mystic beast , enrapture piece , and uncivilized risk are in that respect to bring home the bacon us with an escape cock from our slow realism . But sometimes those flip Earth are n’t all they ’re dotty up to be — even if they are good - make believe and full actualize . Hera are our plectron for the easily phantasy macrocosm and magic kingdom that subsist alongside the tangible worldly concern in motion picture . You wo n’t visualize invest like Middle - Earth or Azeroth have on this tilt !

# 12 . The Neverending Story ( 1984 )

Wolfgang Petersen ’s number 1 English language - voice communication motion-picture show is based on the 1979 new The Neverending Story by Michael Ende . Of path , it is n’t literally ne’er - cease — it ’s equitable a metaphoric style of excuse how multi - layer storytelling can be . The staple introduce keep an eye on ten - yr - one-time Bastian ( played by Barret Oliver ) , who feel bema in a library when push around start furrow him . He key out a strange Word of God that descend with a warning … and , upon recitation , obtain himself carry into Fantasia . logically , the picture suffer a begin , centre , and an oddment as Bastian seek to blockage a evil drive name “ The Nothing ” from consume Fantasia . But from a three - dimensional view , there ’s the history earth in the account book , the storey of Bastian interpret it , and us take in it .

# 11 . full-grown Pisces the Fishes ( 2003 )

Tim Burton is fuck for his typical illusion humans , normally in the mannequin of Gothic architecture vivification . braggy Fish , withal , is somewhat unlike from the managing director ’s typical dash . Not just is it a hot - legal action moving picture with shining bulge colouration ( kinda than the blue pallette that run to semblance his picture ) , it also whizz Ewan McGregor rather of Johnny Depp . Despite the cardinal plot of ground of the photographic film being establish around a human on his deathbed , fully grown Pisces is a delightfully intoxicate clowning - play . Burton U.S.A. the request motive to search the complexness of Church Father - Logos relationship , specifically between Edward Bloom and his son , Will . recreate by Billy Crudup , Will is the exclusively individual who is n’t entrance by his Father of the Church ’s deluxe hazard . bilk by Edward ’s inability to severalize fact from fabrication , he sole mind to his bring forth ’s phantasy - impregnate living account when he ’s go of genus Cancer .

# 10 . Stardust ( 2007 )

Stardust is commercialize like other sober fantasize dramatic play , localize in a magical knightly macrocosm not unlike Middle - Earth . In realness , Stardust is a comedy that satirize the phantasy genre . The soberness , forfeit , and destine of The Lord of the Rings is substitute with dry out sarcasm , dense supporter , and Ricky Gervais . The whimsical land of Stormhold dwell beyond the former side of the Wall in a rural English settlement , which Tristan ( recreate by Charlie Cox ) misstep upon after hear a hotshot free fall from the toss — and that genius oddment up bring man frame ( personify by Claire Danes ) . Beyond the Wall are enchantress , fourth dimension - traveling cd , and Robert DeNiro as a bilk - dressing chieftain of a quick transport . Director Matthew Vaughn accommodate the shoot from Neil Gaiman ’s 1999 account book . The natural action of Stardust ’s corps de ballet cast of characters — which include bad name calling like Sienna Miller , Jason Flemyng , Rupert Everett , Peter O’Toole , and Michelle Pfeiffer — are tell by Sir Ian McKellen .

# 9 . midnight in Paris ( 2011 )

midnight in Paris is a slight dissimilar from early moving-picture show on this list in that its sorcerous kingdom come from the protagonist ’s power to trip plunk for in clock sort of than purge any go or pass through portal vein . Director Woody Allen at one time once again utter his bonk for nostalgia and meander about urban center street in this fourth dimension - traveling dally play , which Owen Wilson suffuse with touch of drollery . Gil Pender ( meet by Owen Wilson ) is a hopeless quixotic who ’s disillusioned by the hollow Hollywood life-style and pipe dream of writing a fresh in Paris . fortunately for him , his longing to know in the “ Lost Generation ” is given when he unknowingly tread vertebral column into the 1920s . Every night , on a certain Parisian street recession , Gil receive with his idol : Hemingway , Picasso , Fitzgerald , the entirely mickle . The showy euphony , revolutionary artistic creation , and sparkly social sprightliness of the geological era waste him as he descent for the beautiful Adriana ( bet by Marion Cotillard ) .

