Fantasy movies rank among the most impressive-looking film genres, and with good reason. They allow creative minds to truly shine, featuring fantastical locations of brave heroes, ferocious monsters, and awe-inspiring magic. The technical aspects of filmmaking allow fantasy worlds to come alive, especially when the crew put in the work to make their worlds look and feel alive.
Some fantasy movies stand out more than others thanks to groundbreaking techniques that allowed for impressive set designs, makeup, and monsters, among other things. While the passing of time makes some of these older effects look dated by today’s standards, they still look impressive today, and don’t detract from the magical experience of watching the film. For the purposes of this list, we’ll only be focusing on live-action fantasy movies.
10
‘Clash of the Titans’ (1981)
In retribution for Zeus (Laurence Olivier) cursing her wicked son, Calibos (Neil McCarthy), the goddess Thetis (Dame Maggie Smith) transports Zeus’ demigod son, Perseus (Harry Hamlin), from an island paradise to the city of Joppa. He successfully breaks a curse put on the princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker) by Calibos, but Thetis informs the city that, unless Andromeda is sacrificed to the monstrous Kraken, Joppa will be destroyed. With a band of allies and magic items gifted to him from the gods, Perseus sets out on a quest to find a way to kill the Kraken, but Calibos follows his shadow to ensure he fails.
Clash of the Titans is the last movie featuring stop-motion animation by the legendary Ray Harryhausen. Not only do they look and move better than ever before, but they are also integrated pretty well in with the live-action footage.The standout monster has to be Medusa; the puppet looks and moves like a creature that is half-stone herself, and Perseus’ descent into her lair is drowning in atmospheric tension and dread.
9
‘The Adventures of Baron Munchausen’ (1988)
The Ottoman Empire lays siege to a city committed to logic and reason, where a theatrical troupe is performing a play about the life of the fantastical baron Munchausen. To their surprise, the real Baron (John Neville) arrives and claims that the Ottomans are here for him after he fled from a life-or-death wager with Sultan Mahmud I (Peter Jeffrey). He offers to save the city by tracking down his old associates, and is followed by the daughter of the troupe leader, Sally Salt (Sarah Polley), and the Angel of Death, who waits to claim the Baron’s soul.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is the final film in Terry Gilliam’s “Trilogy of Imagination,” and is hands down the most visually impressive. Not only are the costumes elaborate, but every scene is brought to life with lavish and creative sets. The best examples are found when the characters travel to the moon, where the characters move through its psychodelic kingdom, and interact with the gigantic king (Robin Williams) and queen (Valentina Cortese) who can detach their heads from their bodies.
8
‘Legend’ (1985)
Princess Lili (Mia Sara) spends her free time in the woods with her magical friend Jack in the Green (Tom Cruise), who introduces her to the last two unicorns in the world. Unfortunately, Lili distracts the stallion long enough for the servants of Darkness (Tim Curry) to poison him and steal his horn, plunging the world into a magical winter. Tom teams up with his magical friends to recover the horn, while Darkness falls in love with Lili and hopes to turn her to his side so they can kill the unicorn mare and bring eternal night.
Legend gained a dedicated cult following thanks to its simple but effective story, fun performances, and gorgeous special effects. The forest set looks and feels like a real woodland teeming with magic, and feels almost like a character itself with how it changes as the balance of power shifts from light to darkness. The makeup used to bring the fantastical creatures to life are nothing short of phenomenal; Curry emerges as one of cinema’s greatest devils, and the hag Meg Mucklebones (Robert Picardo) is a small but memorable swamp hag who embodies all that is ugly and wicked.
7
‘The Dark Crystal’ (1982)
On the planet Thra live two ancient races: the peaceful urRu who practice shamanistic magic, and the wicked Skeksis, who use an artifact called the Dark Crystal to extend their lives while draining Thra’s. As the Skeksis emperor and the urRu master both die, a young Gelfling named Jen (Stephen Garlick), whose people were killed by the Skeksis, embarks on a quest to stop them. He seeks out the wise woman Aughra (Billie Whitelaw), the keeper of a shard of the Dark Crystal, which can be used to cure it of Skeksis corruption and bring their downfall.
The Dark Crystal is Jim Henson’s masterpiece, and stands as one of the most immersive fantasy movies. Everything in the movie is brought to life with masterfully constructed puppets, which makes Thra feel truly alien due to their unique designs and the living environment that moves as if it were a single living organism. Netflix released a prequel TV show, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, in 2019, and when comparing the two, the fact that the original’s puppets stand up pretty well to nearly 30 years of innovation stands as a testament to the skill and craft that went into each and every one.
6
‘Dragonslayer’ (1986)
Galen Brandwardyn (Peter MacNicol) is the young apprentice of the last great sorcerer, Ulrich of Cragganmore (Sir Ralph Richardson), who is called upon to save the kingdom of Urland from the wicked dragon Vermithrax Pejorative. Ulrich is killed by the king’s captain of the guard, Tyrian (John Hallam), but Galen inherits his magic amulet and offers to slay the dragon. Unfortunately, not only is Vermithrax more powerful than Galen anticipated, but some would stand in his way to maintain the status quo, lest the dragon kill everyone in its wrath.
