Subgenre Sampler

Show: All FilmsRental Rental DVD Rental Blu-Ray Rental VHSSales Sales DVD Sales Blu-Ray Sales VHS

Encanto (2021): Dir. Jared Bush, Byron Howard; Colourful Disney musical following a multi–generational Colombian family who recieve magical gifts that help them serve their rural community,…
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021): Dir. Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada; A sophisticated Disney animated feature set in a re–imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization known as Kumandra, where a feisty…
Love and Monsters (2020): Dir. Michael Matthews
Feat. Dylan O’Brien, Michael Rooker, Jessica Henwick; After a Monsterpocalypse forces humans into underground colonies, a young man decides against all logic to brave the surface and face the monsters…
Onward (2020): Dir. Dan Scanlon; Slick animated fantasy adventure following two elf brothers who go on a quest to find a magic magic gem that will bring their deceased father. A…
Witches, The (2020): Dir. Robert Zemeckis
Feat. Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci…; Robert Zemeckis' re–imagining of Roald Dahl’s beloved story that tells the darkly humorous yet heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy who,…
Cats (2019): Dir. Tom Hooper
Feat. James Corden, Judi Dench, Idris Elba…; Vilified remake of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical about a group of cats competing at an elaborate ceremony to decide who will be reincarnated. A…
Children of the Sea (2019): Dir. Ayumu Watanabe; Powerfully resonant Japanese animated adventure reflecting on the connections between humanity and the natural world. Centered around a troubled…
Dumbo (2019): Dir. Tim Burton
Feat. Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny De Vito…; Tim Burton's colourful live–action reboot of the beloved Disney classic set in a travelling circus where a family discovers that a baby…
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (How to Train Your Dragon 3) (2019): Dir. Dean Deblois; The beloved Dreamworks series comes to a fitting close with this third delightful fantasy film following the adventures of Hiccup, who has…
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019): Dir. Jake Kasdan
Feat. Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan …; The cast of the successful, enjoyable reboot return for more jungle fantasy adventure, this time to rescue one of their own through braving parts…
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019): Dir. Joachim Roenning
Feat. Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Harris Dickinson…; Sequel to the 2014 Disney fantasy, with Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and her goddaughter Aurora (Elle Fanning) returning to new adventures, this time…
Pinocchio (2019): Dir. Matteo Garrone
Feat. Federico Lelapi, Roberto Benigni, Rocco Papaleo; A new, live–action imagining of the iconic fairytale that focuses on the authentic roots of the Carlo Collodi story. Shot in stunning Italian…
A Wrinkle in Time (2018): Dir. Ava DuVernay
Feat. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Storm Reid…; High–pitched Disney fantasy that follows a young woman and friends through space in search of her missing father who is held in the clutches of…
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018): Dir. David Yates
Feat. Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler…; Second installment in the Fantastic Beasts film series, following Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore as they go up against the dark wizard Gellert…
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018): Dir. Ari Sandel
Feat. Wendi McLendon-Covey, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Madison Iseman…; Following on from the popular 2015 big screen adaptation, two young boys accidentally unleash a cacophony of monsters and demons after they open an…
House With the Clock in its Walls, The (2018): Dir. Eli Roth
Feat. Jack Black, Cate Blanchett; Gore maestro Eli Roth changes pace with this kids fantasy horror about a young orphan who teams up with his magical Uncle to find a clock that could…
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018): Dir. Juan Antonio Bayona
Feat. Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall…; Sequel to JURASSIC WORLD (2015) and part of a planned trilogy, this creature feature blockbuster keeps the franchise alive with a fun, if…
Mary Poppins Returns (2018): Dir. Rob Marshall
Feat. Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw…; Emily Blunt couldn't be more perfectly cast as the delightful Mary Poppins in this sequel that proves it's worth. Set in 1930's London, 25 years…
Mirai (2018): Dir. Mamoru Hosoda; Gorgeous anime from director Mamoru Hosoda (SUMMER WARS, WOLF CHILDREN) where a 4–year–old boy discovers he can travel through time to…
Nutcracker and the Four Realms, The (2018): Dir. Lasse Hallstrom, Joe Johnston
Feat. Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Eugenio Derbez…; Lavish but hollow Disney retelling of E.T.A. Hoffmann's short story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" and Marius Petipa's "The Nutcracker" about a…
Beauty and the Beast (2017): Dir. Bill Condon
Feat. Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans…; A live–action re–telling of Disney's own animated classic which refashions the original French fairy tale for a contemporary audience,…
Changeover, The (2017): Dir. Stuart McKenzie, Miranda Harcourt
Feat. Erana James, Timothy Spall, Melanie Lynskey…; Maragret Mahy's beloved fantasy romance novel is translated into a post–earthquake Christchurch setting, and marks an impressive debut from…
Fireworks (Fireworks: Should We See It from the Side or The Bottom?) (2017): Dir. Nobuyuki Takeuchi; Beautifully romantic Japanese anime set during a school summer vacation, based on Shunji Iwai’s 1993 TV series, “Fireworks”. Refreshingly…
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (TV Series) (2017): Animated TV series created by Guillermo Del Toro, following the adventures of an ordinary teenager who becomes endowed as a Trollhunter after…
A Monster Calls (2016): Dir. Juan Antonio Bayona
Feat. Lewis MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones…; A splendid and skillfully–told fantasy drama in which a 12–year–old boy faces his mother's terminal illness, his strict…
Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016): Dir. James Bobin
Feat. Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter…; Effects heavy sequel to Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND has Alice returning to the whimsical world of Wonderland and travelling back in time to help…
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016): Dir. David Yates
Feat. Eddie Redmayne, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler…; This 1920's period fantasy adventure is the first in the HARRY POTTER universe to be adapted for the screen by J. K. Rowling herself. Eddie Redmayne…
Moana (2016): Dir. John Musker, Ron Clements
Feat. Aulii Cravalho, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Jemaine Clement…; An epic CGI Disney adventure about a Polynesian girl who sets sail on a daring ocean voyage to find a home for her people. Features Kiwi voice…
Monster Trucks (2016): Dir. Chris Wedge
Feat. Lucas Till, Jane Levy, Amy Ryan…; A truck–obsessed teen builds a monstrous vehicle out of spare parts in an attempt to escape his troubled small town existence.
Pete's Dragon (2016): Dir. David Lowery
Feat. Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oakes Fegley…; Inspired Disney remake vastly improves upon its own forgotten 70's adventure that tells the tale of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend…
April and the Extraordinary World (2015): Dir. Christian Desmares, Franck Ekinci
Feat. Marion Cotillard, Jean Rochefort, Olivier Gourmet…; Steampunk–infused tale set in an alternate world where France is a country under the iron rule of Napoleon V, a young girl goes in search of…
Cinderella (2015): Dir. Kenneth Branagh
Feat. Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden…; Dir. Kenneth Branagh re–imagines the classic tale of young Ella who finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her daughters, and…
Goosebumps (2015): Dir. Rob Letterman
Feat. Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush…; Fantastical spin on the popular kidult horror series with Jack Black perfectly cast as horror maestro R.L. Stine whose imaginary demons come to life.
Pan (2015): Dir. Joe Wright
Feat. Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund…; Visually dazzling but widely panned prequel to J.M. Barrie's classic tale has a young orphan spirited away to the magical world of Neverland to…
Tomorrowland (2015): Dir. Brad Bird
Feat. George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie…; Disney live–action adventure that allies a scientifically–curious teenage girl and a former boy–genius inventor (Clooney) who…
Barbie: The Pearl Princess (2014): Dir. Ezekiel Norton; Entry into the Barbie film series where the fashion doll is a mermaid who has the power to change the colour of pearls and make them dance.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014): Dir. Dean Deblois
Feat. Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler…; Splendid sequel to the medieval animated hit about the ongoing mission of a pair of vikings to maintain the peace between dragons and men.
Maleficent (2014): Dir. Robert Stromberg
Feat. Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley…; Angelina Jolie plays Sleeping Beauty's iconic villain in this visually striking update of the Disney animated classic.
