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Top 10 Fantasy Movies
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July 9, 2002 - Brad "Fairy Elf" Smoley (Columnist)
Good God! It's been a while since we've had a Top 10 list up, so I figured that out of the half dozen or so Top 10s on file that we'd been sitting on for the last half dozen months or so, I'd just grab one and do it. I chose the eagerly anticipated Top 10 Fantasy films because it's a genre close to my heart personally, it has a lot of kick as movies in it and well, dammit we had to do SOMETHING to kick the Top 10 thing back into gear. Before I continue though, I just have to qualify the term "fantasy" for y'all. It doesn't mean "porn", first of all. Go to another site if you are looking for smut, then email me with the URL, ok? But, it does mean movies that are defined by their other-world/other-time feel. Now personally, I'd throw the Star Wars movies in here, but Tim and I came to the agreement that they sort of transcend these lists, so they aren't here. Get over it, I had to. So anyway, without further ado, the Top 10 Fantasy Films...
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10. Ladyhawke
Little Jewish guy running around, protecting a bird, while Rutger Hauer sits on a horse and looks pissed off. That's basically what you've got here, and as silly as it might sound, it actually makes for a really good little movie. See, during the day, Michelle Pfeiffer (Isabeau) turns into a hawk and at night, Rutger Hauer, Isabeau's true love, (Etienne) turns into a wolf. They are cursed by a corrupt and evil Bishop who is in love with Isabeau, a no-no for a man of the cloth, to be sure. A once in a lifetime opportunity comes along and the two cursed lovers have the chance to once again be together, with the help of Ferris Bueller. The film, by Richard Donner, features wonderful cinematography and embodies true fantasy: honor, friendship, sacrifice, and aw... true love.
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9. The Dark Crystal
Jim Henson rocks, okay? I know he's dead, but he did for puppetry what Walt Disney did for animation and he should be credited dammit. Sigh... now that I'm done with that, on to Dark Crystal, a quite ambitious movie set in "another world, another time..." We follow the adventures of Jen, a Gelfling boy who is prophesized to save the world from great evil. Problem is the horrific Skeksis have other plans and attempt to put an end to Jen's meddling ways. Unbelievably imaginative puppets, costumes, sets and the over-all design of the film really transport you to another world in this movie, which is one of the main jobs of a fantasy movie. Mission accomplished, big time. Henson and Yoda himself, Frank Oz really bring the characters to life. An old-school personal favorite of mine.
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8. Willow
Warwick Davis... that little bugger is in everything it seems. Okay, just George Lucas' stuff, and this is one of Lucas' babies. Directed (thankfully) by Ron Howard, Willow tells the tale of well, Willow, a Nelwin who finds a baby in a river and is charged with returning her to where she came from. Along the way, he meets up with all kinds of companions, gets caught up in battles, finds magical powers and has an all around adventure. Called a "poor man's Lord of the Rings" by many, Willow is actually a bit more interesting than a simple LOTR knock-off and displays a great performance by Van Kilmer as the doofily swashbuckling Madmartigan. In fact, the film has spawned a sequel trilogy, in book form, scribed by former X-Men comics writer, Chris Clearmont. While it's a far cry from the Lord of the Ring's prestige, Willow still manages to charm and entertain, probably mostly because of George Lucas' gift for vision. Now, if he'd only take the hint and allow others to write/direct Star Wars...
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7. Labyrinth
More Henson magic on display here, this time in Labyrinth, a movie that combines real actors with a world of Henson's puppet creations. Jennifer Connelly plays Sara, a girl who wishes away her baby brother to the goblins because she really doesn't feel like babysitting. Bitch. Anyway, Jareth, the Goblin King played by the creepy David Bowie steals the child away and Sara must quest through a twisted Labyrinth to save the kid from turning into a goblin forever. Man, fantasy movies can be f'ed up. Anyway, Lucas' has his paw-prints in this one too, but thankfully he lets Jim Henson tackle all of the important directing chores. A wonderful film, Labyrinth is unfortunately usually labeled "kid stuff" but actually teaches a very good lesson about responsibility, friendship and loyalty from which anyone would be able to benefit.
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6. The Neverending Story
Speaking of movies that get unfairly labeled "for kids"... The Neverending Story, based on a book by Michael Ende, tells of Bastian, a dreary little kid that is always burying his head in storybooks and getting picked on by bullies. One day, after being chased into a bookstore by said bullies, Bastian comes across a most intriguing book... you guessed it, The Neverending Story. He shoplifts... okay, borrows, the book and spends a magical night in the land of Fantasia. Unfortunately, Fantasia is being eaten up by a monstrous force known only as "The Nothing." Bastian must find a way to stop The Nothing and restore Fantasia to it's original splendor. This is a fantastic tale about the power of imagination. Oh and in case you were wondering, the name Bastian yells at the end is "Moon Child"... don't ask, I think it's gay too.
