First released in 1974, has become the most recognized and best-selling role-playing game. Beginning in the 2010s, the game saw a massive increase in public attention thanks to its appearance in Stranger Things, and the live-play series Critical Role. There have been several attempts to translate the mythical worlds created through the game into film, with the most recent—and successful—being 2023's .
While Dungeons & Dragons campaigns can be as diverse and varied as the imagination of those playing them, the general structure is based around a group of heroes coming together to collect treasure, stop great evils, and accomplish shared goals. Thus, fans of Honor Among Thieves can find plenty of other fantasy films that can fill a similar itch while we wait for the next D&D project.
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PG-13
Fantasy Adventure Action9.3/10
- Release Date
- March 31, 2023
- Runtime
- 134 Minutes
Cast
-
Chris Pine
-
Michelle Rodriguez
10 'The Golden Voyage of Sinbad' (1973)
Directed by Gordon Hessler
While sailing the high seas, Captain Sinbad (John Phillip Law) comes into possession of a golden fragment. He soon arrives in the city of Marabia and learns from the Grand Vizier (Douglas Wilmer) that his fragment is part of a map that can lead to the Fountain of Destiny. With the Vizier's help, Sinbad sets off to find the third fragment while avoiding the evil sorcerer Koura (Tom Baker), who wants the fountain for himself.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad was the first winner of the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film, and for good reason. It has everything you want in an adventure film, including exciting set pieces, likable characters, and creative monsters brought to life by Ray Harryhausen. Koura also stands out as a surprisingly complex villain, thanks in no small part to Baker's performance.
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The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
G
Action Adventure Fantasy- Release Date
- January 25, 1974
- Runtime
- 105 Minutes
Cast
-
John Phillip Law
-
Caroline Munro
-
Tom Baker
-
Douglas Wilmer
9 'Labyrinth' (1986)
Directed by Jim Henson
Frustrated at having to babysit her younger brother, Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly) impulsively wishes that goblins would take him. To her shock, the goblin king, Jareth (David Bowie), arrives and takes the child to his palace. He gives Sara thirteen hours to navigate the labyrinth outside his home before her brother becomes a goblin forever.
Labyrinth is the second dark fantasy film born in the mind of Muppets creator Jim Henson, and is brought to life through groundbreaking puppetry. This leads to a wide array of creative and unique characters for Sarah to meet, from helping hands and Fierys who can toss their heads, to more friendly creatures, such as a grumpy dwarf named Hoggle (Brian Henson) and Ludo (Ron Mueck), a hairy beast who can speak to rocks. Bowie steals the show with his performance, which is silly, mysterious, and imposing all at once.
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Labyrinth
PG
FantasyFamily
Adventure Musical10/10
- Release Date
- June 27, 1986
- Runtime
- 101 minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
8 'The Last Unicorn' (1982)
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
An immortal unicorn (Mia Farrow) fears that she might be the last of her kind after overhearing a conversation between two hunters. A passing butterfly (Robert Klein) tells her that the unicorns were driven into the sea by a monstrous Red Bull, so she sets off on a quest to free them. Along the way, she is joined by a bumbling magician named Schmendrick (Alan Arkin) and a bandit's wife named Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes).
Schmendrick's arc of learning to master his magic in The Last Unicorn is similar to the arc of Honor Among Thieves' wild magic sorcerer, Simon (Justice Smith). Beyond this, both films share a common theme of grief and loss, though they approach them from different angles. Edgin (Chris Pines) is motivated by the memory of his dead wife and must come to terms with her passing, while the unicorn is given a unique perspective on mortality that allows her, as an immortal creature, to know what it is like to feel these emotions.
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The Last Unicorn
G
Adventure Animation Drama- Release Date
- November 19, 1982
- Director
- Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
- Writers
- Peter S. Beagle
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
7 'Willow' (1988)
Directed by Ron Howard
Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) is a Nelwyn farmer who wishes to become a great sorcerer. One day, he finds an infant human named Elora Danan (Kate and Ruth Greenfield and Rebecca Bearman), prophesied to bring about the downfall of the evil Queen Bavmorda (Joanne Whalley). With the aid of a dashing rogue named Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), two brownies, and a cursed mage named Fin Raziel (Patricia Hayes), Willow tries to keep Elora safe from Bavmorda's minions and develop his magical abilities.
One of the most iconic fantasy films of the 1980s, Willow is the kind of movie that doesn't try to be anything more than a fun time. The two lead characters are delightful: Davis does a phenomenal job showing Willow's wide-eyed optimism and kind heart, while you can practically feel how much fun Kilmer was having playing such a boastful character who creates more misery for himself. It also has some pretty good effects for the time, from stop-motion monsters to fluid transformation effects.
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Willow
PG
Fantasy Adventure Drama Romance Action- Release Date
- May 20, 1988
- Runtime
- 126 minutes
- Director
- Ron Howard
- Writers
- Bob Dolman
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
6 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' (2022)
Directed by Joel Crawford
This spin-off of the Shrek franchise sees Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) learn that he is down to his last of nine lives. When a white wolf (Wagner Moura) almost kills him, he puts away his hat and boots and retires to live as a house cat. Things change when he learns that Big Jack Horner (John Mulaney) has acquired a map to a Wishing Star, so Puss joins in the competition with others, including his old flame Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault) and Goldylocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish takes full advantage of its fairy tale aesthetic to tell an engaging and emotionally gripping quest. It manages to effectively juggle its cast, ensuring that each of them is given an understandable motivation, leading to phenomenal moments of character growth, especially from Puss accepting his mortality. The action scenes are also beautifully animated and choreographed, allowing for a blend of flashy visuals and tense drama.