Night at the Museum 3:Secret of the Tomb (2014): Dir. Shawn Levy
Feat. Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson…; Concluding chapter in the trilogy has museum guard Stiller trying to decipher why the exhibits are behaving so erratically.
Song of the Sea (2014): Dir. Tomm Moore; From the director and production team behind THE SECRET OF KELLS comes another distinctive hand–made animated feature from Ireland that serves…
Adventurer, The - The Curse of the Midas Box (2013): Dir. Jonathan Newman
Feat. Aneurin Barnard, Lena Headey, Sam Neill…; Spiffy period adventure set in Victorian England about a teenager racing to find the eponymous 'Midas Box', a treasure which can turn any object to…
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013): Dir. Bryan Singer
Feat. Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor…; 'Jack and the Beanstalk' is reimagined for the big screen in this hulking fantasy adventure about a naïve farm boy who attempts to rescue a…
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2013): Dir. Will Finn
Feat. Lea Michele, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi…; A lightweight animated 'sequel' to the original Wizard of Oz film finds Dorothy returning to help her old friends Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man to…
Nowhere Boys (TV Series) (2013): Feat. Darci McDonald, Dougie Baldwin, Joel Lok…; Australian fantasy action–adventure series that follows four teenage boys who get lost in the forest and discover, when they return home, that…
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013): Dir. Sam Raimi
Feat. James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz…; Sam Raimi directs this spectacular re–imagining of the Wizard of Oz legend for Disney studios – an origin story centred on the coming of…
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013): Dir. Thor Freudenthal
Feat. Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Douglas Smith…; Another young adult fantasy franchise rolls on, this time continuing the adventures of the titular Percy Jackson and his demigod friends as they race…
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012): Dir. Brad Peyton
Feat. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson…; The Rock and friends return for this hammy, high–wire sequel to JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH, with the intrepid explorers taking on the…
Mirror Mirror (2012): Dir. Tarsem Singh
Feat. Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer…; Supreme visualist Tarsem Singh (THE FALL) directs this striking adaptation of the Snow White fairytale, starring Julia Roberts as the iconic wicked…
Rise of the Guardians (2012): Dir. Peter Ramsey
Feat. Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law…; An imaginative spin on childhood mythology, this excellent animated fantasy casts Jack Frost, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, The Sandman, and…
Wolf Children (2012): Dir. Mamoru Hosoda; This beautiful, serious–minded take on werewolf folklore focuses on a young woman and her struggle to raise two children of mixed…
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): Dir. David Yates
Feat. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane…; This eighth and final Harry Potter installment concludes the boy wizard's epic journey from Hogswart apprentice to world savior.
Lost Christmas (2011): Dir. John Hay
Feat. Eddie Izzard, Jason Flemyng; BBC drama set in Manchester over two Christmases that shows a group of people who are brought together by a mysterious drifter who helps them find…
Neverland (TV Mini-series) (2011): Dir. Nick Willing
Feat. Rhys Ifans, Anna Friel, Bob Hoskins…; Clever prequel to "Peter Pan" from the producers of TIN MAN and ALICE that gives a fresh, alternative take on the origins of Peter Pan and Captain…
Witches of Oz, The (TV Mini-series) (2011): Dir. Leigh Scott
Feat. Christopher Lloyd, Sean Astin, Ethan Embry…; Disappointingly shoddy re–imagining in which Dorothy, now a best–selling children's book author discovers, upon moving to New York, that…
Alice in Wonderland (2010): Dir. Tim Burton
Feat. Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter…; Dir. Tim Burton goes down the rabbit hole in this feverish retelling of Lewis Carroll's classic tale told with his customary visual brio. Bonham…
Arrietty (The Secret World of Arrietty) (2010): Dir. Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Feat. Mirai Shida, Ryunosuke Kamiki; Studio Ghibli's latest animated triumph respectfully borrows from the classic English children's tale of 'The Borrowers', about a family of tiny…
Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010): Dir. Michael Apted
Feat. Ben Barnes, Tilda Swinton, Liam Neeson…; Rollicking third installment has the children returning to Narnia to join Prince Caspian for a voyage on the majestic royal vessel known as The Dawn…
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010): Dir. David Yates
Feat. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane…; Seventh and penultimate film in the H.K. Rowling–penned franchise now finds Harry and pals Ron and Hermione on the lam as Lord Voldemort…
How to Train Your Dragon (2010): Dir. Dean Deblois, Chris Sanders
Feat. Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson…; Top–flight animated feature about a hapless young Viking who aspires to hunt dragons but becomes the unlikely friend of a young dragon himself,…
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010): Dir. Susanna White
Feat. Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, Ewan McGregor…; Emma Thompson again pens and stars in the second installment about the otherworldly nanny, accompanied again by a staggering array of British…
Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief (2010): Dir. Chris Columbus
Feat. Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario…; Striking fantasy that follows a gangly teenager who discovers that he's the son of Poseidon and has inherited some of Dad's powers. Percy soon finds…
Sorcerer's Apprentice, The (2010): Dir. Jon Turteltaub
Feat. Nicolas Cage, Alfred Molina, Jay Baruchel…; Playing to type, Jay Baruchel is the average, unassuming new recruit of a master sorcerer (Nicholas Cage) who needs the help of a protégé to defeat…
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009): Dir. Paul Weitz
Feat. Chris Massoglia, Josh Hutcherson, John C. Reilly…; Disjointed family friendly fright fest has a teenager accidentally trigger a war between two vampire factions. Despite an excellent cast and a great…
Coraline (2009): Dir. Henry Selick
Feat. Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders…; The prodigious talents of fantasy writer Neil Gaiman and animator Henry Selick combine for this wonderful – though admittedly creepy –…
From Time to Time (2009): Dir. Julian Fellowes
Feat. Alex Etel, Timothy Spall, Maggie Smith…; Charmingly old–fashioned family film set at the tail end of the second world war has a young boy discovering a portal back to 1805, where he…
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009): Dir. David Yates
Feat. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Jim Broadbent…; The epic sixth movie in the Harry Potter franchise sees Harry prepare for the final battle against his nemesis Voldemort while struggling with his…
Imagine That (2009): Dir. Karey Kirkpatrick
Feat. Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Ronny Cox; A magic blankie transforms Eddie Murphy's prospects on the stock market in this pleasantly surprisingly family movie, recommended for its healthy…
Night At The Museum 2 (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian) (2009): Dir. Shawn Levy
Feat. Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson…; Sequel to 2006 mega–hit NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM sees Ben Stiller return to his role as security guard, this time on a mission to infiltrate the…
Oblivion Island (Haruka and the Magic Mirror) (2009): Dir. Shinsuke Sato; Emulating Pixar's gold standard animation, this crowd pleasing 3D anime centres on a teenage girl who stumbles through a magical portal to a world…
Race To Witch Mountain (2009): Dir. Andy Fickman
Feat. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Tom Everett Scott, AnnaSophia Robb…; A flashy but bland reboot of the 1975 Disney film ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN that sees Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson play a cab driver who inadvertently…
Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure (2009): Feat. Kristin Chenoweth, Jesse McCartney, Anjelica Huston; Adequate sequel to 2008's TINKERBELL sees the feisty fairy and friends go on a journey to find the source of the Pixies mystical dust.The stellar…
Toys in the Attic (2009-2012): Dir. Vivian Schilling, Jirí Barta; Dark stop–motion animated fairytale following the adventures of a doll, a marionette, a teddy bear, a Mechanical Mouse and the plasticine…
