Top 10: Best fantasy movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

1. Back to the Future (1985) - Robert Zemeckis

 

 

2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) - Andrew Adamson

 

 

3. The Lobster (2015) - Yorgos Lanthimos 

 

 

4. Batman Returns (1992) - Tim Burton

 

5. Being John Malkovich (1999) - Spike Jonze  

 

 

6. Groundhog Day (1993) - Harold Ramis

7. Benny's Bathtub/Bennys Badekar (1971, short) - Flemming Quist Møller, Jannik Hastrup

 

 

8. Death Takes a Holiday (1934) - Mitchell Leisen

 

 

9. Howl's Moving Castle/ハウルの動く城 (Hauru no Ugoku Shiro) (2004) - Hayao Miyazaki

 

 

10. Conan the Destroyer (1984) - Richard Fleischer

 

Selected from 63 titles labeled 'fantasy' or 'fantasy comedy'

 

Previous Top 10 lists:

Best action movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best adapted movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best adventure movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best B/W movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best true story movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best 'box office success' movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best car chases in movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best cop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date        
Best crime movies reviewed by Film Excess to date         
Best debut movies reviewed by Film Excess to date     
Best Danish movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Best Disney movies reviewed by Film Excess to date     
Best documentaries reviewed by Film Excess to date  
Best dramas reviewed by Film Excess to date  
Best drama-thrillers reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Best dramedies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: Best drug-themed movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Best epic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  

Best erotic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Best family movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

What do you think of the list?
Which fantasy movies would make your personal Top 10?

Conan the Destroyer (1984) - Arnold K.O.'s animals and pushes doors open in early-career fantasy, 80's extravaganza

♥♥♥

Epic poster for Richard Fleischer's Conan the Destroyer

QUICK REVIEW:

This is the sequel to John Milius' successful Conan the Barbarian (1982), which most critics prefer. Destroyer is more humorous, less looong, less violent and is also a less showy production.
But this 80's kitsch classic has other things to boast about. Today the film is laughable, - but that might not be so terrible, - because it is down-right hysterical. Although as an action-adventure movie, it is also awfully predictable.
Conan's comic sidekick Malak, played by Tracey Walter, doesn't seem to have any reason to be in the film, but other things counter-weigh Conan the Destroyer's problems: The overstated characters, especially Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)) and Grace Jones (A View to a Kill (1985)) are in spectacular shape and play memorably. - The ape monster, the incredible costumes and the repeated times that Schwarzenegger hits animals in the heads or pushes stone doors open also contribute to the fun. And then there's Wilt Chamberlain (The Grizzly Six (2000) writer), the 7'1'' NBA-player-legend and, in an uncredited role as the monster, André the Giant.
For anyone with a penchant for 80's movies, Conan the Destroyer has its very own kind of classic status radiating from it.

Click to enlarge this still that has in it (from the left): Tracey Walter, Grace Jones, Schwarzenegger, Olivia D'Abo and Wilt Chamberlain

It is directed by Richard Fleisher, who won an Oscar very early in his career for the documentary Design for Death (1947) and later in life directed such huge films as Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), Soylent Green (1973) and Red Sonja (1985). 

Related posts:

Top 10: Best fantasy movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Conan the Barbarian (1982) - Prehistoric fantasy opus stretched out beyond its maximum 

German poster for Richard Fleisher's smash hit Conan the Destroyer

Hyperbolic, fun original trailer for Conan the Destroyer

Budget: 18 mil. $
Box office: 100 mil. $
= Big hit

What do you think of the two old Conan movies?
If you've seen the recent Jason Momoa-version reboot Conan the Barbarian (2011), how was it?