By Ryan Heffernan
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When operating at its best, fantasy cinema encompasses the wonder and scale that the medium can provide like few other genres. This is evident in titles like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, certified classics that balance dark allure with otherworldly awe to present enchanting viewing experiences. However, while there are many great movies that define fantasy cinema, there have also been plenty of forgotten gems that never got their due.
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Even discarding films like Time Bandits and Willow, which have returned to public consciousness with television remakes in recent years, the annals of film history are rife with spellbinding fantasy adventures that have been lost to time. Ranging from awe-inspiring animated tales to dark dramas about dragons and druids, these 10 pictures are underappreciated examples of fantasy entertainment.
10 'The 13th Warrior' (1999)
Directed by John McTiernan
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A change of scenery for action extraordinaire John McTiernan, The 13th Warrior was perhaps too hastily dismissed after becoming one of the biggest box office bombs of the 1990s. While it’s plotting is thin, it is rich with a gritty fantasy aesthetic as it builds an eerie yet entrancing atmosphere through its brilliant production design, mesmerizing settings, and a clear inspiration from Akira Kurosawa’s classic samurai films from decades prior.
It follows an exiled Arab ambassador who falls in with a band of Viking warriors. During their travels, they learn of a mysterious evil presence closing in on a remote village and venture to stand against the frightful force long thought to be merely a legend. It is a feat of technical craft and immense battle sequences that, while suffering at times from a formulaic and plain narrative, presents an enticing mixture of action and fantasy that is easy for genre lovers to enjoy.
The 13th Warrior
R
Adventure
Action
History
- Release Date
- August 27, 1999
- Cast
- Antonio Banderas , Diane Venora , Dennis Storhøi , Vladimir Kulich , Omar Sharif , Anders T. Andersen , Richard Bremmer , Tony Curran , Mischa Hausserman , Neil Maffin , Asbjørn Bear Riis , Clive Russell , Daniel Southern , Oliver Sveinall , Sven Wollter , Albie Woodington , John DeSantis , Erick Avari , Maria Bonnevie , Richard Ooms
- Runtime
- 102 Minutes
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9 'Pete’s Dragon' (1977)
Directed by Don Chaffey & Don Bluth
A family fantasy adventure that thrives as an utterly charming meshing of live-action film and animation, Pete’s Dragon was a solid performer for Disney upon release but has sadly faded from the limelight over time. It follows an orphan escaping his abusive foster home with help from his dragon best friend Elliott (Charlie Callas), who can turn invisible. They arrive in a small coastal town where Pete (Sean Marshall) is taken in by a lighthouse keeper and his young daughter, but Elliott’s bumbling nature marks Pete as a bringer of bad luck.
Admittedly, its crawling pace is stretched over an unnecessarily long runtime of 127 minutes, but Pete’s Dragon still flaunts a gooey, heart-melting core of decency and love that is arguably even more arresting today than it was in 1977. While Disney released an all live-action remake in 2016, the film was promptly forgotten and didn’t match the charm or wonder of its predecessor.
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Pete's Dragon
G
Adventure
Animation
Comedy
Family
Fantasy
Musical
- Release Date
- November 3, 1977
- Cast
- Helen Reddy , Jim Dale , Mickey Rooney , Red Buttons , Shelley Winters , Sean Marshall
- Runtime
- 128
8 'Fire and Ice' (1983)
Directed by Ralph Bakshi
Animated cinema has a commanding link to the history of fantasy in the medium, and while Fire and Ice might not be the absolute best example of this, it is one of the more overlooked given what it achieves. The dark fantasy adventure follows a warrior on a quest to avenge his decimated village. On his journey, Larn (William Ostrander) meets Princess Teegra (Maggie Roswell), but when she is kidnapped by the powerful Nekron (Stephen Mendel), Larn’s pursuit for revenge becomes a daring rescue mission.
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The film has some unbecoming qualities tied to its time—namely its fetishist realization of some of its characters—but thrives with its impressive action sequences and its core narrative drive of revenge and redemption, even if it is sometimes lost amid a story prone to running in circles. Still, Fire and Ice largely excels as lovable genre fare imbued with rotoscope animation and Frank Frazetta’s striking illustrations.
