance for it every year.
I think their mistake was trying to make the books something they weren't. They wanted Lord of the Rings and they wanted to spend 200 million and then make a billion off it and they mostly succeeded with the first movie. But that's not really how the other books work. They could have spent 50 million, followed the books more closely, and have made 100 million off them. Not every fantasy story has to be a huge epic and Hollywood doesn't understand that.
My two favorite childhood films at the first and second position makes my heart happy. I'm so glad to find people not only knowing, but liking these movies. They are pure gems. Love The Dark Crystal and Black Cauldron so much
One of your better lists. Very spot-on! Legend, the Adventures of Baron Munchausin and the Beastmaster were always personal favorites of mine growing up and the Disney films definitely need more love than it gets.
@@jfess1911Not sure what you two are getting at, but I've never even mentioned "Willow" or "Labyrinth" and most people wouldn't put "Young Sherlock Holmes" on the level of either of them. Most people I've talked to have never even heard of it.
"Young Sherlock Holmes" was absolutely amazing! I too am shocked that people haven't heard of it. It's a shame that none of these streaming platforms has given it a chance.
Two of my favorite films from the 80s I watched over and over: Krull and Dragonslayer. That dragon, especially when it was battling Ralph Richardson, was exquisite!
@@zachtwilightwindwaker596 The studios just recently (a year or so) released a whole TV series called Willow, which is based in the same universe with lots of the same characters. Willow is known and remembered by enough folk for the money men to give the green light to that.
Great list!!!! Below I noticed that someone mentioned adding Willow and Labyrinth. I think those could be included in future underrated movie lists for sure.
Excellent list! dragon heart, Ladyhawke, the witches, the last unicorn, stardust, the black cauldron and the dark crystal are still among my favorites! John Hurt's voice performance of the horned king still sends shivers down my spine!
I would add Mirrormask. There were many on this list that I wouldn't consider underrated as they are well known and regarded. I was surprised there was only 1 I haven't heard of. I guess it depends on your definition of underrated.
I was 8 when the Dark Crystal came out and saw it in the theatre. And I have adored it ever since. Lists like these have me thinking about how streaming has NOT allowed us to easily see some of these earlier masterpieces. As well as the way studios are way too timid to take chances on films now.
"Six String Samurai" is one of the most underrated movies. It's a post apocalyptic story, so don't know if that's in the fantasy genre. But the movie that should be #1 on this list didn't even make it at all: "The Never Ending Story"
I will admit my biases, but really, no "Return to Oz"? For that matter, how about any from earlier times, such as "The Thief of Bagdad", "The Adventures of Prince Achmed", "Gulliver's Travels", "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T", or "The Wizards"?
I'm a great grandmother and you listed nearly all of my favorite films. Can't say that "Krull" was on the list, but absent that movie was a walk through the past for me. Many actors in the movies you mentioned went on to long successful careers. "Excalibur" alone has 3 future stars and the actor that played King Arthur later had a part as a high priest of Apollo in "Troy." I would also put Ralph's "Wizards" in there, a "Midnight Movie" favorite for many years.
These are a lot of my childhood video's. It's a rare breed for someone else to feel this list like I did. Well done, one of my classmates wrote this....great picks. I still love all the Arnold Conans as he is about the only person can play him. Arthur and the Stone- will always be one of my favs. if ya know, ya know. Labrynth , Tron all these oldies are dope.
Dduuddee, first of all I was born in January 1986, and I loved all those movies back then, and "The Witches" scared the shit out of me as a kid, and I freaking LOVED Dragonheart!!!!!! They truly don't make movies like they used to!!!!
Technically, 'Excalibur' and 'The Fountain' aren't underrated either - critics loved those movies at the time, even if audiences couldn't be bothered to watch them. These movies have ended up pretty much forgotten today, and deserve another look from modern audiences. 'The Dark Crystal' made the video's list, even though audiences at the time loved it (though I seem to recall that critics were divided on the dark fantasy elements) - I think that everyone ended up on the same page about this movie later on being a fantasy classic, but I can't complain about it making this list. (The recent canceled Netflix(?) Dark Crystal series might better qualify for "underrated", to be honest, but I won't complain that it's not here instead....) I think 'Willow' falls into similar territory: I don't remember ANYONE back when it was first released talking about it, and I think it was largely forgotten until the abortive attempt to reboot it happened. 'Willow' honestly deserves another look from modern fantasy audiences who haven't seen it yet. I think it would be fair to add 'The Neverending Story' and 'Labyrinth' into similar territory.... 'John Carter' was tragically under-appreciated by both critics and audiences... I have no idea what went wrong with that one, except perhaps that the marketing and publicity for it were horribly botched. It seems that audiences had long forgotten the original pulp novels, and ended up confused by a movie that looked like a "bad Star Wars rip-off" at a time when even Star Wars movies were looking like "bad Star Wars rip-offs" and audiences were pushing back, when in truth it was the other way around ('Star Wars' owes a pretty clear debt to 'Dune', and both 'Star Wars' and 'Dune' own a debt to John Carter as the great-granddaddy of that sort of epic sci-fi story)... I don't think this movie was ever going to charm audiences the same way the original 'Star Wars' did, but still, it wasn't a bad movie at all, and the film-makers managed to do a remarkably good job with source material that might have seemed completely unfilmable just a generation or two ago! 'John Carter' definitely deserves another chance from fantasy and sci-fi fans....
Great picks. I'd add 10th Kingdom, City of lost children/Micmacs, Going postal/Hogfather, Valhalla '86, Jack and the Beanstalk, Elm-chanted forest, Return to Oz, Witching & Bitching, Bell Book and Candle, Night Watch/Day Watch/Guardians of the Night. Cheers;o)
I’m so glad to see The Adventures of Baron Munchausen on this list. I watched it as a teenager and it was one of the best movie nights of my life. An absolute masterpiece and gem of a movie!
I'm so happy you mentioned Baron Munchhausen, Legend, Black Cauldron, and The Dark Crystal. Though, I don't think Stardust did justice to the Gaiman novel. It may be my bias, as I can't help but judge harshly when I love the book.
Nice to see the 1978 animated Lord of the Rings receive some respect. Many seem to put THAT version down while bolstering the more popularly known 2000 live action version, which I think is flagrantly unjust.
Which fantasy movie do you think deserves more attention? Let us know in the comments!
