From The Wizard of Oz to the Harry Potter franchise, the fantasy genre has been responsible for many of the industry’s most beloved classics. Yet as cultural values and cinematic standards evolve, our collective definition of a masterpiece naturally shifts. Too often, the justification for a movie’s legendary status appears to boil down to: “They just are.” When watched in the cold light of day, however, some of these celebrated movies don’t quite live up to the hype.
This list takes a closer look at eight fantasy movies that have long been considered classic masterpieces. However, strip away the layers of nostalgia, and it becomes apparent that this designation couldn’t be further than the truth. Whether it’s due to primitive effects, outdated (even problematic) themes, or paper-thin plots, these classic fantasy movies are now practically unwatchable through a contemporary lens.
With this in mind, it’s still important to remember that a “classic” movie can be historically important while still being an agonizing viewing experience today.
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Honorable Mentions
- The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987): Based on the sticker trading cards designed to parody the cute and cuddly Cabbage Patch Kids, this movie revolves around characters with disgustingly gross habits or abnormalities, most of whom suffer terrible fates. These characters were played by actors with dwarfism wearing animatronic costumes. An exercise in poor taste from start to finish, it relies on absurd, extreme gross-out humor. What makes The Garbage Pail Kids Movie all the more bizarre is how it was aggressively marketed towards kids. While it has since developed a devout cult following that might consider it a “classic”, it is omitted from this list, as it was unwatchable upon its release and remains unwatchable to this day.
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995): During the ’90s, the colorful crew of Power Rangers were inescapable. From TV shows and video games to action figures and trading cards, it was only a matter of time before they made the leap to the big screen. Nostalgia might have us labeling it a classic, but the effects look seriously outdated by today’s standards, and the plot feels more like an extended episode than a standalone movie. It could have made this list, but it falls more into the category of sci-fi action than all-out fantasy.
8
‘Conan the Destroyer’ (1984)
A Campy, Inferior Sequel to a Genuine Classic
Why It’s Considered a Classic: The 1982 original Conan the Barbarian is a genuine classic. It gave us the quintessential anti-hero in Conan and propelled Arnold Schwarzenegger into superstardom. It also crafted the blueprint for the sword-and-sorcery subgenre. The sequel achieved its “classic” status almost by proxy. Although it’s more of a “cult classic” now, it’s especially celebrated by a subsection of fantasy lovers for its classic fantasy RPG archetypes.
Why It’s Unwatchable Today: Unfortunately, Conan the Destroyer takes the aforementioned sword-and-sorcery blueprint of the original and shreds it to pieces. The gritty R-rated action is replaced with family-friendly campiness. Also, because it pivoted towards high-fantasy monsters as opposed to the original’s more grounded realism, the creature designs and special effects have aged far more poorly. Notably, Andre the Giant portrays a monster and appears to be wearing nothing more than a rigid, poorly articulated, purple rubber monster suit.
7
‘Krull’ (1983)
A Painfully Slow Exercise in Nothingness
Why It’s Considered a Classic: Made on a huge budget for its time, Krull was an ambitious, genre-bending sci-fi, high-fantasy mash-up. It is also notable for featuring early performances from Robbie Coltrane and Liam Neeson and a soaring score from a young James Horner (who went on to score Aliens, Braveheart, and Titanic).
Why It’s Unwatchable Today: As we’ve grown accustomed to the lightening-paced, high-octane Hollywood spectacle seen in movies like The Avengers, Underworld, and Jumanji, Krull’s pacing feels infuriatingly slow. With vast amounts of time spent on characters simply walking, climbing, riding across barren landscapes and idly partaking in meaningless side quests, it feels like very little actually happens.
6
‘Labyrinth’ (1986)
A Disjointed, Low-Stakes Plot is Masked By Over-The-Top ’80s Aesthetics
Why It’s Considered a Classic: Though a critical and commercial failure upon release, Labyrinth achieved classic status largely through the lens of childhood nostalgia and heavy home-video rotation. It is remembered by many for Bowie’s theatrical performance and flashy ’80s wardrobe, as well as the undeniable visual spectacle of Jim Henson’s puppetry.
Why It’s Unwatchable Today: For years, its flaws have been masked by Bowie’s magnetic presence and Henson’s quirky creatures. Making it through the movie today, though, is no easy feat. From the get-go, audiences are greeted by an absurdly dated-looking CGI owl. From there, the disjointed, low-stakes plot feels more like a series of Muppets sketches than a serious fantasy flick. Additionally, the entire glam-rock ’80s aesthetic feels dated and would be unlikely to resonate with modern audiences.