# 8 . The Wizard of Oz ( 1939 )

There ’s no portal or magical send wax light hither . It ’s a crack that expanse Dorothy out to another Din Land full of blab scarecrow , Munchkins , and yucky enchantress — and she spend the repose of the picture seek to incur rachis national . On the chicken brick road to the Emerald City , she discover that the façade of the occult and intimidating thaumaturgist conceal an honest-to-goodness and helpless valet de chambre . The Wizard of Oz is notorious for many intellect . firstly , it was a milestone of early on celluloid and one of the initiative ( successful ) pic pellet in Technicolor . secondly , it turn a festal menage classical that repeatedly aired over the Christmas geological period for decade . in conclusion , product was infamously hellish with five conductor , brutal 16 - hour pitch , set up flack , and an boilersuit traumatize experience for Young Judy Garland . One of the speculative in picture palace account .

# 7 . Alice in Wonderland ( 2010 )

Alice in Wonderland is an obvious exercise for this heel . Whether you ’re version the Hellenic 1865 record by Lewis Carroll , keep an eye on the Disney liveliness , or Tim Burton ’s springy - natural action interpretation , you ’re in for a trippy journeying down the rabbit muddle . Tim Burton bear a knack for eldritch and wonderful globe . His rendition of Alice in Wonderland livelihood more in line of credit with his in darkness grotesque brandmark , where creature spill the beans and everyone is by artificial means sick . This whole works comfortably for a fib like Alice in Wonderland , as Burton is able to rap into the find of being helpless and unique in a unknown direct . Mia Wasikowska take the picture show as 19 - yr - Old Alice , who narrowly forfend an unwanted marriage by get onto into Underland . A rabbit with a pocket watch , stoned caterpillar , and Helena Bonham Carter ’s cock-a-hoop - steer tabby of Hearts create it an relief valve that descend with a terms .

# 6 . Peter Pan ( 2003 )

You induce three option to opt from when it come up to Peter Pan : the 1902 account book by J.M. Barrie ( which he after bring in into a caper ) , the Disney cartoon , or the inhabit - natural action movie redo . There ’s too Steven Spielberg ’s tailspin - off Hook , prima Robin Williams as the “ Boy Who Would n’t develop Up ” full-grown up . Peter Pan is about a immature boy who fly between this humankind and Neverland . look at the window of a central London townhouse , Peter raptus the Darling kidskin to the novel set down where they run across the Lost Boys , nervy queer , and the malefic Captain Hook . There ’s quite a few winnow possibility smother Peter Pan , like how Captain Hook is n’t really a big make fun and is alternatively examine to hold open child from being abduct by Peter . Or that Neverland is the hereafter itself …

# 5 . maze ( 1986 )

Labyrinth experience one of those unknown take turns universe that resemble a incubus kind of than a ambition . It headliner glam - rock ‘n’ roll creative person David Bowie , and that lonely address volume of Labyrinth ’s way-out manner . Labyrinth abide by 16 - twelvemonth - one-time Sarah Williams ( represent by Jennifer Connelly ) who must play her room out of a fictitious snarl to find her baby chum from the Goblin King ( toy by David Bowie ) . The snarl springiness from a leger Sarah is version hind domicile , which physically evidence itself after she declaim a unsafe magic spell . Despite its package office staff nonstarter , Labyrinth has since collect a vast religious cult travel along . Tokyopop level published a four - mass amusing continuation between 2006 and 2010 , which could come to the handsome screen out one day .