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Beautiful creatures
dragonheart
Dragonheart was an embarrassment to both Connery and Quaid who did their best not to mention it or promote it after it's very dismal and critically panned release. It was an underproduced studio cash grab at a fantasy market which was reignited by the likes of Willow and Conan The Destroyer and it deserves to be ridiculed and reviled for the poorly written/directed garbage it is.
*_Troll 2._*
Time Bandits is such an epic journey
Almost all of the movies on this list are favorites that I watch regularly.
The Explorers and Flight of the Navigator are also an excellent mix of science fiction and fantasy that people should watch.
I guess they felt that The Never-ending Story and Labyrinth have both had enough attention... they were a big part of my childhood. Also The Princess Bride.
Those are all are not underrated, though The Dark Crystal has been celebrated since it came out - it was just too surreal for many.
I tried to show it to my wife and we had to stop because she had never seen anything like it and continuously blew her mind.
I guess reading the title is hard for some people. UNDERRATED.
@@williamhutton2126nah some just like to repeat it
The Time Bandits was excellent, IMHO.
Time Bandits was my first fantasy movie, and I still love it almost 40 years later.
@@SithBunny1 Yes, indeed!
I rewatched it last week...I dunno, I'm still angry with the Time Bandits for abducting Kevin away from Agamemnon. And the Napoleon sequence kinda drags. Amazing George Harrison them song though.
I don’t understand how Time Bandits didn’t even make the list? The film is pure brilliance. Dark crystal isn’t even underrated for besides it being loved and known by everyone it has a new series adaptation on Netflix and a new game even. I was so expecting Time Bandits to be number one..
@Engel990 Same here when I got to the end. I thought to myself, " Did I miss Time Bandits?" So I had to go back and check bc I knew I wasn't the only one that loved that flick.
20 - Dragonheart (1996) (seen it)
19 - Ladyhawke (1985) (seen it - LOVE it)
18 - Krull (1983) (seen it - love it) (early roles for Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane)
17 - Solomon Kane (2009) (if it takes place after the renaissance is it truly fantasy?) (haven't seen it)
16 - Conan the Destroyer (1984) (seen it - enjoy it)
15 - The Lord of the Rings (1978) (haven't seen it)
14 - The Beastmaster (1982) (seen it - love it) (also love Marc Singer in the made for TV miniseries V & V The Final Battle)
13 - Excalibur (1981) (seen it - good film, not on my love it list) (early roles for Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson)
12 - Dragonslayer (1981) (seen it - need to rewatch)
11 - The Fountain (2006) (not only haven't seen it I don't even recall ever having heard of it)
10 - Trollhunter (2010) (haven't seen it) (again, if it's set in the modern age is it truly fantasy?) (Edit: okay, urban fantasy is a thing (fantasy elements in the modern world))
09 - The Gate (1987) (seen it, scary movie)
08 - The Witches (seen it, can't rightly remember it well, need to see it again)
07 - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) (need to watch it again, as I do not recall anything from the film, but I know I've seen it)
06 - The Last Unicorn (1982) (haven't seen it, might have to fix that)
05 - Stardust (2007) (seen it - love it - want to watch it again now)
04 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) (my grandmother had it on VHS, watched it a ton as a kid, loved it)
03 - Legend (1985) (seen it - LOVE it - have recommended it to others)
02 - The Black Cauldron (1985) (can't recall if I've seen this or not)
01 - The Dark Crystal (1982) (seen it, tried watching it again as an adult and couldn't do it, that girls 'battle cry' annoyed me too much)
All together I've watched 15 out of 20 of these and will most likely watch most of those again sometime in the near future.
I've seen all of them except for 'The LastUnicorn' and possibly 'The Black Cauldron', and at least liked all of them except maybe 'Legend' (which kind of surprised me, given its reputation and the creative team behind it.)
Technically, 'Star Wars' is fantasy: you've got robots instead of dwarves and fairies, the swords that the swashbuckling heroes and villains duel with are given a laser-beam makeover, the dragons are alien monsters, sailing ships were upgraded to starships, and the wizards' magic has been rebranded into "The Force", but it's absolutely a fantasy movie at its core. Much of what gets pigeon-holed as science fiction is actually fantasy at its core, really, and the distinction several generations ago was a bit different from today - the point being that fantasy covers a great deal of ground!
Fantasy pre-dated the very influential work of Tolkien, and it's worth checking out the sort of thing that was accepted as fantasy before it somehow got "codified" as "generic dungeons-and-dragons medieval European stuff" over the last 20 years or so: 'Wizard of Oz'? Fantasy, even though it was set in the then "modern era" of the 1900s... the 'Narnia' novels were set during WWII...
A lot of influential pulp fantasy from the likes of Clark Ashton Smith was set in the far-flung future of a dying Earth beneath a nearly burned-out sun... HP Lovecraft and Lord Dunsany set their "Dreamlands" fantasy stories in their respective "present day" of the early 20th century (translated to a sort of parallel world or astral realm), and Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos stories - absolutely a dark fantasy setting in spite of the horror and sci-fi elements - are given a signature "Jazz Era" setting that is routinely updated to the modern era of almost any movie adaptation.
Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter and Tarzan stories were set in the then-modern era of the 1900s or so, but absolutely qualify as fantasy, even though the fantasy elements of Tarzan are relatively subdued, and the fantasy elements of the John Carter stories were (like the later Star Wars movies that copy from John Carter) given a superficially sci-fi setting.
The classic Universal monster movies based on Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf-Man, and the like are also a (gothic) fantasy setting that exists in a sort of loosely Eastern European nowhere land in a loosely late-Victorian-to-then-current-day-1930s "no-when" time period.
Robert E. Howard's" Conan the Barbarian stories are classics of sword-and-sorcery fiction, but set in prehistoric earth ("The Hyborean Age" of a post-Lemurian/Atlantean apocalypse); REH's similar Bran Mak Morn dark fantasy stories were set during the decline of the Roman Empire, and Solomon Kane - another REH creation - were dark fantasy set loosely during the English Civil War of the mid-1600s...
The Superhero genre? Basically evolved directly from Edgar Rice Burroughs creations of Tarzan and John Carter (among other influences) - Superman was essentially a John Carter clone, with an alien superman on earth instead of a super Earthman on Mars... the superhero genre also works with much of the same Atlantean and Lemurian Theosophical source material that influenced Robert E. Howard, and may not be obvious as "fantasy" stories due to the lack of obvious sword-and-sorcery material, but is absolutely still firmly in the realm of fantasy - it's a little easier to see the connection between the two closely-entwined subgenres of what used to be called "speculative fiction" in superheroes like Thor, Doctor Strange, Namor the Submariner, and so on....
