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The 100 Best Fantasy Movies     The best fantasy movies offer the ultimate in escapism. When you watch a great fantasy movie, you leave reality behind and step into another world. I’ve watched more fantasy movies than I can remember. Here are my Top 100 Fantasy Movies of all time, listed by title, director and year of release with a short plot description of each one. Enjoy! Top 100 Fantasy Movies 100. The Hobbit, directed by Arthur Rankin Jr (1977)Bilbo Baggins leaves behind his cosy home in The Shire to accompany a band of dwarves on their quest to recover their treasure from the dragon Smaug. CLICK HERE to read about The Hobbit characters 
99. Elf, directed by Jon Favreau (2003)A man raised as an elf in the North Pole goes to New York to find his biological father with hilarious consequences. 98. The Incredible Hulk, directed by Louis Letterier (2008)  A fugitive must embrace his powers to defeat the only creature as powerful as he is.  97. Batman Begins, directed by Christopher Nolan (2005)This movie takes us back to Bruce Wayne’s pre-Batman days and show us how he became the caped crusader determined to rid Gotham City of corruption. 
96. Babe, directed by Chris noonan (1995)A pig raised by sheepdogs learns to herd sheep and becomes the greatest sheep pig of all time. Here are the 95 best fantasy movies: 
95. Scrooge, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst (1951)Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean old miser who hates Christmas until three ghosts appear to him on Christmas Eve and force him to take a closer look at his unhappy past, his selfish present and his lonely future. 
94. Wings of Desire (Original title: Der Himmel über Berlin), directed
by Wim Wenders (1987)An angel grows weary of his immortal state and, after falling in love with a woman, wishes to take human form. 
93. Superman Returns, directed by Bryan Singer (2006)Superman returns from a long visit to the remains of his native planet Krypton to find his love interest has a son and Earth is still in need of a saviour. 
92. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, directed by Nathan Juran (1958)An evil wizard shrinks a princess and Sinbad must return to a monster-inhabited island to find the magic potion that will restore her to full size. 91. Corpse Bride, directed by Tim Burton (2005)  A shy groom recites his wedding vows in a forest and accidentally slips his wedding ring onto the finger of a corpse, making her his wife. CLICK HERE to read about Tim Burton movies CLICK HERE to read about Tim Burton characters Coming up, the 90 best fantasy movies: 
90. Zathura: A Space Adventure, directed by Jon Favreau (2005)This movie is like an outer space version of Jumanji. Two brothers start playing a board game and soon find themselves on an intergalactic adventure, with their home and big sister in tow. 
89. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, directed by Tim Burton (1985 - below)The eccentric Pee-Wee Herman has a great big adventure when he travels across America to find his stolen bicycle. 
88. The City of Lost Children (Original title: La Cité des enfants
perdus), directed by Marco Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet (1995)An evil ruler tormented by his inability to dream kidnaps children to steal their dreams - but ends up with only their nightmares. 
87. Journey to the Center of the Earth, directed by Eric Brevig (2008)In an effort to find his missing brother, a professor and two teenagers discover a lost world in the center of the Earth. 
86. Eragon, directed by Stefen Fangmeier (2006)After discovering a dragon egg, a young farmboy begins his journey to become a dragon rider and save the world from an evil king. Ready to venture onwards? Good! Here are the 85 best fantasy movies of all time: 
85. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton (2005)Willy Wonka is wackier than ever is this version of Roald Dahl’s famous book. Read more about this version of Willy, as portrayed by Johnny Depp, at Tim Burton characters. 
84. Groundhog Day, directed by Harold Ramis (1993)A weatherman is forced to live the same day over and over until he learns a very important lesson. 
83. Shrek, directed by Adamson & Jenson (2001)An ogre agrees to rescue a princess from a dragon in return for the right to retain his swamp. He rescues the princess, with the help of an annoying talking donkey, but neither of them are quite what the other one expected. 82. Jumanji, directed by Joe Johnston (1995)  Two children play a board game and unleash a host of jungle animals – and one very animated jungle man. 
81. Mary Poppins, directed by Robert Stevenson (1964)A nanny with special powers goes to work for a banker’s unhappy family and touches the lives of all those around her. Now for the 80 best fantasy movies: 
80. Jason and the Argonauts, directed by Don Chaffey (1963)The legendary Greek hero leads a crew of men on a dangerous quest to find the Golden Fleece, which is a magical fleece with healing powers. 
