Entertainment
Fantasy is one of the oldest movies genres that has blossomed long before the advance of special video effects, 3D animation, and green screens. Needless to say, modern fantasy movies look like real fairy tales that come to life in front of our own eyes. They are filled with heroes, creatures, beasts, and characters ranging from ordinary boys possessing magic powers to wizards, dragons, and elves. One might say fantasy is the best genre of all! Here are 10 best and worst fantasy movies ever made.
Best: The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
The Fellowship Of The Ring may be one of the least action-packed out of the three Lord of the Rings movies, but it is still our most favourite. We get too see how the story unfolds with all the gorgeous green meadows of the Shire, Gandalf being a bit of a trickster, the dark riders and rings that hold special power, the evil of Sauron that never sleeps, and a dangerous quest that must be taken by a brave team of humans, gnomes, and elves. Many movies were made since The Lord of the Rings trilogy came out, but none have reached that high mark set by J. R. R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson!
Worst: King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017)
Guy Richie has been known for his unique story-telling and action-packed plots, but these talents did him no favours in a new, but not very exciting take on King Arthur’s Legend. King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword was a disastrous flop that left both viewers and critics confused about why this movie was made in the first place. Maybe it’s best to stick to original plots? Give these stories a break already.
Best: Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Guillermo del Toro has a distinctive style that mixes thrilling, often creepy elements with dark fantasy motifs and deep philosophical subtext. Pan’s Labyrinth is a coming of age story that looks like a modern dark fairy-tale that delves into many topics from growing up to the horrors of war seen from a child perspective. It’s brilliant, but it’s not a light-hearted movie!
Worst: The Last Airbender (2010)
It seems M. Night Shyamalan has somewhat lost his movie touch. The Last Airbender is an adaptation of the highly popular cartoon series about a world filled with people who can control different elements of nature. The series were fun, deep, and philosophical on many levels. Needless to say, the movie was none of that. Fans were outraged by the mannequin-like actors, awful dialogues, and lacklustre plot. It was a total disaster!
Best: Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)
Harry Potter is one of the biggest names in modern day fantasy, so it’s hard to pinpoint just one movie – each of them has millions of fans as well as things that can be criticized. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban is an all-time favourite due to the masterful direction of Alfonso Cuarón and Gary Oldman starring as Sirius Black. The movie has a different, darker vibe compared to the first two, bringing the whole franchise to a whole new level that is not just about kids running around performing magic. The story gets deeper, the characters grow up, and the magic is as breathtaking as ever!
Worst: The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
The list simply wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t throw in some oldies that are so bad they are actually good. You can imagine what kind of special effects were used back in the day, but that doesn’t justify the overly cheesy plot about dark sorcerer, demons, a corrupt king, and brave Prince Talon, who yields the three-pronged sword. Yes, you read that right! One of the movie’s lines has actually become legendary: ‘There’s a battle in the offing! We’ve got kingdoms to save and women to love!’
Best: Enchanted (2007)
Disney has brought us something fresh and very endearing in the form of Enchanted. It is a story of a Disney princess who gets cast away into the most unusual of all worlds – the real world of modern day New York! One might say it’s not a place for a princess who likes to dance, sing, and interact with animals, but the plot states otherwise. There’s a hilarious not-so-charming prince who is trying to save her from this ‘awful place’ and a courteous man who does some actual saving. Filled with amazing songs and light-hearted humour, this movie will definitely put a smile on your face.
Worst: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (2018)
Something went terribly wrong in the Harry Potter Universe. The latest Fantastic Beasts movie was a huge disappointment to the fans of the franchise and a very mediocre movie for those who simply wanted to watch an entertaining fantasy film. It looks like an encyclopaedia turned into a movie rather than a captivating adventure with characters you care about. The plot and the dialogues are lacking and there are not enough cute beasts in the movie to make up for that.
Best: The Neverending Story (1984)
Kids of the 90s were lucky to grow up watching this gem of a movie and it has aged well despite the old-fashioned special effects (that still look great by the way). It has everything – relatable characters, great plot, and amazing music to accompany all this. The movie tells a story about a boy, who is bullied all the time, not having the courage to stand up to those bullies. He doesn’t think too much of himself, until he stumbles upon a book and gets into the world of Fantasia. While he reads it – the whole world is created! And he is the only one who can save it from grave danger. That is, if he realizes his powers and his true potential.
Worst: Robin Hood (2018)
The latest Robin Hood adaptation starring Jamie Foxx and Taron Egerton was meant to be more of a modern take on the original story, but it has very little in common with the Robin of Loxley we all know. This might be the worst out of all RH adaptations ever! It’s action-packed and may be fun to watch for those who love that kind of movie, but that’s the most exciting part about it. It’s grimy, dark, messy, and lacking in character development. Modern-day looking riots and gambling don’t make the movie look any better.
Source: zestradar.com