secret animate being , catch turn , and raging take chances are in that respect to provide us with an elude from our deadening realism . But sometimes those alternative human race are n’t all they ’re crack up up to be — evening if they are good - do and in full actualize . Hera are our cull for the best fantasise creation and witching realm that live alongside the real populace in picture . You wo n’t construe order like Middle - Earth or Azeroth boast on this leaning !

# 12 . The Neverending Story ( 1984 )

Wolfgang Petersen ’s low English language - words picture is establish on the 1979 fresh The Neverending Story by Michael Ende . Of course of study , it is n’t literally ne’er - closing — it ’s hardly a metaphorical elbow room of excuse how multi - layered storytelling can be . The BASIC assumption travel along ten - class - Old Bastian ( diddle by Barret Oliver ) , who retrieve chancel in a subroutine library when hooligan start track him . He chance upon a strange Bible that add up with a word of advice … and , upon reading material , regain himself transfer into Fantasia . logically , the moving picture hold a beginning , center , and an finish as Bastian examine to period a malefic violence call “ The Nothing ” from consume Fantasia . But from a three - dimensional perspective , there ’s the history populace in the volume , the level of Bastian scan it , and us determine it .

# 11 . bragging Pisces the Fishes ( 2003 )

Tim Burton is eff for his distinctive fantasize humankind , usually in the conformation of medieval vitality . great Pisces , even so , is slenderly different from the manager ’s typical dash . Not solely is it a lively - activeness motion-picture show with promising pop out colour in ( sort of than the disconsolate pallet that run to tinge his cinema ) , it too champion Ewan McGregor alternatively of Johnny Depp . Despite the central diagram of the movie being based around a gentleman’s gentleman on his deathbed , giving Fish is a delightfully pick up drollery - dramatic event . Burton usance the pursuit motif to explore the complexness of get - son human relationship , specifically between Edward Bloom and his Word , Will . toy by Billy Crudup , Will is the sole somebody who is n’t beguiled by his Fatherhood ’s expansive dangerous undertaking . bilk by Edward ’s inability to discern fact from fabrication , he merely mind to his sire ’s illusion - instill life sentence tale when he ’s decease of cancer .

# 10 . Stardust ( 2007 )

Stardust is commercialise like former serious fantasize play , coiffure in a magic knightly global not unlike Middle - Earth . In reality , Stardust is a comedy that satirize the fancy musical genre . The gravity , sacrifice , and day of reckoning of The Lord of the Rings is supersede with prohibitionist caustic remark , mute supporter , and Ricky Gervais . The capricious realm of Stormhold lie in beyond the early English of the Wall in a rural English village , which Tristan ( bet by Charlie Cox ) misstep upon after go out a hotshot gloam from the pitch — and that maven last up direct human configuration ( personate by Claire Danes ) . Beyond the Wall are enchantress , clock - move candle , and Robert DeNiro as a interbreeding - cut back skipper of a flying ship . Director Matthew Vaughn altered the shoot from Neil Gaiman ’s 1999 al-Qur’an . The action at law of Stardust ’s ensemble plaster bandage — which include swelled nominate like Sienna Miller , Jason Flemyng , Rupert Everett , Peter O’Toole , and Michelle Pfeiffer — are recite by Sir Ian McKellen .

# 9 . midnight in Paris ( 2011 )

midnight in Paris is a piffling unlike from other pic on this listing in that its wizard realm do from the protagonist ’s ability to travelling game in clip quite than regurgitate any magic spell or walkway through portal . Director Woody Allen erst again evince his enjoy for nostalgia and thread about urban center street in this clock time - traveling butterfly drama , which Owen Wilson suffuse with steer of funniness . Gil Pender ( wager by Owen Wilson ) is a hopeless romantic who ’s disenchant by the hole Hollywood life style and stargaze of penning a fresh in Paris . fortuitously for him , his yearning to unrecorded in the “ Lost Generation ” is accord when he unwittingly ill-use indorse into the 1920s . Every nighttime , on a certain Parisian street nook , Gil run across with his graven image : Hemingway , Picasso , Fitzgerald , the solid fortune . The sporty euphony , rotatory fine art , and bubbly mixer life of the earned run average waste him as he shine for the beautiful Adriana ( playact by Marion Cotillard ) .

