Some of the best fantasy kid movies ever
by rmcrae_deluxe | created - 11 Dec 2011 | updated - 10 Jun 2016 | Public- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Return to Oz (1985)
PG | 113 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Dorothy, saved from a psychiatric experiment by a mysterious girl, is somehow called back to Oz when a vain witch and the Nome King destroy everything that makes the magical land beautiful.
Director: Walter Murch | Stars: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie
Votes: 30,387
2. Labyrinth (1986)
PG | 101 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.
Director: Jim Henson | Stars: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shelley Thompson
Votes: 149,715 | Gross: $12.73M
3. The NeverEnding Story (1984)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Gerald McRaney
Votes: 157,078 | Gross: $20.16M
4. The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990)
PG | 89 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A young boy with a distant father enters a world of make-believe and magic through a portal within an antique book.
Director: George Miller | Stars: Jonathan Brandis, Kenny Morrison, Clarissa Burt, John Wesley Shipp
Votes: 27,555 | Gross: $17.37M
5. Legend (1985)
PG | 94 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
A young man must stop the Lord of Darkness from destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent
Votes: 72,543 | Gross: $15.50M
6. The Dark Crystal (1982)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and to restore order to his world.
Directors: Jim Henson, Frank Oz | Stars: Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz
Votes: 71,521 | Gross: $40.58M
7. Willow (1988)
PG | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young farmer is chosen to undertake a perilous journey in order to protect a special baby from an evil queen.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh
Votes: 129,971 | Gross: $57.27M
8. Spirited Away (2001)
PG | 125 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Miyu Irino, Rumi Hiiragi
Votes: 850,364 | Gross: $10.06M
9. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
G | 103 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Minami Takayama, Rei Sakuma, Kappei Yamaguchi
Votes: 165,744
10. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
PG | 119 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Chieko Baishô, Takuya Kimura, Tatsuya Gashûin, Akihiro Miwa
Votes: 449,988 | Gross: $4.71M
11. Hocus Pocus (1993)
PG | 96 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
A teenage boy named Max and his little sister move to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.
Director: Kenny Ortega | Stars: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz
Votes: 156,004 | Gross: $44.34M
12. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
G | 100 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A poor but hopeful boy seeks one of the five coveted golden tickets that will send him on a tour of Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory.
Director: Mel Stuart | Stars: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear
Votes: 227,546 | Gross: $4.00M
13. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
PG | 126 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
An account of Baron Munchausen's supposed travels and fantastical experiences across late 18th-century Europe with his band of misfits.
Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: John Neville, Eric Idle, Sarah Polley, Oliver Reed
Votes: 56,896 | Gross: $8.08M
14. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.
Director: Joe Johnston | Stars: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland
Votes: 166,443 | Gross: $130.72M
15. Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992)
PG | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
The Szalinski family is back, this time hilarious disaster strikes when an experiment causes their new toddler son to grow many stories tall.
Director: Randal Kleiser | Stars: Rick Moranis, Marcia Strassman, Robert Oliveri, Daniel Shalikar
Votes: 46,849 | Gross: $58.66M
16. Jumanji (1995)
PG | 104 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
When two kids find and play a magical board game, they release a man trapped in it for decades - and a host of dangers that can only be stopped by finishing the game.
Director: Joe Johnston | Stars: Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde
Votes: 377,211 | Gross: $100.48M
17. Casper (1995)
PG | 100 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
An afterlife therapist and his daughter meet a friendly young ghost when they move into a crumbling mansion in order to rid the premises of wicked spirits.
Director: Brad Silberling | Stars: Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle
Votes: 146,905 | Gross: $100.33M
18. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
PG | 104 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, he enlists the help of a burnt out private investigator to prove his innocence.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer
Votes: 217,001 | Gross: $156.45M
19. Hook (1991)
PG | 142 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
When Captain James Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins
Votes: 273,394 | Gross: $119.65M
20.
The Wonderful World of Disney (1997–2023)
Episode:
Toothless
(1997)
TV-G | 92 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A dentist is cast into limbo after her death in a bike accident and is given the assignment to act as The Tooth Fairy as her action to be admitted into heaven.
Director: Melanie Mayron | Stars: Kirstie Alley, Dale Midkiff, Ross Malinger, Daryl Mitchell
Votes: 2,333
21. Alice in Wonderland (II) (1985)
TV-PG | 94 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Alice is in Looking Glass Land, where she meets many creatures and attempts to avoid the Jabberwocky (Tom McLoughlin), a monster that appears due to her being afraid.
