Some fantasy films connect right away. Others require an additional viewing to really understand, appreciate, or perhaps even critique. Sometimes those rewatches happen almost immediately, as the drama and tension are relived anew. Other times, those returns can happen years down the line, as one attempts to challenge what they initially thought about a project. Regardless, it's a healthy thing to revisit old fantasy movies and decide whether they still live up to expectations.
Many fantasy films require a second viewing for entirely different reasons. Some are obvious choices, like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, while others are less-than-traditional like Stardust. Yet they're fantasy movies that ultimately come to define the genre, one way or another, and are critical for the future of the industry. Understanding what makes them great will only improve cinema as a whole.
Stardust Mythologizes the Fantasy Genre
Stardust is one of those cult classics that someone would have recommended at some stage, but is easily forgotten because there's a lot going on in the film. The cast is distracting, considering it is simply so star-studded, with Charlie Cox and Henry Cavill stealing the show, and so much to learn about the world and its characters. The fact that Stardust isn't held up as an all-time great suggests people didn't go for that second viewing.
Still, Stardust is the epitome of what the fantasy genre can be. It's fun, light-hearted, full of tension, and critically, mythologizes the genre as a whole. This is a fantasy film created by a lover of fantasy and pays homage to so many classic traits and tropes that viewers may be familiar with. But the way it twists and turns, as Tristan searches for the fallen star, is evidence of a genre piece keen not to rest on its laurels.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Is the Best D&D Adaptation
When Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves first came out, there was a lot of buzz around it. Firstly, fans called it the greatest adaptation of the tabletop title there had ever been. Sure, there were some criticisms levied at a couple of aspects of its narrative, but they were brushed aside because of how much fun audiences had at the cinema, in the middle of this rip-roaring adventure.
A second viewing, especially for Dungeons & Dragons fans, will highlight the serious detail that went into ensuring this felt like an RPG campaign come to life. Because when characters make erratic decisions, or the plot moves in seemingly strange ways, it emulates the choices that players could make and the moves a Dungeon Master might take to counter them. As a result, it's quickly become an underrated fantasy film in need of a sequel more than many others.
Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief Isn't as Bad as Fans Remember
The Percy Jackson series has a bad reputation on the big screen. That wasn't helped by the fact that author Rick Riordan went on record as suggesting there were poor interpretations of his work and the debut of the far superior Disney+ show. But there is a reason that the first Percy Jackson film received a sequel, and that is, despite complaints levied against it, it had genuine potential. The first film felt like a step in the right direction.
With that in mind, the film was far from perfect. Some of the dialogue was stilted, elements of the books were missing, the plot was altered, and Camp Half-Blood wasn't nearly as magical as it could have been. But the foundations built were astounding, and it's clear as to why Chris Columbus was brought on board, years after introducing Harry Potter to movie fans. A rewatch today will reveal that there's a lot working here, from the great cast to the extraordinary world-building.
Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them Is Genuinely Charming
There is an overriding assumption that what tanked the Wizarding World franchise as a whole was the performance of the Fantastic Beasts films. Though that's arguably true, the very first installment shouldn't be included in that conversation. The first viewing of the film may have felt difficult, especially because comparisons to Harry Potter seemed inevitable, but a second viewing showed that there was more going on than met the eye.
For instance, there is no protagonist in all of Hollywood quite like the iconic Hufflepuff Newt Scamander. He is brave and bold, but also introverted and relies on his intelligence far more than his physical strength. The magical creatures added to the franchise are also a delight and have survived beyond just this first appearance. Plus, the foundations of a franchise were being created, with genuine intrigue behind the villain's plot and the conflicts ahead. It's a shame it went so wrong afterward, and the story was never completed.
The Spiderwick Chronicles Is a Product of Its Time
Most people probably don't remember the underrated fantasy film, The Spiderwick Chronicles. If they do, they may be thinking about the recent attempt to reboot the franchise with a new fantasy television series. But The Spiderwick Chronicles was a relatively successful children's family film that has somehow been lost to time. While it wasn't overly well-received, the target audience has to be remembered, and critically, the genuine charm of the movie has to be accounted for.
There are a small few who have real nostalgia for this movie and the peek into a magical world that it provided. There's something so classic, almost Amblin-like, about the portrayal of the narrative and the momentum brought by a grounded point-of-view character who can introduce all these oddities. For those who have children or younger family members, it's best to rewatch this one with them.
The Green Knight Needs Further Explanation
The Green Knight is in stark contrast to so many of the other choices because the first thing most people seem to question when watching the film is what on Earth is happening. It's a confusing narrative, packed with abstract themes and imagery, and full of classic mythology that doesn't always make sense. Of course, that's in its very nature. Folklore doesn't always need to add up, and this movie beautifully portrays how some of those legends can be vague or indirect.
Knowing how the film concludes also helps with a rewatch, as suddenly, this journey is viewed from an entirely different context. Understanding that the hero really is potentially racing towards their doom, the inevitability of that conclusion is impossible to avoid, making it that much more tense to watch. Like all good tragedies and legends, there is something in the retelling.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Continues to Thrill
Pirates of the Caribbean is another franchise launcher, but the rewatch is specifically with the historical context of the picture in mind. It's hard to imagine a movie based on a theme park ride being successful in any way. Yet, The Curse of the Black Pearl offered an unforgettable adventure that kept fans coming back for more due to its many interesting creative choices.
A rewatch shows how genius all the creative choices were, from Easter eggs to the rides to its unbelievable score. Johnny Depp's performance as Captain Jack Sparrow was so incredible that it garnered numerous award nods. And the ensemble cast each went on to create a mythology of their own within this wider world. Fans probably didn't realize they were watching a classic upon first viewing. A revisit would have undoubtedly cemented it as an all-time great because of those little touches.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is an Iconic Fantasy Sequel
It seems absurd to suggest that any Lord of the Rings film could get better on a rewatch, considering they are all so perfect on the first viewing. But The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers specifically improves when a rewatch of all three films is taken into account. The middle film is so often overlooked, but it bridges the gap between the exciting introduction and the thrilling conclusion. It's so easy to view a sequel as filler. But The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers has been underrated for too long.
It is, for this writer's money, the greatest part of the trilogy. Its action sequences are bigger and better than all the other films, especially the Battle of Helm's Deep, and its character arcs show genuine growth. The dynamic between Sam and Frodo is beautifully built up across this installment, and the movie managed to move all the necessary components in place for the finale effortlessly. Slowly, but surely, the fan base is coming around to the idea that this might be the true star of the trilogy.