Where the Wild Things Are (2009): Dir. Spike Jonze
Feat. Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini…; Expanding on the simple text of Maurice Sendak's modern children's classic, this glorious, visionary adaptation from director Spike Jonze and writer…
Wizards Of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009): Dir. Lev L. Spiro
Feat. David Henrie, Selena Gomez, Jake T. Austin; Feature–length spin–off from popular Disney series THE WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE, focused around a family of…
Adventures Of Merlin, The (TV Series) (2008): Feat. Colin Morgan, Angel Coulby, Bradley James…; Ambitious drama series loosely based on the legend of King Arthur, following a young Merlin's arrival in Camelot where he must face great danger…
Bedtime Stories (2008): Dir. Adam Shankman
Feat. Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce…; Sure–fire Disney high–concept comedy starring Adam Sandler as a baby–sitting uncle whose bedtime stories start to influence his…
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008): Dir. Andrew Adamson
Feat. Tilda Swinton, Ben Barnes, Sergio Castellitto…; This epic–leaning return to the fantasy world of Narnia finds the Pevensie children heading back through the wardrobe to help Prince Caspian…
City Of Ember (2008): Dir. Gil Kenan
Feat. Harry Treadaway, Saoirse Ronan, Tim Robbins…; Dystopian children's fantasy set in an underground city of the future that is threatened by eternal darkness but whose leaders protect their citizens…
CJ7 (Cheung Gong 7 hou) (2008): Dir. Stephen Chow (Chiao)
Feat. Stephen Chow (Chiao); Hong Kong superstar Stephen Chow turns his directing talents to the family–friendly fantasy, playing a dirt–poor father who surprises his…
Colour of Magic, The (2008): Dir. Vadim Jean
Feat. Sean Astin, Jeremy Irons, David Jason…; A live–action return to Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld,' where an unfortunate wizard, enthusiastic tourist and fierce wooden box with legs must…
Delgo (2008): Dir. Marc F. Adler, Jason Maurer
Feat. Freddie Prinze Jnr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, Malcolm McDowell…; Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt and others voice this fantasy animation about a magical world on the brink of destruction. Lacks subtely and…
Dragon Hunters (2008): Dir. Guillaume Ivernel, Arthur Qwak
Feat. Forest Whitaker, Vincent Lindon; French–produced animated tale of two dragon hunters in a world that has become infested with a terrible plague, with famished, mutant creatures…
Inkheart (2008): Dir. Iain Softley
Feat. Brendan Fraser, Sienna Guillory, Paul Bettany…; An under–rated, imaginative rendering of German author Cornelia Funke's novel about a young girl and her father who have the ability to bring…
Journey to the Centre of the Earth (2008): Dir. Eric Brevig
Feat. Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem; A "rollercoaster" entertainment based very loosely on Jules Verne's famous novel, this version sees a contemporary trio embarking on an inadvertent…
Phoebe in Wonderland (2008): Dir. Daniel Barnz
Feat. Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, Elle Fanning…; Affecting drama starring Elle Fanning (Dakota's little sister) as an gifted but unstable young girl who retreats into the fantastical world of Alice…
Pinocchio (TV Mini-series) (2008): Dir. Alberto Sironi
Feat. Robbie Kay , Alessandro Gassman, Bob Hoskins; Lengthy, live–action adaptation of the children's classic stars Kay as the boy made of wood and Hoskins as his gruff old father, Gepetto. Quite…
Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea) (2008): Dir. Hayao Miyazaki
Feat. Yuria Nara, Hiroki Doi; Utterly irresistible, Miyazaki’s latest animated triumph is one for all ages (even toddlers!); a Little Mermaid–inspired adventure of a…
Secret Of Moonacre, The (2008): Dir. Gabor Csupo
Feat. Dakota Blue Richards, Juliet Stevenson, Tim Curry…; Orphaned teenager Maria Merryweather (Richards) discovers her new home, the foreboding Moonacre Estate, is under an ancient curse in this lushly…
Spiderwick Chronicles, The (2008): Dir. Mark Waters
Feat. Freddie Highmore, Nick Nolte, Sarah Bolger…; Enchanting fantasia in the Gothic tradition, centred around three children (including Freddie Highmore as twins!) who move into a dilapidated mansion…
Star Wars - The Clone Wars (2008): Dir. Dave Filoni; Watered down kids animation from the STAR WARS franchise, focusing on the Jedi Knights battle to retain peace in the galaxy during the…
Tinkerbell (Tinker Bell Movie, The ) (2008): Dir. Bradley Raymond; The feisty fairy from PETER PAN stars in her very own movie set in the land of 'Pixie Hollow,' where she must learn from her fairy friends how to…
Bridge to Terabithia (2007): Dir. Gabor Csupo
Feat. Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel…; Faithful adaptation of a much–loved young–adult novel, which tells the story of two 10–year–olds creating a fantasy world to…
Doctor Strange - The Sorceror Supreme (2007): Dir. Jay Oliva; Another popular comic book adaptation from the Marvel animated stable: here, the ‘Dr. Strange’ series makes for a fantastical world’s end…
Doctor Who (Animated TV Series) (2007): Feat. David Tennant, Freema Agyeman, Anthony Head…; Animated spin–offs that aim predominantly at a younger audience, but have enough well–crafted animation locations and clever technique to…
Enchanted (2007): Dir. Kevin Lima
Feat. Patrick Dempsey, Amy Adams, James Marsden…; Top–rating, truly charming family fantasy uses a clever mix of live action and animation to quite literally 'bring to life' a perfect, cartoon…
Golden Compass, The (2007): Dir. Chris Weitz
Feat. Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Ben Walker…; Visually magnificent fantasy epic adapted from the first installment in Philip Pullman's controversial "His Dark Materials" trilogy traverses similar…
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007): Dir. David Yates
Feat. Daniel Radcliffe, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter…; The fifth movie of the Harry Potter franchise finds the Wiz–kid struggling with adolescent hormones, a blind bureaucracy and most memorably,…
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007): Dir. Zach Helm
Feat. Natalie Portman, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Bateman…; Elves–in–the–toyshop fantasy with Dustin Hoffman as Mr. Magorium, the kindly, Wonka–esque, owner of a magical toy…
Secret of the Magic Gourd, The (Bao hu lu de mi mi) (2007): Dir. John Chu, Frankie Chung; One of the first children's fantasies from mainland China to be formally released in the West tells the story of an imaginative under–achiever…
Seeker, The - The Dark is Rising (2007): Dir. David L Cunningham
Feat. Alexander Ludwig, Ian McShane, Christopher Eccleston…; Choppy big screen adaptation of Susan Cooper's popular children's series, which pits a chosen young boy against Christopher Eccleston, Ian McShane,…
Stardust (2007): Dir. Matthew Vaughn
Feat. Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer…; An elaborate and wildly entertaining fairytale adventure from the imagination of British fantasy maestro, Neil Gaiman (MIRROR MASK), this tones down…
Water Horse, The: Legend of the Deep (2007): Dir. Jay Russell
Feat. Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, Emily Watson…; NZ–filmed magical adventure inspired by the legend of Loch Ness in which a small boy secretly adopts a baby mythical creature that grows to…
Wizards of Waverly Place, The (TV Series) (2007): Feat. Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Jake T. Austin; Bland cash–in on the HARRY POTTER series centers on the Russo children, three young wizards in training. Broad comedy with a 'twist' is…
Aquamarine (2006): Dir. Elizabeth Allen
Feat. Emma Roberts, Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque, Sara Paxton; Likeable 'tween' fantasy that’ll appeal especially to young girls, this swimmingly pairs two best friends with a teenaged mermaid who washes up on…
Arthur and the Invisibles (Arthur et les Minimoys) (2006): Dir. Luc Besson
Feat. Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Jimmy Fallon…; Blending animation and live–action, Luc Besson directs the tale of ‘Arthur and The Minimoys’ (translated to ‘Invisibles’ for English…
Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest (2006): Dir. Michel Ocelot; Exotic story–book style adventure set in the Arabic world and following childhood friends Azur and Asmar as they become rivals on a quest to…
Crusade: A March Through Time (Kruistocht in spijkerbroek) (2006): Dir. Ben Sombogaart
Feat. Stephanie Leonidas, Joe Flynn, Emily Watson…; From the popular Dutch children’s book, this biblical fantasy follows a young boy who accidentally travels through time back to the 13th Century,…
