The 80s Was The Best Decade For Fantasy Films And It’s Not Close

Jim Henson knew that some of the best worlds could be created with a few well-crafted puppets and a bit of imagination. His vision came to life in 1982’s The Dark Crystal, a film that showed audiences groundbreaking puppetry that was so well performed that movie watchers forgot that they weren’t watching humans on the screen. Henson was the master of his craft, and that, combined with the terrifying villains and the charming little hero on a journey to find the missing shard of a legendary crystal, makes this not just one of the best 80s fantasy films, but one of the best fantasy films that have ever been made.

What this film lacks in its animation style, it makes up for in a compelling fantasy story worthy of putting The Last Unicorn on this 80s fantasy films list. This animated classic follows a sweet unicorn (voiced by Mia Farrow) who sets out to find the rest of her species after she learns that the evil Red Bull has driven them off. The movie is based on a 1968 novel of the same name, written by Peter S. Beagle, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie. 

The film was lauded for being a great fantasy film filled with sentiment and mystery. It also featured an A-list cast who helped bring the magic to life, including Jeff Bridges, Angela Lansbury, and Christopher Lee. 

Featuring movie icon Tim Curry, there was no way that Legend wouldn’t become a legendary 80s fantasy film. In this 80s fantasy feature, the Rocky Horror Picture Show actor played the Lord of Darkness, the antagonist to Tom Cruise’s Jack. The film follows Jack as he faces Darkness to stop him from destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves, Lili (Mia Sara).

Legend was written by William Hjortsberg and directed by Ridley Scott. The film was praised for its gorgeous set design and makeup, as well as Curry’s performance as Darkness, which of course, was nothing short of indelible. 

While Jim Henson is most well-known for his talking, ukelele-playing, green frog (a character creation that is almost as well-known and loved as Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse), Henson was also a visionary when it came to fantasy movies. Henson’s Labyrinth transported viewers into another world—a world of goblins, tea-drinking worms, and bogs of eternal stench. This 80s fantasy film was a direct representation of Henson’s limitless imagination and captured the hearts and minds of movie watchers who shared similar fantastical inclinations. 

Labyrinth stared a young Jennifer Connelly as Sarah, a teenage girl who just wanted to get her baby brother back from the Goblin King Jereth (played by the ever so fantastic David Bowie), who had kidnapped the kid to show his love to her. As Sarah journeys on her quest, she comes across many creatures created from Jim Henson’s signature puppet workshop.

When audiences sat down to watch The Princess Bride not only were they sitting down to watch one of the best 80s fantasy films, but one of the best films to be made in the entire decade, or possibly ever. Written by William Goldman and directed by Rob Reiner, The Princess Bride follows the story of a handsome farmhand-turned-pirate who aims to rescue his love from the evil Prince Humperdink. The film hides its meta tendencies by narrating the story through a grandpa reading his sick grandson a book, which is constantly interrupted and critiqued by the kid.

The Princess Bride stars Cary Elwes as Westly, the farmhand-pirate, Robin Wright as his love, Princess Buttercup, Chris Sarandon as Prince Humperdink, and Mandy Patinkin as the iconic Inigo Montoya. The film is charming, romantic, funny, and just a little bit weird and over the top, especially when Billy Crystal makes an appearance as Mirical Max.

From the mind that brought you Star Wars comes another 80s fantasy film, only instead of set in a galaxy far, far away, Willow takes place somewhere very Earth-like, except here there is magic, witches, fairies, and brownies. George Lucas thought of the story for Willow years before it was created and cast a young Warwick Davis in the role of the titular character. The film follows the wizard-in-training Willow as he is tasked to protect a lost baby from an evil queen. 

Val Kilmer joined the cast as Madmartigan, a warrior and a convict, Joanne Whalley as Sorsha, the daughter and right hand of the evil queen, and Jean Marsh as the evil Queen Bavmorda herself.

This 80s fantasy film is the perfect combination of The Lord of the Rings meets Star Wars. Krull is a science fiction fantasy and a swashbuckling adventure all tied into one. The movie follows Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) and his fellowship of companions as they set out to rescue his love, Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) from a stronghold of alien invaders.

Krull was crafted by Stanford Sherman and Peter Yates, who wrote and directed the feature, respectively. While the film was released to mixed reviews from critics, it has gone on to become a cult classic and has become a prominent part of fantasy pop culture.

At the time of its release, The NeverEnding Story was the most expensive film produced outside of the United States or the Soviet Union. It was lauded for its fantastic special effects as well as the captivating story. This 80s fantasy film follows a young boy named Bastian who is chased by bullies into a bookshop where he discovers a book unlike any other that opens a window into a fantasy world filled with adventure. 

Noah Hathaway leads this tale of magic, adventure, and heartache as Atreyu, the main character in the book, who is tasked with finding a cure to save the Childlike Empress (Tami Stronach). The film was written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. 

This 80s animated fantasy film follows a field mouse who seeks a colony of rats to save her sick son and discovers a dark secret on her journey. Disney didn’t produce The Secret of NIMH, but the high-quality animation and storytelling were so good that historically tough to please film critic Roger Ebert said that Walt Disney himself would have liked the movie. 

The Secret of NIMH was released to high critical praise, and the animated adventure film has gone down as a fantasy classic that will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.

Dragonslayer is an 80s fantasy film adventure that is much darker than Disney movies typically are. The film uses clever writing and a realistic twist to bring new life to the familiar fairytale of a young wizarding apprentice who sets out to slay a dragon. The feature was directed by Matthew Robbins and written by Robbins and Hal Barwood.

Critics were astounded by Dragonslayer’s special effects, which were the best on the market in the 80s. However, while, at the time, some critics wondered how the special effects would translate on a small at-home screen, compared to in the theaters, that is no longer a problem with modern technology and 4K TV screens. Now, fans of Dragonslayer can watch the film in the highest quality and appreciate the special effects as well as the acting abilities of the main cast, which included Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, and Ralph Richardson.