Fire and Ice
Action
Adventure
Animation
Fantasy
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7 'Dragonheart' (1996)
Directed by Rob Cohen
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A sublimely mullet-ed Dennis Quaid and a dragon voiced by Sean Connery team up to vanquish a tyrannical evil—David Thewlis at his villainous best—from a medieval kingdom. What is not to love? While Dragonheart has developed a passionate cult following and endured as a cherished gem of childhood nostalgia for many 90s kids, it has sadly been forgotten by the masses, even as an extensive film series has dwindled along in the decades since.
Its special effects have become somewhat dated, though they were state-of-the-art at the time and have proved to be incredibly influential, but Dragonheart still contains a certain lighthearted exuberance, a satisfaction with offering a story that only yearns to be fun and exciting. In that regard, it is a divine success. Throw in Randy Edelman’s outstanding and criminally underrated score, Connery’s flawless vocal performance, and a sneaky ability to tug on the heartstrings, and Dragonheart is a fantasy gem that never got the due it richly deserves.
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Dragonheart
PG-13
Fantasy
Adventure
Action
- Release Date
- May 31, 1996
- Cast
- Dennis Quaid , Sean Connery , Dina Meyer , Pete Postlethwaite
- Runtime
6 'Ladyhawke' (1985)
Directed by Richard Donner
As true a marriage of fantasy and romance that has ever been seen on the big screen, Ladyhawke coasts on a trio of talented stars to deliver a rousing story of unlikely courage and doomed love. Phillipe Gaston (Matthew Broderick) is an escaped thief who begrudgingly falls in with two cursed lovers; Navarre (Rutger Hauer), a man who takes the form of a wolf by night, and Isabeau (Michelle Pfeiffer), his lover cursed to transform into a hawk by day. The trio fight against their common enemy, the vindictive and cruel Bishop of Aquila (John Wood).
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Ladyhawke was initially slated by many to be a film that would achieve classic status in time, and while it may have become a cult hit to a degree, its fantasy magnificence has gradually fallen from public consciousness even with its exceptional cast. Its occasional narrative lulls may be a reason for this, but its romantic story of resistance and revenge ought to be appreciated by more lovers of fantasy storytelling in the modern day.
Ladyhawke
PG-13
Adventure
Comedy
Drama
- Release Date
- April 12, 1985
- Cast
- Matthew Broderick , Rutger Hauer , Michelle Pfeiffer , Leo McKern
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
5 'The Last Unicorn' (1982)
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass
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A forgotten fantasy adventure from the forgotten Rankin/Bass Productions, The Last Unicorn is now a nostalgic cry to a lost era of animated cinema. It follows a unicorn who fears she may be the last of her kind and sets out to find if other unicorns exist. A magician and the lover of a bandit ruler accompany the unicorn in her quest.
While many of the great fantasies—famed and forgotten alike—rely on exceptional visuals to counter formulaic stories, The Last Unicorn runs with an outstanding story that some argue is brought down by its animation. Still, enriched by its breathtaking tale and its wonderful array of voice actors, the fantasy film has an ability to worm its way into the hearts of viewers. While it has amassed a passionate cult following, The Last Unicorn has sadly been forgotten by many despite its phenomenal story that teeters on the cusp of perfection.
The Last Unicorn
G
Adventure
Animation
Drama
- Release Date
- November 19, 1982
- Cast
- Jeff Bridges , Mia Farrow , Angela Lansbury , Alan Arkin , Christopher Lee
- Runtime
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4 'The Sword in the Stone' (1963)
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman
Walt Disney Studios could have its own collection of underrated and forgotten fantasy gems through the mid-part of the 20th century, with 1963’s The Sword in the Stone chief among them. The delightful animated picture brings Disney charm to the Arthurian legend, following a young boy known as Wart (Rickie Sorensen), who is mentored by the mischievous Merlin (Karl Swenson) to one day be a great king.
While it received only middling reviews upon release, The Sword in the Stone is among the greatest depictions of King Arthur’s story to appeal to young viewers. The animation itself is surprisingly lackluster given it is a Disney production, but the characters and comedy are imbued with the studio’s trademark quaint charm. As such, it is not only disappointing but quite stupefying as to why this creative take on the famous tale wasn’t a bigger hit upon release, and why it hasn’t found a greater following in the ensuing decades.
