About The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride has become a perennial classic since its release in 1987. Rob Reiner directs William Goldman’s script based on his book. Featuring a swashbuckling Cary Elwes who must rescue his true love Buttercup (Robin Wright) from the villainous Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon).
It has a framing device with Peter Falk reading the story to a bedridden Fred Savage, promising ‘fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…’ The movie works as both a fairytale adventure while also gently ribbing and commenting on the tropes along the way (‘is this a kissing book?’).
21. The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
The Spiderwick Chronicles follows the Grace family – twins Jared and Simon, their sister Mallory, and their mother – as they move into the old Spiderwick Estate after the parents’ separation. Jared discovers Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide, a detailed manual documenting real but hidden magical creatures. Opening the book attracts dangerous attention from Mulgarath, a shapeshifting ogre who wants the guide to control all magical beings. The children encounter creatures such as goblins, brownies, and faeries while learning that Arthur Spiderwick vanished decades earlier after creating the guide.
Mulgarath’s goblin army repeatedly attacks the family to steal the book, forcing the children to use magical tools and the information within the guide to defend themselves. They learn from their great-aunt Lucinda that Arthur is trapped in the faerie realm, unable to return permanently. In the final confrontation, Mulgarath infiltrates the house in disguise, but the children expose him, and Mallory kills him before he can obtain the guide. Arthur briefly reunites with Lucinda before returning to the faeries, and the Grace family solidifies their bond after surviving the ordeal.
20. Zathura (2005)
Zathura follows brothers Danny and Walter, who discover an old clockwork board game that transports their entire house into outer space as soon as they start playing. Each turn unleashes a new danger, including a meteor shower that tears through their living room, a killer robot that goes rogue, and the sudden arrival of a mysterious astronaut who warns them the only way to survive is to finish the game. Their sister Lisa is accidentally frozen in cryo-sleep, and the boys must work together despite their constant arguing.
Zathura’s most intense moments come when the brothers are hunted by Zorgons, a reptilian alien species drawn to heat, and when the killer robot grows more destructive with every malfunctioning game card. The astronaut is revealed to be an older version of Walter, created when a past wish went wrong, adding emotional weight to the chaos. In the climax, the Zorgons nearly tear the house apart before Danny’s final card completes the game, returning everything to normal. The adventure forces the brothers to reconcile, ending their rivalry.
19. Galaxy Quest (2000)
Galaxy Quest follows the cast of a cancelled sci-fi TV show whose glory days are long behind them. Their lives change when a peaceful alien race called the Thermians mistakes the show for real history and recruits the actors to help save them from the tyrant Sarris. Suddenly aboard a fully functioning replica of their old starship, the cast – who have no real combat or scientific skills – must learn to operate real alien technology and navigate dangerous missions modeled after their fictional adventures.
Some of Galaxy Quest’s most exciting moments include the crew scraping their ship out of a space dock while barely avoiding destruction, Jason’s battle with a giant rock monster, and the team running through the infamous “chomper hallway” – a deadly gauntlet that makes no logical sense but was copied faithfully from the TV show. In the finale, the cast uses their limited skills and the Thermians’ faith to outsmart Sarris, destroy his ship, and save the Thermian race. Returning to Earth as unexpected heroes, the actors redeem themselves and revive their careers.
18. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is set in a world where humans and cartoon characters live side by side. The story follows private detective Eddie Valiant, who is hired to investigate rumors about Jessica Rabbit’s supposed affair. When Toontown owner Marvin Acme is murdered soon after, Roger Rabbit becomes the prime suspect. Despite his bitterness toward Toons, Eddie begins investigating the case and discovers signs that Roger is being framed as part of a larger plan involving control of Toontown.
Key developments include Eddie helping Roger evade the police, navigating the dangers of Toontown during the investigation, and uncovering that Judge Doom – the ruthless figure pursuing Roger – is secretly a Toon disguised as a human. Doom is revealed to be responsible for the death of Eddie’s brother and plans to destroy Toontown using a chemical solvent called Dip. Eddie defeats Doom, exposes the framing, and clears Roger’s name, ultimately preventing Toontown’s destruction.
