Fantasy: 264

The American fantasy romantic drama film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), directed by David Fincher, follows the loosely based storyline by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1922 short story of the same name. In August 2005, Daisy Fuller shares with her daughter Caroline the tale of Mr. Gateau, a blind clockmaker commissioned to create a train station clock in 1918 as a tribute to those who lost their sons in World War I, including Gateau ...

Beowulf (2007) is an American animated fantasy action film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary. It is based on the Old English epic poem of the same name. In 507, the legendary Geatish warrior Beowulf embarks on a journey to Denmark with his soldiers, including his closest companion Wiglaf. King Hrothgar seeks Beowulf’s help in defeating Grendel, a deformed and powerful troll who has been terrorizing the kingdom and killing many of Hrothgar’s warriors during a feast at the mead ...

Tin Man (2007), an American television miniseries, was a joint production between RHI Entertainment and the Sci Fi Channel. The three-part series premiered on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States. DG, a waitress from a small Kansas town, felt out of place in her farm life and was plagued by visions of a woman with lavender eyes warning her of an impending storm. These visions came true when Azkadellia, the tyrannical ruler of the O.Z. (Outer Zone), sent her Longcoat soldiers to kill DG. Fortunately, DG managed to escape through a ‘travel storm’ into the O.Z., where she met and became friends with Glitch, Wyatt Cain, and Raw – all residents of this ...

Francis Ford Coppola wrote, produced, and directed Youth Without Youth (2007), a fantasy drama based on Mircea Eliade’s novella of the same name. The film follows Dominic Matei, a 70-year-old linguistics professor who is still longing for his lost love, Laura. He decides to revisit Bucharest, where they first met in university. Feeling like his quest for the origins of human language has been futile and solitary, Dominic plans to end his life after this final trip. However, as he crosses the street, he suddenly gets struck by lightning but miraculously survives. At ...

The American Christmas computer-animated comedy television special, Shrek the Halls (2007), premiered on ABC. As the holiday season approaches, Shrek is contently residing in the swamp with his loved ones. However, upon Donkey’s prodding, Shrek reluctantly agrees to give Princess Fiona a surprise for Christmas. Seeking advice, Shrek heads to a Far Far Away bookstore where he receives a copy of Christmas For Village Idiots – a guide to celebrating the festivities. He follows its instructions by adorning his home and procuring a tree for a peaceful Christmas Eve with his family. However, Donkey disrupts their plans by bringing everyone over to the swamp. ...

Shrek the Third (2007) is an animated comedy film based on William Steig’s popular children’s book, Shrek!. After King Harold falls ill, Shrek and Princess Fiona are expected to take over the throne. However, Shrek quickly realizes that being a ruler is not his cup of tea. Before he passes away, Harold tells Shrek about another potential heir – his nephew and Fiona’s cousin, Arthur ‘Artie’ Pendragon. Meanwhile, Prince Charming is determined to seek revenge for his mother’s death and become the new king. He rallies the other fairy tale villains at the Poison Apple tavern ...

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), an American epic fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, follows the story of Lord Cutler Beckett’s tyrannical rule over the seas. He orders Davy Jones to destroy all pirate ships and executes anyone affiliated with piracy in Port Royal. In response to this threat, nine Pirate Lords are called upon to convene at Shipwreck Cove for the Brethren Court. However, due to Jack Sparrow’s absence and lack of a named successor, Barbossa, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, ...

Stardust (2007) is a romantic fantasy adventure co-written and directed by Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman. The film is based on Neil Gaiman’s novel of the same title and takes place in the English village of Wall, near a stone wall that marks the border of the magical kingdom of Stormhold. Despite being forbidden to cross, Dunstan Thorne manages to deceive the guard and sets foot in the marketplace beyond. There, he meets Una, a princess enslaved by a witch who offers him a glass snowdrop in exchange for a kiss. ...

The fantasy film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), was directed by David Yates and written by Michael Goldenberg. It was based on the 2003 novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. While staying at the Dursleys’, Harry Potter is attacked by Dementors alongside his cousin, Dudley. With the use of a Patronus spell, Harry repels them successfully. However, this results in him being detected by the Ministry of Magic for underage magic use, leading to his temporary expulsion from Hogwarts. Luckily, he is ...

The Ant Bully (2006), an American animated film written and directed by John A. Davis, is based on the eponymous children’s book by John Nickle from 1999. When Lucas Nickle’s parents go to Puerto Vallarta for their anniversary, he is left with his sister Tiffany and grandmother. Neglected and bullied by Steve, Lucas takes out his anger on an anthill in his yard. Zoc, an odd sorcerer ant, wants to retaliate while Hova, a nurse ant fascinated by humans, desires to communicate with him. To shrink Lucas down to ant size, the colony leader decides to use ...