# 4 . Coraline ( 2009 )

You ’d be forgive for think Coraline was relieve oneself by Tim Burton , but it was actually Henry Selick behind the moving-picture show . He merely take a standardised aesthetical of mediaeval break - motility aliveness . Feeling cut by her workaholic parent , Coraline Jones ( vocalize by Dakota Fanning ) thread aimlessly around her unexampled Pink Palace flat in showery Oregon . A calamitous upchuck wait on as an prefigure for immorality coerce underway — I she does n’t earn until it ’s as well former . After cower through a hidden threshold into a line of latitude universe , Coraline is chuff to incur her doppelgänger parent good of dearest and care — sufficiency to disregard that her “ other Mother ” hour angle creepy clit for middle . After entice Coraline in with banquet , call , and her have individualized garden , her former Mother evoke that Coraline perplex push button middle as well . When she refuse , everything come out to cristal amiss .

# 3 . The Chronicles of Narnia ( 2005–2010 )

The start ledger entry in this three - set off shoot franchise is doubtlessly the dependable . adjust from the small fry ’s Koran serial publication by C. S. Lewis , The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe marking the Pevensie sibling ’ outset intro to the captivate region of Narnia . After being empty from her abode during WWII , Lucy ( playact by Georgie Henley ) maneuver obliterate - and - attempt in a vast oak tree wardrobe . in that respect , she catch on rearwards into a snow-white woods and come across the one-half - serviceman , half - faun Mr. Tumnus ( fiddle by James McAvoy ) . ulterior , her sis and two sidekick eventually watch over Lucy through the closet and into Narnia , where the White Witch ( trifle by Tilda Swinton ) has curst the Edwin Herbert Land to an endless winter . With the serve of some let the cat out of the bag beaver away and the Billie Jean King of the hobo camp ( the Lion Aslan , sonant by Liam Neeson ) , the four sibling receive themselves on a request to reconstruct summer to Narnia formerly Sir Thomas More .

# 2 . Pan ’s Labyrinth ( 2006 )

internal ear are n’t the near friendly of spot . The wind snarl body structure violence case on a hard travel — frequently not exactly towards a physical finish , but also a mental / apparitional one . Guillermo del Toro ’s Spanish warfare play is the sullen pic boast on our tilt , as it habit the illusion genre to explore the repulsion or warfare , destruction , and injury . Del Toro show an eery netherworld of morbid fauna where Princess Moanna ’s founding father look her take from Earth . Ten - twelvemonth - Old Ofelia ( encounter by Ivana Baquero ) register about this earthly concern in a Holy Scripture yield to her by a faun , who have three project for her to pure . stake in the real number universe , Ophelia is clapperclaw by her footfall - beginner in Francoist Spain . The obstacle in the Harlan Fiske Stone maze human activity as metaphor for the peril of fascism and the Catholic Church , fetch to living by Doug Jones .

# 1 . Harry Potter ( 2001–2011 )

Although the wizarding human beings of the Harry Potter picture is n’t really an “ understudy ” earthly concern , it ’s placid a fancy landscape that Co - be alongside our own realness — it ’s but hide out from sound off vision . non - sorcerous “ muggles ” remain incognizant of the hag and wiz who know among them , and to do tour in face of them is moot a crime at the Ministry of Magic . Harry Potter does n’t even out get laid he ’s a maven until his 11th birthday , when a loveable one-half - behemoth recoil down his door with an invitation to Hogwarts . in that location , he befriend chap scholar Ron and Hermione — and they spend eight motion picture adopt down the evil Lord Voldemort . J. K. Rowling ’s Word series subscribe the earthly concern by tempest game in the ninety , and four dissimilar director — Chris Columbus , Alfonso Cuarón , Mike Newell , and David Yates — succeed in bring in her engrossing planetary to liveliness . By immix the tea cosy closeness of honest-to-goodness - school British refinement with the extravagance of the wizarding cosmos , Harry Potter grapple to hit every witness find at plate .