To this day, Dragonslayer still boasts perhaps cinema’s greatest dragon. Vermithrax is brought to life through massive animatronics, a World War II flamethrower, and a series of stop-motion puppets animated with a style invented by Phil Tippett called go motion, which incorporated motion blur in each frame. This makes Vermithrax feel like it is just as much a part of the world as the human characters, as well as capturing its size and power, making Galen’s quest all the more daunting.
5
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ (2007)
With Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) under the control of Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) of the East India Trading Company, pirates and those found aiding pirates are being killed en-mass, prompting a summoning of the Bretheren Court. Unfortunately, one of the pirate lords, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), is trapped in Davy Jones’ Locker, so Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), heads an expedition to rescue him with help from Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swan (Kiera Knightly), and Jack’s crew. The journey will test their loyalty and conviction, especially as everyone pursues their own personal goals revolving around freedom and selfish desires.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End was, at the time, the most expensive movie ever made, with most of the budget going into sets and effects. It paid off big time: Jones and his crew of mutant pirates look so lifelike you swear you could touch them, and the climactic battle in the maelstrom is as immersive as it is epic. This is because it masterfully combines impressive CGI with real sets and stunts to pull off some impressive visuals, and no matter how hectic things get, you can always tell what is happening to who in the battle.
4
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)
Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is a young girl who has moved with her pregnant mother into the home of her Falangist stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López), who spends his time hunting Maquis rebels. When she discovers a fairy, she follows it down into a hidden labyrinth, and meets a faun (Doug Jones). He tells Ofelia that she is the reincarnation of Princess Moanna of the underworld, and to return to her kingdom, she must pass three trials.
Pan’s Labyrinth presents its unique fantastical imagery with a mix of darkness and wonder, which fits with the movie’s themes of the fantasy world being used to parallel the hardships of the real world. The practical effects are its strongest visual aspects; the Faun look like a creature that reflects the multifacited sides of nature, and one of the monsters Ofelia has to circumnavigate, the Pale Man (Doug Jones), is appropriately grotesque and vile. Jones’ physical performance is also great, as it mixes well with the costume to make you forget that you’re looking at a man in a suit.
3
‘The Thief of Bagdad’ (1940)
A blind beggar in the streets of Basra reveals himself as Ahmad (John Justin), the former king of Bagdad. He was usurped by his traitorous Grand Vizier, Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), but escaped death with the help of a young thief named Abu (Sabu). When they arrive in Basra, Ahmad falls in love with the city’s Princess (June Duprez), but Jaffar also lusts after her, and is willing to use his powerful magic to deal with anyone who stands in his way.
The Thief of Bagdad is a remake of the 1924 silent film of the same name, but left a much stronger impact on fantasy films thanks to its revolutionary effects. It was the first movie to use blue screen technology, and while it’s obvious when compared to the CGI of today, the dated effects work in its favor, as they help add magic and otherness to the world. The best uses come from the Sultan of Basra (Miles Malleson) riding above the city on a flying horse, and the massive Djinn (Rex Ingram) that Abu briefly becomes master over.
2
‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ (2004)
Harry Potter’s (Daniel Radcliffe) third year at Hogwarts doesn’t start off well: he runs away from home after accidentally blowing up his aunt Marge (Pam Ferris), and he learns that mass murderer Sirius Black (Garry Oldman) has become the first prisoner to escape from the prison of Azkaban. Thus, the wraith-like Dementors, who guard Azkaban, have gone on the hunt for him, and won’t hesitate to drain the joy and positivity from anyone they encounter along the way. Harry tries to keep his head down and complete his schooling, but as time goes on, he gradually discovers that Sirisu Black is linked to his deceased parents and the night they were murdered.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the most visually distinct film in the Harry Potter franchise, and its effects still hold up beautifully. The hippogriff Buckbeak looks and moves as beautifully as you’d expect a creature of his majesty, and the scene where Harry flies him around Hogwarts remains one of the franchise’s most atmospheric moments. Other noteworthy effects include the Dementors and their aura of despair, the hectic Night Bus that weaves its way between muggle traffic, and the plethora of moving pictures in the background.
1
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003)
The Dark Lord Sauron (Alan Howard) is ready to wage his war against the free people of Middle-earth, and prepares to march his army to the capital of Gondor, Minas Tirith. Gandalf the White (Sir Ian McKellen) rides to the city with the hobbit Pippin (Billy Boyd) to aid in the defense, but is hampered by the steward, Denethor (John Howard), who is consumed by grief over the death of his son, Boromir (Sean Bean). Meanwhile, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) follow Gollum (Andy Serkis) along a secret path into Mordor, but Gollum plays on Frodo’s eroded will to turn him against Sam and claim the One Ring for himself.
All three Lord of the Rings films are visual marvels, but The Return of the King features the grandest effects. It contains some of the most iconic visuals in fantasy films, including the Charge of the Rohirrim, the arrival of the Haradrim on the backs of titanic Mûmakil, Sam’s battle against the giant spider, Shelob, and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) rallying an army of the dead to fight for the living. Then there is Gollum; Serkis’ motion capture gives Gollum so much life that, when combined with the impressive CGI, it’s as if he is really there interacting with the hobbits.