Though Pixar's newest animated marvel, Onward (2020) didn't quite set the box office on fire, it's connected with lots of viewers who missed its theatrical run thanks to the Disney+ streaming platform. A warm and splendiferous through an ultra-modern fairytale land, Onward may not be top-tier Pixar, but it endeared itself to fans with its clever updating of fantasy tropes, charming performances, and, of course, its wide-open heart.
Onward draws from all manner of fantasy properties, but it feels most indebted to the distinctly '80s love of such things. A Dungeons and Dragons-style game serves as a major plot point, and Barley (Chris Pratt) is a metal fan, a subgenre of music that appeals to fantasy geeks for its combining of sick riffs and sword n' sorcery aesthetics. The ten animated films listed below don't all hail from the 1980s, but each offer up the sense of epic adventure that Onward is so enamored with.
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
When cruel sorceress Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) shows up uninvited to the birth of Princess Aurora (Mary Costa), she places a curse upon her for her parent's insult. Doomed to die on her 16th birthday, the baby is entrusted to three kindly fairies who raise her as a peasant in deep in the nearby woods. But when Aurora comes of age and the dashing Prince Phillip (Bill Shirley), comes courting, Maleficent's evil prophecy threatens to come true.
A golden-era masterpiece from the House of Mouse, Sleeping Beauty is a sumptuous, classical, epic fantasy that remains unmatched.
The Hobbit (1977)
When timid hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Orson Bean) welcomes his old wizard friend, Gandalf (John Huston) into his home, he's exasperated to discover he's brought a bevy of clamorous dwarves along with him. Before he knows it, Bilbo is soon joining the dwarves in a quest to steal back a horde of gold from a bloodthirsty dragon and reclaim their kingdom...a tall order for a homebody hobbit.
Animated by Studio Ghibli precursor Topcraft and produced for television by Rankin/Bass, The Hobbit was many viewers' first introduction to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien when Peter Jackson was a mere sixteen years old and manages to capture the spirit of the source novel far better than the director's botched and bloated three-part cash-in.
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Much like his uncle Bilbo before him, Frodo Baggins (Christopher Guard) is shocked when the wizard Gandalf (William Squire) entrusts him with a quest. Tasked with bringing a magical ring to Mount Doom and destroying it, Bilbo begins a journey that will leave the world hanging in the balance.
Controversial animator Ralph Bakshi lends his off-kilter touch to this rendition of the trilogy's first two books. With its freaky rotoscoped visuals and lack of conclusion, The Lord of the Rings was something of a dud upon release but has since been embraced as a cult classic.
The Last Unicorn (1982)
After a decree by the villainous King Haggard (Christopher Lee) that all unicorns are to be destroyed, a young unicorn (Mia Farrow) flees her forest to save her kind. With the help of the hapless sorcerer Schmendrick (Alan Arkin), she seeks to stop King Haggard and save her species.
Another Rankin/Bass production with an all-star voice cast (also including Angela Lansbury and Jeff Bridges) and stunning Topcraft animation, The Last Unicorn is one of the most beloved fantasy efforts of its decade.
Fire and Ice (1983)
When the cruel Nekron and his mother, Queen Juliana harness the power of ice to destroy the human race, they incur the wrath of the mighty warrior Larn. Vowing revenge for the destruction of his village, he sets out with the enigmatic Darkwolf to stop the reign of terror and rescue Princess Teegra.
Part He-Man, part Conan, all Bakshi, Fire and Ice is a souped-up adolescent fantasy that looks like a heavy metal album cover in motion.
Flight of Dragons (1982)
In a mystical land where magic is fading due to mankind's reliance on logic and science, the Green Wizard Carolinus calls 20th-century scientist Peter from the future to assist him in a quest to save his world.
Rankin/Bass put their stamp on fantasy's most fearsome creatures with this direct-to-video marvel featuring the vocal talents of John Ritter, Victor Buono, and James Earl Jones.
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Lowly pig keeper Taran (Grant Bardsley) has always dreamed of adventure but gets more than he bargained for when the diabolical Horned King (John Hurt) snatches Henwen, a precognitive pig, from his stable. In his quest to save his porcine friend, he encounters a furry goofball named Gurgi, the kidnapped Princess Eilonwy, and learns about the existence of the black cauldron, an evil artifact that will allow the Horned King to summon an undead army.
Among the least-loved Disney films, The Black Cauldron has its pleasures, but can't quite compensate for an uninspired story and an animation style that feels derivative of Rankin/Bass at its height.
Quest for Camelot (1998)
The free-spirited Kayley (Jessalyn Gilsig) daydreams about being one of King Arthur's famous Knights of the Round Table, and finally gets a chance when his fabled sword, Excalibur is lost. Without its mystical protection, Arthur falls into the hands of an evil knight (Gary Oldman) with designs to destroy the entire kingdom.
This Warner Bros. Feature Animation effort features songs by Celine Dion and Journey's Steve Perry but failed to connect with audiences, marking it as just about the only notable animated sword n' sorcery feature of the 1990s.
Tales from Earthsea (2006)
The land of Earthsea finds itself threatened by a mysterious force, and the wizard Sparrowhawk seeks answers. When he meets Arren, a runaway prince, the two begin a quest to discover the source of the evil that is ailing their kingdom.
Directed by Gorō (son of Hayao) Miyazaki, Tales from Earthsea consistently receives bad reviews from viewers and critics (including the author of the novel it's based on), but it's interesting to see Studio Ghibli's approximation of a more American style of high fantasy.
Beowulf (2007)
Upon arriving at the court of King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins, brash warrior Beowulf (Ray Winstone) offers up the head of a vicious monster named Grendel. After killing the beast, Beowulf becomes the target of Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie), a creature whose seductive nature hides an untold propensity for evil.
Though it may look like a dated tech-demo thirteen years on, Beowulf used state-of-the-art 3D animation to retell everyone's favorite Old English epic poem, adapted by none other than Neil Gaiman.