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
PG
Adventure AnimationComedy
- Release Date
- December 21, 2022
- Runtime
- 102 minutes
- Director
- Joel Crawford
- Writers
- Paul Fisher
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
5 'Stardust' (2007)
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
As the King of Stormhold (Peter O'Toole) is on his deathbed, he tosses his ruby into the sky, declaring that whichever of his sons recovers the ruby will be the next king. The ruby strikes a star and causes it to fall from the sky, an event witnessed by Tristan Thorn (Charlie Cox), a young romantic who vows to retrieve the star for his crush, Victoria (Sienna Miller). However, not only does the star turn out to be a woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes), but a third party also pursues her: a trio of witches who want to cut out her heart to restore their youth.
Stardust takes a few liberties when compared to the book by Neil Gaiman, but there's no denying that it's a fun, feel-good kind of fantasy film. It has a unique sense of humor, casually mixing fairy tale whimsy with grim moments of death and cruelty, yet never loses sight of its message about love and happiness. The cast also contributes to the film's entertainment: besides the leads, Mark Strong and Mitchel Phfifer are delightfully wicked as Prince Septimus and the witch Lamia, while Robert De Niro steals the show as the Thespian sky pirate, Captain Shakespeare.
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Stardust
PG-13
AdventureComedy
Fantasy Romance- Release Date
- August 10, 2007
- Runtime
- 128 Minutes
- Director
- Matthew Vaughn
- Writers
- Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
RENT
BUY
4 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' (2017)
Directed by Jake Kasdan
Four teenagers named Spenser (Alex Wolff), Anthony (Ser'Darius Blain), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Martha (Morgan Turner), discover a video game called Jumanji and end up sucked inside of it. Each of them takes the form of one of the game's characters: Spenser as the muscular archeologist Dr. Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), Anthony as his short zoologist sidekick Franklin (Kevin Hart), Bethany as the male cartographer Professor Oberon (Jack Black), and Martha as the seductive commando Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). To escape the game, they must recover the Jaguar's Eye, stolen by the evil Professor Van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale).
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle blends a simple concept with likable characters and a great sense of humor. The plot is intentionally kept very basic to provide a backdrop for a coming-of-age story where the teens must overcome their flaws and discover parts about themselves they never knew existed. The comedy is varied and hilarious, ranging from jabs at the adventure genre to the amazing camaraderie between the four adult actors, each of whom you believe could be a teen trapped in another body.
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Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
PG-13
Action AdventureComedy
- Release Date
- December 5, 2017
- Runtime
- 119 Minutes
- Director
- Jake Kasdan
- Writers
- Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
RENT
BUY
3 'The Princess Bride' (1987)
Directed by Rob Reiner
A grandfather (Peter Falk) reads to his sick grandson (Fred Savage) the story of Buttercup (Robin Wright), a young woman betrothed to Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon) after the loss of her love, Westley (Cary Elwes). Before the wedding, Buttercup is kidnapped by Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) and his lackies, the giant Fezzik (André the Giant) and the Spanish fencer Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), so they can try to start a war. However, the trio are pursued by a man in black, who is revealed to be Westley, having taken up the mantle of the Dread Pirate Robert.
While a financial disappointment on release, The Princess Bride is now considered a masterpiece. This is thanks to its fantastic script, which is chock-full of quotable dialogue that have become staples of popular culture, and a laid-back approach to its storytelling that encourages you to come and explore a world where true love conquers all. The characters follow this simple but complex style by fitting into classic fairy tale archetypes who are given such life and charm thanks to the cast, with special praise given to Patinkin thanks to how seamlessly he can shift between Inigo's gentlemanly charm and the cold fury of a man out for revenge.
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The Princess Bride
PG
FantasyFamily
Adventure- Release Date
- October 9, 1987
- Runtime
- 98 minutes
- Director
- Rob Reiner
- Writers
- William Goldman
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
BUY
2 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)
Directed by Victor Fleming
When a tornado sweeps up her farmhouse, Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) is dropped down in the magical land of Oz. She acquires a pair of magic ruby slippers from a deceased witch, which enrages the witch's sister (Margaret Hamilton), who vows to claim them for herself. Dorothy's only chance to return home is to meet The Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan) by following the yellow brick road and picking up some unlikely friends along the way.
The Wizard of Oz's simple story and lovable characters fit perfectly into the structure of a D&D campaign. It's a simple go from point A to B story, filled with creative roadblocks ranging from talking trees, poppies that magically put people to sleep, and flying monkeys. Combined with catchy songs and a good lesson, it's no wonder why this film remains ranked among the greatest fairy tale films and continues to inspire creativity over 80 years later.
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The Wizard of Oz
PG
Musical FantasyFamily
Adventure10/10
- Release Date
- August 25, 1939
- Runtime
- 102 minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
RENT
BUY
1 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001–2003)
Directed by Sir Peter Jackson
Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) is shocked to learn that a magic ring left to him by his uncle, Bilbo (Sir Ian Holm), is the One Ring forged by the dark lord, Sauron. Should he reclaim it, his full strength will be restored and he can wage a brutal war against the free people of Middle-earth. As the dark lord's servants spread out in search of the ring, Frodo and a band of unlikely heroes set forth to take the ring to Mordor, where it can be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.
The Lord of the Rings is the cornerstone of modern fantasy, including Dungeons & Dragons. It is the quintessential story about the power of friendship, triumphing over impossible odds and fighting to defend a beautiful green world. Characters like Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) remain some of the best examples of rangers and wizards in all fiction.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
PG-13
Action Fantasy Adventure10/10
- Release Date
- December 19, 2001
- Runtime
- 178 Minutes
WHERE TO WATCH
Streaming
RENT
BUY
NEXT: The Most Rewatchable Adventure Movies of All Time
