80s Fantasy FilmsLike this list

12 items

• The Dark Crystal

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  If you want to see some truly amazing puppetry and costume design, check out this film by Jim Henson! By turns eerie and beautiful, this story follows the lovable Gelfling Jen as he seeks to heal the Dark Crystal and restore balance to the world.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Legend

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  A 1985 cult classic and dark fantasy film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Cruise as Jack, a young man trying to stop the lord of darkness (Tim Curry!) from covering the world with eternal darkness.

• Willow

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  With story and production by George Lucas and cutting edge special effects for the time (they were nominated for an Academy Award), this story follows a farmer and small-time magician, Willow, who finds an abandoned humans child, a princess of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Princess Bride

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  "Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist." This film, framed as a grandfather reading to his grandson, is full of great lines, grandiose revenge plots, and a truly epic love story.

• Labyrinth

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  Getting David Bowie to play Jareth the Goblin King may be one of the greatest casting choices of all time. Ostensibly, the film is actually about Sarah Williams who must rescue her new baby brother from a magical realm full of challenges, but also…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ladyhawke

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  An absolutely timeless love story about a man who turns into a wolf at night and woman who turns into a hawk by day, cursed never to meet in their human forms. The story is narrated by the hilarious thief Phillipe "The Mouse" Gaston, played by…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The NeverEnding Story

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  Much like The Princess Bride, this movie is also about a very special book. Based on the novel by Michael Ende, this movie is full of truly unforgettable characters (the racing snail! Atreyu and Artax! Falkor!) and celebrates the power of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

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  Full of bonkers adventures this film, based on the tall tales of the 18th-century German nobleman Baron Munchausen, features the same style of zany exploits through fantastical worlds as Gulliver's Travels.

• Dragonslayer

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  This film is perhaps the most archetypal fantasy story on this list (a magician's apprentice, a brave princess, an evil dragon, a magical quest). Fun fact, the team used a 40-foot hydraulic model and 16 different puppets to bring the dragon to life,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Conan the Barbarian

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  Eleven years after his debut in comics, Conan thundered onto the silver screen, wreaking vengeance. If you haven't seen the original origin story starring Arnold Schwarzenegger then, by Crom, what are you waiting for!

• Time Bandits

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  Like The Neverending Story, this movie tells the story of a boy setting off on a series of adventures. Except, instead of exploring a magical book, Kevin starts to travel travel through time as he sleeps, meeting legendary characters like Robin Hood…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Gremlins

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  Some pets come with rules. If the rules are broken, things get a little crazy. So it goes for the Peltzers, in this black comedy, when they adopt a strange creature to give to their son for Christmas.