Given the necessary world-building and special effects, fantasy is a difficult genre to get right, resulting in many almost-perfect fantasy movies. Fantasy movies that bombed at the box office and came back have gone through this cycle because of one thing that didn't land well with audiences, in an otherwise amazing and fantastical story. Such movies may depend on audiences enjoying a goofy tone, alluding to older fantasy movies and imbuing it with charming nostalgia.

On the other hand, some fantasy movies have all the serious technical aspects but fall short in of storytelling. For instance, the best standalone fantasy movies demonstrate not only the trappings of the genre but a profound story that encourages people to be better in real life.

10 Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Disney's Live-Action Alice In Wonderland Resolves Itself Too Easily

If nothing else, Alice in Wonderland and Tim Burton's characteristic aesthetic are a perfect match. Burton filled the movie with his usual favorite actors and designed a much creepier version of Wonderland. The various actors are strong choices for their respective roles, understanding that most of these characters are too wild for "holding back" to be in their vocabulary. There are useful nods to the original source material and a good arc for Alice within Wonderland as she realizes the truth and rises to fight the Jabberwocky.

While it is one of the better Disney live-action remakes, Alice in Wonderland's ending is weak when Alice returns to the real world and simply announces her intention not to marry and her career goals. It's great for her but undermines the movie's edge when things work out so easily. The arbitrary nature of the patriarchy and Victorian society are key themes of Alice in Wonderland, which gave this movie some powerful material to work with. However, it doesn't make Alice's happy ending seem like the impossible achievement it would have been in this setting.

9 Dracula Untold (2014)

Dracula Untold Could Have Done More With Its ing Characters

Dracula Untold is a surprisingly good take on Dracula, balancing the themes of Dracula being a villain at heart but giving him a heroic origin story. Luke Evans delivers a commendable performance, while the special effects and action are spectacular. This movie loses its footing with the sequence of events to get Dracula from one fight to another; if he was always going to fight to keep his son, the scene of him almost handing him over wasn't necessary. Other skirmishes along the way pad the runtime of a short movie — so short because there isn't that much substance.

Dracula Untold underestimated itself: It tells a strong story for its main character but could have aspired to be a much bigger epic fantasy.

That extra runtime should have gone to the ing characters, who would have made Dracula Untold much more nuanced with their own arcs. Mirena isn't much more than a dutiful wife, robbing her death of any impact. Dracula also creates a dozen or so more vampires in the final act who promptly die; things would have been much more interesting had they all been real characters. Dracula Untold underestimated itself: It tells a strong story for its main character but could have aspired to be a much bigger epic fantasy.

8 Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

Most Of The Harry Potter Movies Assume That People Have Read The Books

The Harry Potter movies in general rush through exposition and only mention ing characters based on the broad assumption that most of the audience has read the books. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, this is the case with the story of how Voldemort found the Potters and why James and his friends are all uned Animagi. It's not even explicitly stated in the movie that James was an Animagus, making the symbolism of Harry's Patronus less clear.

When the movie's already closing in on two and a half hours, they might as well just spend 10 more minutes on exposition, while some of the action could have been cut down to the shorter version depicted in the book. On the other hand, Prisoner of Azkaban is arguably the best Harry Potter movie because of its style. Director Alfonso Cuarón played with cinematography and symbolism in what no other Harry Potter movie does, elevating it to a higher level of filmmaking.

7 I Kill Giants (2017)

I Kill Giants Has A Great Premise But Lackluster Execution

I Kill Giants is a massively underrated fantasy movie based on a forgotten limited comic book series that blends fantasy with reality very well. Madison Wolfe gives an amazing, volatile performance as Barbara, a girl who defends her town from giants. However, Barbara's crusade is gradually revealed to be a coping mechanism rather than a literal supernatural experience, leaving it unclear how much of the movie actually happened. The ing cast is also great, showing people genuinely worried about Barbara and the various struggles of her family.

The movie could have further developed Zoe Saldaña's character, making her connection with Barbara a stronger part of the story. Additionally, the way the fantasy leaks into the real world and its ultimate ambiguity isn't entirely original. However, I Kill Giants is largely a great movie, with a protagonist who isn't entirely likable but learns from her mistakes, demonstrating the effects of familial tragedy and children's capability for self-awareness.

6 Ladyhawke (1985)

Ladyhawke Starts Some Storylines It Doesn't Finish

The premise of Ladyhawke inherently means that the relationship which is the cornerstone of the story isn't entirely shown, as Isabeau is a hawk by day and Navarre a wolf by night, and they are only seen together as humans at the end. They are dependent upon the thief who becomes their accomplice to communicate. This prompts some jealousy when Gaston gets to spend more time with Isabeau than Navarre. However, Gaston's awkward position in their relationship is a loose thread, as once they undo the curse, all is well.