79. Ghostbusters, directed by Ivan Reitman (1984)Three unemployed parapsychology professors set up a business wiping out ghosts. But a particularly evil creature is about to put their ghostbusting skills to the test. 
78. Superman, directed by Richard Donner (1978)When a child’s home planet of Krypton faces destruction, his parents send him to Earth to save his life. There he becomes a superhero and uses his superpowers to fight for good. 
77. Frankenstein, directed by Kenneth Branagh (1994)A scientist brings to life a hideous monster, who repays him by murdering the ones he loves. 
76. Planet of the Apes, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner (1968)A crew of astronauts crash land on a planet where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species and humans are their oppressed slaves. Plenty more adventure awaits you in the 75 best fantasy movies:  75. Legend, directed by
Ridley Scott (1985)A forest boy called Jack and his elfish allies try to stop a demon from destroying daylight and marrying the girl Jack loves.  74. Monsters, Inc.,
directed by Pete Docter, David Silverman & Lee Unkrich (2001)A monster whose job it is to scare children to generate power for his world has a change of heart when he befriends an adorable little girl called Boo.  73. Brazil, directed by
Terry Gilliam (1985)A bureaucrat in a futuristic society tries to stop an innocent man from being labeled a terrorist only to find himself suffering the same fate.  72. Tim Bandits,
directed by Terry Gilliam (1981)A young boy goes on an adventure through time with a band of treasure-hunting dwarves.  71. The Brothers Grimm,
directed by Terry Gilliam (2005)Will and Jake Grimm have made a living pretending to rid towns of pretend ghosts. But when they encounter a real-life curse, they need all their wit and courage to defeat it. CLICK HERE to read about some of the famous fairy tales the real life Brothers Grimm recorded over a hundred years ago There's plenty of magic in store for you in the 70 best fantasy movies:  70. King Kong, directed
by Merian C Cooper (1933)This is the original movie version of King Kong, about a giant ape who falls in love with a beautiful girl. This movie gave the world the famous one-liner, ‘It was beauty that killed the beast’. Here are the 68 best fantasy movies: 69. Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke (2008)  The story of the small town girl Bella Swan who loses her heart to a vampire - and subsequently risks losing her life.  68. Bill and Ted’s Excellent
Adventure, directed by Stephen Herek (1989)Two brainless teenagers travel through time to prepare for a history presentation.  67. Being John Malkovich,
directed by Spike Jonze (1999)A puppeteer discovers a portal into the head of a movie star called John Malkovich and his colleague starts selling trips through the portal to tourists.  66. Big, directed by
Penny Marshall (1988)A boy’s wish to be big comes true and he wakes up in an adult body. But he soon discovers being ‘big’ is a bit more complicated than he might have imagined. Here come the 65 best fantasy movies:  65. Highlander,
directed by Russell Mulcahy (1986)An immortal swordsman in modern-day New York City must defeat his last immortal enemy, a bloodthirsty barbarian, by chopping off his head.  64. The Clash of the Titans, directed by
Desmond Davis (1981)The favored son of the god Zeus must rescue his great love before she’s forced to marry a monster. Here are the 63 best fantasy movies:  63. The 13th Warrior,
directed by John McTiernan (1999)An Arab is banished into a barbaric territory for loving the wrong woman. Now he must help a band of warriors to defeat an evil force.  62. Ghost, directed by
Jerry Zucker (1990)A ghost engages the help of a psychic to save the woman he loves.  61. The Dark Crystal,
directed by Jim Henson & Frank Oz (1982)The Dark Crystal was damaged a thousand years ago. Now the last member of an elf-like race must find the missing shard of glass and repair the crystal to save the world. It's time to get started on the 65 best fantasy movies of all time:  60. Princess Mononoke
(Original title: Mononoke-hime),
directed by Hayao Miyazaki (1997)A princess raised by wolves tries to protect an ancient forest from a band of humans who threaten to unbalance the forces of nature.  59. The Mummy, directed
by Stephen Sommers (1999)A team of archaeologists accidentally awaken an ancient Mummy, unleashing his dark plague on the land.  58. The Last Unicorn,
directed by Arthur Rankin Jr (1982)A unicorn who believes she is the last of her species discovers an evil king has been trying to wipe out her kind.  57. Miracle on 34th Street,
directed by George Seaton (1947) A lawyer representing a man who believes he’s the real Santa opens people’s minds to the possibility of magic. All they have to do is believe! 56. King Kong, directed by Peter Jackson (2005)  A film crew land on an island inhabited by a savage band of Indians and a giant ape. But the film’s intended star discovers that under the tough exterior, the ape has a tender heart. Here are the 55 best fantasy movies:  55. Bridge to Terabithia,