Eragon (2006): Dir. Stefan Fangmeier
Feat. Edward Speleers, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich…; A child–friendly fire–breathing fantasy set in a land where dragons are almost extinct, and a farm boy named Eragon must meet his destiny…
Girl Who Leapt Through Time, The (2006): Dir. Mamoru Hosoda; An enchanting, girl–centric 'anime', centred around a teenager’s ability to time travel and adjust the course of her social and romantic…
Merlin's Apprentice (2006): Feat. Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson; Fantastical sequel to the popular mini–series version of MERLIN, this also stars Sam Neill as the legendary wizard, now mentoring a young…
Night at the Museum (2006): Dir. Shawn Levy
Feat. Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Dick Van Dyke…; Rambuctious creature comedy starring Ben Stiller as a 'desperate dad' who takes the graveyard shift as a night guard for the Natural History Museum,…
Tales From Earthsea (Gedo senki) (2006): Dir. Goro Miyazaki; The animated feature debut from Goro Miyazaki, son of Hayao, based on Ursula K Le Guin's popular 'Earthsea' novels, this is a commendable addition to…
Thief Lord, The (2006): Dir. Richard Claus
Feat. Jasper Harris, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jim Carter…; A delightful HARRY POTTER–esque fantasy chronicling the adventures of two runaways who join a scalawag band of abandoned kids in search of a…
Tom's Midnight Garden (2006): Dir. Willard Carroll
Feat. Greta Scacchi, James Wilby, Joan Plowright; A handsome screen version of children's novel by Phillipa Pearce, in which a young boy in the 1950s is sent to live with his aunt and uncle because…
Ultimate Avengers (2006): Dir. Bob Richardson; Slim, cheerfully low–grade Marvel animated feature which unites six iconic superheroes (Captain America, The Hulk, etc.) in a fight against…
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (2005): Dir. Andrew Adamson
Feat. Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent…; A splendid and meticulous vision of C.S. Lewis' classic children's fantasy novel in which a group of four young siblings – ensconced in an…
Great Yokai War, The (Yôkai daisensô) (2005): Dir. Takashi Miike
Feat. Chiaki Kuriyama; The latest cinematic mash–up from dir. Miike (AUDITION) is a family–orientated adventure in which a shy young boy from a broken family…
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005): Dir. Mike Newell
Feat. Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman…; The fourth chapter in the unfolding Harry Potter series marks a devastating plunge into raw suspense and truly epic adventure for the young wizard…
Nanny McPhee (2005): Dir. Kirk Jones
Feat. Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Kelly MacDonald…; A well–bred British entertainment for children which fuses the traditional likes of MARY POPPINS with the current wave of gothic fantasy (Harry…
Neverwas (2005): Dir. Joshua Michael Stern
Feat. Ian McKellen, Aaron Eckhart, Brittany Murphy…; Emotive, 'realist' fairytale concerns a psychiatrist (Eckhart) who discovers the magical world his deceased father (Nolte) wrote about in a Lewis…
Opal Dream (2005): Dir. Peter Cattaneo
Feat. Vince Colosimo, Jacqueline McKenzie; Semi–precious gem of a family drama about a precocious 10–year–old girl in Australian 'opal country', who wreaks a cute brand of…
Snow Queen, The (2005): Dir. Julian Gibbs
Feat. Sydney White, Patrick Stewart; The classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, about a young girl who sets out to find a friend bewitched and abducted by an evil enchantress, here…
Bionicle 2 (Legends of Metru Nui) (2004): Prequel to MASK OF LIGHT, this casts back into the dark early history of Metru Nui, with six Metoran being given the task of recovering the powerful…
Dust Factory, The (2004): Dir. Eric Small
Feat. Hayden Panettiere, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Ryan Kelly; An interesting and moderately spooky family drama, in which a traumatised teen (Kelly) – who can't bring himself to speak after witnessing his…
Ella Enchanted (2004): Dir. Tommy O’Haver
Feat. Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes…; Anne Hathaway (THE PRINCESS DIARIES) stars in this family fantasy as a princess who must travel to distant lands to offload her gift (curse) of…
Five Children and It (2004): Dir. John Stephenson
Feat. Freddie Highmore, Kenneth Branagh, Zoe Wanamaker…; A fond adaptation of the E. Nesbit novel in which a group of children are befriended by a disenchanted green 'sand fairy' called 'It' (voiced by…
George and the Dragon (2004): Dir. Tom Reeve
Feat. James Purefoy, Piper Perabo, Patrick Swayze…; Broadly entertaining revision of a medieval legend about the search for a captive princess and dragon in old–world England.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004): Dir. Alfonso Cuaron
Feat. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane…; Young Harry's troublesome education continues at Hogswarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry, in this increasingly confident series, here given a…
Howl's Moving Castle (2004): Dir. Hayao Miyazaki; Yet another miraculous animated odyssey from Hayao Miyazaki, who finds a perfect vehicle in the English fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones, about a…
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004): Dir. Brad Silberling
Feat. Jim Carrey, Meryl Streep, Billy Connolly…; Unfolding as a series of beautifully designed events, this Hollywood adaptation of the popular fantasy books fortunately doesn't water down the…
Shoebox Zoo (TV Series) (2004): Dir. Justin Molotnikov
Feat. Vivien Endicott Douglas, Jason Connery, Rik Mayall…; An imaginative British fantasy series for children, has a Canadian exchange student (Douglas) living in Edinburgh inherit a box of toy animals, that…
Strings (2004): Dir. Anders Rønnow Klarlund
Feat. James McAvoy, Catherine McCormack, Derek Jacobi…; An extraordinary Danish puppet fantasy epic about the course of kingdoms and warriors in an ancient world, which is distinguished by the integration…
Bionicle: Mask of Light (2003): Animated spectacular from the makers of 'Lego', set on a half–mystical/half–futuristic islands of Mata Nui. Subject to a devious plot…
Freaky Friday (2003): Dir. Mark Waters
Feat. Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Harmon; Thoroughly updated and spunky version of Disney's 1977 original, one the best 'body–swap' comedies. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, play…
Shrek 3-D - The Story Continues (2003): Dir. Simon J Smith; A bridging story between the first two SHREK feature–films, has the same great 'voice cast' return for a modest adventure in which Princess…
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003): Dir. Patrick Gilmore, Tim Johnson
Feat. Brad Pitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Catherine Zeta-Jones; A traditionally–animated high sea adventure in which young rogue pirate Sinbad must cutlace his way out of the fine mess cooked up by the…
Dinotopia (TV Mini-series) (2002): Dir. Marco Brambilla
Feat. David Thewlis; Teledrama based on the popular, illustrative fantasy books by James Gurney, following two young brothers who survive a plane crash and wash up in a…
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002): Dir. Chris Columbus
Feat. Daniel Radcliffe, Kenneth Branagh, John Cleese…; The second Harry Potter adaptation is better fun and more settled in its mingled tone of magic, fantasy and thriller. Daniel Radcliffe again plays…
Harry Potter Collection Boxset (2002-2011): The complete collection of Harry Potter feature films in an attractive boxed set. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) Harry Potter…
Peter Pan 2 - Return to Neverland (2002): Dir. Robin Budd, Donovan Cook; Bright and energetic sequel to Disney’s original animation from 1953, set around Jane’s (daughter of Wendy) journey to the enchanted…
Pinocchio (2002): Dir. Roberto Benigni
Feat. Roberto Benigni; Pre–eminent Italian comic Roberto Benigni stages the greatest Italian fairytale as a prestige project, but belly–flops perhaps namely…
Spirited Away (2002): Dir. Hayao Miyazaki
Feat. Miyu Hiragi, Miyu Irino; Animation visionary Hayao Miyazaki gets to fully unlock his boundless imagination through the otherworldly adventures of an innocent young girl that…
Back to the Secret Garden (2001): Dir. Michael Tuchner
Feat. Joan Plowright, George Baker, Cherie Lunghi…; Sequel to the 1993 enchanted family adventure THE SECRET GARDEN set years later with the original children Mary and Colin now married (yes, they are…
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001): Dir. Chris Columbus
Feat. Daniel Radcliffe, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman…; Immensely popular, this star–studded adaptation of JK Rowling’s first book thankfully captures the essence of orphan Harry’s tale of…
