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The Top 20 Best Fantasy Movies in the Last 10 Years


It can sometimes be hard to know which movies out there are considered the best. But thanks to Rotten Tomatoes aggregating reviews and opinion, we can now objectively measure which movies are the most critically adored. In order to make this list, I went found roughly the 20 highest-rated sci-fi movies on Rotten Tomatoes from the last 10 years.

My method of doing this was to go through and pick the two highest-rated sci-fi movies from each year, just like I did for myTop 20 Worst Sci-fi and Fantasy Movies in The Last 10 Years list. Though there is a slight change in that I found a resource that measures the rating against how many reviews to get a more accurate selection. So these are not ranked on my personal preference, but the internet's (except for the movies that happened to be rated the same percentage. I did rank those based on which ones I liked best). 

It’s interesting to look at the trends on this list- there are a lot of animated films, which makes sense as it’s the visual medium that lends itself best to fantasy, but that also means there’s a lot of children’s films that get the highest rating. Could it be that modern audiences like the innocence of children’s fantasy more?

Let’s speculate on that as we look at the fantasy movies from the past ten years that are the most adored by critics and the general populace. I wonder what number one will be?

Feel free to chime in about your favorite sci-fi movie from the last decade in the comments!

  1. Charlotte's Web (2006)

    Gary Winick’s Charlotte’s Web retells the heartwarming classic tale of a girl and her pig and the spider who pitches in to prevent the pig from getting slaughtered. Kids and adults alike were charmed by the movie’s gentle sweetness and it’s noted to be a tearjerker, especially for the kidlets. The movie’s “Fresh” score is 78%.

  2. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

    Guillermo del Toro’s sequel to Hellboy had the red hero fight a tyrant from the invisible realm and his army of monsters. Critics found the film to be a visual feast and praised the beautiful set design and creative and amazing array of creatures. The good humor and fun action scenes didn’t hurt the picture either. It earned itself an 85%. 

  3. Bolt (2008)

    Bryan Howard and Chris Williams' Bolt follows a dog who escapes from the set of the superhero TV show he stars in, only to realize he does not have superpowers in the real world. The talking animal flick delivers a fun comedy for kids that some adults found themselves enjoying as well. With nice, detailed computer animation, Bolt brings the warm fuzzies at 89%.

  4. Frozen (2013)

    Jennifer Lee’s Frozen was a Disney movie that captured the hearts of children and some adults as well, netting it an 89%. The story about a girl with dangerous ice powers and her sister had humor and adventure that appealed. And many loved the song “Let It Go” so much you couldn’t go two feet without hearing it for a while. 

  5. Coraline (2009)

    Pete Kozachik and Henry Selick did a largely wonderful job adapting Neil Gaiman’s novel. It tells the story of a young girl who travels into an alternate universe that is a nightmarish reflection of her own. The film keeps the book’s dark and horrifying edge and inventive appeal while featuring a flawed and dynamic heroine. The stop-motion animation lends the film great visuals that are both vaguely creepy and eye-popping and expressive. Coraline stands at 90% strong. 

  6. Holy Motors (2012)

    Leos Carax’s Holy Motors is a surreal and artsy film at a man who casually slips from one life to the next, taking on several different roles for no apparent reason. The strangeness and artistry of the film captivated critics and it got a 91%.

  7. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

    Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox tells the whimsical story of a talking fox who turns to chicken thievery behind his family’s back. The movie has a beautifully dry sense of humor and uses stop-motion animation to great effect. It’s a tale of community and family adults can laugh along to. It got a nice 92%. 

  8. Enchanted (2007)

    Disney pokes some fun about itself in the Enchanted movie directed by Phil Lima. In the movie, a classical Disney Princess finds herself plucked from her world of impromptu musical numbers and talking animals and thrust into the bustling real world of New York City. The film is a funny one that engages with and sometimes overturns fairy tale tropes. Seeing a man from a more realistic world have a totally flabbergasted reaction to a classical Disney musical number coming out of nowhere was one of the many highlights of the film. It enchanted itself up a 93%. 

