5 Biggest Fantasy Movies That Changed the Genre Back in the Day
Fantasy is one of the most popular genres in the world, and it has some of the greatest movies that changed the entire industry; these five movies, however, changed the fantasy genre itself.
5. The Dark Crystal (1982)
Though it was underappreciated after its release, The Dark Crystal became one of the cult movies later, and many tried to follow in its footsteps. Neither before nor after this movie, there hasn’t been a film that used such a clever combination of marionettes, hand puppets, and animatronics to showcase its world.
Pair that with a compelling story and an amazing atmosphere, and you got yourself a winner.
4. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
Trying to explain all the things that made the original Star Wars movie an instant classic would almost feel embarrassing: this movie changed the industry as a whole just as much as it influenced both fantasy and sci-fi genres. By mixing the two together, George Lucas created something unique and everlasting.
Even today, the Star Wars franchise is still popular despite the gradual decline — and there have been many that tried to recreate the feeling of wonder it gives off.
3. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
With this movie, Guillermo del Toro showed the world a new way of blending worlds together. Using the grim reality of the real world to comment on and mirror the fantastic reality and vice versa, del Toro utilized a handful of artistic techniques to picture the most revolutionary mix of horror and fantasy, both charming and terrifying.
On top of that, Pan’s Labyrinth tells a compelling and unexpected story, and his viewers can’t help but get drawn right into its depths.
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2. Harry Potter ( 2001-2011)
You can’t imagine a world-changing fantasy movie rating without the Harry Potter franchise, and here it is. Based on J.K. Rowling’s bestseller book series of the same name, the Harry Potter movies made the world go crazy for young adult fantasy that blends the reality of the modern world with the charm of old magic and adventures.
It would prove impossible to count how many followed JKR’s route after the immense success of the Harry Potter series, but this only goes to show that this franchise changed books, movies, fantasy, and the world in general.
The Lord of the Rings ( 2001-2003)
One could say that the original books by J.R.R. Tolkien made fantasy into the massive and highly popular genre it is today, but the movies’ director Peter Jackson was the man who made it mainstream. Absolutely groundbreaking on all sides, this movie series made sure everyone knew who elves, dwarves, and hobbits were.
One of the biggest franchises in history, The Lord of the Rings basically created fantasy in the minds of the general audience, and every fantasy author and director after Tolkien and Jackson was following in their footsteps in some sense.
