Fantastic Voyage; My Top Five Five Fantasy Movies

What is a movie, if not a temporary escape from reality? It is that getaway, where, for a short time, you can forget about that bill, the weather; really everything and live vicariously through the characters brought to life in the film. The more fantastic the story, the easier it is to make the escape, at least for me. As a child, you may have been whisked away to the land of Oz or battled alongside Conan. Maybe you have braved the Labyrinth to save your baby brother from the Goblin King. Whatever story you’re looking for, you have got your ticket, you have taken the second mortgage on your house to buy the medium popcorn and drink, and now you are ready to enjoy your movie... oh, you’re not at the movies? Well, then at least let me tell you about my top five fantasy films that have taken me away a time or two.

5. The Wizard of Oz – Possibly the original fantasy film, this almost didn’t make the cut because for me it falls under the title of musical. However, being a musical just adds to the level of fantasy for this story of a young girl that travels to a magical land in her dreams. She travels to a wonderfully colored place, meets a group of larger than life characters and even stops an evil witch. SPOILER ALERT:  all just to find out “there’s no place like home.” This one could possibly be higher on someone else’s list, but regardless of its placement, it is one of those must see films for any fantasy, musical or general movie lover.

4. The Princess Bride – Romance, humor, swordplay and Andre the Giant, this movie has it all! A classic spun fairytale has a lovelorn guy battling an evil prince, kidnappers and Rodents of Usual Size all to save and be with the love of his life. The dialog and humor are what make this movie move along at a seamless pace, and it hides the story of a grandfather teaching his grandson to not judge a book by its cover. If you were to invite me to watch this movie I’d simply respond, “As you wish.”

3. Legend – One of my two favorite Tom Cruise movies, this is a simple tale of good versus evil. The Prince of Darkness is trying to destroy the symbol of Love and Light, which, of course, is the last unicorn. This movie seemed well before it’s time and still holds up to today’s make-up and effects. Tim Curry’s wonderful performance of the Prince of Darkness is, in my eyes, untouchable. That, with the straight forward message that love can conquer all, is something I can get caught up in every time I see it.

2. The Dark Crystal – This was the first movie done with all puppet characters. It follows the unlikely hero, Jen, as he journeys to save his world by finding the last shard of the Dark Crystal and putting it back together to restore balance between good and evil. As a child, I was in awe of the characters I saw in this movie, and didn’t pay much attention to the actual story. As an adult, I still get the awe factor, but I also appreciate the story that anyone can be a hero and the fact we are capable of so much more than we realize.

1. The Never Ending Story – This is by far my favorite fantasy of all time. Again, as a kid, I didn’t fully understand the story, but it has grown to be one of the most important stories I have kept with me through my life. In the movie, Atreyu is the hero of Fantasia and is trying to save his world from The Nothing, a force that destroys everything in its way.  He needs the help of a human child, and it just so happens that it is the human child that is reading his very story. This explains in the most wonderfully magic way the importance of imagination in children, but also the children at heart. Don’t be afraid to dream because you just may come to realize that very dream.