Jack and the Beanstalk - The Real Story (2001): Dir. Brian Henson
Feat. Matthew Modine, Jon Voight, Vanessa Redgrave…; TV sequel to the fairytale of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' in which a descendant of Jack (Modine) must lift a family curse by returning the world of the…
Osmosis Jones (2001): Dir. Pete Farrelly, Bob Farrelly
Feat. Bill Murray, Chris Rock, Laurence Fishburne…; The Farrelly Bros (KINGPIN) take their comic fixation with bodily functions to extremes by setting this icky animation within the bowels of Bill…
Snow White - The Fairest of Them All (2001): Dir. Caroline Thompson
Feat. Miranda Richardson, Kristin Kreuk, Vera Farmiga…; When baby Snow's father frees a bewitched djinn, he is granted three wishes: nourishment for his child, a kingdom in which to raise her, and a queen…
Tom Thumb (Le Petit Poucet) (2001): Dir. Olivier Dahan
Feat. Nils Hugon, Catherine Deneuve, Said Taghmaoui; Ambitious, enjoyably dark rendering of Perrault’s classic fable, "Le Petit Poucet" told with trademark French twistedness and aplomb, kids will…
10th Kingdom, The (Mini-series) (2000): Dir. David Carson, Herbert Wise
Feat. Kimberley Williams, Scott Cohen, John Larroquette…; Elaborate, 7–hour fairy–tale extravaganza is engaging and imaginative family fare made under the 'Hallmark' television banner, and is…
Amazon (Amazone) (2000): Dir. Phillipe De Broca
Feat. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Arielle Dombasle; Convoluted sci–fi adventure has jewel thief Belmondo stumbling upon an alien visitor in the guise of a twelve year old girl. Almost…
Geppetto (2000): Dir. Tom Moore
Feat. Drew Carey, Brent Spiner, Rene Auberjonois; Disney telemovie version of the much–filmed Italian fairytale, better known as 'Pinocchio', where the wooden toy wishes he were a real…
Grinch, The (2000): Dir. Ron Howard
Feat. Jim Carrey, Jeffrey Tambor; Live–action version of the Dr Seuss classic that does some justice to the anarchic vision of the mean–spirited Grinch, who’s heart is…
Magic Pudding, The (2000): Feat. Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Hugo Weaving…; Based on Norman Lindsay's hilarious classic book about Albert, a magic pudding and his three companions who must defend him against the Pudding…
Princes and Princesses (Princes et Princesses) (2000): Dir. Michel Ocelot
Feat. Arlette Mirapeu, Philippe Cheytion, Yves Barsacq; French animation compilation made up of six episodes from director and animator Michel Ocelot's silhouette animation television series Ciné si. The…
Rat (2000): Dir. Steve Barron
Feat. Pete Postlethwaite, Imelda Staunton; After a hard night at the pub, Pete Postlethwaite greets the day transformed into a white rat, giving a nicely surreal twist to this surprisingly…
Alice in Wonderland (1999): Dir. Nick Willing
Feat. Robbie Coltrane, Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Kingsley…; The creators of the MERLIN TV–series pull–off another updating, this time Lewis Carroll's childrens' classic. Seamless special effects…
Fantasia 2000 (1999): Dir. Various; Conceived for the IMAX giant screen, this eco–themed revision of Disney's 1940 milestone marries more classical music excerpts to whimsical…
Jack Frost (1999): Dir. Troy Miller
Feat. Michael Keaton, Kelly Preston, Mark Addy; After a fatal car accident, Michael Keaton returns to life as… a snowman in this rather slushy Christmas movie. Seeking to fulfil his neglected…
Sleepy Hollow (1999): Dir. Tim Burton
Feat. Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken…; The oft–filmed short story 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' is fashioned by illustrious iconoclast Tim Burton as the goriest, most…
Alice Through The Looking Glass (1998): Dir. John Henderson
Feat. Kate Beckinsale, Jonathan Bailey, Steve Coogan…; Impressively cast version of Lewis Carroll's second Alice book takes the unusual liberty of presenting Alice (Beckinsale) as a young adult woman.…
Borrowers, The (1998): Dir. Peter Hewitt
Feat. John Goodman, Jim Broadbent; Inhabiting the wall and floor–spaces of our houses, colonies of tiny people eek out an existence 'borrowing' food–scraps and those items…
Ever After (1998): Dir. Andy Tennant
Feat. Drew Barrymore, Anjelica Huston; Update of the 'Cinderella' story tweaks the moral emphasis of the original Grimm fairy–tale. A brunette Drew Barrymore wrestles with an English…
Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot, The (1998): Dir. Frederik Du Chau; When King Arthur's sword Excalibur disappears, teenage tearaway Kayley and her squire Garrett pursue the culprits through an animated fantasy world…
Merlin (1998): Dir. Steve Barron
Feat. Sam Neill, Isabella Rossellini, Rutger Hauer…; Playing the titular wizard, Sam Neill lends his talents to a well thought–out, monster–filled variation on the King Arthur cycle. Other…
Fairytale: A True Story (1997): Dir. Charles Sturridge
Feat. Peter O'Toole, Harvey Keitel; An exquisite kidult flight–of–fancy based on one of the great popular myths of the 20th Century – the mysterious, allegedly…
Flubber (1997): Dir. Les Mayfield
Feat. Robin Williams, Marcia Gay Harden; Robin Williams again gets the character–chemistry right in a reprise of the classic Absent–Minded Professor, the inadvertent inventor of…
Matilda (1997): Dir. Danny De Vito
Feat. Mara Wilson, Danny De Vito, Rhea Perlman; An achingly funny and mischievous Roald Dahl story about a browbeaten nine–year–old girl who has the last laugh when bestowed with…
Mighty, The (Freak the Mighty) (1997): Dir. Peter Chelsom
Feat. Elden Henson, Kieran Culkin, Sharon Stone…; Poignant, well–crafted story of two phenomenally mismatched boys who become perfectly complementary friends, escaping the slings and arrows of…
Simple Wish, A (1997): Dir. Michael Ritchie
Feat. Mara Wilson, Martin Short, Kathleen Turner; Mara Wilson's (MATILDA) simple wish for a fairy–godmother upturns the blundering Martin Short, who helps/hinders her crusade to rescue her…
Adventures of Pinocchio, The (1996): Dir. Steve Barron
Feat. Martin Landau, Jonathan Taylor Thomas; The beloved Carlo Coloddi story receives an enchanting treatment that mixes live–action and wondrous animatronic/CGI effects. Martin Landau…
Gargoyles (1996): Mythical winged warriors who fight evil, the Gargoyles awaken after a thousand years in 21st century New York, to find there's still plenty of work…
Goosebumps (TV Series) (1996): Ghoulish anthology series based on R. L. Stine's popular kidult horror novels. Bound to raise goosebumps on the younger ones. Season One Episodes:…
Loch Ness (1996): Dir. John Henderson
Feat. Ted Danson, Joely Richardson, Ian Holm…; Setting out to trap the Loch Ness monster, Ted Danson is waylaid by the charms of his landlady Joely Richardson. The mystique of the legend is all…
Space Jam (1996): Dir. Joe Pytka
Feat. Michael Jordan, Bill Murray; Basketball star Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny slam dunk with other looney tunes and a host of midget aliens. Anarchic humour and a decent…
Sun, The Moon and the Stars, The (1996): Dir. Geraldine Creed
Feat. Angie Dickinson, Jason Donovan, Elaine Cassidy; Angie Dickinson adds class to this well–mounted tale of the supernatural, as a woman suspected of witchcraft by two young girls when she…
To the Ends of Time (1996): Dir. Markus Rothkranz
Feat. Joss Ackland, Christine Taylor; Elaborate fantasy–tale concerns a sorceress who tampers with Time, causing young hero Joss Ackland to prematurely age. While also keeping an…
Wind in the Willows, The (1996): Dir. Terry Jones
Feat. Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Nicol Williamson…; With the cream of British comic acting talent, this live–action adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic children's story is quite possibly the…
Wish Upon a Star (1996): Dir. Blair Treu
Feat. Katherine Heigl, Danielle Harris; A little Disney magic is sprinkled on this fetching TV movie about a younger sister who wishes to switch places with her popular older sister (a very…
City of Lost Children (1995): Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro
Feat. Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet; Visual wonderstuff from the unique genius pairing of the creators of DELICATESSEN, this is as good a follow up as one could wish for. While…
Fluke (1995): Dir. Carlo Carlei
Feat. Matthew Modine, Nancy Travis, Eric Stoltz; After a fatal car accident, Matthew Modine is reincarnated as a pooch that wanders home to find his best friend kindling a relationship with his…
Gulliver's Travels (1995): Dir. Charles Sturridge
Feat. Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Peter O'Toole…; Epic, state–of–the–art version of Jonathan Swift's classic fairytale stars Ted Danson as the long–shipwrecked doctor who must…
Indian in the Cupboard (1995): Dir. Frank Oz
