20 fantastic fantasy films everyone should see at least once

We're off to see the wizard... for the 20th viewing! There are few fantasies as transporting as Dorothy's trip to Oz, starting with a tornado through Kansas and landing, magnificently, in a Technicolor realm of lions and tigers and bears, oh my! When Dorothy enters that doorway, from her black and white world into dazzling color, it's as if the doorway of cinema's infinite possibilities just got more infinite, complete with catchy tunes, lively performances, and character building that made Wicked green with envy.

Even gold diggers aren't as obsessed with golden rings as the folks in Lord of the Rings, who want to capture the jewel's indescribable power. In Peter Jackson's masterful film, we enter a lush landscape where hobbits, wizards, orcs, and elves vie for power amidst immaculate scenery, costumes, music, and character development. If you like it, you should put a ring on it, as these films are now available for purchase on Amazon Prime.

Imagine if The Muppets were fighting off evil dwarfs in a macabre fairytale. That's the experience of watching Jim Henson's muppets defeat the dark, cruel Skekis in favor of the wiser, nicer Mystics. It's a puppet show where the strings are laced with death.

Not even Peter Jackson could top this O.G. monster mash, which rises to Empire State Building heights. Although the effects look ancient--like a kid smashing his ape toy into cardboard buildings--they remain hallucinatory and fantastical. That's partly because of the Beauty and the Beast love story at its center, which adds a touch of sentimentality amid crowd-cheering carnage.

Fantasy? Maybe. It's hard to call an Orwellian future that sees humans become literal cogs in a machine, churning the gears that power Fritz Lang's jaw-dropping futuristic city, a fantasy. But there are moments of incredible fantasy on display, like when a gold-tinted robot sparks to life--rays of electricity radiating off her body like visible airwaves.  

Till death do us part? The term has never been more achingly romantic and absurdly beautiful than in this ethereal romance. As a fighter pilot crashes into a raging ocean, he ascends to heaven only to escape to be with his partner back on Earth. The angels above are looking for him, but the Technicolor dreamscape below frames his partner as an angel in human flesh. Can you blame him for escaping death for just one more kiss?

Say what you want about J.K. Rowling, but there's no denying she can cast a spell. With her Harry Potter books, we got to enter a wizardly world that sprang to life in our minds. The movies, fittingly, brought Harry Potter's journey from outcast to spell-casting powerhouse to life as well, bolstered by tangible production design, music, and tenacious child performances.

"Hey, you guuuuys!" I've got a fun fantasy flick for the whole family. When a group of quirky kids gets word of lost treasure, they venture out to find it. Fending off creepy adults, ancient mazes, and unhealthy candy addictions, the middle schoolers follow a map that'll have you glued to your chair. 

It's a bird, it's a plane...it's a pig in a plane? Hayao Miyazaki is not only the most whimsical director of animated fantasies, but he's the greatest animated director, period. Who else could direct a movie about a fighter pilot turning into a pig, fighting Fascists and pirates, and make it a soaring romance and sizzling action flick? Porco Rosso leaves a contrail of unforgettable images in its wake, every bit as ethereal as a Lake Como stroll.

It's Alice in Wonderland for the Tim Burton generation! When a girl enters a magical doorway into a magical realm, she finds everything she ever wanted right at her fingertips. Only, why do her parents have buttons for eyes, and why is everything so dang eerie? This is creepy stuff, so maybe wait a little until you show your kids Coraline.

Speaking of creepy fantasy movies, is there anything more haunting on our list than Guillermo del Toro's metaphor for the Holocaust? A Little Red Riding Hood in black, this protagonist faces real-life horrors through a fantasy realm of creepy crawlies, none more intimidating than the hideous Pale Man. There's nothing pale about del Toro's landscape, however--this is textured, convincing fantasy that never grows cold.

The animated genre is grist for fantasy, since with animation, anything is possible. Whatever your head can dream of can be imagined on screen, and no one understands that quite like Hayao Miyazaki, who takes us on a magic bus tour through puffy creatures, ancient rituals, and flying cat buses. What's even more remarkable is how he grounds all this in the story of two adorable sisters coping with their mother's cancer diagnosis. In My Neighbor Totoro, your eyes are transfixed, and your heart is afloat by the greatest animated movie ever made. 

A classic fantasy in content, The Neverending Story follows a kid who curls up in a bookstore and reads the fantastical tale of Atreju. Before you know it, he's literally sucked into the story, tasked with saving his homeland of Fantasia. It's a rip-roaring, swashbuckling venture, made all the more so by director Wolfgang Paterson's incredible sense of imagination.

While we usually advise kids not to take candy from strangers, you're sure glad this kid decided to enter Charlie's factory of wonders. In the original adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel, we're whisked away to a land of chocolate rivers and candy meadows, orange midgets and bizarre life lessons, wrapped in a Technicolor package that is positively delicious. 

A one-of-a-kind ghost story, Uncle Boomne unfolds at the pace of a Taiwanese spa day, yawning over jungle vistas and family conversations that eventually bring out a hooded ghost with stoplight eyes. When the protagonist learns he might soon die, he's visited by the ghost of his wife in meditative motifs.

A fantasy about the director's reality, Federico Fellini brings his childhood to life in one of the most enjoyable movies ever made. Nothing in this fantastical reminisce seems fully accurate--the carnival of caricatures on screen is just so out there--but it's grounded with real emotions and exploding with images so poetic they belong in a museum.

There's something giddily fantastical about the original Pirates of the Caribbean. With its sassy protagonist, swashbuckling action, and keen sense of playfulness, this Pirates of the Caribbean is ready for another watch. 

Fantasy movies cast such a broad scope that it's not easy to pinpoint what actually qualifies in the genre. I suppose a movie where a weary traveler plays chess with Death, a pale figure in a black robe, should qualify as fantasy. It's certainly one of the most moody, visually striking films ever made, with heavy existential questions and even some light jokes thrown in from arthouse director Ingmar Bergman.

No, not the remake with Kevin Hart. The heart of the original belongs to Robin Williams, who guides these kids through the game with cheery aplomb.

Is there a better fantasy movie out there? Inconceivable! The story of a kidnapped princess and her true love is alive with action, poetry, sword fights, belly laughs, and unforgettable settings. It's a wonderful movie for all to enjoy.