directed by Gabor Csupo (2007)Two young friends work together to create the magical land of Terabithia and become its king and queen.  54. Field of Dreams,
directed by Phil Alden Robinson (1989)An Iowa farmer hears voices in a cornfield and interprets them as a calling to build a baseball field on his farm. When the field is built, the ghosts of star baseball players appear. This movie immortalized the catchphrase, “If you build it, they will come.”  53. Monty Python and the Holy Grail,
directed by Terry Gilliam (1974)A hilariously ridiculous (or perhaps ridiculously hilarious) version of the quest of King Arthur and his knights to find the Holy Grail.  52. Ladyhawke, directed
by Richard Donner (1985)An escaped convict agrees to help a couple overthrow the Bishop that cursed them, thus breaking the spell that keeps them apart.  51. Amelie (Original
title: Fabuleux destin
d’Amélie Poulain), directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (2001)An idealistic young girl decides to dedicate her life to helping those around her. But she realizes that to be truly happy, she must learn to take control her own life too. We're halfway there! It's time for the 50 best fantasy movies:  50. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,
directed by Richard Fleischer (1954)While trying to uncover the reason for a series of ocean sinkings, a team of investigators encounter an advanced submarine.  49. Dragonheart,
directed by Rob Cohen (1996)A man joins forces with a dragon to lead the people of his land to freedom and bring down their tyrant king.  48. Matilda, directed
by Danny DeVito (1996)A girl discovers she has psychokinetic powers and uses them to rid her school of its wicked headmistress. Here are the 47 best fantasy movies:  47. The Nightmare Before Christmas,
directed by Henry Selick (1993 - below)The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town discovers Christmas Town and decides to take on the job of Santa, with disastrous results.  46. The Neverending Story
(Original title: Die Unendliche Geshichte), directed by Wolfgang
Petersen (1984)A boy escapes into a bookshop from a band of bullies and there discovers a book about a magical land called Fantasia. He gets drawn into Fantasia and the book’s story soon becomes his own. Now for the 45 best fantasy movies:  45. Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets, directed by Chris Columbus (2002)Something is attacking the pupils at Hogwarts and it’s up to Harry and his friends to discover what it is. This is the second Harry Potter movie, based on JK Rowling's best-selling books. CLICK HERE to read about the three main Harry Potter characters, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger  44. Conan the Barbarian,
directed by John Milius (1982)A warrior sold into slavery as a child teams up with a gang of thieves to solve an ancient riddle and find the sorcerer responsible for the massacre of his tribe. Here are the 43 best fantasy movies: 43. Sleepy Hollow, directed by Tim Burton (1999)  This movie gives a fresh take on the age-old Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod Crane is a New York detective who goes to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to solve a series of brutal murders.  42. Dragonslayer,
directed by Matthew Robbins (1981)An old wizard and his young apprentice set out to kill a dragon, who demands virgin sacrifices in exchange for leaving their land in peace.  41. Chocolat, directed
by Lasse Hallstrom (2000)A woman and daughter upset the rigid morality of a small French town when they open a chocolate shop there. The 40 best fantasy movies are coming up:  40. Ella Enchanted,
directed by Tommy O’Haver (2004)Ella has a secret. When she was a baby, a fairy put a spell on her, forcing her to obey every order she received. Now she must guard her secret to protect the prince she loves.  39. Beauty and the Beast,
directed by Trousdale & Wise (1991)An animated version of this classic tale, about a beautiful girl who falls in love with a kind-hearted beast.  38. Toy Story, directed
by John Lasseter (1995)Cowboy Woody’s popularity among his fellow toys is threatened by the arrival of a new super-toy, a spaceman who believes he can fly. Here are the 37 best fantasy movies:  37. Superman II,
directed by Richard Lester & Richard DonnerThree outlaws from Krypton come to Earth to destroy Superman, just after he’s given up his power to be with the woman he loves.  36. Scrooged, directed
