Since 2009, James Cameron’s Avatar franchise has led the way in CGI-driven storytelling, with Fire and Ash standing out as the latest proof that fantasy and sci-fi go hand-in-hand. Bringing audiences to the distant world of Pandora, it adapted William Blake’s Dances With Wolves into an interstellar epic. As strong as the latest movie might have been, there are some masterpieces that are even better.
Fantasy has always been one of Hollywood’s most malleable genres, working well alongside everything from horror and sci-fi to romance and horror. The Avatar movies might represent some of the most ambitious work in Hollywood, but it’s no secret that they’re a visual-first, story-second experience. This leaves plenty of room for other fantasy movies to outdo it, either as sci-fi rivals or completely distinct masterpieces.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the Peak of the DCEU
After years of fan and critic debate over the existence of an alternate Snyder Cut of Justice League, Zack Snyder was finally able to unveil his vision as an extended movie in 2020. A four-hour cut of the story, it follows Bruce Wayne as he assembles Flash, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman for a mission to save the world from Darkseid’s minion, Steppenwolf. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, they’re forced to extreme measures: the resurrection of Superman.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League defied audience expectations when it released, showing the world that Snyder’s direction had been underestimated. Instantly establishing itself as the superior cut of the movie, it takes its time building up its heroes the way they deserve. Snyder’s approach to comics has always been unique and cinematic, and this film marked the culmination of everything he’d been setting up in the DCEU while teasing more.
Hellboy Brought Guillermo del Toro’s Dark Fantasy Vision to Mike Mignola’s Occult Detective
In 2004, Guillermo del Toro gave audiences one of the best comic book adaptations of all time when he cast Ron Perlman in the role of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. The film follows the return of Rasputin after the villain was transported to a dark dimension, bringing with him supernatural powers and a mission to unleash Hell on Earth. All that stands between him and the apocalypse is the King of Hell himself and the BPRD.
Del Toro’s Hellboy stands atop the pack of comic book-accurate adaptations, crafting a dark fantasy mystery that puts its director’s visual mastery to good use. Though its sci-fi elements are muted compared to the Avatar films, it still manages to blend both genres into a fantastic war-meets-adventure movie tailor-made for horror fans.
Kong: Skull Island is Non-Stop Kaiju Fun
After Legendary revived American Kaiju cinema with the 2014 Godzilla movie, they reintroduced audiences to King Kong in 2017’s Kong: Skull Island. The first major Kong movie since Peter Jackson’s 2005 treatment, it follows a military expedition during the Vietnam War to Skull Island. After a devastating attack by the king himself, the soldiers and scientists are forced to traverse the perilous island on foot, encountering monsters at every turn.
Best described as a mash-up of Apocalypse Now, classic Kaiju movies, and Journey to the Center of the Earth, the film is an adventure fan’s delight. As the soldiers push deeper into Skull Island’s interior, the story only pushes audiences to fall deeper in love with this distinct brand of sci-fi fantasy. A world dominated by monsters and Avatar-style suspensions of the laws of physics, it’s every bit the visual treat of Cameron’s movies.
The First Avatar Was a Groundbreaking Visual Masterpiece
Back in 2009, James Cameron shattered box office records when he released the first installment in the Avatar franchise. Following Jake Sully’s voyage to Pandora to fill in for his brother’s spot in the Avatar program, it turned Dances With Wolves into a visually immersive sci-fi war epic. From the minute Sully ventures out into the wilderness of Pandora, the movie embraces its fantasy side, building up a world that makes viewers want to escape there.
Successful as they may be, neither of the Avatar sequels has eclipsed the groundbreaking effect that Cameron’s 2009 movie had on cinema. Both a fantastic story brimming with potential with every scene and a genuine feat of visual effects, it’s among the most important blockbusters since Star Wars. Fire and Ash is great, but it’s hard to picture Cameron ever surpassing the impact of his first film in the franchise.
The Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
After years of being enjoyed as a theme park ride, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean was given new life when Gore Verbinski helmed 2003’s Curse of the Black Pearl. Beginning with a siege on a Royal Navy base in the Caribbean, it focuses on the uneasy partnership between the unscrupulous Captain Jack Sparrow and blacksmith Will Turner to rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth Swan.