  9. Blancanieves (2013)

    Pablo Berger delivers an artistic and innovative retelling of Snow White. The black-and-white tribute to silent movies reimagines Snow White as a young bullfighter who runs off with a troupe of dwarves. It puts a dark and inventive twist on the old tale and pairs it with good visuals, earning it a 94%. 

  10. The Secret World of Arrietty (2012)

    Atsushi Okui’s animated retelling of The Borrowers tells the story of a thimble-sized girl’s friendship with a regular sized boy. It’s a sweet and soulful story of family, love and adventure with the usual excellent Ghibli animation. It got a 95%. 

  11. Pan's Labrynth (2006)

    Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy drama Pan’s Labrynth wowed audiences around the world, earning it a 95%. The story is set just after the civil war and contrasts the horrors of  a young girl named Ofelia’s real life with the dangers of the fantasy realm she visits in a heartwrenching way that blurs the line between what is real and what is not. The memorable and incredibly designed fantasy creatures are sure to leave an impression on the viewer as well.

  12. The LEGO Movie (2014)

    Everything is awesome for Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s The LEGO Movie. The movie follows an average little LEGO guy who is roped into saving his plastic brick world from an evil tyrant. Its side-splitting, whip-smart comedy and fun cast of characters really gave audiences a good time and the movie has a 96% rating. 

  13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (2011)

    David Yates directed the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise, and many found the conclusion to the boy wizard’s story to be magical and fitting. The acting and epic battles were praised and the movie magicked itself up a 96%. 

  14. The Muppets (2011)

    James Bobin gave the group of show-stopping  talking puppets the comeback they deserved. Critics praised the film’s joy, energy and humor. The rambunctious and loveable cast of characters was back in full swing and the silly musical numbers and funny pop culture references amused. The comedy netted a 96%

  15. Ratatouille (2007)

    Jan Pinkava and Brad Bird’s film about a talking rat who wants to be a chef was utterly delicious. Like the majority of Pixar films, Ratatouille is a touching comedy you can relish. With tasty visuals and snappy dialogue, alongside delectably dynamic characters, the film is a fun time for all ages. It leaves you hungry for more and not just because of all the yummy looking food. Even people who don’t like rats are likely to sympathize with the earnest main character. Critics ate the film up and gave it a 96%. 

  16. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

    Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders and Peter Hastings' How to Train Your Dragon follows a young, awkward Viking who is sent to capture a dragon. Bursting with humor and action, this coming-of-age tale went to surprising and dramatic places you typically wouldn’t expect from a kids movie. The adorable dragon Toothless captivated audiences and the love and care put into the animation was obvious. This epic soared to a 98%. 

  17. Inside Out (2015)

    Pixar’s Inside Out, directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen, was funny, moving and exciting. It focused on a group of personified emotions living in a young girl’s head and their struggle to navigate the turmoil their host is currently going though now that her life has been upended. The inventive tale had strong characterization and a well-structured psychological story that captivated young and old alike, earning it a strong 98% rating. 

  18. Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)

    Mark Burton and Richard Starzak’s Shaun the Sheep Movie is an impressive feat of stop-motion animation. A comedy about a bunch of sheep stranded in the big city, it manages to be clever and gripping without ever even having a word of dialogue. This feat earned it a 99% rating. 

  19. Toy Story 3 (2010)

    With a 99% rating, the third installment of Toy Story bought to us by Lee Unkrich may have moved audiences even more than the first one. This movie about sentient toys is an adventurous, heartfelt, emotional tale of growing up and saying goodbye. Both humorous and surprisingly scary, this movie really captured the hearts of the audience. 

  20. The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2014)

    Isao Takahata’s The Tale of Princess Kaguya brings a Japanese folktale to life. We follow a princess from the moon who ends up on earth and finds herself struggling more and more with her stifling society. The movie has incredible hand-drawn animation, done in a watercolor art style similar to 10th century Japanese painting, which matched the setting of the movie. The movie’s complex and bittersweet narrative, critical examination of societal expectations and intense psychological exploration of the main character earned it an astounding 100%. 

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