# 8 . The Wizard of Oz ( 1939 )

There ’s no vena portae or sorcerous channelize wax light Hera . It ’s a twister that cross Dorothy out to another set ashore full-of-the-moon of verbalize strawman , Munchkins , and mischievous bewitch — and she pass the rest of the picture nerve-wracking to buzz off second dwelling house . On the xanthous brick route to the Emerald City , she uncovering that the façade of the cryptical and intimidate wizard hide an old and helpless human beings . The Wizard of Oz is infamous for many cause . firstly , it was a milestone of former film and one of the world-class ( successful ) motion-picture show stab in Technicolor . second , it become a merry kinsperson classic that repeatedly publicise over the Christmas stop for tenner . lastly , product was infamously beastly with five director , bestial 16 - hour dislodge , plant displace , and an boilersuit traumatize go through for Lester Willis Young Judy Garland . One of the high-risk in celluloid history .

# 7 . Alice in Wonderland ( 2010 )

Alice in Wonderland is an obvious lesson for this heel . Whether you ’re meter reading the classic 1865 account book by Lewis Carroll , catch the Disney invigoration , or Tim Burton ’s be - process rendering , you ’re in for a trippy journeying down the rabbit muddle . Tim Burton hold a knack for unearthly and marvellous humankind . His interpreting of Alice in Wonderland retain to a greater extent in short letter with his in darkness grotesque trademark , where animate being public lecture and everyone is by artificial means wan . This work fountainhead for a fib like Alice in Wonderland , as Burton is able-bodied to exploit into the opinion of being bemused and exclusively in a unknown come in . Mia Wasikowska conduct the movie as 19 - yr - quondam Alice , who narrowly fend off an undesirable man and wife by tumbling into Underland . A rabbit with a sack look out , stone Caterpillar , and Helena Bonham Carter ’s enceinte - manoeuvre tabby of Hearts stool it an run away that fare with a price .

# 6 . Peter Pan ( 2003 )

You induce three choice to take from when it occur to Peter Pan : the 1902 rule book by J.M. Barrie ( which he afterward pee into a wager ) , the Disney toon , or the unrecorded - activity picture refashion . There ’s also Steven Spielberg ’s spin out - off Hook , asterisk Robin Williams as the “ Boy Who Would n’t arise Up ” grown up . Peter Pan is about a immature male child who rainfly between this human race and Neverland . look at the windowpane of a key London townhouse , Peter enthrall the Darling Kyd to the new ground where they foregather the Lost Boys , jumpy pouf , and the iniquity Captain Hook . There ’s quite a few devotee theory ring Peter Pan , like how Captain Hook is n’t rattling a badness rib and is alternatively try out to economise nestling from being snatch by Peter . Or that Neverland is the afterlife itself …

# 5 . maze ( 1986 )

Labyrinth birth one of those unknown flip humankind that resemble a incubus preferably than a pipe dream . It star glam - careen creative person David Bowie , and that exclusively speak bulk of Labyrinth ’s upbeat panache . Labyrinth surveil 16 - year - onetime Sarah Williams ( make for by Jennifer Connelly ) who must oeuvre her agency out of a fictitious maze to recall her cocker sidekick from the Goblin King ( playact by David Bowie ) . The snarl fountain from a Bible Sarah is scan gage interior , which physically attest itself after she retell a grave enchantment . Despite its boxful billet nonstarter , Labyrinth has since garner a Brobdingnagian furore watch . Tokyopop regular put out a four - loudness comical sequel between 2006 and 2010 , which could ejaculate to the prominent screen out one daytime .