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5. Excalibur
Where would a fantasy list be without at least a mention of the legend of King Arthur? Luckily, Excalibur kicks so much ass that it got a great spot on our list here too. If you don't know the Arthur Legend, or at least bits of it I will quickly sum it up... Kid pulls legendary sword from a stone, becomes king, best friend and bad-ass knight sleeps with the Queen, Arthur gets depressed, kingdom crumbles, they find the Holy Grail, all is well... the end. Oh, yeah, there's this wizard guy Merlin in it, too. You may have heard of him. The film brings together all of the little legends and stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table quite nicely and really lets you see how well crafted the legend truly is. Throw in cameos by Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart and Gabriel Byrne and you've got "awesome" on film. Basically, King Arthur and The Lord of the Rings are the two things on which most modern fantasy are built. There are exceptions of course...
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4. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Well, most modern WESTERN fantasy is based on LOTR and Arthurian Legend. Eastern fantasy doesn't quite give two craps about how us round-eyes do things. Because of this, we get Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a fantastic tale set in feudal China. Li Mu Bai is a great warrior and has decided to give up the warrior's life for a simpler existence, and secretly, the love of a woman. Unfortunately, his magical sword, Green Destiny is stolen and a tale of loss, revenge, love and strength unfolds. This movie kicks ass in so many damn ways, it's unfortunate that too many people can't get past the fact that you have to READ the dialogue... God forbid. The story is classic and the action sequences are mind blowing. Oh, and if you have a problem with ancient zen warriors floating on air, then you need to go and remind yourself of all the "realistic" stuff that happened in The Fast and the Furious, and shut the hell up.
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3. Legend
Aw yeah, now THIS is what I'm talking about. Legend, directed by the great Ridley Scott, is the ultimate fairy tale. It's got princesses, fairies (duh), heros, unicorns, elves, and the most bad-ass looking villain EVER, period. The story goes like this... Tom Cruise, as Jack, falls for Princess Mia Sara (Lily) and takes her to see some unicorns, the most sacred and powerful beasts in the forests. Now of course, because of this innocent act the whole world gets thrown into perpetual winter. I HATE it when that happens. Recently on DVD, the film was restored with an all new soundtrack and extra footage. Because of these changes, a movie that would've been maybe #5 or #6 on this list is now at #3. The movie just makes soooo much more sense now. Anyway, if you haven't seen it in a while, go rent Legend on DVD and treat yourself to a truly wonderful and special movie.
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2. Princess Mononoke
Hayao Miyazaki has been called the Walt Disney of Japan, and while Japanese animation isn't pointed at families and children the way it is over here in the States, I can totally see the comparison. Miyazaki tells interesting and heartwarming stories through animation and Princess Mononoke is his finest work to come across the Pacific. It was the highest grossing movie in Japanese box-office history until Titanic sailed over and unseated it. Now, however, Titanic has been unseated by Miyazaki's own "Spirited Away". Hopefully we'll be seeing that over here soon as well. Anyway, Mononoke tells the story of Ashitaka, a young prince from a hidden tribe in feudal Japan. He is sent out of the village in the hopes of lifting a curse he received while protecting his clan from a demonized boar God. Got all that? That's just the first 10 minutes. What unfolds after is a fantastic tale of nature vs. technology and the tolls humanity and the world pay for progress, both physically and spiritually. It is not only one of the best fantasy films or animated films, but one of the best movies I have ever seen, period.
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1. Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring
Duh. I mean really, duh. This is the fantasy movie. Read the book, don't read the book, I don't care. If you don't think that Lord of the Rings is a fantastic movie you must be unable to appreciate great cinema. Go watch The Fast and the Furious and get out of my face. Behold!!! Nominated for about a bajillion Oscars, Fellowship of the Ring recounts the beginning of the fictionally historic journey of a band of Hobbits, Humans, an Elf, a Dwarf and a Wizard, charged with destroying the one thing that could return the evil Sauron to domination - The Ring of Power. Tolkien Purists will whine up and down about omissions and changes, but to me Peter Jackson made the best movie he could based on the source material, budget, and attention spans of the audience. Three hours is a long time to demand the attention of you audience, but to be honest it seemed like it FLEW by to me. The only thing that might unseat FOTR from this spot is The Two Towers or Return of the King, and then we might just lump them all together in one big happy kick ass LOTR clump. But for now, Fellowship reigns supreme.
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Opinions, we all have them. Our's is not the same as yours. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. The point is, if you don't agree fine. If you do agree, even better. Just realize this: everything said on these pages, is an opinion, and should be taken as such. If you are offended by what is said, just don't come back. Please do not resort to childish flaming or spamming of our message board or monk.e.mail address below, but do feel free to drop us a line with any intelligent comments you may have.
Thanks,
Brad & Tim. |
DMLives@gmail.com
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