Romantic FANTASY movies

Best Romantic Fantasy movies...

The little Mermaid

...The contact between human beings and merpeople is forbidden but a string of unfortunate events occur when Ariel, a mermaid falls in love with Eric, a human prince. She makes a deal with the evil Ursula that if she received a kiss of true love from Eric, she would permanently transform into human and in exchange Ursula will have Ariel’s voice. It is based on the 1837 fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen.

Set in a cavernous, beautiful underwater world, Mermaid dips into Danish folklore (or Hans Christian Andersen, at least), and comes back with the flame-haired Ariel (Benson), the lippy, troublesome youngest daughter of sea king Triton (not quite how Andersen envisaged it, presumably). Desperate for a ticket to the mainland, Ariel trades her voice to Sea Witch Ursula (Pat Carroll) for a pair of legs, and heads off to win the heart of the pearly-toothed Prince Eric (Barnes), whom she rescued from a vicious storm, lest she run the risk of becoming Ursula's prisoner forever...

Made before Disney started cranking their cartoons out at an annual rate, Little Mermaid draws heavily on the old-fashioned qualities that punctuated their classic back catalogue; comedy animals, in this case a brigade of personable sea life (led by the inspired crab creation Sebastian), catchy, even memorable tunes (Under The Sea, Kiss The Girl), and a truly quake-inducing villain in the shape of Ursula.

Wings of Desire

...Angels help the people of Berlin to overcome their sorrows. One of the angels (Bruno Ganz) falls in love with a beautiful artist (Solvig Dommartin) and converts into human in order to experience the euphoria. The German director Wim Wenders won Best Director award in both Cannes Film Festival and European film awards. The well-known critic Roger Ebert gave the film 4 out of 4 stars and as per the critics, it is one of the best movies of the 1980s.

Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander) are angels who watch over the city of Berlin. They don't have harps or wings (well, they usually don't have wings) and they prefer overcoats to gossamer gowns. But they can travel unseen through the city, listening to people's thoughts, watching their actions and studying their lives. While they can make their presence felt in small ways, only children and other angels can see them. They spend their days serenely observing, unable to interact with people, and they feel neither pain nor joy. One day, Damiel finds his way into a circus and sees Marion (Solveig Dommartin), a high-wire artist, practicing her act; he is immediately smitten. After the owners of the circus tell the company that the show is out of money and must disband, Marion sinks into a funk, shuffling back to her trailer to ponder what to do next. As he watches her, Damiel makes a decision: he wants to be human, and he wants to be with Marion, to lift her spirits and, if need be, to share her pain. Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire is a remarkable modern fairy tale about the nature of being alive. The angels witness the gamut of human emotions, and they experience the luxury of simple pleasures (even a cup of coffee and a cigarette) as ones who've never known them. From the angels' viewpoint, Berlin is seen in gorgeous black-and-white -- strikingly beautiful but unreal; when they join the humans, the image shifts to rough but natural-looking color, and the waltz-like grace of the angels' drift through the city changes to a harsher rhythm. Peter Falk appears as himself, revealing a secret that we may not have known about the man who played Columbo, and there's also a brief but powerful appearance by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Wings of Desire hinges on the intangible and elusive, and it builds something beautiful from those qualities.

Stardust

...It’s a typical fairy tale movie. Tristan ventures into the magical kingdom of Stormhold fetch a fallen star for his love Victoria and in return she will marry her. He later comes to realize that what was fallen was not a star but a woman named Yvaine and princes and witches are also searching for her. Charlie cox, who portrays Daredevil in the Netflix series, aces the role of Tristan. The film stars Sienna Miller as Victoria and Claire Danes as Yvaine. The film also stars Robert De Niro in prominent role.

The sleepy English village of Wall is so named for the cobblestone wall that has, for eons, kept the villagers safely apart form the supernatural parallel universe that lies just on the other side. It is here that young Tristan Thorne makes a wild-eyed promise to the prettiest girl in the village, whose heart he hopes to win: that he will bring her back a fallen star. Now, in order to make good on his promise, Tristan will have to cross the forbidden wall, and enter a mysterious kingdom lit by unending magic and unfolding legends. In this fantastical realm known as Stormhold, Tristan discovers that the fallen star is not at all

Reviews...

Enchanted

...Disney has a reputation when it comes to fantasy romance movies. Enchanted revolves around princess Gisele, who is transported from her animated world to the real world where she falls in love with a lawyer. In this movie, you can see that the fine line between live-action and animation is thinning. What makes it interesting is that there are references to Disney’s previous animated works.

A classic Disney fairytale collides with modern-day New York City in a story about a fairytale princess from the past who is thrust into present-day by an evil queen. Soon after her arrival, Princess Giselle begins to change her views on life and love after meeting a handsome lawyer. Can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world...

The Princess Bride

...Based on the much adored novel written by John Goldman, it is a story of the princess Buttercup who is reluctantly married to the evil prince Humperdinck while in love with the lost Westley. Westley and Buttercup’s love for each other is tested at every step. The question is, will they ever reunite? It stars the gracious Robin Wright as princess Buttercup.

