Top 20 Most Underrated Fantasy Movies of All Time
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- čas přidán 24. 03. 2024
- It's easy to miss some of these gems! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks of classic fantasy films that we feel deserve a bit more love. Our countdown includes movies “The Fountain”, “Solomon Kane”, “Dragonheart” and more! Which fantasy movie do you think deserves more attention? Let us know in the comments!
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#fantasy #movies #underrated #legend #disney #lordoftherings - Krátké a kreslené filmy
Which fantasy movie do you think deserves more attention? Let us know in the comments!
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Narnia
and
Eragon)
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._*
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.
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.
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.
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
Tim Curry in Legend was brilliant. The movies Legend and Lady Hawke are both worth the time to watch. They are great movies!
The only thing that killed Lady Hawke was its horrible score that was dated the minute the movie ended up in the theaters. The rest of the movie was great.
It’s weird that I couldn’t even tell that was Curry who played Satan, the makeup effects is crazy!?
These are all great movies
@@zachpottinger1842it’s not Satan, it’s Darkness
@@jpetersgoyanks SAME THING!
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!
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.
The Fountain is not just a romance film but a remarkable mindfuck of a film. It's one of my favorite of all time. I'm glad to see it on this list
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 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.
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.
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.
So happy you mentioned Ladyhawk! I’ve always loved that film!
Walk on the LEFT side!
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 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.
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.
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.
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 CZcams version has been removed ☹
Labyrinth, The Never- Ending Story I&II, Willow, Return to Oz, The Princess Bride, The Company of Wolves, Red Sonja, Hook, What Dreams May Come, & Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
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.
Time Bandits and Labyrinth were both excellent fantasy movies. Both should have been on this list.
I don't think Labyrinth is on the list as it has never really been underrated.
time bandits left me kind of disturbed at the end when i was a child
Agreed... loved both as a kid, as well as The NeverEnding Story.
Both aren't on the list because they aren't underrated. Good movies for sure but this list doesn't suit.
@@BURY1885 Most of these movies were not underrated, I would say they were appropriately rated at the time. It's really just a list of fantasy movies of the era. Dark Crystal was as big as Labyrinth.
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.
Time Bandits should definitely be included! Also, City of Lost Children and Labrynth!
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.
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!
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.
Remember seeing Dark Crystal in the theater...just an amazing flick all around.
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
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.
Yes! I have seen almost every one of these multiple times, and now I have added a couple I somehow missed (timing is everything!) to catch up. You just brought up some grand memories!
Thanks for this video! Quite a few of these movies are already on my DVD shelf! And quite a few were added to my "Be Sure To Watch" list!
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
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.
AMAZING VIDEO! Will for sure watch the ones I haven't seen yet, cause the ones you mentioned that I do know are some of my all time favorites so I trust I'll have a great time with the other ones.
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.
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.
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.
Perfect List ... other than the 2-3 movies I wasn't aware of and need to see now. Thank you.
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.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks was one of my absolute favorites as a kid. I still remember the magic words to animate the objects.
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.
Excellent list! Gotta go back and re-watch all of these, plus Red Sonja. 😁❤️
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.
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.
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'
Eric the Viking.
The gate,
Return to Oz
Come in mind as strong contenders for this list IMO
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.
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.
8:00 Yes that is the actor who later plays the Emperor is Star Wars Phantom Menace, Clone Wars, Revenge of the Sith and eventually Rise of Skywalker. I don't know if he played the Emperor in the 1970s, 1980s. I don't think so. That was a different actor, but this guy is the young version of that guy you later see saying "you won't learn that from a Jedi'.
The amount of decent actors in Krull is amazing, Bernard Bresslaw was fantastic as the cyclops - I've seen nearly all these films and love most of them, Krull, Dragonheart, Legend, are all top notch, but my absolute favourite from this list is Excalibur.... Nicol Williamson is peak Merlin for me.... when I imagine Merlin, he's the man I think of.... Arthur: "What should I do Merlin?...." Merlin: "Do nothing..... Be still.... Sleep.... Rest in the arms of the Dragon..... Dream..... it was so good Blind dog (Musician) used it in one of my favourite tracks of thiers called Blend from the 2001 album the last adventures of Captain dog.... talk about take you to another world. a simple classic tale told in a way that is so spellbinding it just warms my heart.
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.
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
Nice to see The Fountain on here. Deep dark and gentle, one of my favourites.
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.
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 ...
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.
Solomon Kane is an awesome movie, I have watched it many times. Startdust is an amazingly great movie. A great and original story. Legend is one of the greatest fantasy movies!
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!
This was perfectly nostalgic! And thank you for including Adventures of Baron Munchausen. I know that movie by heart!
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'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.
Excellent list, so many fond memories.
Indeed.
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.
I think I've seen 18 of these, and now I want to watch them all again.
I put Willow, Labyrinth and the Neverending story on the list, as they are pretty obscure today. That they were great movies back in the days, does not make them not underrated today, if not all times.
I have seen all of them except for "The Fountain", will check that out this weekend. Thanks!
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.
Ladyhawke was one of my go-to sick day movies when I was a kid.
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.
thanks for introducing me to a few films I've never even heard of. Off to watch Solomon Kane and a couple others.
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.
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.
This is a kickass list. I have a couple of movies I need to check out now. Thank you.
The Dark Crystal is by far my favorite movie ever. I have it on both VHS and DVD too
I love Ladyhawke..
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!!!
Led with clips from my two top favorite movies of all time, niiicceee. The Dark Crystal and Legend. Side note my third favorite movie of all time is Labyrinth.
No movies have topped the above for me.
Also love Dragonheart!
I'm looking forward to watching the additional films listed.
Thanks WatchMojo!
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.
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
Big fish is great too
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!
You've pretty much listed off my movie collection. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is something I found accidentally on old pay TV, it immediately became one of my favorite films. I've literally bought at least 3 times: VHS, DVD, and now Blu-Ray.
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.
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.
Dark Crystal is COMPLETE masterpiece !!!! The music is awesome ! The main theme is PURE FANTASY !!!
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
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!
Good list, but it lacks the bizarre Return to Oz!
Great list❤
That list rocked. Gotta see The Fountain and Solomon Kane. Haven’t seen those.
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.
"Questions, questions, too many questions. You want a shard? Here!" - Aughra
Legend I'm my heart is #1, #2 Excalibur #3 Dark Crystal #4 Willow #5 Ladyhawk. I saw all these movies probably 1k times on HBO in the 80s
Tarsem Singh's "The Fall" is beautiful, fantastic and a wonderfully edited.
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!
I took my little brother to see Krull twice. Also bought the DVD and the paperback novelization. Loved it!
Wow first time I totally agree with the full list. Nice job!! All those movies are really worth watching. I hope you will encourage people to see those classics! Favourite of mine is the adventures of Baron Munchausen for sure!! It was and it is still, so good!