The fantasy comedy-drama film Charlotte’s Web (2006) is an adaptation of E. B. White’s novel of the same name. In the springtime on a farm in Somerset County, Maine, Fern Arable discovers her father John poised to kill a runt from a litter of newborn pigs. She pleads with him to spare the piglet’s life, naming him Wilbur and caring for him tenderly. The following day, Fern sneaks Wilbur into her school desk and when her teacher overhears his squeals, she demands to know what is inside. Fern lies and claims there is nothing in her desk, causing the teacher to angrily send them both to the ...

The adventure fantasy film, The Fall (2006), was directed and co-written by Tarsem and stars Lee Pace, Catinca Untaru, and Justine Waddell. It takes place in 1915 Los Angeles, where stuntman Roy Walker is hospitalized after a risky stunt gone wrong. He meets a young patient named Alexandria from Romania, who is recovering from a broken arm. Roy begins to share a grand story with her about Alexander the Great. Despite being told to leave the next day, Alexandria returns as ...

Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy! (2006) is an animated film, part of a series of direct-to-video movies based on the Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoons. While mapping stars in the Bermuda Triangle, astrocartographer Rupert Garcia’s ship is attacked by ghost pirates. His crew is kidnapped and he’s left stranded at sea. Fred invites the Mystery Inc. gang on a birthday cruise, courtesy of his parents Skip and Peggy. Upon arriving in Miami, Scooby and Shaggy have an eerie encounter with a cloaked man who they suspect has nefarious intentions. They meet the enthusiastic Cruise Director Sunny St.Cloud and Captain Crothers, who reveals their destination as ...

Arthur and the Invisibles (2006) is a French live-action/animated film directed and co-written by renowned filmmaker Luc Besson. The movie is based on Besson’s children’s book series, which includes Arthur and the Minimoys and Arthur and the Forbidden City. Set in Northeastern Connecticut during the year 1960, the story follows 10-year-old Arthur Montgomery as he lives with his grandmother Daisy on a quiet farm. His grandfather, Archibald, has recently gone missing and his parents are away searching for work. While listening to Daisy’s ...

Lady in the Water (2006) is a riveting fantasy thriller by acclaimed director M. Night Shyamalan, who also produced alongside Sam Mercer. The story follows Cleveland Heep, the newly appointed superintendent of a Philadelphia apartment complex, whose tragic past drives him to discover a mysterious Narf named Story in the pool. Just as he saves her from the clutches of a Scrunt, an eerie wolf-like creature camouflaged in grass, she reveals she has come to find the Writer – a person with magical powers who will pen a book that will save humanity. When Heep mentions ...

The film The Lake House (2006) is a fantasy romance directed by Alejandro Agresti, with David Auburn as the writer. That same year, Kate Forster, a doctor, leaves her rental lake house near Chicago and begins working at a downtown hospital. In order to make sure her mail gets forwarded, she leaves a note in the mailbox. She also mentions the pawprints on the front walkway and a box in the attic that were there when she moved in. Two years prior, architect Alex Wyler moves into the same lake house and discovers Kate’s letter. Confused, he realizes there are no pawprints ...

Scoop (2006)  is a romantic crime comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. It follows the story of investigative reporter Joe Strombel’s spirit, who finds himself on the barge of death with other individuals, including Jane Cook. Cook claims she was poisoned by her employer, Peter Lyman, an ambitious British aristocrat who she believes may also be the notorious Tarot Card Killer. This killer has been targeting prostitutes and leaves a card on each victim’s body. Sondra Pransky, an American journalism student vacationing in London, attends a performance by magician Sid Waterman, also known as ...

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) is a swashbuckling adventure directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. At the wedding of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, their celebration is cut short when Lord Cutler Beckett arrives at Port Royal with arrest warrants. These charges stem from their involvement in freeing Captain Jack Sparrow. However, they are not the only ones on Beckett’s list. ...

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008) is an animated series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio. A century ago, the young Avatar Aang fled from his home due to fear of his new responsibilities. Caught in a storm while at sea, he and his sky bison Appa were encased in an iceberg near the South Pole. At the same time, Fire Lord Sozin began a world war in order to expand his nation’s empire. As it was prophesied that the Avatar would be an Air Nomad, Sozin orchestrated a genocide against their people ...

The Brothers Grimm (2005) is a fantasy adventure film directed by Terry Gilliam. The two main characters, Will and Jake Grimm, are skilled con artists who use Jake’s extensive knowledge of folklore to swindle unsuspecting individuals. Along with their companions Hidlick and Bunst, they roam through French-occupied Germany in the early 19th century. In the town of Karlstadt, they successfully deceive the villagers by pretending to ‘defeat’ a witch’s ghost. However, their luck runs out when they are captured by Italian torturer Cavaldi and brought before the French General Delatombe. Delatombe ...