When you think of fantasy films, what springs to mind. Is it swords and sorcery, heroes battling beasts and wizards flinging spells? For this list of our favourite fantasies available on Blu-ray, we went with a group of movies that expands the genre beyond those basic confines.
Certainly there are some fantasy stalwarts here – your Lord Of The Rings, your Willow, but we've also selected some movies that use the concept as a lens to shine a light on other subjects. Check out the way Tim Burton twists the idea to his needs, or the beautiful, dark themes that Guillermo del Toro brings to his most famous film. Fantasy can be used in so many ways and our list includes several of them, with some aimed at the family audience, others that will spark nostalgic joy and some that will poke into the darker corners of the genre. Enjoy!
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The 15 Best Fantasy Movies on Blu-Ray
Never mind that it does, uh, technically end, this 1980s fantasy (by Wolfgang Petersen!) captured a lot of hearts and still holds a place in many. Falkor might be the MVP, but it's a story full of feeling.
2.
Time Bandits
Terry Gilliam, in between Python films, brought us this crazed romp through time in collaboration with Michael Palin. It's quotable and definitely happy to play with both history and fantasy tropes.
A Powell and Pressburger classic, this finds an aviator (David Niven) arguing for his right to life before a celestial court. It's sweeping and beautiful.
4.
Willow
One in the cult favourites file, its less-than-huge box office hasn't dimmed its impact. And there's plenty of charm to be found. Worth watching as we await the (still developing) TV spin-off.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet (and Marc Caro) let their imaginations run wild with this strange tale of kidnapping, dream-stealing and mad scientists. It's a visual treat and a fever dream all in one.
6.
Matilda
Danny DeVito brings Roald Dahl's tale of a genius girl with special abilities and the terrible adults around her to life with comic glee.
Long before Disney got its cartoon (and then live-action) hands on Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve' s story, there were other famous adaptations. This 1946 effort by Jean Cocteau is a memorable classic.
It was a beast of a film to make, but the result was a delightful blend of musical and fantasy adventure. You know the tunes, but you might not realise the emotional stakes and subtext.
Don Chaffey's take on Greek myths is best described as a romp – one bolstered by Ray Harryhausen's fantastic stop motion effects.
We couldn't make one of these lists without including a Studio Ghibli film, and Princess Mononoke is a prime example of the team's gorgeous work. It's also a great way into their other movies.
Tim Burton has brought some unique visions to life, and we went with this charming Franken-fantasy where outsider (in this case, Johnny Depp's shear-handed hero) meets suburban weirdness.
12.
Coraline
Even at a time when are several adaptations of Neil Gaiman's output in the works, this first film from the LAIKA stop-motion studio stands out as a family favourite, with a real sense of danger.
13.
Pan’s Labyrinth
Cinema is a banquet – and we picked Guillermo del Toro's astonishing gothic fantasy from the table, before being chased away by the Pale Man.
Director Rob Reiner and writer William Goldman's affectionate pastiche of romantic fairy-tale stories that also works as an adventure on its own. Great lines, superb sword fights and rodents of unusual size. What's not to love?
There has never been a cinematic fantasy saga like The Lord Of The Rings – and its opening chapter remains its crowning achievement. It's a journey you'll want to re-visit time and again, and we recommend the extended edition.