In this sense, Ladyhawke is a very classic fairy tale story with a unique curse to break. The movie has a whimsical but subdued setting, characteristic of this unfair world. It features the talents of Michelle Pfeiffer, Rutger Hauer, and Matthew Broderick playing characters on a journey that feels as perilous as other movies with happy endings want to be but fail to do so. It's already a strong story, but some flashbacks with the two lovers might have helped contextualize their relationship.

5 Maleficent (2014)

Maleficent Isn't As Scary As It Was d

Maleficent is one of the best Disney villains because she is just that — an amazingly dramatic, cackling villain. Maleficent was well-received, demonstrating a marvelous eerie aesthetic that suits Sleeping Beauty and the ever-amazing talents of Angelina Jolie. However, Maleficent didn't turn its title character into a sympathetic villain but a straightforward heroine. Most of what she does is completely justified, and the terrifying chills evoked by the trailers are nowhere to be found.

There was a way to give Maleficent an origin story that humanized her without taking away all the villainy that made people love her despite Sleeping Beauty being an average Disney animated classic. Telling a story that demonstrates how good and evil both exist within the main character is more difficult, but Maleficent deserved the extra time in the writers' room to figure this out. However, Maleficent and Aurora's relationship is sweet and puts a pleasant twist on the story.

4 Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi (1983)

Return Of The Jedi Pads The Runtime With Repeated Plots

The near-universal opinion is that The Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie, followed closely by A New Hope. However, feelings start to vary a little bit when it comes to the last of the original trilogy. Return of the Jedi did what it absolutely needed to do in delivering a good conclusion to the Star Wars trilogy. Empire Strikes Back's darker tone is still present before the heroes see victory in a movie that brings everyone's arc to a satisfying end.

Any conflict would have worked here to be the last obstacle to toppling the Empire.

The Ewoks proved to be the most divisive part of this movie, but they are arguably another goofy Star Wars species that just happens to be given a lot more screen time than some of the others. Return of the Jedi's weakest plot element is repeating the Death Star narrative just to give the heroes something to do in the final stretch. Any conflict would have worked here to be the last obstacle to toppling the Empire.

3 Damsel (2024)

Millie Bobby Brown's Damsel Is Thematically Lacking

Damsel is the latest Netflix original from Millie Bobby Brown which boasts absolutely stunning visuals, and an expected amazing performance by the lead actress. The story is intended to put a new spin on classic fairy tales. It does this effectively, with the damsel in distress returning to haunt the royal family that betrayed her. Elodie's relationship with her stepmother also subverts typical fairy tale tropes, as they have a tense relationship but still care deeply about each other.

Names including Angela Bassett and Robin Wright fill out the cast, giving the movie everything it needs to be successful — on paper. Yet Damsel comes across as a little bit bland and could have reinforced its themes better with further exploration of how this setting's society affects women. The book also drew more comparisons between Elodie and the dragon, which would have completed the movie, which simply feels like it is missing something.

2 Brave (2012)

Brave Isn't The Powerful Feminist Movie It Was Expected To Be

Brave was expected to be the movie Frozen ended up being, definitely rejecting all the Disney Princess tropes of old. The marketing heavily d Merida refusing to be married off and made her archery skills very obvious. Brave is a stunning movie with a heartfelt story and a tone still unique for Pixar. However, it is less about Merida escaping the patriarchy than it is about her relationship with her mother. The writers seem to think they couldn't do both of these things in one movie.

Brave effectively illustrates both mother and daughter realizing their mistakes and reconciling at the end of the conflict. However, the arranged marriage storyline is tossed aside as soon as Elinor decides to do something about it. The mother-daughter storyline was a way to explore the patriarchy in this setting; had they done a better job of exploring Elinor's character, these two core themes could have come together and formed something even better.

1 Penelope (2006)

Penelope Deserved To Be A More Outspoken Movie

Penelope is a delightful romance and fairy tale about falling in love and accepting oneself with another one-of-a-kind curse. The cast is great along with the twist ending, yet the protagonist and the narrative being a little more defiant would have made it that much more interesting. The viewer is practically screaming at Penelope to ditch her family and refuse to get married and at Johnny to just tell Penelope that he can't break the curse. These things are glaringly obvious when the whole plot rides on Penelope supposedly being ugly, which the audience is definitely not convinced of.

Penelope is essentially an "Eat the Rich" movie from before this genre blew up in movies and TV; if it had acted more like the problem was in the unfair standards set by Penelope's family and their peer group, the plot might have worked better. However, Penelope is undeniably sweet and a nicely subversive fairy tale story, with Penelope throwing expectations out the window multiple times. Largely underappreciated because of its weakest points, it is quietly enjoyed alongside other movies of its kind.