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The Sword in the Stone
G
Fantasy
Musical
Comedy
Animation
- Release Date
- December 25, 1963
- Cast
- Sebastian Cabot , Karl Swenson , Rickie Sorensen , Martha Wentworth
- Runtime
- 79 minutes
3 'Excalibur' (1981)
Directed by John Boorman
It may not be forgotten quite to the extent of some of the other films on this list, but Excalibur has faded surprisingly, considering it is widely regarded to be the best iteration of the Arthurian legend ever put to screen and one of the best R-rated fantasy films of all time. It follows Arthur (Nigel Terry), a young squire who becomes the new king when he withdraws the mystical sword Excalibur from stone. With help from his loyal band of knights and the wizard Merlin (Nicol Williamson), Arthur readies himself to face his evil half-sister, the sorceress Morgana (Helen Mirren).
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It juggles its enchanting fantasy with elements of action and philosophy to present an enticing and visually magnificent epic rich in scope and style. Featuring a spectacular cast that includes then-unknown talents like Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart, and Ciarán Hinds in supporting roles, Excalibur has so much that should appeal to today’s audiences, and it is a small tragedy that so many people aren’t aware of it.
Excalibur (1981)
R
Adventure
Drama
Fantasy
- Release Date
- April 10, 1981
- Cast
- Nigel Terry , Helen Mirren , Nicholas Clay , Cherie Lunghi , Paul Geoffrey , Nicol Williamson
- Runtime
- 140
2 'Dragonslayer' (1981)
Directed by Matthew Robbins
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Disney does dark fantasy to divine effect in 1981’s Dragonslayer, a true cult classic of the genre and of the decade that has attracted many fans for its visual brilliance and its rousing narrative. The kingdom of Urland lives in fear of the terrible dragon Vermithrax Pejorative, a vicious beast that demands sacrificial virgins to keep from decimating the realm. However, when the king’s daughter is set to be sacrificed, it falls to an old wizard and his apprentice to rescue the girl and rid the land of the oppressive dragon.
While familiar, its story is enriched by a mature tone and interesting spins, its romantic subplot is rewarding, and its cast all excel in their roles. However, the film has always been most praised for its visual display, namely the presentation of its dragon, which was described by George R.R. Martin in an interview with The Daily Beast as “the best dragon ever put on film.” Despite such lofty praise, Dragonslayer has struggled to hold its appeal over time, coming to be a largely forgotten gem of fantasy cinema.
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Dragonslayer
PG
Action
Adventure
Fantasy
- Release Date
- June 26, 1981
- Cast
- Peter MacNicol , Caitlin Clarke , Ralph Richardson , John Hallam , Peter Eyre , Sydney Bromley
- Runtime
- 109 Minutes
1 'The Secret of NIMH' (1982)
Directed by Don Bluth
Taking the visual allure of Disney’s animated masterpieces and a story with a darkness and depth that few animated family adventures would embrace, The Secret of NIMH remains a refreshing and ambitious fantasy film with few peers in terms of tone and style. It follows a widowed field mouse whose efforts to save her ill child see her seek the help of a colony of enhanced rats who were once subjected to scientific experiments.
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The film received vast praise for its intrinsically detailed and painstaking animation and its heady story which isn’t afraid to use the children’s adventure as an arena to explore themes of science and faith with philosophical weight. Masterfully, it is able to entice adult viewers in this regard while still presenting a gorgeous animated tale that kids will be enchanted by. The film simply does not have a weak link, and the fact that it has been forgotten by so many is a travesty. Not only a forgotten masterpiece, it is well and truly among the finest animated fantasy movies of all time.
The Secret of NIMH
G
Animation
Drama
Family
Fantasy
Sci-Fi
- Release Date
- July 16, 1982
- Cast
- Derek Jacobi , Elizabeth Hartman , Arthur Malet , Dom DeLuise , Hermione Baddeley , Shannen Doherty , Wil Wheaton , Jodi Hicks , Ina Fried , John Carradine , Peter Strauss , Paul Shenar , Tom Hatten , Lucille Bliss , Aldo Ray , Norbert Auerbach , Dick Kleiner , Charles Champlin , Joshua Lawrence , Philo Barnhart
- Runtime
- 82 Minutes
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NEXT: The 50 Best Fantasy Movies of All Time, Ranked
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