After 30 years, the wit, fun, charm and idealism are fresher than ever. The Princess Bride, adapted by William Goldman from his novel and directed by Rob Reiner, now makes a brief reappearance in UK cinemas. Catch it while you can. My colleague Hadley Freeman has a magisterial chapter on it in her memoir of 1980s Hollywood, Life Moves Pretty Fast, showing how it made possible fairytale homages and Shrek and Frozen and also affected the language of irony and comedy in the television pop culture that came afterwards. It’s a movie that manages to be both a pastiche and a fervently real love story. The Princess Bride is an organically grown comedy romance from an analogue age: different from the genetically modified, digital creations that came along later. And there is a specific kind of poignancy given how two of its stars have since achieved new fame in TV dramas of cynicism and disillusionment: Robin Wright with House of Cards and Mandy Patinkin in Homeland.

Beauty and the Beast

...This 1991 animated classic revolves around a prince who is cursed to become a monster and how he falls in love with his captor. This fairy tale has been retold through a Broadway musical and a live-action film, but this one pulls on the heartstrings like none other and remains etched to you. It has received a ton of critical acclaim. I mean you have romance, music, animation and Disney, one can’t ask for more.

Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" is a live-action re-telling of the studio's animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. "Beauty and the Beast" is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast's hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within. The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Oscar (R) winner Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle's eccentric, but lovable father; Josh Gad as Lefou, Gaston's long-suffering aide-de-camp; Golden Globe (R) nominee Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and two-time Academy Award (R) winner Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts. Directed by Oscar (R) winner Bill Condon based on the 1991 animated film, "Beauty and the Beast" is produced by Mandeville Films' David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, with eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, who won two Academy Awards (R) (Best Original Score and Best Song) for the 1991 animated film, providing the score, which will include new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as several new songs written by Menken and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice. "Beauty and the Beast" will be released in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.

Ghost

..After Sam Wheat is murdered, his spirit tries to protect his girlfriend with help of a psychic. Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg play roles of Sam Wheat, Molly Jensen and Oda Me Brown. It has won two academy awards for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Whoopi Goldberg) and Best Writing (Bruce Joel Rubin). It is one of the highest grossing films of all time.

Parents need to know that Ghost is a 1990 movie in which Patrick Swayze is a recently murdered man who remains as a ghost in order to warn the love of his life (Demi Moore) of impending danger. There's no nudity, but plenty of alluring shots and implied lovemaking. One bad guy is squished between two vehicles and the other ...

Story...

...When Sam (Patrick Swayze) is killed by a mugger, he's left in some kind of limbo here on earth, able to witness events but unable to communicate with the living. He turns to Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg), a wacky spiritual advisor, to help track down his killer and protect his distraught girlfriend, Molly (Demi Moore).

..Ghost is melodramatic and spiritually simplistic, but the combination of comedy, thrills, and mushy romance will be irresistible to some. While it doesn't explain why bad things happen to good people, it tries to reassure us that good people can find divine justice.

Heaven Can Wait

...Heaven Can Wait is a 1978 American comedy film co-directed by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry. It is the second film adaptation of Harry Segall's stageplay of the same name, preceded by Here Comes Mr. Jordan and followed by Down to Earth. Beatty stars in the lead role, playing a football player who, is sent back to earth in the body of a millionaire. The film reunites Beatty and Julie Christie, who also starred together in the 1971 McCabe & Mrs. Miller and the 1975 Shampoo. ...

In this film, Warren Beatty plays pro-football-player Joe Pendleton, who is whisked to Heaven before his due date by over-eager celestial escort Buck Henry. The erudite Mr. Jordan arranges for Joe to enter the mortal coil of a cold-hearted businessman named Farnsworth, who has just been murdered by his wife.

Penelope

...Penelope Wilhern, born to wealthy socialites, is afflicted by a secret family curse that can only be broken when she is loved by "one of her own kind." Hidden away in the family's majestic home, she is subjected to meeting a string of blue-bloods through her parent's futile attempt to marry her off and break the curse. Each suitor is instantly enamored with Penelope (and her sizable dowry)... until the curse is revealed. When a willing mate cannot be found, mischievous tabloid reporter Lemon hires Max to pose as a prospective suitor in hopes of snapping a photo of the mysterious Penelope. Max, who is really a down-on-his-luck gambler, finds himself drawn to Penelope and not wanting to expose or disappoint her, disappears and leaves Lemon in the lurch. Fed up by this latest betrayal and determined to live life on her own terms, Penelope breaks free from her family and goes out into the world in search of adventure--curse be damned.

City of Angels

...City of Angels is a 1998 American romantic fantasy drama film directed by Brad Silberling. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. Set in Los Angeles, California, the film is a very loose remake of Wim Wenders' 1987 German film Wings of Desire, which was set in Berlin. ...

City of Angels, first seen on Broadway in 1989, enjoys cult status among aficionados of musicals. It has one of the wittiest books ever written, boasts an effervescent score by Cy Coleman and here gets as slick and svelte a production by Josie Rourke as you could wish. If it is less than a great musical, it is because you feel the story could exist quite happily without the songs.

Larry Gelbart’s phenomenally clever, split-level play is packed with jokes. He shows a writer, Stine, seeking to turn one of his own private-eye fictions into a movie. At the same time, we see scenes from the evolving script in which a famous shamus, Stone, goes down LA’s mean streets in search of a runaway blonde. The interplay between the two stories gives Gelbart rich scope for a string of pastiche Chandlerisms: “only the floor,” says Stone, encountering a seductive blonde, “kept her legs from going on for ever.” The framework also licenses Gelbart to get sweet revenge on an archetypal writer-baiting Hollywood producer, who at one point declares, in a phrase worthy of Samuel Goldwyn, “It’s an unwritten law in letters 23 feet high.”