17. Inkheart (2008)
Inkheart follows Mo “Silvertongue” Folchart, a man with the rare ability to bring characters out of books simply by reading aloud. While searching for a copy of the novel Inkheart, Mo is tracked down by Capricorn, a villain who was accidentally read out of the book years earlier. Capricorn wants Mo to use his power to bring more dangerous creatures and characters into the real world. Mo’s daughter Meggie slowly discovers his ability and realizes her missing mother was also drawn into the book during the same incident that released Capricorn.
As Capricorn gains strength, Mo, Meggie, and their allies – including Dustfinger, a reluctant fire juggler also pulled from the book – try to stop him. Key moments include Dustfinger using real fire to fight Capricorn’s men, Mo being forced to read monsters into existence, and Meggie discovering she has inherited her father’s power. In the climax, Meggie rewrites a new ending inside the book and reads it aloud, causing Capricorn and his summoned creatures to vanish. Inkheart concludes with Meggie freeing her mother and restoring balance between the fictional and real worlds.
16. Enchanted (2007)
Enchanted blends animated fairy-tale storytelling with live-action comedy. The film begins in the animated kingdom of Andalasia, where the innocent, optimistic Giselle is about to marry Prince Edward. Fearing Giselle will become queen, the evil Queen Narissa pushes her into a magical well that transports her to real-world New York City. Confused and still acting like an animated princess, Giselle is rescued by Robert, a practical divorce lawyer, and his daughter Morgan. Meanwhile, Edward enters the real world to find Giselle, followed by Narissa’s henchman, Nathaniel, who secretly works to stop him.
As Giselle adapts to New York, her fairy-tale worldview clashes with reality, leading to moments such as cleaning an apartment with the help of city wildlife and breaking into a full musical number in Central Park. She and Robert grow close, while Edward remains determined to marry her. Queen Narissa eventually arrives in human form, poisons Giselle, and transforms into a dragon during the final battle atop a skyscraper. Robert revives Giselle with true love’s kiss, proving her feelings for him are real. Enchanted ends with Giselle staying in New York to start a new life with Robert, while Edward returns to Andalasia with Robert’s fiancée, Nancy.
15. Willow (1988)
Willow follows Willow Ufgood, a Nelwyn farmer who discovers an abandoned human infant named Elora Danan. According to prophecy, the baby is destined to bring about the downfall of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda. When Bavmorda’s forces begin hunting for Elora, Willow is chosen by his village to deliver the child to safety in the Daikini (human) world. During his journey, Willow partners with Madmartigan, a wandering swordsman, and encounters fairies, brownies, and the cursed sorceress Fin Raziel, who guides him in protecting the child.
The film’s key events include Madmartigan defending Elora in a snowbound fortress, Willow attempting to restore Raziel to her human form, and Bavmorda preparing a ritual to eliminate the prophesied threat. In the climax, Willow infiltrates Bavmorda’s castle, and through distraction and sleight of hand, he causes her ritual to fail and backfire. Bavmorda is defeated, Elora is saved, and peace is restored. Willow returns home celebrated as a hero who fulfilled the prophecy by safeguarding the infant destined to end Bavmorda’s reign.
14. A Knight’s Tale (2001)
A Knight’s Tale is a medieval adventure film that blends historical setting with modern style. It follows William Thatcher, a peasant squire who seizes an opportunity to compete in a jousting tournament after his knight dies unexpectedly. Because only nobles are allowed to compete, William assumes a false identity – Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein – and begins training and entering tournaments across Europe with the help of his friends Roland, Wat, and the writer Geoffrey Chaucer, who forges his noble lineage.
As William rises through the ranks, he becomes famous for his skill and determination, winning crowds and catching the attention of Lady Jocelyn, with whom he falls in love. His primary rival is Count Adhemar, an experienced noble jouster determined to expose William. Major moments in A Knight’s Tale include William’s steady rise through the tournaments, Chaucer’s over-the-top introductions, and William defiantly revealing his true identity after being arrested. In the climax, William faces Adhemar in one final joust. Despite injuries and lacking noble status, William wins the match, earns honor and recognition, and frees himself from the limitations of his birth.
13. The Mummy (1999)
The Mummy is an action-adventure film set in 1920s Egypt. The story follows Rick O’Connell, an adventurer who teams up with librarian Evelyn Carnahan and her brother Jonathan to explore the ancient city of Hamunaptra. When they accidentally awaken Imhotep, a cursed high priest buried alive for attempting to resurrect his forbidden lover Anck-su-Namun, the group becomes the target of his gradual regeneration. Imhotep begins absorbing the life of the men who opened his tomb, gaining strength with each kill as he attempts to bring Anck-su-Namun back to life through Evelyn.
