This week I'd like to talk about something very near and dear to my heart, Fantasy films. Now just to be clear, fantasy films in my book are films that in some way shape or form have the existence of magic and or magical elements. That really and truly is my major requirement for a movie to be considered a work of fantasy. Other than that, it is fairly open to most films. I also feel like I should say that this is indeed MY list. If there's anything on this list you don't like, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to apologize for what I enjoy. That being said, I do encourage you to create your own list. I'd love to see what you would say your favorite fantasy films are! In the interest of time, I will be breaking this list into two parts. Part one will be covered this week and the top five will be posted next week. So, without further ado, here are numbers ten to six in my top ten fantasy films.
10) Warcraft
Now, I know what you're thinking with this one. "Ugh, the video game adaptation movie that was critically rated horrible?" Yes, that one. Now I should say, I am a fan of Blizzard Entertainment and their Warcraft series, but hear me out. Warcraft made my list because it is a fun enjoyable popcorn movie that did something different from what most fantasy films do. In just about every fantasy film, we see that bad guys that are ugly nasty evil monsters fueling the the whole idea that the only good orc is a dead orc, or goblins are only evil always! This is what Warcraft did different . One of the main heroic figures in this film is Durotan, an orc. Yes, we see the orc’s can be brutal warriors and horrible opponents, and yes, we see that the typical good looking human heroes are the people we are supposed to be rooting for. With that said, we see that there are indeed good orcs, ones who merely want to live and make a new home. By having Durotan, a new father and leader of a clan, be one of their principals, and a character that is actually try and do the right thing is huge! The film itself is also beautifully shot. The costuming, as well as, set design really captured the feeling of the games this picture was based on. Is it going to win any awards for being a groundbreaking piece of cinema? No. Is it going to change the way we look at at think of video game movies? No chance. Does it introduce an interesting world to a mainstream audience, and is it at the very least a fun movie? I genuinely feel that it does. That's why Warcraft sits comfortably at my number ten spot.
9) Wizard of Oz
What can I say about the Wizard of Oz that hasn’t already been said? This is an absolute classic film with a fantastic cast. It is the forerunner of fantasy films and is absolutely iconic in the history of American cinema. I remember the first time I watched this film and seeing the moment when color hit the screen in this picture was absolutely breathtaking. To this day, I feel it is one of the most successful reveals in a movie. The casting of Judy Garland as the films protagonist was an absolutely brilliant move by the casting department. She brought a quality to the film that makes it very hard not to like the character. Even if I found myself questioning her intelligence, at times. I can say there was never a moment I wasn't rooting for her. It's costuming was fantastic, as was its set design. With an Iconic soundtrack, this film hit some absolutely fantastic notes and really did pave the way for countless other pieces in the genera. It also has gained a huge half-life in its countless spin off pieces like Oz the Great and Powerful and the Broadway classic Wicked. To put it simply, this film is and will always be a classic. It would feel like a misstep to not have it here in the number nine spot.
8) Labyrinth
Good God, I love this movie. I was introduced to this film not as a kid, but as a sophomore in college . I am a little mad I didn’t know about it earlier! This has to be one of, if not the best, Jim Henson films I’ve ever seen. It has some of the best creature design I have ever seen. While watching, I never questioned or said "oh that's just a puppet." As with all his work, Jim Henson made these creatures real. He breathed life into them and made them living characters that were unparalleled at the time. The sets, as well, were absolutely wonderful with a sort of wonderland like quality. They really feel like a twisted child's idea of what a labyrinthian city would be. To be 100% honest, they hold up today and it's marvelous. When one talks about Labyrinth, they cannot skip over one of the most likable fantasy villains of all time. The Goblin King is charismatic, cool, suave, and, of course, David Bowie. Good God! No one else could have played this part. No one else should play this part! This is literally the perfect casting. It is also important to note that the music is so fantastic because of the work that Bowie put into the film. Sure, it may be a kids film and maybe dated by time, but it is an absolutely fantastic film. If you have never seen this classic of the eighties, you need to as soon as you can. Despite time and me being late to the party that is Labyrinth ,it has earned a secure eight spot on this list.
7) Pirates of The Caribbean: Curse of The Black Pearl
The first film in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and in this writer's humble opinion the best, absolutely qualifies as a fantasy film. What would you call a film that has zombie pirates, cursed treasure, and swashbuckling adventure. This film captured the spirit of the old Errol Flynn swashbuckling movies like The Sea Hawk and Captain Blood for which I'm extremely grateful as those were two classics, in my opinion. It also launched a franchise that, despite all its missteps, has really been able to touch on pirate legends and nautical folklore like no other film series. It also has given us one of the most iconic pirate characters of all time, Captain Jack Sparrow. Regardless, of what anyone can say about Johnny Depp, the Jack Sparrow character is iconic and this is the film that brought him to us. Jack Sparrow with this constant swagger and ridiculous amounts of good luck is the iconic lovable rogue nowadays. When Jack Sparrow is able to play off of Orlando Bloom's, Will Turner, or Geoffrey Rush's fantastic, Captain Barbossa, you get something really special and fun to watch. There is indeed a charm to this film and the production value is incredible. With fantastic locations and sets, in conjunction to some great costuming work, it is without a doubt a great looking movie. It has earned its position as my number seven pick on this list.
6) Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone
Yes, I know the Sorcerer's Stone isn't the best of all the Harry Potter movies in most people's opinions, but the Sorcerer's Stone did something fantastic. It was the opening introduction to a phenomenon for so many people, including myself. I grew up with my mom reading to us as a family the Harry Potter series and I remember every single book so you can say the series had a huge impact on me. The first film was absolutely fantastic and captured the very nature of the first Harry Potter book. Everything is so exciting and new and you're along for the ride with this 11 year old who is just now finding out he's something special. This was before everything got darker and was more intense like the other films. It really caught the childhood innocence that the first book had to it. The world building in this film is fantastic and really establishes what the magical world looks like and who the people are in the Magical World. This film was also the introduction to three fantastic talents in today's film world Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Daniel Radcliffe who have gone on to do so much for the world around them. To me it's important to note that the Sorcerer's Stone was the start of it all. It was when I started dreaming of being a wizard, it was when a franchise was born, and it was when the world really met Harry Potter. For everything it has done in bringing fantasy to the mainstream, it gets the number six spot on the list.
That's it for the first half of my top ten fantasy films list. If you didn't see one of your favorites on this first part, don't worry. There is always a chance that it will be on my top five. Heck even if it's not it's not something to get bent out of shape on. Regardless feel free to tell me what you think in the comments. Stay tuned for next week when I will be revealing my top five fantasy films here at The Wanderer's Corner.
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