A Drift of Quills: Top 3 Favorite Fantasy Flicks

A Drift of Quills are putting up their feet, sipping hot cocoa, and watching movies this month. What are our three favorite fantasy movies of all time? What makes them so good? Inquiring minds want to know…

When Hubby and I sit down to watch a movie together, one of our top favorite genres is fantasy. (You’re surprised, right? I knew you would be.) Much to our delight, the offerings are increasing in both volume and quality. And it’s about darned time my favorite genre in the whole wide world got wider recognition! It did, however, make the task of narrowing the selection down to three fairly formidable. There are “the greats,” of course: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Hunger Games (in that order), but they’re so obvious. What about the other stuff? What about the also-really-great movies like…

1. Ladyhawke

My top and forever-favorite is Ladyhawke. Handsome hero, beautiful (and not helpless!) maiden, freaking awesome sidekick. Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer were terrific together, but Matthew Broderick completely stole the show. The movie is chock full of romance, magic, action, comedy, beautiful scenery, amazing costumes… What more could a discerning fantasy fan wish for? Realism, perhaps, and the director did a wonderful job making the characters and the story believable, enchanting. Every time I sit down to watch it I grin like a maniac and clap wildly.

2. The Princess Bride

My brother-in-law loaned me the book. I found it silly and … well, silly. So when I was forced to sit down and watch the movie, boy was I in for a surprise! A delightful one, mind you. The Princess Bride made me laugh. A lot. It is charming, entertaining, endlessly quotable (“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means…” “Have fun storming the castle!”), funny, romantic. It has giants, the Brute Squad, rodents of unusual size, the fire swamp, and the Dread Pirate Roberts.

Seriously, what is not to love?

After watching the movie, I reread the book. And I loved it… A lot.

3. Bridge to Terabithia

Choosing a third-place favorite was tough. I have several that must be put into the slot in rotation, depending on my mood. Bridge to Terabithia is one of those movies that makes me cry every time I see it—but in a good way! The actors are excellent, the filming is beautiful, the storyline phenomenal. There imaginary lands and magic. And did I mention that the story is phenomenal?

4. The 3^rd Place Runners-Up

In no particular order, here are the other three that make my best-of list:

After going through our collection and taking the time to think about what makes these my favorite fantasy flicks, I’m feeling nostalgic. I wonder how much hot cocoa would be required to watch all of them?

Read about more favorite fantasy flicks!

PATRICIA REDING

Author of the Oathtaker Series
Patricia’s website

Of course, the most obvious choice of all is Lord of the Rings. So much so, that I’m not going to include it as one of my three choices. Indeed, the LOTR trilogy is in a category all of its own. Yes, it is a great story. Still, that is not the draw for me. I am most taken with LOTR because of its cinematography, and in particular, its lighting, which I think surpasses that of any other film ever produced. The mists…

P.S. BROADDUS

Author of The Unseen Chronicles
Parker’s website

I love movies. Cinema. Film. My love of visual storytelling propelled me to get a master’s degree in film-making and digital storytelling. So to pick a favorite movie, or even three, is a hard thing. It depends on my mood. The weather. The time of year. When did I last see it?

I suppose I define a favorite as something that I watch time and again…

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What’s your favorite fantasy movie? What makes it so great? Let us know in the comments below!