There's a whole genre of 'sword-and-sandal" fantasy movies that were a little more popular in the '60s than today, that is typically made up of fantasy set in a world of classical mythology and sometimes "exotic" fairy tales or legends - expect the likes of Jason and the Argonauts, Hercules, Sinbad the Sailor, King Arthur and Merlin, or even Biblical strongmen and heroes muscling or swashbuckling their way through chimeras, dragons, rocs, cyclops, hydras, and other great mythical monsters. This also counts as fantasy!
Check back into "kaiju" movies, the genre that includes Godzilla, King Ghidorha, King Kong, Gamera, Rodan, and so on: fantasy movies, though it might be kind of hard to tell at first glance. The Mothra movies are real easy to spot as fantasy stories, with magical pixies and wicked witches in addition to giant butterfly-spirits and giant dragons....
Doctor Who and Star Trek technically cross pretty far over into fantasy territory - Doctor Who in particular has had moments of pretty openly being treated as a "magical man in a box with a sonic-screwdriver magical wand" kind of story. (Science fiction again is a twin to the fantasy genre, split off of what used to be called "speculative fiction", with the distinction between fantasy and sci-fi being a bit vague, perhaps best divided along the loose boundary of how "realistically" the limits of technology are portrayed, compared to just using science-y "technobabble" - holo-decks, teleporters, sonic-doodads, nanites, etc. - to just stand in for magic: there's a lot more fantasy in Star Trek than there is in a low-magic fantasy setting like Gormenghast, for example!)
How does ET make that bike fly? Come on, it's magic!' Gremlins' is fantasy, too, though there's almost no obvious magic, and it's a little easier to think of this movie as a horror film (the magical little mogwai creature is introduced to us by a strange Chinese "wizard", to begin with....) 'Pirates of the Caribbean'? Fantasy, and of course "Harry Potter', too - settings in the '80s, the golden age of piracy, and the '90s (I think), respectively.
The Indiana Jones moves and similar fare are also pulp fantasy, often set in the early or mid-20th century, though there are "clones" and the like that could end up being set in other decades. Again, no obvious swords or wizards or dragons or "medieval" setting going on there, but it's fantasy material nevertheless, and you can see the most obvious fantasy elements in adventures into strange lands on quests for wondrous (and magical) artifacts like the Ark of the Covenant, Holy Grail, Spear of Destiny, and so on. The "knights in shining armor" for these stories wear fedoras and khakis and sling revolvers and bullwhips instead of the expected swords, but it's in the same fantasy territory!
And really, those are the only loose requirements for story to qualify as fantasy, and even these are a bit flexible: an exotic land to explore (or an unexpected exotic side to a seemingly mundane setting, as in urban fantasy), a quest of some sort, a bit of magic (perhaps dressed up as psychic powers, super powers, super-science, or the like), an adventurer (perhaps a brave one, but not necessarily so), and perhaps some strange creatures (which might be fairy creatures, but can instead be dressed up "scientifically" as aliens or mutants or newly-discovered species or the like....)
In short, fantasy covers a LOT of territory - older fantasy stories were pretty comfortable about embracing all sorts of settings that would seem exotic to us today, but even modern fantasy isn't afraid to explore outside the "generic medieval European fantasy" cliche!
Thank you.
20 - Dragonheart (1996) Seen it & loved it
19 - Ladyhawke (1985) No interest
18 - Krull (1983) No interest
17 - Solomon Kane (2009) Never heard of it
16 - Conan the Destroyer (1984) Pass
15 - The Lord of the Rings (1978) Have it on DVD and rewatched it with my daughters after we viewed Jackson's LOtR (Side note: we also watched both Hanna/Barbera ones as well)
14 - The Beastmaster (1982) Saw it once...meh
13 - Excalibur (1981) It's not so much "have I seen it" but "how many times"
12 - Dragonslayer (1981) Didn't see it but want to
11 - The Fountain (2006) Never heard of it
10 - Trollhunter (2010) Never heard of it
09 - The Gate (1987) Seen it
08 - The Witches Seen it
07 - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) Desperately need a re-viewing
06 - The Last Unicorn (1982) I've collected unicorns since childhood & was 17 when it came out. Now have it on DVD & rewatch it frequently. My daughter even got me the book.
05 - Stardust (2007) No interest
04 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) This is odd. I love Disney. I have it on DVD. I've never watched it.
03 - Legend (1985) Unicorn...duh!
02 - The Black Cauldron (1985) Love it
01 - The Dark Crystal (1982) Watched it several times.
Very nice
Thanks
👍
Thank You
Honorable mention is Return to Oz. Took years for that film to find it's audience
Tin Man was also a great show. Also in the wizard of Oz vein.
You mean scar the audience...
Return to Oz is SO GOOD.
I LOVE Return to Oz. I find it to be a very faithful adaptation despite being an amalgamation of the second and third novels in the Oz series. The problem for most audiences is that they are unfamiliar with the source material. It isn't like the Judy Garland film, so, to their ignoramus brians, that means it's bad.
a masterpiece.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen was one of me and my brothers favorites growing up!
Same. It was always on rotation on HBO back in the late 80’s, early 90’s so me and my brother have seen it well over something ridiculous like 50 times or so.
Yh watched it a few years back great film from start to finish Munchausen,Time bandits , fear and loathing are probably terry gilliams best works
Love this movie!
This is one of those films that is so much better on a giant screen.
Yes!!! It's amazing
Everyone of these are gems. Especially for us Gen Xers. This was our childhoods.
...and remakes be damned.
agree. the 80's ones for sure are still popular and has a huge fan base. These are not underated. Mojo has been doing bad lately
I would cast Dragonheart into the fire.
So happy you mentioned Ladyhawk! I’ve always loved that film!
Walk on the LEFT side!
You guys are going to need a part 2 for sure. I love every single one of those movies and they are always on a constant watch. You still have gems like Willow, Narnia 79'
I'm surprised there's only 3 I'd not heard of. If you like fantasy films, I'd also recommend checking out Labrynth, Willow, Clash of the Titans (original), Hawk the Slayer, and Erik the Viking.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is an absolute masterpiece and by far one of the best and most unique films ever made!
