Fantasy Flicks
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Laurie Sparham, New Line Cinema
'The Golden Compass'
Fantasy movies are poppin' up all over the place, so to celebrate their awesomeness, we made a gallery of all our faves and the ones to look out for:
'The Golden Compass' is sure to be an exciting tale, based on the Philip Pullman novel about an alternative universe where people's souls manifest themselves as animals. With an all-star cast including Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, the trailer already shows what is most likely to be an exhilarating ride.More Books to Movies:
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Walt Disney Pictures
'The Chronicles of Narnia'
We all read the books as a kid, so when 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' hit the big screen, we expected big things. Thankfully, we weren't let down and director Andrew Adamson delivered us a visual masterpiece beyond anything we could have imagined. Not to mention, who could not fall in love with the extremely well-cast Pevensies, especially little Lucy. Look forward to the second installment 'Prince Caspian' in 2008.
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Warner Home Video | Warner Bros.
'Willy/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'
We couldn't pick between Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory or 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' so we just went with both. Willy Wonka was the first movie based after Roald Dahl's popular book, then the more accurately titled 'Charlie' flick came 24 years later. We've heard that Mr. Dahl was less than impressed with the original and gave Tim Burton his blessing to give it a different and updated twist.
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Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, ZUMA Press
'Willow'
When 'Willow' was released in 1988, it was kind of a big deal. Directed by Ron Howard and produced by Lucasfilm (Star Wars mastermind, George Lucas' company), 'Willow' was named after the movie's small, yet courageous hero and he captured many hearts. Meanwhile, the trolls just freaked out five-year-olds everywhere, including us.
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Dreamworks
'Shrek'
Not only is 'Shrek' smart and hilarious, it uses the fancy animation of the 21st century. Mike Myers plays a cynical ogre who lives in a land of fairy tales. We lost track of all the famous characters who were so brilliantly tied into this heart-warming movie.
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Disney
'Pirates of the Caribbean'
Who would have thought that a movie based on a Disney ride would turn out to be one of the best movies ever in the history of forever-tude? We can't say enough about Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in 'Pirates,' but let's be honest ... Johnny Depp steals the movie, sells it, and steals it back as Captain Jack Sparrow. He might be the worst pirate you've ever heard of, but you HAVE heard of him.
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Universal
'Peter Pan'
What's more fun than a newandimproved version of Peter Pan? A new and improved Peter Pan that plays up the flirty relationship that existed between Peter and Wendy! We were pleasantly impressed with the 2003 film directed by P.J. Hogan and once again fell in love with the Lost Boys.
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Pierre Vinet, New Line
'Lord of the Rings'
Be careful, he's looking for his precious! The epic three-part movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' was a breathtaking and surreal experience for many fans -- even for those being introduced to Frodo and the gang for the first time. The third and final film, 'Return of the King,' won 11 Oscars at the 2004 Academy Awards, solidifying its new place in history.
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DreamWorks, ZUMA Press
'Lemony Snickets' A Series of Unfortunate Events'
Wow, is this story ever depressing. Their parents die, and three orphans get tossed into the care of the evil Count Olaf, who wants them for his own selfish reasons. If the kids in 'Lemony Snicket' weren't so clever, they'd never have made it through this incredibly stylish adaptation of the first three books in the series. Though the movie ends happily, whatever happened to the next ten books?!
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TriStar Pictures, ZUMA Press
'Labyrinth'
We knew that Jim Henson did incredible things with muppets, but 'Labyrinth' makes us forget that the creatures are puppets, pretty much from the point Hoggle pees on the Labyrinth wall. David Bowie is easily the coolest Goblin King ever (especially with his tight pants), and Jennifer Connelly was never cuter than when she was hanging above the Bog of Eternal Stench. Dance, magic, dance!
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Paramount
'Indiana Jones'
We've seen the Discovery Channel, and Indiana Jones is nothing like real archeology ... and we couldn't be happier. Any movie that mixes biblical treasures with Indian death cults and Nazis is going to have our attention, but none of it would have worked anywhere close to as well without Harrison Ford. The guy just IS Indiana Jones, and there's no one we'd rather be stuck in a snake pit with. Which makes us really glad Harrison will be back for 'The Fourth Installment of Indiana Jones,' release date TBD.
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Universal
'Hook'
With a concept like "Peter Pan grows up," we're all about the 'Hook.' It's like someone decided to take Peter Pan seriously, made it real, then added in a ton of fun in-jokes. The one problem we have with the movie is the image of Robin Williams in tights. Seriously, no one ever needed to see that.
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Warner Bros.
'Harry Potter'
Based on the fact that we are going to see 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' for the third time this week, maybe you could gain a little insight into how OBSESSED we are with these movies (and books, OBVIOUSLY). We have loved nothing more than watching these actors mature and grow, just as J.K. Rowling's characters do in the books. Plus, who didn't get massive goosebumps when they saw the Great Hall for the first time on screen? As Ron would say, 'Brilliant!'
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20th Century Fox
'Ever After'
'Ever After' gives a more realistic take on the Cinderella fairy tale. It's heart-wrenching, yet magical: A young girl loses her dad and is raised by a cruel stepmother, only to eventually have a prince fall in love with her. We recommend this movie to romance lovers everywhere.
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Warner Bros.
'The Wizard of Oz'
Sing it with us, "We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz ... because, because, because, because, BECAUSE, because of the wonderful things he does!" And what wonderful things this movie has done over the years. From giving hope during the Great Depression, to entrancing every generation of children after that. Dorothy and her friends will live on forever through their one-of-a-kind adventure.
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Paramount
Coming Soon: 'Stardust'
It's the same old story ... a boy tries to impress a girl, so he promises to bring her back a fallen star. Except the star falls in the fairy realms, and everything goes to crap after that. Based on a Neil Gaiman book, Stardust looks like it might just be the best fantasy movie we've seen since 'Lord of the Rings,' and that's saying something.
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Paramount
Coming Soon: 'Enchanted'
Who would have thought that Disney of all studios would take all the cliches that we love about their cartoons and turn them into a satire live-action movie set in Manhattan? 'Enchanted' has a classic, stereotypical Disney princess (and her prince charming) banished to the real world, bringing some magic with them. It might sound a little cliched, but the trailer looks incredible ... and actually funny. Who knew?
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