The MCU has been giving the Marvel pantheon some love lately. From the sandy dunes of Moon Knight to the cosmic rainbows of Thor, the MCU is digging deep into their gods' lore. The MCU is far from the first movie to bring epic mythologies to life though.
Classics such as Jason and the Argonauts prove how timeless the tales of gods and mortals truly are. At the same time, the Thor franchise proves that even thousands-of-years-old mythologies can be given a new spin. Either way, audiences are sure to enjoy these particular and highly rated tales of the divine.
New Gods: Nezha Reborn (2021) - 6.8
New Gods: Nezha Reborn is about Li Yunxiang, a teenage motorbike rider in Donghai City. After a strange encounter, he realizes that he is the god Nezha, reborn three thousand years after he fought the sea. His old foes emerge before he can master his abilities, and he must settle a 3,000-year-old grudge with the modern crime syndicate, the Dragon clan.
New Gods: Nezha Reborn is a fresh take on classic Chinese mythology. It reimagines the old tale as a constant cycle. Now, the conflict is set thousands of years into the future. Gods are reborn into human vessels and must undergo great strife to regain godhood. In addition to the lore, the animation is entertainingly over-the-top.
The Book of Life (2014) - 7.2
The Book of Life is about Manolo Sanchez, a young man divided between living up to his bullfighting family's standards and following his heart. Before deciding which route to take, he embarks on an astonishing journey that takes him across three fantasy worlds and forces him to confront his biggest fears.
With direction from Jorge R. Gutierrez of El Tigre fame, the movie beautifully portrays the afterlife of Mayan mythology. The aesthetic and folklore are based on Mayan mythology, but the story itself is actually Greek-inspired. Specifically, the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, as seen with the themes of death and romance.
Jason and The Argonauts (1963) - 7.3
Jason and The Argonauts is an adaptation of a classic Greek tale. It follows Jason being sent on a quest to find the Golden Fleece as a "favor" to his Uncle Pelias, the king of Thessaly. He assembles a crew of the greatest Greek heroes such as Hercules and Orpheus to accompany him. Together, on the ship Argo, they set out on dangerous adventures.
Jason and the Argonauts was a mythical Greek epic film before those became commonplace. The movie had amazing effects for its time. The stop-motion in this movie by the legendary Ray Harryhausen holds up to this day. It also heavily features the gods and is the introduction of many people to the classic Greek tales.
Hercules (1997) - 7.3
Hercules is the Disney adaptation of the classic Greek myth of Heracles. After Hades turns the son of Zeus and Hera into a mortal, Hercules spends his youth clumsily helping his adoptive parents. Zeus finally reveals himself to Hercules and tells him to embark on a quest to achieve godhood.
This being Disney, they couldn't quite show how brutal the actual story of Heracles actually got. Despite the liberties taken, Hercules is an incredibly unique film. With the gospel soundtrack, the Vegas aesthetic of Greece, and the hilarious voices of James Woods and Danny DeVito, this is a fun time for the family. Unlike what happens to Heracles' family in the original story.
The Secret of Kells (2009) - 7.6
The Secret of Kells is an animated Celtic fantasy kids movie about Brendan, a young monk who assists Brother Aidan in a quest to protect the Abbey. With a Viking invasion at their doorstep and the sinister machinations of the Celtic god Crom, they must quickly find a way to use the Book of Iona to save everyone.
The Secret of Kells is the first foray of the then-unknown Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon. With their first movie, they got an immediate nomination for Best Animated Film, only to lose to Up. That said, the movie's gorgeous visual style and music successfully bring obscure Celtic folklore to new eyes.
Moana (2016) - 7.6
Moana focuses on the titular Moana and her heroic quest to save her island from a dark god Te Fiti that has been giving them bad luck. She seeks to track down the demigod Maui and force him to return to the heart of Te Fiti so her island can return to peace.
Moana adapts several aspects of Polynesian folklore into its plot. The gods Te Fiti and Te Ka aren't actually true gods that exist in Polynesian folklore. Instead, they are an amalgamation of different South Pacific gods. Still, the movie does a great job of having them represent fundamental aspects of nature.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017) - 7.9
Thor: Ragnarok is the third movie in the MCU's Thor franchise, and is the one most steeped in Norse mythology. Moving away from Earth, Thor has defeated the demon Surtr. Upon returning to Asgard, he finds Loki ruling over it, and soon enough, they must team up against Hela, their sister, who plans to use Asgard to wreak havoc on the nine realms.
While still deeply rooted in Marvel's version of Norse Mythology, the movie does a great job of depicting the Norse gods in contemporary ways. After all, Marvel's Thor isn't too far off from the portrayal of Thor in Norse mythology, give or take a few horse weddings.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013) - 8.0
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is an adaptation of the Japanese fairy tale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. In a bamboo stalk, a bamboo cutter discovers a small girl. He and his wife adopt her and raise her as "Princess Kaguya." Kaguya re her origins on the Moon as she develops in beauty, and she is divided between her love for her existence on Earth and her desire to return there.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya is surprisingly vague about pantheons, but it's nevertheless a presence throughout the whole story. Kaguya herself is a goddess from the moon, but not necessarily the goddess of the moon. It's a unique take on the age-0ld tale of gods living among mortals, only this time, it is a god raised to be human.
Song of the Sea (2014) - 8.0
Song of the Sea tells the story of Ben, a 10-year-old Irish boy who discovers that his mute sister Saoirse, whom he blames for his mother's apparent death, is a selkie tasked with rescuing faerie creatures from the Celtic goddess Macha. Together, they go on an adventure to save a dying world of magic while confronting their greatest fears.
Song of the Sea is the second installment in Cartoon Saloon's " Irish Folklore" trilogy. As per usual with their works, they are Oscar-nominated masterpieces with an incredibly unique visual style. These movies do a fantastic job of keeping Irish folklore alive in the hearts of those who watch them.
Princess Mononoke (1997) - 8.4
Princess Mononoke is set in the late Muromachi period and focuses on Ashitaka, a prince of the Emishi who was cursed by a demon. Marked by death, Ashitaka sets out west to find his destiny. There, he gets embroiled in a war between nature and machine, and his decisions could spell the victor of the war.
Princess Mononoke treats gods as both essential to maintaining balance, but also totally mortal. The gods of nature are vulnerable to the iron weapons of man, and this conflict of mankind "building their new gods" is a constant theme of the movie. For people looking for a classic Ghibli movie with a surprising amount of action, Princess Mononoke is a must-watch.