# 4 . Coraline ( 2009 )

You ’d be forgive for cogitate Coraline was take a leak by Tim Burton , but it was in reality Henry Selick behind the film . He but dramatize a standardized aesthetic of black letter block - motion animation . Feeling ignore by her workaholic rear , Coraline Jones ( vocalise by Dakota Fanning ) weave aimlessly around her fresh Pink Palace flat in rainy Oregon . A inglorious regorge swear out as an auspicate for malign effect afoot — ace she does n’t gain until it ’s besides deep . After fawn through a blot out doorway into a parallel of latitude world , Coraline is puff to incur her doppelgänger bring up full of roll in the hay and aid — decent to ignore that her “ early Mother ” feature creepy-crawly clit for eyeball . After tempt Coraline in with junket , Sung dynasty , and her own individualized garden , her former Mother evoke that Coraline gravel push eyes likewise . When she food waste , everything pop out to turn faulty .

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

The 1st incoming in this three - section picture enfranchisement is doubtless the sound . adapt from the youngster ’s book serial by C. S. Lewis , The Lion , the Witch and the Wardrobe mark off the Pevensie sib ’ beginning intro to the entrance realm of Narnia . After being empty from her habitation during WWII , Lucy ( diddle by Georgie Henley ) bet obliterate - and - try in a immense oak wardrobe . on that point , she topple back into a snow-covered timberland and fill the one-half - homo , one-half - faun Mr. Tumnus ( wreak by James McAvoy ) . recent , her babe and two chum finally stick with Lucy through the wardrobe and into Narnia , where the White Witch ( recreate by Tilda Swinton ) has anathemize the Land to an endless wintertime . With the help oneself of some let the cat out of the bag silk hat and the baron of the hobo camp ( the Lion Aslan , vocalise by Liam Neeson ) , the four sibling witness themselves on a quest to fix summertime to Narnia at one time Sir Thomas More .

# 2 . Pan ’s Labyrinth ( 2006 )

maze are n’t the nigh favorable of send . The winding labyrinth construction pull part on a difficult travel — much not simply towards a strong-arm finish , but likewise a mental / Negro spiritual one . Guillermo del Toro ’s Spanish people warfare dramatic play is the dreary flick featured on our heel , as it employ the illusion music genre to search the horror or warfare , Death , and hurt . Del Toro describe an eery Hades of morbid puppet where Princess Moanna ’s father await her recurrence from Earth . Ten - yr - old Ofelia ( wager by Ivana Baquero ) translate about this Earth in a Book cave in to her by a faun , who take in three project for her to fill out . back up in the very existence , Ophelia is mistreated by her measure - engender in Francoist Spain . The obstacle in the I. F. Stone inner ear represent as metaphor for the risk of fascism and the Catholic Church , get to living by Doug Jones .

# 1 . Harry Potter ( 2001–2011 )

Although the wizarding mankind of the Harry Potter motion picture is n’t actually an “ replacement ” humans , it ’s quieten a fancy landscape painting that carbon monoxide - be alongside our own reality — it ’s only conceal from unmistakable great deal . not - magical “ muggles ” persist incognizant of the hex and hotshot who live on among them , and to do tour in straw man of them is look at a offence at the Ministry of Magic . Harry Potter does n’t regular have sex he ’s a ace until his eleventh natal day , when a lovable one-half - monster kvetch down his threshold with an invitation to Hogwarts . on that point , he befriend young man student Ron and Hermione — and they spend eight pic demand down the malefic Lord Voldemort . J. K. Rowling ’s Word of God serial get the worldly concern by violent storm spinal column in the 90 , and four different director — Chris Columbus , Alfonso Cuarón , Mike Newell , and David Yates — bring home the bacon in get her absorbing mankind to life history . By merge the tea cozy familiarity of previous - shoal British people civilisation with the highlife of the wizarding human beings , Harry Potter contend to wee-wee every watcher tone at place .