Feat. Hal Scardino, Litefoot , Lindsay Crouse…; A young boy possesses a bedroom secret – a special cupboard that brings his miniature toys to life, chiefly a native Indian and a cowboy. High…
Jumanji (1995): Dir. Joe Johnston
Feat. Robin Williams, Jonathan Hyde, Kirsten Dunst; A pair of orphans roll the dice on a mysterious board game that brings the perils of the Amazon to virtual life. The spirited high–concept is…
Junkers Come Here (1995): Dir. Junichi Sato; Nicely touching story about an 11–year old girl whose lonely life is relieved by the affections of a Schnauser dog, who has the ability to talk…
Kid in King Arthur's Court, A (1995): Dir. Michael Gottlieb
Feat. Kate Winslet, Daniel Craig, Art Malik…; Handsome if inessential Disney spin on the Camelot legend, in which a young boy journeys back in time to help King Arthur overcome an evil villain.…
Little Princess, A (1995): Dir. Alfonso Cuaron
Feat. Liesel Matthews, Vanessa Lee Chester; From the quill that inked THE SECRET GARDEN, this is an equally exotic tale of an Indian–rasied girl who escapes the formality of a boarding…
Magic in the Water (1995): Dir. Rick Stevenson
Feat. Mark Harmon, Joshua Jackson, Harley Jane Kozak…; Loch Ness–monster concept is ably transposed to the Canadian lakeside hamlet of Glenorky, which has its own 'Orky' mystery. Thrills ensue for…
Power Rangers: The Movie (1995): Dir. Bryan Spicer
Feat. Paul Freeman; Homogenised big–screen translation of controversial kids TV show in which six Californian teens morph into Japanese superheroes to battle evil.…
Whisper of the Heart (1995): Dir. Yoshifumi Kondo; A bookish, teenage girl grows into maturity through her love for a lad who wishes to be an Italian–trained violin–maker. With only…
Beanstalk (1994): Dir. Michael Paul Davis
Feat. Margot Kidder; A modern retelling of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk yarn, made for small screen and younger viewers. Mad scientist Margot Kidder plants the…
Hocus Pocus (1994): Dir. Kenny Ortega
Feat. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy…; Wild witches conjured up from Salem set out to cast a spell on the town and reclaim their youth, but the 300–year–old trio must first…
Neverending Story 3, The (1994): Dir. Peter MacDonald
Feat. Jason James Richter, Jack Black; "Fantasia" comes to Earth in this third installment, and get chaotic in when the magical book "Never Ending Story" falls into the hands of the…
North (1994): Dir. Rob Reiner
Feat. Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, Scarlett Johansson; Perfect 11–year–old Elijah Wood 'divorces' his unappreciative ordinary parents an embarks on a journey across apple–pie America in…
Secret of Roan Inish, The (1994): Dir. John Sayles
Feat. Jeni Courtney, Eileen Colgan, Mick Lally…; A young girl is sent to live with her grandmother at a coastal town in Ireland, 1949, and makes an unexpected connection with its mystical history…
Borrowers, The (TV Series) (1993): Dir. John Henderson
Feat. Ian Holm, Rebecca Callard; First–class BBC serial about a family that live under the floorboards and 'borrow' everything they need from the 'giant' family who reside in…
Super Mario Brothers (1993): Dir. Rocky Morton, Annabel Jankel
Feat. Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Samantha Mathis…; Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo are incarnated as the vid–game characters – plumbers who slip in saving the world between odd jobs. Will…
Toys (1993): Dir. Barry Levinson
Feat. Robin Williams, Michael Gambon, Joan Cusack…; Even Robin Williams' enormous talent and inspired art direction fail to enliven this comic fantasy. It plays more like a bad dream from which you…
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992): Dir. Randal Kleiser
Feat. Rick Moranis, Lloyd Bridges, John Shea; Sequel to HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS sees prof Rick Moranis turn his infant into what fast becomes an Empire State Human!…
Polar Bear King, The (1992): Dir. Ola Solum; Splendid Scandanavian fairy–tale about a noble King who has been cursed with an evil spell making him a Polar bear by day and human unable to…
Radio Flyer (1992): Dir. Richard Donner
Feat. Lorraine Bracco, John Heard, Adam Baldwin…; Bittersweet story of two young brothers who free themselves from their wicked stepfather by transforming a red wagon into a fantastical flying…
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (TV Series) (1991): 13 episodes of the first season of this 90's Nickelodeon show following the escapades of the "Midnight Society", a group of teen horror aficionados.
Drop Dead Fred (1991): Dir. Ate De Jong
Feat. Rik Mayall, Phoebe Cates, Marsha Mason; Rik Mayall extends his hyperactive 'Young Ones' persona as the imaginary childhood friend of a grown–up Phoebe Cates. The silly stuff is offset…
Edward Scissorhands (1991): Dir. Tim Burton
Feat. Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Vincent Price; This inspired contemporary fairy–tale posits Johnny Depp as a boy endowed with sharp appendages, a mixed blessing when it comes to fitting into…
Grampire (Moonrise) (1991): Dir. David Blyth
Feat. Al Lewis; The Munsters' Al Lewis turns up on our shores to star in a ghoulish comedy as the blood–sucking but well–meaning grandfather of a…
Hook (1991): Dir. Steven Spielberg
Feat. Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts…; Spielberg's big–budget rendition of the magical fairy tale. Robin Williams stars as a grown–up Peter Pan enticed to Neverland to reclaim…
Chronicles of Narnia - The Silver Chair (1990): Dir. Alex Kirby
Feat. David Thwaites, Camilla Power, Tom Baker; Fine BBC production of the C.S. Lewis fantasy tale. This final part of the saga sees Jill, Eustace, Aslan and King Caspian search for the lost Prince…
Neverending Story 2, The (1990): Dir. George Miller; A young boy escapes from his drab reality in a storybook land called Fantasia where a child empress (Alexandra Johnes) is in danger. Some cute animal…
Storyteller: Greek Myths, The (1990): Feat. Michael Gambon; Another excellently produced run of Jim Henson's STORYTELLER tales, this time focusing on the Greek myths of "Daedalus and Icarus", "Orpheus and…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990): Dir. Steve Barron; Now something of relic from a fad gone by, but it remains an entertaining, if fairly violent slice of '90s pop culture. Jim Henson's creature shop…
What the Moon Saw (1990): Dir. Pino Amenta
Feat. Pat Evison; A family delight from across the Tasman about a young boy who attends a pantomime of Sinbad's Last Adventure, and finds himself caught up in a wild…
Witches, The (1990): Dir. Nicolas Roeg
Feat. Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher…; Anjelica Huston is a scream as the grotesque Queen of witches who plots to rid the nation's children by turning them into mice! Marvellously macabre…
Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian (1989): Dir. Alex Kirby
Feat. Richard Dempsey, Johnathon R. Scott, Sophie Cook…; Fine BBC production of the C.S. Lewis fantasy tale. This second part of the saga sees Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy return to the enchanted land of…
Chronicles of Narnia - Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989): Dir. Alex Kirby
Feat. Richard Dempsey, Johnathon R. Scott, Sophie Cook…; Fine BBC production of the C.S. Lewis fantasy tale. This third part of the saga sees Edmund, Lucy and their cousin Eustace search with King Caspian…
George's Island (1989): Dir. Paul Donovan
Feat. Ian Bannen, Sheila McCarthy, Maury Chaykin…; Fleeing his nasty foster parents, 10–year old George goes in search of Captain Kidd's buried treasure, having to outwit, among other adults,…
Ghostbusters 2 (1989): Dir. Ivan Reitman
Feat. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver…; A cash–in for sure, but as much fun as the original, with the paranormal pests here thriving on all the "bad vibes" of grumpy Manhattanites.…
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989): Dir. Joe Johnston
Feat. Rick Moranis; An inventor inadvertently reduces his and the neighbour's kids to a grasshopper's knee–height. With the help of FX wizardry, they fend for…
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989): Dir. Hayao Miyazaki
Feat. Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, Matthew Lawrence…; A magical animation from the masterful Japanese dir. Miyazaki, which delivers a contemporary fairytale with strong characters, rich visuals and a…
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1989): Dir. Robert Zemeckis
Feat. Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy…; A staggering blend of live–action and brillaint animation conjures up a believable world where people and cartoons…
Chronicles of Narnia - Collector's Edition (The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair) (1988-1990): The complete set of BBC adaptations of CS Lewis' classic books.
Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (1988): Dir. Marilyn Fox
Feat. Richard Dempsey, Sophie Cook, Johnathon R. Scott; Fine BBC production of the C.S. Lewis fantasy tale. This first part of the saga sees Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy travel through the wardrobe into…
My Neighbour Totoro (Tonari no Totoro) (1988): Dir. Hayao Miyazaki; Dir. Miyazaki’s first huge hit in Japan is a model family film: realistic characters responding to realistic crises in a realistic way, though…
Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller (1988): Dir. Michael Rubbo; Tommy Tricker is a crafty lad who discovers how to shrink oneself onto postage stamps and thus be mailed anywhere in the world. Quality,…
Willow (1988): Dir. Ron Howard
Feat. Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis…; Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley–Kilmer employ swords against sorcery to protect a young baby from the powers of evil. A…
Lionheart (1987): Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner
Feat. Eric Stoltz, Gabriel Byrne, Nicholas Clay…; Young knight Eric Stoltz and a band of medieval tykes join King Richard II's crusade to defeat the Black Prince.
Princess Bride, The (1987): Dir. Rob Reiner
Feat. Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin…; An elaborate and whimsical fairytale told to a bedridden young boy conjures up images of good versus evil in a world of monsters, giants and…
Castle in the Sky (Laputa) (1986): Dir. Hayao Miyazaki
Feat. Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris Leachman; A triumph of craft and narrative sophistication, this is an epic, supremely imaginative feature from master animator/storyteller Miyazaki that will…
Flight of the Navigator (1986): Dir. Randal Kleiser
Feat. Joey Cramer, Veronica Cartwright, Cliff De Young…; An ordinary boy is thrown behind the wheel of a fantastic flying machine, accompanied by an assortment of bizarre aliens. A fun–filled odyssey…
Labyrinth (1986): Dir. Jim Henson
Feat. David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly; Jennifer Connelly goes in search of her baby brother, kidnapped by the Goblin King (David Bowie). An entourage of creatures from Jim Henson highlight…
Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985): Dir. Bill L. Norton
Feat. William Katt, Sean Young, Patrick McGoohan; Adventure fantasy film about a paleontologist and her husband who discover a mother and baby brontosaurus in Africa, and try to protect them from a…
Explorers, The (1985): Dir. Joe Dante
Feat. Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix; Imaginative space adventure film also has enormous fun at the expense of American popular culture. Among the explorers are a very baby–faced…
Goonies, The (1985): Dir. Richard Donner
Feat. Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton; Junior edition of 'Indiana Jones', from a Steven Speilberg story, has seven bored kids on the Oregon coast hunting for pirate booty after they…
Return to Oz (1985): Dir. Walter Murch
Feat. Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh; This unusually–conceived sequel to THE WIZARD OF OZ is almost too scary for kids, with a disturbed Dorothy (Fairuza Balk) blown by a storm from…
Dream One (Nemo) (1984): Dir. Arnaud Sélignac
Feat. Jason Connery, Harvey Keitel, Mathilda May; Very strange, tonally confused but often fascinating fantasia, a very loose adaptation of Winsor McKay's 1920s comic strip Little Nemo – itself…
Ghostbusters (1984): Dir. Ivan Reitman
Feat. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver…; Blockbuster supernatural comedy follows the lives of three flaky paranormal investigators who find themselves in countless gooey situations. The…
Neverending Story, The (1984): Dir. Wolfgang Petersen
Feat. Barret Oliver, Gerald McRaney, Moses Gunn; A boy escapes the neighbourhood bullies by retreating into a mysterious book, where fantasical and exhilirating adventures take flight. Visually…
Star Wars Ewok Adventures (Caravan of Courage / The Battle for Endor) (1984-1985): Feat. Wilford Brimley, Warwick Davis, Aubree Miller…; George Lucas–created fantasies especially for younger STAR WARS admirers, following further adventures of the creatures so fondly remembered in…
Star Wars: Episode VI - The Return of the Jedi (1983): Dir. Richard Marquand
Feat. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford…; Final installment in George Lucas' space–trilogy sees the conclusion of the galactic war between the Empire and the 'Rebel forces'. Mark…
Dark Crystal, The (1982): Dir. Jim Henson, Frank Oz
Feat. Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw…; Wonderful fantasy from the Muppet main–man about a cute Gelfling who is must return light to a dark world by restoring the Crystal. With an…
E.T. (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial) (1982): Dir. Steven Spielberg
Feat. Dee Wallace Stone, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote…; Steven Spielberg cemented his genius with this, possibly the best live–action family film ever made. It's the moving tale of a benign alien who…
Last Unicorn, The (1982): Dir. Arthur Rankin Jnr, Jules Bass
Feat. Alan Arkin, Christopher Lee, Mia Farrow…; Underrated (and under–known) animated gem, concerns the quest of the world’s last unicorn to find the rest of the unicorn herd. Strongly…
Grendel Grendel Grendel (1981): Dir. Alexander Stitt
Feat. Peter Ustinov, Keith Michell, Arthur Dignam; Lively animated version of the Beowulf legend, but this time told from the perspective of the monster.
Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki (1979-2013): Dir. Hayao Miyazaki; Featuring collected Studio Ghibli movies of legendary director Hayao Miyazaki. Contains: Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) …
Worzel Gummidge (TV Series) (1979-1981): Feat. Jon Pertwee, Una Stubbs, Geoffrey Bayldon; Oddball and much–loved children's TV series about a living, grubby and rather bad–tempered scarecrow (Pertwee) who muddles through life…
Lord of the Rings (1978): Dir. Ralph Bakshi; Likable animation of JRR Tolkien's fantasy classic, admirably captures the personalities of the novel's horde of eccentric characters and…
Return From Witch Mountain (1978): Dir. John Hough
Feat. Bette Davis, Christopher Lee; Above–average sequel to ESCAPE FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN reprises the story of two runaway orphans with supernatural powers, adding the star presence…
Freaky Friday (1977): Dir. Gary Nelson
Feat. Jodie Foster, Barbara Harris; Barbara Harris and a 13–year–old Jodie Foster are mother and daughter who miraculosly swap personalities for a day. Plenty of fun here.
People That Time Forgot, The (1977): Dir. Kevin Connor
Feat. Patrick Wayne; Sequel to THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, sees Patrick Wayne return to the monster–ridden island in search of lost colleagues.