Absolutely.
However, I refute the notion to declare this historical drama as fantasy.
I saw it at the cinema. A film where you can see where ever penny was spent. So many guest stars as well including Williams Oliver Reed uma thuroma
I agree, the waltz scene with Muchausen and Venus is a perfectly directed bit of cinema.
@@NelsonStJames absolutely. But even more than that, this film has so many hidden messages through its’ remarkable visual storytelling! And it never stops being optimistic, uplifting and exhilarating!
Absolutely brilliant!
The Secret of NIMH. Talking rats and mice dreaming of a better life. Watched that over and over as a kid.
All time favorite. It's a little hard to watch now because of how much I loved it then.
Also traumatizing as all hell for a kid. Yeah thanks again Don Bluth for killing my innocence with all your stuff
Me too.
@@DogwafflDan I hear you.
@@mysticsaxophone4181 At least he was trying to show that 2D animation is not just for kids, but for teens and adults too.
The Fall (2006) with Lee Pace is criminally unknown.
It has a sweeping surreal style, extraordinary imagery, deceptively dark undertones, and a clever framing device. Absolutely top tier
I agree. I listed it in my comment. Stunning cinematography.
huh, I've never heard of it. I'll have to check it out :)
Absolutely the most visually stunning movie I've ever seen.
Oooh, thanks for the tip - I've never heard of it and I do like Lee Pace
Remember seeing Dark Crystal in the theater...just an amazing flick all around.
Excalibur was by far the best Arthurian film ever made. Truly Epic with an incredible giving masterful performances. Having it on this list gives your line-up chops.
Legend, Dark Crystal, Beast Master all bring back some good memories. What fun those were to see in theatre.
Excalibur had one of the best Merlins! Add in Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren and it was epic!
Yes! Nicol Williamson as Merlin was pure genius.
@@BrundleFly868 "A Dream To Some..."
Excalibur is hands down my favourite movie. There are moments corny and less 'real' than the modern scifi movie but the characters and epic look of this movie soar above others of the similar genre.
O Fortuna/Carmina Burana was a perfect song for the climax of the film.
The best Legend of King Arthur movie still to this day. I'm amazed that Gen X'ers have never heard of it.
Love the list. Would have added Willow and Labyrinth as well
Underrated. Neither Labyrinth or Willow is considered underrated. Both are classics that millions love.
I feel many in this list are also well received and are considered classics (even if they were flops originally)
It's about time someone knows about Willow. I think Labyrinth may have gained recognition after Bowie's death.
@@SithBunny1 I feel like no one knows about Willow. Angry Joe didn't seem to know about it.
Both Willow and Labyrinth were sorely missed on this list. I kept waiting for it to show them and when it ended, I was thinking wtf? And by the way, I saw every one of these movies at the theatre. I was in my 20s in the 80s. I graduated High School in 1979.
Ladyhawk I love that one. I saw that in the theatre when I was young. It's a beautiful love story with the dark desolate backdrop of the dark ages. So good
Flight of Dragons is another underrated fantasy gem.
Ladyhawke is one of my all-time favorite movies. Fantastic and one-of-a-time premise, entertaining, well acted, quotable moments. For a fantasy film it is still my favorite after all these years.
Angelica Huston is a living treasure. She was BORN to be Morticia Addams, just as Christina Ricci was to be Wednesday.
I adore Terry Gilliiam's films, with Munchausen being tied with Doctor Parnassus for my favourites of his.
In terms of fantasy films overall, Willow, Legend, and Stardust win for me.
That's funny, when I watch Addams family now I crush on Anjelica, when I watched it 30 years ago I was crushing on Christina.
Yes the Addams Family Series and Movies Were Great Classics Legends I was so sad they stopped making the Movies due to the Great Actor who played Gomez dying young so sad
You guys absolutely KILLED it with this list. Can't disagree with a single pick. And extra points for including one of the best and most under-rated films: THE FOUNTAIN. This list proves one thing without question: the '80s was the best decade for everything.
Best list I ever saw from Watch Mojo.
Great list, yes...but no Willow? Hmm.
@@Magnum3144 agreed. it fits in this list (esp as it blends fantasy with socrcery and swashbuckling so well), but i will give credit to the channel that this is an actually comprehensive and appropriate list (against what I think usually happens ). I feel like in similar listings you wanna see Dark Crystal / Labyrinth / Willow / Neverending Story but somethings gotta give and 'you cant have them all'...
@@Magnum3144 Maybe next time they will make the list longer, cause I agree. LOL
I don't know about Bakshi's Lord Of The Rings. While interesting in parts and it made an impression before any other proper films were made it's actually quite bad. Can't get over C-3P0 playing Legolas and those elven eyes.
Glad you mentioned Stardust. I also enjoy the Neil Gaiman book on which the movie is based.
I think they do a good job adapting it too. They change a few things but it keeps the core and most important parts and afaik Neil Gaiman was involved with the changes made and approved of it.
This is a pretty solid list... And I want to thank you for using the US theatrical cut of Legend. It's the version I grew up with and loved (we rented it practically every other weekend when I was a kid). The director's cut is good, but I really feel like Jerry Goldsmith's score is over the top. I would add "The Secret of Roan Inish" and Bakshi's "Fire and Ice."
Glad you enjoyed it!
I wish I could see more animated stories from the world of Fire and Ice. I loved that movie.
They mention the Tangerine Dream score being great but the clips they show are from the director’s cut. Meg’s line she says is not in the theatrical cut, nor is Gump’s, and the score playing in the background in that scene is the Goldsmith one. I also prefer the Tangerine Dream cut/soundtrack.
Great bunch of movies! I feel the urge to binge watch now. 😊
It wasn't just Jim Henson that came up with the world of Thra, the fantasy illustrations of Brian Froud served as inspiration.
I use the tarot deck called the Faeries Oracle that Brian Froud designed
True, my friend. Brian Froud helped Henson create a true masterpiece of film.
Yes, not mentioning Froud was a huge omission.
@@zounds13 Toby !!!!!! hahaha
I grew up watching Bedknobs and Broomsticks at least once a week. The good old days of VHS saving movies from TV. The ending with the magical army of empty armor was always my favorite part.
And I liked the Black Cauldron in theaters but was frustrated when it never seemed to get a home release. Best I had was a story book with art that retold the first half of the movie.