5
‘The Beastmaster’ (1982)
A Highly Sexualized and Problematic Fantasy Film
Why It’s Considered a Classic: A breezy, easy-to-watch sword-and-sorcery flick, The Beastmaster was aired so often on cable television during the ’90s that it naturally became a permanent, comforting classic in the minds of an entire generation. In fact, the movie was played so often that comedian Dennis Miller joked that HBO stood for “Hey, Beastmaster’s on!” Its popularity on TBS inspired a similar joke, claiming that TBS stood for “The Beastmaster Station.”
Why It’s Unwatchable Today: Considering it’s a PG-rated movie, Beastmaster‘s handling of sexual themes is extremely unsettling. A prime example of this is when a character uses his telepathic animal powers to spy on women bathing naked in a lake. The uncomfortable scenario is played entirely for laughs. Other examples include a non-consensual kiss, the staging of a life-threatening scenario to present the character as a romantic hero, and a bizarre incest twist. Again, these are portrayed as playful, amusing and romantic moments.
4
‘Willow’ (1988)
Juvenile Humor Detracts From an Otherwise Decent Movie
Why It’s Considered a Classic: Serving as a sort of spiritual high-fantasy successor to Star Wars, Willow was conceived by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard. As respected filmmakers riding high off a string of blockbuster successes, the public’s enduring fondness for the pair undoubtedly had a hand in helping cement Willow as a classic. The movie also provided a refreshing take on the genre by casting Warwick Davis in the lead role during an era dominated by hulking warriors.
Why It’s Unwatchable Today: Comedy is subjective and evolves over time. However, watching the tiny, high-pitched, French-accented “Brownie’s” attempt at humor is agonizing by today’s standards. It beggars belief how their constant screaming, frantic bickering, and forced slapstick was, at one point, considered amusing. Also, the way in which they were shot on blue screen and composited into live-action scenes caused their movement speeds to awkwardly clash with the human actors.
3
‘The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter’ (1990)
Dated Effects and Poor Character Development Make This a Hard Watch
Why It’s Considered a Classic: Bolstered by the casing of flavor-of-the-moment teen actor Jonathan Brandis, The NeverEnding Story II finally provided audiences with the long-awaited sequel to the beloved 1984 original. While widely considered inferior, it was enough to satisfy nostalgia for many and developed a cult following in itself.
Why It’s Unwatchable Today: Beyond the dated effects and visible composite lines, the resetting of Bastian’s character arc is also majorly disappointing, especially when watching it back-to-back with the original. The creative bright, dreamlike aesthetics may have been enough to keep viewers engaged in 1990, but seeing Bastion revert from the hero he became in the original to a passive, helpless and cowardly moaner is unforgivable.
2
‘Song of the South’ (1946)
Disney’s Most Controversial Movie Is Unavailable on Disney+
Why It’s Considered a Classic: Song of the South was a ground-breaking blend of live-action and animation that became an instant classic thanks to its phenomenal lead performance , Oscar winning soundtrack, and technical mastery.
Why It’s Unwatchable Today: Set in the south of America during the Reconstruction era, it is deliberately presented in a manner that implies that Black Americans were content under a subservient racial hierarchy. Leaning into the offensive “Uncle Tom” archetype, Uncle Remus is portrayed as a chirpy, docile, singing sharecropper with a ludicrous, idyllic master-slave relationship. It is not just outdated, it is outright offensive. Thankfully, Disney has taken action, withholding it from its streaming service, as well as replacing the themed rides at its attraction parks.
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‘Clash of the Titans’ (1981)
The Jerky Stop-Motion Has Lost its Charm all these Decades Later
Why It’s Considered a Classic: Serving as legendary stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen’s swan song, Clash of The Titans featured an ultra-impressive cast of Hollywood dramatic actors, including Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Claire Bloom, and Harry Hamlin. This was rare for high-fantasy movies of the time, which tended to operate more as low-budget, B-movie entertainment.
Why It’s Unwatchable Today: While Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion animations undoubtedly have a certain charm to them, by today’s standards they look jerky and unconvincing. This seriously breaks the immersion. It also suffers from painfully slow pacing that will leave modern viewers feeling infuriated instead of engaged.
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