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977): Dir. Sam Wanamaker
Feat. Patrick Wayne, Jane Seymour, Patrick Troughton; The last of Ray Harryhausen's 'Sinbad' series and probably the weakest as hero sails to break a spell that has turned a prince into a baboon. Some…
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977): Dir. George Lucas
Feat. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford…; George Lucas' epic trilogy of space adventure begins "long ago and far far away", with the life of Luke Skywalker being disturbed by the galactic war…
Wonder Woman, The New Adventures of (TV Series) (1977-1979): Feat. Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner; Charles Moulon’s 1940s comic strip updated to the feminist 70s, his superheroine fighting terrorist and subversive elements for undercover…
Pinocchio (1976): Feat. Danny Kaye; Bright and energetic musical adaptation of the beloved children's fable, framed around the story of a young theater girl's desire to study and work…
Shaggy D.A., The (1976): Dir. Robert Stevenson
Feat. Dean Jones, Tim Conway, Suzanne Pleshette…; Extremely shaggy later Disney live–actioner, with Dean Jones playing a District Attorney who finds himself repeatedly turning into a dog.…
Escape to Witch Mountain (1975): Dir. John Hough
Feat. Eddie Albert, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence; One of Disney's best live–action telemovies, where two orphans with mysterious telekinetic powers flee the attentions of a shifty entrepeneur.…
Land That Time Forgot, The (1974): Dir. Kevin Conner
Feat. Doug McClure, John McEnery, Susan Penhaligon; After ending up on a German submarine in WWI several Americans stumble across an undiscovered South American island, which holds adventure in the…
Little Prince, The (1974): Dir. Stanley Donen
Feat. Richard Kiley, Bob Fosse, Gene Wilder; The classic childern's story by aviator Antoine de Saint–Exupery is here translated with whimsy and wit intact. A pilot is stranded in a desert…
Golden Voyage of Sinbad, The (1973): Dir. Gordon Hessler
Feat. John Phillip Law, Caroline Munro, Tom Baker…; Arabian Nightish saga with Tom Baker (Dr Who) as Sinbad's adversary. The swordplay of a six–armed statue is but one of the Harryhausen FX…
Sigmund and the Seamonsters (TV Series) (1973-1975): Sid and Marty Krofft's low–budget kids sitcom about two brothers, Johnny and Scott, who harbour a friendly sea monster named Sigmund in their…
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972): Dir. William Sterling
Feat. Michael Crawford, Peter Sellers, Dudley Moore…; Star–packed, centennial adaptation of Lewis Carroll's masterpiece follows young Alice (Fullerton) down the rabbithole and on to her adventures…
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971): Dir. Robert Stevenson
Feat. Angela Lansbury; An apprentice witch wants to use her powers to contribute to the English war effort against the Nazis, plus a trip to the cartoon Island of…
Lidsville (TV Series) (1971): Feat. Charles Nelson Reilly, Butch Patrick, Billie Hayes; Kookiest and perhaps the most hilarious of the Sid & Marty Krofft children's productions about a teenager who gets lost in a fantasy world of…
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) (1971): Dir. Mel Stuart
Feat. Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson; Roald Dahl adapts his own book for this lively, almost psychedelic musical adaptation about a boy's desire to see inside a chocolate factory run by…
Donkey Skin (Peau d'âne) (1970): Dir. Jacques Demy
Feat. Catherine Deneuve, Jean Marais, Delphine Seyrig…; A vibrant, whimsical and genuinely fantastic adaptation of Perrault's classic 17th century fairy tale in which a Princess (Deneuve) disguises herself…
World of Sid & Marty Krofft, The (1969-1984): Excellent sampler of the children’s television productions made by the Krofft brothers, whose most famous hit was perhaps 'H.R. Pufnstuf', but who…
Blackbeard's Ghost (1968): Dir. Robert Stevenson
Feat. Peter Ustinov; Peter Ustinov applies his comic talents to playing the ghost of the notorious pirate, conjured into the present by Disney Studios, to rescue a high…
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968): Dir. Ken Hughes
Feat. Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries…; Dick Van Dyke stars as eccentric inventor and who gives a run–down race car a magical new lease of life. This musical comedy masterpiece…
Herculoids, The (TV Series) (1967): Dir. Joseph Barbera, William Hanna; Saturday–morning cartoon from Hanna–Barbera in the late 60's, following a space barbarian family and their giant pets the Herculoids…
Alice in Wonderland (1966): Dir. Jonathan Miller
Feat. Peter Cook, Michael Redgrave, Peter Sellers…; Cult BBC version of Lewis Carroll's classic children's book, in which drowsing Alice enters the dreamscape of 'Wonderland'. Influenced by the…
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966): Dir. Chuck Jones; A classic Warner Bros cartoon, puts an animated spring into Dr Seuss's tale of the vicious Grinch who tries to steal Christmas from the folk at…
Mary Poppins (1964): Dir. Robert Stevenson
Feat. Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke; Disney's beloved live–action feature is a timeless, dazzling musical with Julie Andrews as an enchanted London nanny. Dick Van Dyke…
Jason and the Argonauts (1963): Dir. Don Chaffey
Feat. Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack; Masterpiece of fantasy based on Greek mythology features the best stop–motion animation work from Ray Harryhausen. The skeleton…
Jack the Giant Killer (1962): Dir. Nathan Juran
Feat. Kerwin Mathews, Judi Meredith, Torin Thatcher…; From the same stable as Sinbad, comes another fantasy using wonderful stop–motion animation. Jack, against all odds, fights the evil Pendragon…
Three Worlds of Gulliver (1960): Dir. Jack Sher
Feat. Kerwin Mathews, Jo Morrow, June Thorburn…; Gulliver's travels bring him to the lands of the giants and the tiny in this adaptation of Johnathan Swift's classic. The then break–through…
Shaggy Dog, The (1959): Dir. Charles Barton
Feat. Fred MacMurray, Jean Hagen, Tommy Kirk…; Fred MacMurray excels in this Disney live–actioner, playing a postman whose son accidentally transforms himself into a talking sheepdog with…
Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958): Dir. Nathan Juran
Feat. Kerwin Mathews, Kathryn Grant (Crosby), Richard Eyer…; In his first and most engaging adventure, Sinbad convincingly duels the Cyclops, a dragon and a hyperactive skeleton without any computer assistance,…
Sinbad Collector's Edition (Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger) (1958-1977): Feat. Kerwin Mathews, John Phillip Law, Patrick Wayne
5000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953): Dir. Roy Rowland
Feat. Tommy Rettig, Hans Conried; From the genius of Dr. Seuss comes this live–action fantasy worthy of his wondrous imagination. A nine–year–old boy's daydreams of…
Peter Pan (1953): Dir. Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson; Walt's version of the J M Barrie classic, animated with consummate skill by his army of inhouse artisans. The flying imp Peter Pan leads Wendy and…
Secret Garden, The (1949): Dir. Fred M. Wilcox
Feat. Margaret O'Brien, Herbert Marshall, Dean Stockwell…; Story about an orphan who discovers a secret garden at her Uncle's Victorian manor continues to fascinate young and old. Colour sequences give the…
Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947): Dir. Norman Z. McLeod
Feat. Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Boris Karloff; Danny Kaye shines in this delightful family film as a quiet day–dreamer whose real life catches up with his elaborate adventure fantasies.
Wonder Man (1945): Dir. Bruce Humberstone
Feat. Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera-Ellen…; A typically zany fairy–tale for Danny Kaye, as a mild–mannered student persuaded by the ghost of his dead twin to seek out his murderer.…
Fantasia (1940): Dir. Ben Sharpsteen; Glorious Disney musical fantasy set to a rousing classical score. Highlights include Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's apprentice and the hippos and…
Little Nellie Kelly (1940): Dir. Norman Taurog
Feat. Judy Garland, George Murphy; Filmed version of the hit Broadway musical comedy from 1922 about Irish–American immigrants starring Judy Garland, who was fresh to…
Thief of Bagdad, The (1940): Dir. Michael Powell, Ludwig Berger, Tim Whelan
Feat. Sabu, Conrad Veidt, June Duprez; Sabu stars in this magical, intoxicating vision of the Arabian Nights, some twenty years before the genre was revived in SINBAD. Romance, tragedy,…
Wizard of Oz, The (1939): Dir. Victor Fleming, King Vidor
Feat. Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr…; The world's best loved film down through and across the generations, and a key cultural icon. MGM pulled out all the stops to realise L. Frank…
March of the Wooden Soldiers (Babes In Toyland) (1934): Dir. Gus Meins, Charles R. Rogers
Feat. Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy; Imaginative musical fantasia also makes the most of Laurel and Hardy's comic genius – as dim–witted toymakers whose mistaken order for…
Alice in Wonderland (1933): Dir. Norman Z. McLeod
Feat. Charlotte Henry, Edward Everett Horton, W.C. Fields…; Extravagant early version of the Lewis Carroll classic was a box office bomb in its day, but age has been kind, and if Charlotte Henry is a little…
Rik Mayall's Grimm Tales: Feat. Rik Mayall; Television's most famous Young One, Rik Mayall channels his raucous exuberance into narrating and performing a series of Grimm fables for your young…

Main menu

Section navigation menu

Subgenre Sampler