I was just a little too old to see Bednobs and Broomsticks in a theater. I will definitely watch it the next time I have a Disney+ susbscription (I am rotating through the streaming services to save money). I finally saw the Black Cauldron a couple of years ago and was a bit disappointed. Good animation, but the plot just didn't seem gripping enough.
I grew up military, so Bed Knobs & Broomsticks (along with other Dusney classics) were part of my childhood.
Anyone remember The Gnome Moblie?
Bednobs and broomsticks was totally underrated! What other movie has witches vs Nazis?!?!?
Still my cozy go to
I was about 7 years old, my mom and grandmother took me to see Bedknobs at Radio City. It was magic.
Decades later, I saw it again on DVD and was suddenly 7 years old again.
Excalibur, to me is the TOP TIER King Arthur movie to date! No other movie based off his legend has even come close to matching it in terms of cast, music quality, cinematography or story. I love Sword in the Stone, the classic Knights of the Round Table from the 50s, Monty Python's Holy Grail and even The Kid Who Would Be King.
But Excalibur will always be No. 1
Gritty, ethereal, funny, magical - I LOVE it. The scene where Arthur is knighted is short but it is awesome.
@@ElroyMcDuffAgreed, it also shows how good of a hero and eventual leader Arthur will be.
Rather than force his rival to acknowledge his authority, Arthur WILLINGLY hands Excalibur over to Uriens; so he could be knighted and made his equal.
Many would expect Uriens to strike him down right there...but he does the exact opposite
Hell, one of the TOP TIER movies of all time in general!
One of the biggest things that makes it a great movie, is also what knee-caps this movie. There is a ton of set and music references back to Wagner operas.
Such a great list! I see a lot of people mentioning popular ones but this is about the lesser spoken gems of the past. These guys really did their homework.
Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Time Bandits, those are my favorite fantasy films, I suppose among many others. Great video on all those fantasy greats. Fantasy gives so much more to life, don't you agree?
Good list, but I think Return to Oz should have made the list.
I agree, I think 20 people would all have 20 completely different top 20 lists. I only like 2 of the films on the list, most are boring in my opinion. LadyHawke I believe is one of the most overrated fantasy films. I didn't care for it, others do. Beastmaster on the other hand is epic!
@@billybatson8657I agree with this. Most people are going to come up with one or too gems that you have never seen nor at the very least slipped your mind.
And I tried to watch Ladyhawke once or twice when films on regular television were the norm. Never finished it.
I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe it just wasn't for me.
@@MorinehtarTheBlue The fact that they lumped in some early 2000's movies was kind of insulting, no one cared about those movies. Trollhunter, really?
@@cujoedaman People not caring is kind of the point. If a movie was good and nobody gave a damn that's the definition of underrated.
And while I can't speak to Trollhunter or the Fountain don't blanket pan early 2000s as Stardust is phenomenal.
There's a couple of the movies in WatchMojo's list that I didn't like (I'm looking at you, 'Legend'), but I think they did a fine job of compiling it anyway - with a "top 20" list, there's bound to be one or two that each of us will disagree on, but I can at least agree with WatchMojo that these are all films that deserve to be seen at least once and appreciated by someone more than they have been, even if it's not our own cup of tea.
'Return to Oz' is a great choice for a list like this, and one of the first movies I thought of! It definitely suffered in its day as a much darker fantasy movie than audiences at the time were comfortable with: it was released in 1985, just a couple years after ET and before the Satanic Panic really took off, and kind of fell in a time when I think parents were looking for lighter-and-fluffier fair for their kids to watch, and getting a bit uncomfortable with the more adult, dark, violent, angle that sci-fi and fantasy were taking in a world post- 'Alien' and 'The Thing'. I remember critics and audiences alike complaining about how scary 'Return to Oz' was, and it just didn't seem to go anywhere at the time. Much more surprising to me today is the fact that it never found a "cult" audience later on, the way these sorts of movies tend to do: it's definitely better than its reputation would suggest (when it's remembered at all), and deserves to have found an audience that appreciates this sort of thing. It should have been right up the alley for audiences that loved 'Harry Potter' or 'Pirates of the Caribbean', for example!
This was perfectly nostalgic! And thank you for including Adventures of Baron Munchausen. I know that movie by heart!
Excellent list! Dragonslayer and Excalibur were the first fantasy films I had ever watched. I was instantly hooked.
Hard to believe Peter MacNicol was awesome in Dragonslayer then played that annoying turd in Ghostbusters II
I think of Dragonslayer as more of a HORROR movie, albeit with a medieval setting, than fantasy. It's almost to dragons what Jaws is to sharks.
I loved Dragonslayer. I would have also included Time Bandits.
Ive seen most of these. To be underrated? Thats insane!! Ive seen these movies countless of times as a kid & still watching them today with my own kids. They never get old.
it's just clickbait to lead us here and discuss how they are not underrated, because they are not. Comment = more attention of algorythm and more viesw. It's list of most known fantasy movies classics.
Finally, a list that highlights some hidden gems! Time to add these to my watchlist.
Especially the dark crystal
I'm surprised Willow isn't on this list. That's a good one. You can ignore the rest of the series though. That sucked.
Hidden apart from the Fountain all of hese are really well known
Bedknobs and Broomsticks was one of my absolute favorites as a kid. I still remember the magic words to animate the objects.
Happy to see Ladyhawke, Dragonslayer, The Last Unicorn, and The Dark Crystal called out; growing up in the 80s, I loved seeing the heroines in these movies as active, resourceful partners rather than standard-issue helpless damsels.
Very good list. Seen most of these.
Missing more though.
The Flight of Dragons, Return to Oz, Red Sonya, Time Bandits, The Company of Wolves, Wizards, A Chinese Ghost Story, Heart and Souls, The Fisher King, Warriors of Virtue and many more
I love the Company of Wolves. So good and not as well known as it should be.
