#NewsBytesExplainer: Understanding the sub-genres of fantasy films with mainstream examples
Fantasy films offer the perfect company when one wishes to break out of the rut of daily life and transport oneself to a fictional, but faraway land. These movies charm us due to their intriguing storylines, aesthetic visuals, complex worlds, character-driven plots, and have the ability to let us escape our lives. Today, we take a look at some sub-categories of this fan-favorite genre.
Epic fantasy films
Epic fantasy movies (usually multistarrers) are set in a fantastic world, are filled with magic, spells, and folklore, and usually spawn multiple parts. Some of the most popular ones are Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Neverending Story, The Golden Compass, The Wizard of Oz, Pan's Labyrinth, and The Green Mile, etc.
Disney's animated movies
Disney has an inimitable collection of animated movies that often, though not always, draw their source story from the fairy tales written by the Grimm brothers and other popular folklore. Some of the most popular projects that fit into this category are Tarzan, The Lion King, Frozen, The Sea Beast, Zootopia, The Little Mermaid, Coco, Mulan, Tangled, Aladdin, and Alice in Wonderland, among others.
Children's fantasy movies
They might be called children's films, but there is much to explore and enjoy as an adult while watching Encanto, Ella Enchanted, Beauty and the Beast, or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Such movies often have a simple story and a message at their core—a life lesson for kids to remember for ages. Other examples are Toy Story, The BFG, and Strange Magic, etc.
Superhero films
The legion of fans amassed by Marvel and DC provides an appropriate example of the success of superhero films—they are intriguing, adrenaline-inducing, full of adventure, and strike a chord with kids and adults alike. Needless to say, they also often set the box office on fire. Examples include Black Adam, the numerous movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Batman, Shazam!, The Wolverine, etc.