Key moments to watch out for include the discovery of the Book of the Dead, the plagues Imhotep unleashes across Egypt, and multiple confrontations between Rick’s group and Imhotep’s resurrected followers. As Imhotep closes in, the heroes travel back to Hamunaptra to find the Book of Amun-Ra, the only artifact capable of stopping him. In the final battle, Evelyn reads from the book to strip Imhotep of his immortality, allowing Rick to kill him. The Mummy ends with the group escaping the collapsing city with treasure, while Imhotep is once again sealed in death.
12. Big Trouble In Little China (1986)
Big Trouble in Little China follows Jack Burton, a truck driver who becomes involved in a supernatural crisis in San Francisco’s Chinatown after his friend Wang Chi’s fiancée is kidnapped. Their search leads them into an underground world controlled by Lo Pan, an ancient sorcerer cursed to exist as a spirit until he marries a woman with green eyes. Jack, Wang, and their allies confront street gangs, mystical warriors known as the Three Storms, and a series of magical traps while uncovering Lo Pan’s plan to regain his physical form.
The film’s major events include Jack and Wang infiltrating Lo Pan’s fortress, confronting the Storms, and witnessing Lo Pan prepare to marry and sacrifice two women – Wang’s fiancée Miao Yin and Jack’s love interest, Gracie Law. In the final battle, Wang kills Lo Pan after Jack’s attempted knife throw fails, breaking the sorcerer’s curse and ending his threat. The heroes escape the collapsing fortress, rescue the captives, and restore order to Chinatown. Big Trouble in Little China ends with Jack driving away, unaware that a creature from Lo Pan’s lair has secretly climbed onto his truck.
11. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a fantasy adventure film directed by Terry Gilliam. It tells the exaggerated, tall-tale exploits of Baron Munchausen, an aging storyteller who insists that his unbelievable adventures are true. When a European city under siege is being destroyed by Ottoman forces, the Baron interrupts a stage play about his life and claims only he can save everyone. Accompanied by a young girl named Sally, he sets out to reunite with his extraordinary former companions – Berthold, Adolphus, Albrecht, and Gustavus – each possessing superhuman abilities.
Their journey takes them to surreal locations, including a trip to the Moon ruled by King and Queen of the Moon, a descent into the belly of a giant sea monster, and an encounter with Vulcan and Venus in the volcano’s underworld. Each episode blends fantasy with absurdity as the Baron attempts to rebuild his crew. In the climax, he returns to the besieged city, leads a miraculous victory over the Ottoman army, and is celebrated as a hero. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen ends ambiguously, revealing that the entire adventure may itself be another of the Baron’s embellished stories, keeping the line between truth and imagination intentionally blurred.
10. Mirror, Mirror (2012)
Mirror, Mirror retells the Snow White story through a comedic fantasy lens. Snow White lives under the control of her stepmother, Queen Clementianna, who has bankrupted the kingdom and isolated Snow White to maintain her power. After Snow encounters oppressed villagers, the Queen orders her killed, but Snow White escapes and is rescued by a group of outlaw dwarfs who teach her combat and survival skills.
With their help, Snow White opposes the Queen’s schemes, including her attempt to magically manipulate Prince Alcott for marriage. Snow White battles the Queen’s enchanted creatures, frees the Prince from a love spell, and inspires the kingdom’s people to stand against the Queen’s tyranny. In the final confrontation, Snow White defeats Clementianna and restores peace to the kingdom, ultimately reclaiming her rightful place.
9. Ella Enchanted (2004)
Ella Enchanted follows Ella of Frell, a young woman who was magically cursed at birth with the “gift” of obedience – she must follow any command given to her, no matter how dangerous or humiliating. After her father remarries, Ella becomes the target of her cruel stepsisters, who exploit the curse. Determined to break it, Ella sets off on a journey to find Lucinda, the fairy who cast the spell. Along the way, she meets Prince Char, trolls, ogres, and elves, gradually forming a bond with the prince as she tries to keep her curse a secret.
As Ella gets closer to breaking the spell, Prince Char’s scheming uncle Sir Edgar discovers her condition and orders her to assassinate Char. Bound by the curse, Ella nearly obeys, but in a climactic moment of self-determination, she commands herself to stop, successfully breaking the spell. She exposes Edgar’s plot, frees the kingdom from his control, and reunites with Char. Ella Enchanted ends with the kingdom celebrating, Ella freed from obedience, and her and Char beginning a life together without the curse overshadowing it.