I was obsessed with The Flight of Dragons! Never reshown on TV, sadly and the RUclips version has been removed ☹
I loved The Flight of Dragons as a kid, rewatched it 2 or 3 years ago and feel it is a bit less good than I remembered, an A not a A+ Explorers was F'n awesome though. A++, Wizards would be a B tier unless I was taking some good stuff. Time Bandits is awesome, I think I've seen it 7 or 8 times, "it's EVIL"
Wow Yes the Company of Wolves In a Different League only Excalibur and the first Conan Movie are in this League Classics Legends People will still be watching in a thousand years if Humanity is not Hooked up to AI Sadly nearly a Billion of Humanitys Bravest Finest Tried let down By Billions
Lady Hawk was one of the first vhs that had true hi fi audio but you needed a very expensive player at the time
Ladyhawk.....one of the few digital movies I own, rest are on dvd 😄
We had such a player, but because we were a late adopter, it was far cheaper when we bought it. That Philips beast outlasted many player of those we knew, but the programmer who cobbled together the key sequence to plan a recording should be sent to a recursive function without an escape clause.
Ladyhawke was one of my go-to sick day movies when I was a kid.
I think I've seen 18 of these, and now I want to watch them all again.
The Dragon in Dragon Slayer was a Wyvern, but one of the best Dragons ever put to film!
The bit where it stalks through the cave is *chefs kiss* superb!
Hours could be spent on the brilliance of the Dark Crystal, but two things that should have been mentioned were the extreme detail of the set to create the illusion of a living, alien world and that incredible score. It grabs you and doesn't let go.
Dark Crystal is a fantastic movie. It's a shame the prequel TV series was canceled so early I would have really liked to see what happened.
The series was really expensive to produce. I don’t like the decision to cancel it, but I understand it.
It's such a shame it was canceled 😔
I'm still holding out hope they revive the prequel series one day. Its cancellation was a tragedy and one of many examples where money won out over art.
@@zstick To be fair to Netflix, they are a private business not a charity. If they are losing money on a series there is no incentive for them to continue it.
@@FishKepr Yep. Hence "money won out over art." Like I said.
No Time Bandits???? I would absolutely have that at Number 1 on this list - followed by Labyrinth.
This is a list of "underrated" fantasy films. Time Bandits and Labyrinth were appropriately rated as "remarkable" and "triumphant" both today and when they were first released.
By the Gods, what has happened to me? Having been born in the 70's, EVERY movie you have listed from the 70's to the 90's I either saw in the theater, have on DVD, or both. Then... nothing after 2000. The 3 movies you listed from then I haven't even heard of before. Did I get old? I still play D&D with friends and love fantasy movies and yet here I am having missed out on these gems. Thank you for this list. I'll look up those 3 movies and give them a well deserved view.
Same as me! The only 2000’s movie in this list I know (and love) is Stardust
I'm also a child of the 70's and about five months ago I joined a DnD group. I've seen most of these movies and very much enjoyed them. Time Bandits was also pretty good but it got super slow during the Napoleon era act.
It should be written '70s and '90s.
I think the trick is that you simply missed them. Bad PR or, as the list does point out, a different variety of fantasy than what you were looking for.
Terrific list!
I could suggest The Fall ('06), Immortals ('11), and Kubo and the Two Strings ('16). Those might be bending the intended genre a bit. But I'd stand firmly behind naming Return to Oz ('85): beautiful, dark (the books were pretty dark!), definitely fantasy.
I had no idea Matthew Vaughn directed Stardust, and shame on me as I watched this sitting across from my DVD copy. No wonder I like it so much.
Thank you. Really terrific list!
I'd have added also the clay-mation movie Adventures of Mark Twain on their blimp to Haley's Comet, that movie is a classic!
I really like your choices. I would have added Mirrormask written by Neil Gaiman and directed by Dave McKean. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. 👍🏽👍🏽
I was going to say the same, one of my all times. I watch it at least a couple times a year and planning a tattoo inspired by it🥰
I tried watching mirrormask a while back and had trouble tracking it down. Thanks for reminding me, it's probably easier now.
Mirrormask is an excellent film.
Yeah they put the wrong Neal Gaimen movie on the list.
@@williamdixon-gk2skNot at all. Neil Gaiman is just a phenomenal writer.
Unless that is a consideration of the list I would think both of those films have earned themselves a place.
The Dark Crystal was shown to me when I was little by my Dad, and it was one of my favorite movies.
How old were you? I don't know what age would be appropriate to show it to my kid ...
Legend and Willow were the best 80s fantasy films.
Facts
I had Willow and The Princess Bride back to back on VHS 😅
@@sarasunshinemt4444 okay. I add princess Bride to the list.
That list rocked. Gotta see The Fountain and Solomon Kane. Haven’t seen those.
Eric the Viking.
The gate,
Return to Oz
Come in mind as strong contenders for this list IMO
The dark Chrystal is amazing!
One of my favorites as well. Did you ever see the Netflix series
Word!
Total y worth it to Watch, even the series whichwhy want to see again
@@Reaperguy67it’s amazing
So is Willow and no one seems to remember/know that one.
How a movie from 1996 has better CGI than marvel today?
Disney just can't seem to make any progress in the world of CGI without George Lucas, can they?
Thinking the same thing about Excalibur
@@SilverScribe85 only...there is no CGI in Excalibur, lol
@@MichaelSmith-zx5lwRight, I meant to say the SPECIAL EFFECTS in Excalibur are better than Marvel's
An easy answer: these movies had a soul. Unlike the movies today.
Because Marvel is terrible.
Thank you for the update, WatchMojo..!! Dragonslayer (1981)'s dragon looked so realistic back in the 80s, and still does. 🤣
'Dragonslayer' was a great little movie, much better than I think most of us remember. I don't remember now why it just didn't seem to catch on with audiences at the time, but suspect it had something to do with the fairly dark story in a movie that seemed at the time like it was "kid's stuff"... I think 'The Black Hole', 'Return to Oz', and 'The Secret of NIMH' suffered much the same fate over the years as fairly dark fantasy/scifi films that audiences at the time just weren't really ready for. 'Dragonslayer' would fit in really well today in a post-'Game of Thrones' world!
Excellent list! Gotta go back and re-watch all of these, plus Red Sonja. 😁❤️
This list is jam-packed with some all-time favorites for me. Legend, Ladyhawke, Dragonslayer, Excalibur, the Dark Crystal, Conan, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Moonk- howz-'n) all sit at the top of my favorites list. All the rest of these films are in my list of favorites in various places as well. Those top films have all been re-watched in the last year or so.
Ladyhawke is definitely in my Top 10 favorite movies. I've watched it many times and still tear up at the end! I also love Excalibur. Great list! Now I want to go back and rewatch all those movies again. I would like to nominate I Am Dragon, which is a 2015 fantasy movie - I think it's Russian. Really beautiful movie.