Stars: Natalie Gregory, Sheila Allen, Red Buttons, Anthony Newley
Votes: 3,344
22. The Goonies (1985)
PG | 114 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman
Votes: 298,629 | Gross: $61.50M
23. Matilda (1996)
PG | 102 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
A girl gifted with a keen intellect and psychic powers uses both to get even with her callous family and free her kindly schoolteacher from the tyrannical grip of a sadistic headmistress.
Director: Danny DeVito | Stars: Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Mara Wilson, Embeth Davidtz
Votes: 174,780 | Gross: $33.08M
24. James and the Giant Peach (1996)
PG | 79 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
An orphan who lives with his two cruel aunts befriends anthropomorphic bugs who live inside a giant peach, and they embark on a journey to New York City.
Director: Henry Selick | Stars: Paul Terry, Joanna Lumley, Pete Postlethwaite, Simon Callow
Votes: 74,036 | Gross: $28.93M
25. The Witches (1990)
PG | 91 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A young boy stumbles onto a witch convention and must stop them, even after he has been turned into a mouse.
Director: Nicolas Roeg | Stars: Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher, Rowan Atkinson
Votes: 54,689 | Gross: $10.36M
26. Coraline (2009)
PG | 100 min | Animation, Drama, Family
Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, an 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.
Director: Henry Selick | Stars: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders
Votes: 264,036 | Gross: $75.29M
27. The Wizard of Oz (1982)
Not Rated | 78 min | Animation, Family, Adventure
Animated version of the classic story of a young farmgirl who is transported to the magic land of Oz.
Directors: Fumihiko Takayama, John Danylkiw | Stars: Aileen Quinn, Lorne Greene, Mari Okamoto, Hizuru Kotobuki
Votes: 437 | Gross: $0.61M
28. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1987 Video)
TV-Y7 | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A tornado brings Dorothy to Oz. She's given a pair of magic red shoes and told that only the Wizard has the power to send her back home.
Director: Tim Reid | Stars: Margot Kidder, Morgan Hallett, George Morris, Neil Shee
Votes: 209
29. The Marvelous Land of Oz (1987 Video)
91 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
This installment of the animated series follows a little boy named Tip. As he travels to the Emerald City, he meets up with Dorothy who agrees to help them save the entire city from the dangerous General Ginger.
Director: Tim Reid | Stars: Morgan Hallett, George Morris, Neil Shee, Richard M Dumont
Votes: 82
30. Ozma of Oz (1987 Video)
TV-Y7 | 96 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
In Oz once again, Dorothy meets TikTok the mechanical man, servant of Princess Lulu.
Director: Tim Reid | Stars: Morgan Hallett, Margot Kidder
Votes: 57
31. The Emerald City of Oz (1987 Video)
Not Rated | 94 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
The Gnome King is still seething with desire for revenge on Dorothy and her friends...
Director: Tim Reid | Stars: Morgan Hallett, Margot Kidder
Votes: 55
32. Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
G | 117 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
An apprentice witch, three kids and a cynical magician conman search for the missing component to a magic spell to be used in the defense of Britain in World War II.
Directors: Robert Stevenson, Ward Kimball | Stars: Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall, Sam Jaffe
Votes: 40,747 | Gross: $18.53M
33. The Worst Witch (1986 TV Movie)
G | 70 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Mildred Hubble (Fairuza Balk) is one of the young girls at a prestigious witch academy. She can't seem to do anything right and is picked on by classmates and teachers. The headmistress of ... See full summary »
Director: Robert Young | Stars: Diana Rigg, Charlotte Rae, Tim Curry, Fairuza Balk
Votes: 3,137
34. The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (1988)
Unrated | 29 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Four kids travel to the magical land of Narnia where they must battle an evil queen with the direction of the lion, Aslan.
Stars: Richard Dempsey, Sophie Cook, Jonathan R. Scott, Sophie Wilcox
Votes: 6,507
35. Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989)
Unrated | 30 min | Family, Fantasy, Adventure
Young Prince Caspian of Narnia wonders and dreams of the old days of Narnia when animals talked, and there were mythical creatures and four rulers in Caer Paravel.
Stars: Warwick Davis, Jonathan R. Scott, Sophie Wilcox, William Todd-Jones
Votes: 2,442
36. The Silver Chair (1990)
Unrated | 30 min | Fantasy, Family, Adventure
Eustace, along with a new companion named Jill Pole, is brought back to Narnia. The pair are told by Aslan they must search for King Caspian's missing son, Prince Rilian.
Stars: David Thwaites, Camilla Power, Tom Baker, Richard Henders
Votes: 2,115
Tell Your Friends