by Richard Donner (1988)In this modern version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Frank Cross is the cynical boss of a TV station, which is planning a live adaptation of Dickens’ famous tale. But things take a turn when the ghosts start appearing to Frank. We're working our ways up the charts. The 35 best fantasy movies are next: 35. Peter Pan, directed by PJ Hogan (2003)  Peter Pan whisks the Darling children off to Never Never Land where the Lost Boys are locked in an ongoing war against the pirate Captain Hook.  34. The Addams Family,
directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (1991)A group of crooks try to rip off the wealthy eccentric Addams Family by using an accomplice who claims to be their long lost Uncle Fester. Here are the 33 best fantasy movies:  33. Jurassic Park,
directed by Steven Spielberg (1993 - below)Four adults and two children visit an island where scientists are breeding real-life dinosaurs. But when the electric fence around them fails, the guests are in danger of becoming dino dinner!  32. Raiders of the Lost Ark,
directed by Steven Spielberg (1981)Archaeologist Indiana Jones journeys into danger in search of the Ark of the Convenant. But he’s not the only one looking for it.  31. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,
directed by Ang Lee (2000)Martial arts form the background to this movie about true love and sacrifice. Here are the 30 best fantasy movies:  30. Donnie Darko,
directed by Richard Kelly (2001)A troubled teenager has visions of a large purple bunny who manipulates him into committing a series of crimes.  29. Robin Hood Prince of Thieves,
directed by Kevin Reynolds (1991)Robin Hood escapes from his Turkish captors and returns to England where he becomes an outlaw, determined to avenge his father’s death. This is a slighter darker-than-usual version of the story of Robin Hood. 28. Pleasantville, directed by Gary Ross (1998)  Two teenagers gets drawn into a 1950’s sitcom and bring some much-needed color to the colorless town of Pleasantville. Here are the 27 best fantasy movies:  27. Batman, directed by
Tim Burton (1989)A murderer falls into a pit of acid and becomes The Joker, a crazed criminal bent on wreaking havoc on Gotham City. And the caped crusader is the only one who can stop him before it's too late.  26. The Truman Show,
directed by Peter Weir (1998)Everything in Truman’s life is perfect. In fact, it’s a little too perfect. That’s because it’s the subject of a reality TV show that takes place inside a giant TV studio. Truman just doesn’t know it yet. The time has come to explore the 25 best fantasy movies of all time:  25. It’s a Wonderful Life,
directed by Frank Capra (1946)An angel saves a man from depression by showing what the world would have been like had he never been born.  24. Pirates of the Caribbean: The
Curse of the Black Pearl, directed by Gore Verbinski (2003)Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with the eccentric pirate Captain Jack Black to save the woman he loves from a gang of undead pirates. Here are the 23 best fantasy movies:  23. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s
Stone, directed by Chris Columbus (2001)Harry Potter discovers he’s a wizard and leaves his awful family behind to enroll at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he and his friends become caught up in a mystery that brings him into contact with his parents’ murderer for the first time.  22. Who Framed Rober Rabbit?
directed by Robert Zemeckis (1988)A detective has hated cartoons since one of them killed his brother. But now he’s the only one who can prove the innocence of a cartoon rabbit accused of murder. This fantasy movie is a true original. 21. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, directed by Peter Jackson (2001)  Gandalf the wizard discovers that the ring Bilbo won from Gollum in a battle of wits is in fact the One Ring that will determine the fate of Middle Earth. Bilbo’s nephew (strictly speaking second cousins once removed) Frodo takes it on himself to destroy the ring and is accompanied on his quest by eight comrades, including three other hobbits, a dwarf, an elf and two men. CLICK HERE to read the Lord of the Rings summary Here are the 20 best fantasy movies:  20. Harry Potter and the Order of
the Phoenix, directed by David Yates (2007)Harry and his fellow-pupils at Hogwarts form an army to fight Lord Voldemort and uncover the prophecy that links Harry’s fate to his.  19. Spider-Man,
directed by Sam Raimi (2002)Peter Parker is a dork and a weakling until a spider bite gives him spider-like superpowers. He has to learn the hard way what his uncle tried to teach him, that great power comes with great responsibility.  18. Beetlejuice,
directed by Tim Burton (1988)A newly-deceased young couple go to great lengths to rid the house they lovingly decorated of its wealthy new owners – only to become the main attraction among their guests. Here are the 17 best fantasy movies:  17. Enchanted, directed
by Kevin Lima (2007)A wicked queen sends the lovely Giselle from the fairy tale realm of Andalasia into the real-life New York City. There Giselle means a handsome young lawyer and discovers the true meaning of true love.  16. The Princess Bride,