I think Ladyhawke is one of the most romantic movies ever. I think my favorite scene is after the night at the farm. They never tell us how cognizant they are in animal form. So you get the impression that Navarre knows what basically happened the night before and is only listening with half an ear until Mouse says that she spoke. Then he starts paying full attention. It appears they can remember and understand some of what happens but definitely not everything. And that great line, "No, I believe in dreams. I've waited a long time for a woman like that." He says it simply but there's a depth of emotion behind his words that only an actor like Rutger could pull off.
Couldn't agree more. My favorite on this list.
I saw Krull at the theater. I saw it at the Joy Cinema in Shreveport, Louisiana when I was 10 years old and I loved it.
Funny how in the 80's when we saw Krull that Boomerang bladed thing was sooo epic & larger then life.
And when we watch it today were like umm yeah it looks cheesy cheap.... 80's kids FTW!!!
Heavy Metal, Time Bandits, and The Thief of Baghdad (1940) should have been on the list.
OMG, I remember watching The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen all the time as a kid. And I'm sill waiting for a live-action of The Last Unicorn, because you know it's going to happen one day.
If Beagle has anything to say, probably not.
There was almost a live action The Last Unicorn. Christopher Lee was going to reprise King Haggard but it couldn't get out of developmental hell and then Lee died. Massive bummer.
@@SithBunny1 It's too much of a classic for ti to not happen SOMEDAY.
You know there is a sequel to The Last Unicorn in book form. It is a shame it never got made into an animated movie.
This is like a list of all my fav movies I watched growing up. What an amazing childhood! So glad I can share them with my kid.
Perfect List ... other than the 2-3 movies I wasn't aware of and need to see now. Thank you.
The last unicorn
The Dark crystal
Bedknobs and broomsticks
Top 3 fav Fantasy movies
I still get chills when Molly grew says to the unicorn how dare you come to me now when I'm like this
I've been watching that movie my whole life and I will never tire of it and you are correct the score by America is just fantastic
Also, my MomMom looks just like Angela Lansbury so I have an extreme affinity for that movie as well
Great list, it's only missing The Neverending Story
Absolutely FANTASTIC film!
I don’t think that movie was underrated.
Yeah this is yet another instance of not taking the word underrated under advisement.
I've seen Time Bandits, Labyrinth, Willow and now The Neverending Story mentioned. Except everyone generally agrees those are good films.
As with many internet inquiries someone has to miss the point and shoe horn something else into the answer.
Let's not use the most celebrated fantasy films to take the place of hidden gems we might not know about.
@@MorinehtarTheBlue there are generations out there, who have never seen Labyrinth, Neverending story, Willow or any of the entries on the list. _WE_ agree that those movies are great, but to all those that will never get a chance to see them I say they are underrated. They have become obscure, there are so many movies filled with effects, who lack soul that get viewed today. So, for me I am happy to see ALL of the old fantasy films on this list and if it leads to one of the movies to be discovered by a young mind. I call it a victory!
@@DinJaevel That just feels like reaching. The Fountain is underrated. Neverending Story is a successful, widely beloved movie
I think the Chronicles of Narnia sequels are underrated. People complained how Prince Caspian deviated from the book too much, but I still think the stuff they added were fine additions. And it had great action and costume designs.
And yeah, the Dark Crystal is a master-piece.
The recent Narnia are terribly done. I don't think it's possible to underrate them. The BBC versions are much better.
i agree with darkdragon, the new narnias, are good movies. not, amazing but solid, fun movies
Everything narnia is awful, live action, books or animated they are consistently awful. I was offended by its preachiness at the age of 3 and I have less tolerance for it every year.
@@fuckgoogle8661 Certified Christophobe I presume?
I think their mistake was trying to make the books something they weren't. They wanted Lord of the Rings and they wanted to spend 200 million and then make a billion off it and they mostly succeeded with the first movie. But that's not really how the other books work. They could have spent 50 million, followed the books more closely, and have made 100 million off them. Not every fantasy story has to be a huge epic and Hollywood doesn't understand that.
My two favorite childhood films at the first and second position makes my heart happy. I'm so glad to find people not only knowing, but liking these movies. They are pure gems. Love The Dark Crystal and Black Cauldron so much
One of your better lists. Very spot-on! Legend, the Adventures of Baron Munchausin and the Beastmaster were always personal favorites of mine growing up and the Disney films definitely need more love than it gets.
I don't know if this would qualify, but I have always enjoyed the movie "Young Sherlock Holmes". It had a lot of fantasy elements in the movie.
Like Willow or Labyrinth, not underrated at all.
I agree with the earlier poster. Those movies were appreciated and thus, not really under-rated at the time.
@@jfess1911Not sure what you two are getting at, but I've never even mentioned "Willow" or "Labyrinth" and most people wouldn't put "Young Sherlock Holmes" on the level of either of them. Most people I've talked to have never even heard of it.
@@MChantal76 Interesting. I commented on another post and it showed up here.
"Young Sherlock Holmes" was absolutely amazing! I too am shocked that people haven't heard of it. It's a shame that none of these streaming platforms has given it a chance.
I hit the like button and immediately started watching the video! I am a longtime fan of the fantasy genre, and these are some great choices!
Love this list, stardust is one of my favorites movies. So glad you listed it ❤
I have seen all of them except for "The Fountain", will check that out this weekend. Thanks!
Two of my favorite films from the 80s I watched over and over: Krull and Dragonslayer. That dragon, especially when it was battling Ralph Richardson, was exquisite!
The first scene of Conan the Destroyer is pure fantasy gold. I love that opening scene.
I remember recording that on tape when it first aired on HBO, then watching it literally over and over and over and over.....LOVE that movie!!
The Dark Crystal - perfect choice for #1!!!
Willow and Labriynth needs to be on this List!
But those movies are not underrated
@@cinamini242 I feel like people don't know/remember Willow.
@@zachtwilightwindwaker596 The studios just recently (a year or so) released a whole TV series called Willow, which is based in the same universe with lots of the same characters. Willow is known and remembered by enough folk for the money men to give the green light to that.
@@jmonkeyThat series sucked.
@@zachtwilightwindwaker596 Yes, it sucked compared to the original movie, which I loved.
"Questions, questions, too many questions. You want a shard? Here!" - Aughra
thanks for introducing me to a few films I've never even heard of. Off to watch Solomon Kane and a couple others.