8. Hook (1992)
Hook continues the story of Peter Pan by showing what happens after Peter grows up. Peter Banning is now a stressed, work-obsessed lawyer with no memory of his past in Neverland. When Captain Hook kidnaps his children, Peter is forced to return to Neverland to rescue them. There, the Lost Boys, led by Rufio, struggle to believe that this out-of-shape adult is really the legendary Peter Pan.
As Peter trains, he slowly regains his memories, his imagination, and eventually his ability to fly. Meanwhile, Hook attempts to turn Peter’s son Jack against him by acting as the father figure Peter hasn’t been. Key events include Peter transforming back into Pan, the Lost Boys preparing for battle, and Hook manipulating Jack through baseball games and grand gestures. In the climax, Pan and the Lost Boys confront Hook’s pirates, Jack realises his father truly loves him, and Hook is defeated in a duel. Peter returns home with his children, having rediscovered joy, imagination, and the importance of being present as a parent.
7. The City of Lost Children (1995)
The City of Lost Children is a dark fantasy film set in a dystopian port city ruled by strange, dreamlike science. The story centers on Krank, a man incapable of dreaming, who ages prematurely because he cannot experience them. To survive, he kidnaps children and steals their dreams using a bizarre machine. One of his victims is the adopted little brother of One, a strongman who teams up with Miette, a young orphan girl, to track down the missing children. Their search leads them through criminal gangs, cult-like orphan masters, and a series of unsettling scientific experiments tied to a group of cloned men and other genetically altered beings.
As One and Miette close in on Krank’s offshore laboratory, they uncover the truth behind the dream-stealing device and the twisted family of clones who serve Krank. In the final confrontation, Miette is placed in the dream machine, but she manages to turn the nightmare against Krank, causing the device to overload and destroy him. The children are freed, the laboratory explodes, and One reunites with his brother. The film ends with One, Miette, and the rescued children escaping into the uncertain world beyond, leaving Krank’s oppressive dream-harvesting regime behind.
6. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Edward Scissorhands tells the story of Edward, an unfinished artificial man created by an inventor who died before giving him real hands, leaving him with scissors instead. Edward lives alone in a gothic mansion until Peg Boggs, a kind Avon saleswoman, brings him home to her pastel suburban neighborhood. At first, the community embraces him – Edward becomes popular for his hedge sculptures, dog grooming, and haircuts – and he develops feelings for Peg’s daughter, Kim.
As Edward becomes more involved in the neighborhood, fear and suspicion replace curiosity. He is manipulated into committing a burglary, blamed for accidents he didn’t cause, and targeted by Kim’s jealous boyfriend, Jim. In the film’s climax, Edward tries to protect Kim from Jim, leading to a fight in which Edward kills Jim in self-defense. Knowing he will never be accepted, Edward returns to his mansion. Kim tells the townspeople he died, preserving his safety. The film ends with an older Kim revealing she never saw Edward again, and he remains alive in the mansion, creating ice sculptures that make it snow.
5. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events adapts the first three books of the series and follows the Baudelaire orphans – Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny – after their parents die in a mysterious mansion fire. Following the tragedy, the children are placed under the care of Count Olaf, an actor who is determined to steal their enormous inheritance. Olaf abuses, manipulates, and endangers them, eventually attempting to force Violet into a sham marriage to gain legal control of their fortune. The Baudelaires escape and are moved between new guardians, each more ill-fated than the last.
Their time with Uncle Monty; a kind herpetologist, and Aunt Josephine; a terrified grammar-obsessed widow, ends in further danger as Olaf repeatedly returns in disguise. Major events include Olaf murdering Uncle Monty, orchestrating peril at Lake Lachrymose, sabotaging Aunt Josephine’s home, and constantly evading the authorities. In the finale, the siblings uncover clues about their parents, expose Olaf’s latest scheme, and narrowly escape his grasp. Though Olaf gets away, the Baudelaires remain determined, resourceful, and united, continuing their search for the truth behind their parents’ deaths and the sinister mysteries surrounding them.