directed by Rob Reiner (1987)A young hero called Westley displays tremendous wit and courage on his quest to avenge his father’s murder and save his beloved princess from a loveless marriage. You've waited and here they are, the 15 best fantasy movies:  15. Interview with the Vampire,
directed by Neil Jordan (1994)Louis becomes a vampire to escape a broken heart but suffers far greater misery in his immortal form. Kirsten Dunst gives a stunning peformance as the golden-haired vampire child Claudia. 14. Hook, directed by Steven Spielberg (1991)  Peter Pan has grown up and forgotten all about Never Never Land - until he has to return there to rescue his children from the villainous Captain Hook. Here are the 13 best fantasy movies:  13. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory, directed by Mel Stuart (1971)Willy Wonka invites five children to visit his chocolate factory but Charlie alone proves worthy of the grand prize.  12. The Lord of the Rings: The
Return of the King, directed by Peter Jackson (2003)The final movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy sees Frodo reach Mordor at last. But can he overcome the corruptive influence of the One Ring to destroy it?  11. The Green Mile,
directed by Frank Darabont (1999)A man wrongly convicted of a double homicide touches the lives of those around him as he awaits execution on death row. It's Top Ten time! Here are the ten best fantasy movies:  10. Willow, directed by
Ron Howard (1986)An apprentice magician and a swordsman journey together through a land of magic and monsters to rescue a baby princess from an evil queen intent on ending the baby's life.  9. Big Fish, directed
by Tim Burton (2003)Experience the colorful life of Edward, a gifted storyteller at the end of his life, as he recounts for the final time his friendship with a giant, his stint as a circus worker and the lengths he went to to win the heart of his beloved wife. 8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, directed by Ron Howard (2000)  The Grinch hates Christmas the most. That’s why he tries to steal it from the people of Whoville, only to learn that Christmas doesn’t come from a store, that Christmas, perhaps means a little bit more. This heartwarming tale is based on the book of the same title by Dr Seuss. CLICK HERE to read ten wise and wonderful Dr Seuss quotes Here are the seven best fantasy movies:  7. The Dark Knight,
directed by Christopher Nolan (2008)The late Heath Ledger plays a sadistic criminal called The Joker who is wreaking havoc on Gotham City. And the caped crusader is the only one who can bring him down.  6. Labyrinth, directed
by Jim Henson (1986)A teenage girl accidentally wishes her baby brother away to the magical realm of the Goblin King Jareth. She must complete the king’s labyrinth in 13 hours to get her brother back. This wacky fantasy stars singer David Bowie as the goblin king. We're almost at the top of the charts. Here come the five best fantasy movies:  5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban, directed by Alfonso Cuarón (2004)Danger invades Hogwarts once again in this, the third Harry Potter movie. Harry finds out that an escaped killer caused the death of his parents. And now he’s coming to get him.  4. Edward Scissorhands,
directed by Tim Burton (1990)Edward, who as his name suggests has scissors for hands, lives all alone in the mansion his father left him until a kindly saleswoman takes him in. This heartwarming movie combines the talents of Burton and leading man Johnny Depp. Here are the three best fantasy movies:  3. The Wizard of Oz,
directed by Victor Fleming (1939)A tornado carries Dorothy Gale off to the faraway Land of Oz where she makes friends with a scarecrow who wants a brain, a lion in need of courage and a tin man who longs for a heart. All Dorothy wants is to return home. CLICK HERE to read about Dorothy and other Wizard of Oz characters  2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two
Towers, directed by Peter Jackson (2002)While Aragorn and his followers battle Sauron’s army, Frodo and Sam continue their quest to reach Mordor and destroy the One Ring. This epic adventure is the second movie in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. You've reached the end of the Top 10 fantasy movies. The best fantasy movie ever is (drumroll please!) … 1. Pan’s Labyrinth (Original title: El Laberinto del fauno), directed by Guillermo del Toro (2006)  A dark tale about a little girl with a vivid imagination. Ofelia escapes the bleak reality of her own life by creating an elaborate fantasy, in which she must complete three tasks in order to reclaim her throne as an underworld princess.  RETURN HOME from the 100 Best Fantasy Movies to read more about the top 100 fantasy books and top 100 fantasy movies of all time
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