Great list!!!! Below I noticed that someone mentioned adding Willow and Labyrinth. I think those could be included in future underrated movie lists for sure.
Excellent list! dragon heart, Ladyhawke, the witches, the last unicorn, stardust, the black cauldron and the dark crystal are still among my favorites! John Hurt's voice performance of the horned king still sends shivers down my spine!
I would add Mirrormask. There were many on this list that I wouldn't consider underrated as they are well known and regarded. I was surprised there was only 1 I haven't heard of. I guess it depends on your definition of underrated.
I was 8 when the Dark Crystal came out and saw it in the theatre. And I have adored it ever since.
Lists like these have me thinking about how streaming has NOT allowed us to easily see some of these earlier masterpieces. As well as the way studios are way too timid to take chances on films now.
What Dreams May Come is another good one!
"Six String Samurai" is one of the most underrated movies. It's a post apocalyptic story, so don't know if that's in the fantasy genre.
But the movie that should be #1 on this list didn't even make it at all: "The Never Ending Story"
Yes, absolutely, It’s one of first to come to my mind when thinking fantasy
One of my faves was "The Flight of Dragons" released in 1982.
Yes!
Love that film.
This was absolutely my first thought when I saw the list; I have to go back and rewatch it every now and again...
You might like Herself the Elf.
It was only a short 20 or 30minuets but I loved it as a child.
I came here to say this! All time favourite.
Good list, but it lacks the bizarre Return to Oz!
I will admit my biases, but really, no "Return to Oz"? For that matter, how about any from earlier times, such as "The Thief of Bagdad", "The Adventures of Prince Achmed", "Gulliver's Travels", "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T", or "The Wizards"?
Wow. That got me thinking about 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad', with Tom Baker before he became Dr Who, in a very dark role...
I'm a great grandmother and you listed nearly all of my favorite films. Can't say that "Krull" was on the list, but absent that movie was a walk through the past for me. Many actors in the movies you mentioned went on to long successful careers. "Excalibur" alone has 3 future stars and the actor that played King Arthur later had a part as a high priest of Apollo in "Troy." I would also put Ralph's "Wizards" in there, a "Midnight Movie" favorite for many years.
These are a lot of my childhood video's. It's a rare breed for someone else to feel this list like I did. Well done, one of my classmates wrote this....great picks. I still love all the Arnold Conans as he is about the only person can play him. Arthur and the Stone- will always be one of my favs. if ya know, ya know. Labrynth , Tron all these oldies are dope.
Great list!
Dduuddee, first of all I was born in January 1986, and I loved all those movies back then, and "The Witches" scared the shit out of me as a kid, and I freaking LOVED Dragonheart!!!!!! They truly don't make movies like they used to!!!!
I was born in March of 86
@@karawardlaw4090Is this a contest because I have 8 years on you both. :-) Peace and Love.
@@jmonkey lol no, not a contest. I just thought it was cool that we were both born in 1986
Great list! I would add Inkheart, John Carter and Willow to the list.
Willow is definitely not underrated.
Technically, 'Excalibur' and 'The Fountain' aren't underrated either - critics loved those movies at the time, even if audiences couldn't be bothered to watch them. These movies have ended up pretty much forgotten today, and deserve another look from modern audiences.
'The Dark Crystal' made the video's list, even though audiences at the time loved it (though I seem to recall that critics were divided on the dark fantasy elements) - I think that everyone ended up on the same page about this movie later on being a fantasy classic, but I can't complain about it making this list. (The recent canceled Netflix(?) Dark Crystal series might better qualify for "underrated", to be honest, but I won't complain that it's not here instead....)
I think 'Willow' falls into similar territory: I don't remember ANYONE back when it was first released talking about it, and I think it was largely forgotten until the abortive attempt to reboot it happened. 'Willow' honestly deserves another look from modern fantasy audiences who haven't seen it yet. I think it would be fair to add 'The Neverending Story' and 'Labyrinth' into similar territory....
'John Carter' was tragically under-appreciated by both critics and audiences... I have no idea what went wrong with that one, except perhaps that the marketing and publicity for it were horribly botched. It seems that audiences had long forgotten the original pulp novels, and ended up confused by a movie that looked like a "bad Star Wars rip-off" at a time when even Star Wars movies were looking like "bad Star Wars rip-offs" and audiences were pushing back, when in truth it was the other way around ('Star Wars' owes a pretty clear debt to 'Dune', and both 'Star Wars' and 'Dune' own a debt to John Carter as the great-granddaddy of that sort of epic sci-fi story)... I don't think this movie was ever going to charm audiences the same way the original 'Star Wars' did, but still, it wasn't a bad movie at all, and the film-makers managed to do a remarkably good job with source material that might have seemed completely unfilmable just a generation or two ago! 'John Carter' definitely deserves another chance from fantasy and sci-fi fans....
Great picks. I'd add 10th Kingdom, City of lost children/Micmacs, Going postal/Hogfather, Valhalla '86, Jack and the Beanstalk, Elm-chanted forest, Return to Oz, Witching & Bitching, Bell Book and Candle, Night Watch/Day Watch/Guardians of the Night. Cheers;o)
I’m so glad to see The Adventures of Baron Munchausen on this list. I watched it as a teenager and it was one of the best movie nights of my life. An absolute masterpiece and gem of a movie!
My whole family loved Baron Munchausen, I was only thinking about it a few weeks ago. Legend was great, especially with Tim Curry as the devil.
Ok, I loved Troll Hunter. It's a wonderful satire of both mythology and fantasy/horror film. Don't let Rare Exports pass you by, either.
It's one of those movies that turn out to be way better than you expected. And the cinematography of the Norwegian scenery is utterly spectacular.
I'm so happy you mentioned Baron Munchhausen, Legend, Black Cauldron, and The Dark Crystal.
Though, I don't think Stardust did justice to the Gaiman novel. It may be my bias, as I can't help but judge harshly when I love the book.
I agree about Stardust. It's a fun movie, but it could have been a lot better had the plot not been changed so much from the book's.
Stardust is probably the best adaptation of anything Neil gaiman, that being said it’s mediocre.
Nice to see the 1978 animated Lord of the Rings receive some respect. Many seem to put THAT version down while bolstering the more popularly known 2000 live action version, which I think is flagrantly unjust.