4. Stardust (2007)
Stardust follows Tristan Thorn, a young man from the English village of Wall, who crosses a forbidden gap in the town’s wall to retrieve a fallen star for the woman he loves. Once inside the magical kingdom of Stormhold, Tristan discovers the fallen star is actually a woman named Yvaine. Multiple forces begin hunting her: three ancient witch sisters who want her heart to restore their youth, and the princes of Stormhold who need the star to claim the throne. Tristan decides to protect Yvaine, beginning an adventure filled with magic, sky pirates, curses, and dangerous rivals.
Key events include Tristan and Yvaine being captured by Captain Shakespeare, a skyship captain who secretly helps them; the witches using dark magic to track the star; and the princes eliminating each other in a violent race for the crown. In the climax, Tristan and Yvaine confront the surviving witch, Lamia, who attempts to take Yvaine’s heart. Yvaine unleashes her starlight to destroy her, proving her love for Tristan. The film ends with Tristan discovering he is the true heir to Stormhold. He and Yvaine become the kingdom’s rulers, ascending to the sky together when their reign is complete.
3. The Neverending Story (1984)
The Neverending Story follows Bastian, a shy, grieving boy who discovers a mysterious book about the dying fantasy realm of Fantasia. As he reads, he becomes immersed in the story of Atreyu, a young warrior tasked by the Childlike Empress to stop a force called The Nothing, which is destroying the world and feeding on people’s despair. Atreyu travels across dangerous landscapes, faces the venomous Gmork, loses his horse Artax in the Swamps of Sadness, and seeks answers from ancient beings like Morla the giant turtle and the Southern Oracle.
As Fantasia collapses, Bastian realizes the book is calling him specifically – Fantasia can only be saved if he gives the Childlike Empress a new name and believes in the power of imagination. When he finally speaks the new name, Fantasia is restored, and Bastian is given one wish. He uses it to ride atop Falkor, the luckdragon, bringing hope back to both Fantasia and his own life. The Neverending Story ends with Bastian having changed the fate of the story – and himself – by choosing courage and imagination over fear.
2. Labyrinth (1986)
Labyrinth follows Sarah, a teenage girl who – frustrated with babysitting her infant brother Toby – wishes the Goblin King would take him away. When Jareth, the Goblin King, actually does, Sarah is given 13 hours to solve his massive, shifting labyrinth and rescue Toby before he is turned into a goblin forever. She enters the Labyrinth and faces talking doors, deceptive passageways, and surreal characters as she pushes toward Jareth’s castle.
Along the way, Sarah befriends Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus, who help her navigate dangers like the Fire Gang, the Bog of Eternal Stench, and Jareth’s manipulations – ranging from poisoned fruit to a dreamlike masquerade meant to distract her. In the final confrontation inside an Escher-style maze, Sarah confronts Jareth’s temptations and illusions. By rejecting his control and reciting, “You have no power over me,” she breaks his hold and rescues Toby. Sarah returns home, wiser and more mature, and her fantastical friends appear one last time to celebrate with her, showing the magic remains if she chooses to remember it.
1. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Pan’s Labyrinth intertwines a dark fantasy quest with the brutal reality of post–Civil War Spain in 1944. The story follows Ofelia, a young girl who moves with her pregnant mother to live with Captain Vidal, a fascist officer fighting rebels in the nearby woods. Lonely and frightened, Ofelia encounters a faun in an ancient labyrinth who tells her she is the lost princess of an underworld kingdom. To reclaim her place, she must complete three dangerous tasks, including retrieving a key from a giant toad and facing the child-eating Pale Man. Meanwhile, Ofelia’s mother becomes gravely ill, and the resistance secretly aided by Vidal’s housekeeper, Mercedes, closes in.
Ofelia’s mother becomes gravely ill, and the resistance secretly aided by Vidal’s housekeeper, Mercedes, closes in.
As Ofelia’s world becomes more perilous, Vidal’s violence escalates – he captures and tortures rebels and tightens control over the household. Ofelia completes the tasks as best she can, but the faun demands one final test: bring her baby brother to the labyrinth. When Vidal pursues her, he fatally shoots her, but is immediately killed by the rebels. In the film’s ending, Ofelia dies in the real world, but is welcomed in a vision back into the underworld as the returned princess. The story leaves open whether the fantasy was real or a coping escape, but presents it as Ofelia’s final moment of peace.
How do these movies compare to The Princess Bride?
What did you think of these movies? Would you have added any other movies to this list?
Let me know in the comments.
