Is there a fantasy film OTHER than LOTR?

[Itisnotlogical]

Has anyone noticed that there is a complete and total lack of fantasy movies in the style of Lord of the Rings, with classic swords and sorcery, wizards and elves and all that jazz? Aside from Lord of the Rings, I've yet to see a movie based on a similar premise (Eragon doesn't count because I think it was meant for more of a young adult audience). Can anyone recommend to me a real fantasy flick?

 

[JoeZhang]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Name_of_the_King:_A_Dungeon_Siege_Tale

(it's crap by the way).

or maybe

 

[Greg Cox]

Legend, Willow, Ladyhawke, Dragonslayer, Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer, Kull the Conqueror, Dungeons & Dragons, Excalibur, etc.

These vary drastically in quality, but they're all firmly in the traditional fantasy genre.

And let's not forget Ray Harryhausen's series of SINBAD movies . . .

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

Krull is pretty ok

 

[stonester1]

Sword and the Sorceror, Neverending Story, Labyrinth, Dark Crystal

 

[Greg Cox]

Also: the recent Narnia movies . . . .

 

[RoJoHen]

Willow

I admit there hasn't really been much of anything like this post-LOTR, though. Most of these films being mentioned are 10+ years old.

 

[Theonethatis]

If you at all like anime, check out the Record of the Lodoss wars. It's based on a series of books that are very LOTR like.

 

[KB24]

Actually, I think there are a lot of LOTResque fantasy films about, especially in the trilogy's wake. Most of them are seriously inferior and juvenille, of course. I actually really enjoyed Stardust recently,and though they are kind of campy, I like the classics like Conan and The Beastmaster. I agree also about Willow and Ladyhawke.

This is a list of classic, as in pre 70s Medieval/Swashbuckler type films I made. Not really sword and sorcery, but a place to start

http://ithinkthereforeireview.blogspot.com/2009/11/classic-camelot-and-more.html

I also enjoy the new Merlin series, but I haven't seen much of the similar Legend of the Seeker show. And I personally, would stick with the original Clash of the Titans, but that's just me.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Looking at the list of movies posted above... Wow are there a lot of mediocre fantasy movies out there. LOTR aside, the only one listed I'd consider really approaching a truly good *film* period is Conan the Barbarian.

 

[Fist McStrongpunch]

Dragonheart
Merlin
Star Wars

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Looking at the list of movies posted above... Wow are there a lot of mediocre fantasy movies out there. LOTR aside, the only one listed I'd consider really approaching a truly good *film* period is Conan the Barbarian.

Funny thing is I'd probably rewatch most of them before LOTR. LOTR is certainly probably better made than those films but it's not really all that fun.

 

[chrisspringob]

Looking at the list of movies posted above... Wow are there a lot of mediocre fantasy movies out there. LOTR aside, the only one listed I'd consider really approaching a truly good *film* period is Conan the Barbarian.

Personally, I thought Stardust was terrific, if that counts (though yes, it obviously doesn't take itself nearly as seriously as LotR). The others I either haven't seen or didn't enjoy very much.

 

[Lindley]

Not a movie, but the webcomic Errant Story is somewhat in that genre.

 

[Hyperspace05]

My other two favorite fantasy films are:

Excalibur
Ladyhawke

Now they don't have all the LOTR elements, but they are good fantasy films, if somewhat dated in aspects.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Not a movie, but the webcomic Errant Story is somewhat in that genre.

I understand there's some novels and video games in that genre as well.

 

[Tulin]

Krull.

I remember one scene where you actually see a Ken and Barbie doll "swinging" across a chasm.

 

[Aragorn]

There are a lot of movies out there that tried to capitalize on the success of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, but failed miserably -- Eragon, The Golden Compass, The Seeker, etc. Not sure you can throw Dungeon Siege in there since that's just Uwe Boll vomiting out more crap that no one goes to see.

 

[FordSVT]

There was that terrible Dungeons and Dragon movie a few years back.

Man, Dragonslayer was the SHIT when I was a kid, and the cyclops dude in Krull scared the living PISS out of me.

That was my bowel movement for the day.


It is a bit surprising that more good fantasy movies didn't come out in the 00s because of LOTR and Harry Potter. I think swords and sorcery is a really hard genre to do right, and it's extremely expensive to do well and to come off as authentic without looking cheesy.

What they need to do is a Dragonriders of Pern movie, since the only successful fantasy films seem to be based on existing literature. The rights were picked up years ago but no one ever did anything with them. Ron Moore tried to get a Pern series off the ground but the morons at the WB Network turned it into a Buffy clone so he scrapped it and gave the rights back to McCaffery.

 

[stonester1]

Stardust is an awesome movie...