Building on the success of Mask of Zorro, Verbinski’s 2003 movie firmly marked the comeback of swashbuckler adventure and escapist fantasy. As scary a pirate movie as Hollywood can make for kids, it’s non-stop fun that remains a masterclass in story pacing. A rare fantasy whose visuals feel as colorful and sublime as Avatar, every shot is a treat, and its heroes are so much better.
Avengers: Infinity War Brought the MCU to Its Climax
As the MCU reached its peak during the late 2010s, Joe and Anthony Russo began their epic two-part finale to the Infinity saga with Avengers: Infinity War. Set in the aftermath of Captain America and Iron Man’s civil war, it follows the arrival of Thanos to Earth as he searches for the remaining Infinity Stones. Naturally, he clashes with a reconstituted Avengers, who take any ally they can get to try and save half of all life in the universe.
The choice between Avatar and Avengers: Infinity War may ultimately come down to simple genre preference, one offering an expansive war to the other’s cosmic superhero quest. In the case of the latter, there was so much more build-up and payoff than Fire and Ash, securing a stronger place in the MCU’s story than Cameron’s third film in his franchise. With a more compressed runtime and better developed heroes, Infinity War is the more watchable flick.
Conan the Barbarian is the Definitive Dark Fantasy Movie
Conan the Barbarian tells the story of the Cimmerian Conan after the massacre of his tribe at the hands of sorcerer warlord Thulsa Doom. As he grows into a strong adult, the hero embarks on a quest to avenge his family, joining a band of companions along the way. When a king hires them to find his missing daughter, their search leads them directly to Doom himself, giving Conan the chance at vengeance.
Conan the Barbarian is the perfect dark fantasy film, thrusting viewers into a world of swords and sorcerers in a way that Robert E. Howard always intended. A revenge masterpiece that builds up one of the greatest heroes the genre has ever seen, it wastes no time cutting to the chase. It’s a film that had so many reasons not to work, yet John Millius’ direction crafted a beautiful, quotable, and gripping gem.
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Surpassed the 1977 Original
Following his record-breaking success with his first Star Wars movie, George Lucas returned to his saga in a galaxy far, far away with The Empire Strikes Back. In the aftermath of the Rebel Alliance’s destruction of the Death Star, Darth Vader mercilessly hunts Luke Skywalker and his friends across the stars. Learning of the last surviving Jedi, Yoda, Luke sets out to find him, while Han tries to evade the pursuing Empire.
From its endlessly quotable twist to genre-defining moments like Han Solo being frozen in carbonite, The Empire Strikes Back spent decades as the peak sci-fi fantasy movie. While it has since been dethroned, at least in the visual and worldbuilding departments, it marked a genuine cultural touchstone of the ’80s. It was here that the mythology of the Jedi was truly made great, and galactic evil never felt more menacing.
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Dethroned Star Wars as Peak Sci-Fi Fantasy
Frank Herbert’s Dune has been respected as one of the most influential sci-fi fantasy stories since its publication in 1965, inspiring countless imitators. In 2021, Denis Villeneuve brought the novel to life on the big screen for the second time, with a bigger budget allowing him to be even more ambitious than David Lynch’s version. Telling the story of Paul Atreides’ ascension to power on Arrakis after being betrayed by the Emperor, it raised the bar on epic cinema overnight.
Villeneuve’s treatment of Dune managed to surpass even Star Wars as the ultimate sci-fi fantasy franchise, succeeding in political intrigue and worldbuilding where Lucas’ prequels failed. The movie shares a great deal in common with the Avatar movies, from visual immersion to the culture clash dynamic. Sully’s path as hero to the Na’vi offers an optimistic counterpart to the darker rise of Paul Atreides, which is simply much better written and more thought-provoking than Cameron’s films.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is Simply Flawless
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy sought to turn the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien into a cinematic sensation. As he explored Middle-Earth’s war for the fate of the One Ring, he achieved precisely that, assembling an uncannily brilliant casting lineup for the fantasy heroes. As Frodo and Sam set off for Mordor to destroy the ring, Aragorn, Gandalf, and the surviving members of the Fellowship prepare to wage war on the dark lord Sauron for all that is good.
The 2001 trilogy has little in common with Avatar on a thematic level, but far outdoes it in cultural impact and overall quality. Each one of the Jackson films by itself can claim to be better than Cameron’s sci-fi movies, but as a trilogy, they’re simply unstoppable. Twenty-five years after Peter Jackson released his first Lord of the Rings movie, his adaptation is the gold standard of fantasy, beating Avatar: Fire and Ash by a mile.
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