The Magic Of 80s Fantasy Movies Before The Lord of the Rings | Top 10 Most Underrated Fantasy Movies

Ready for more enchanting tales? If you haven't already, don't forget to check out part one of our journey through the underrated fantasy films. Click the link below to discover the magic that came before:
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Part one
• The Golden Age of Fant...
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0:00 - 10. Quest for Fire (1981)
1:31 - 9. Hawk The Slayer (1980)
2:30 - 8. The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
3:45 - 7. Dragonslayer (1981)
5:48 - 6. Flash Gordon (1980)
7:36 - 5. Return to Oz (1985)
9:12 - 4. Clash of the Titans (1981)
10:37 - 3. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
12:08 - 2. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
13:42 - 1. Willow (1988)
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First, the primal world of "Quest for Fire" (1981), directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, a captivating tale of survival starring Ron Perlman and Everett McGill, known for their roles in "Hellboy" and "Twin Peaks" respectively.
Next, we encounter the epic saga of "Hawk The Slayer" (1980), directed by Terry Marcel, featuring Jack Palance as the sinister Voltan and John Terry in the titular role, known for his later work in "Lost" and "24."
Then, we wield the mystical blade of "The Sword and the Sorcerer" (1982), helmed by Albert Pyun, featuring the talents of Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, and Richard Lynch in a gripping tale of magic and revenge.
Prepare to face the fearsome dragon in "Dragonslayer" (1981), directed by Matthew Robbins, where Peter MacNicol and Caitlin Clarke set off on a quest to defeat the mythical beast. Joining them is Ralph Richardson, adding his seasoned talent to this epic tale of heroism and magic.
In 'Flash Gordon' (1980), directed by Mike Hodges, brace yourself for a cosmic adventure where Sam J. Jones channels the heroic spirit to save the universe from the Ming the Merciless, portrayed by Max von Sydow. Joining the ensemble are Timothy Dalton, Melody Anderson, and Ornella Mut.
Experience the haunting return to the Land of Oz in "Return to Oz" (1985), directed by Walter Murch, starring Fairuza Balk as Dorothy as she encounters new friends and old foes in a darker, more surreal Oz. Other cast members of the movie include Nicol Williamson and Jean Marsh.
Witness the clash of gods and monsters in "Clash of the Titans" (1981), directed by Desmond Davis, featuring Harry Hamlin as Perseus, alongside a stellar cast including Laurence Olivier as Zeus, Maggie Smith as Thetis, Judi Bowker, and Ursula Andress.
Follow the barbaric hero in "Conan the Barbarian" (1982), directed by John Milius, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in his breakout role as the mighty Conan, battling against James Earl Jones' Thulsa Doom.
Enter the world of "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" (1988), directed by Terry Gilliam, with John Neville portraying the legendary baron alongside a stellar cast including Eric Idle, Uma Thurman, Sarah Polley, Robin Williams, and Jonathan Pryce.
Finally, the magical realm of "Willow" (1988), directed by Ron Howard, starring Warwick Davis as the unlikely hero alongside Val Kilmer in a classic tale of good versus evil.
#fantasymovies #80sfantasy #movies #fantasy #underratedmovies #arnoldschwarzenegger #terrygilliam #ronperlman #flashgordon #maxvonsydow #ReturntoOz #laurenceolivier #HarryHamlin #conanthebarbarian #jamesearljones #umathurman #warwickdavis #willow #valkilmer #JohnMilius #adventuremovies #EricIdle #JohnNeville #Conan #magic #robinwilliams
#swordandsorcery #disney

[@Underrated-Cinema]

This is Part 2 of our underrated fantasy list! If you're interested in Part 1, you can find it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpCqd5eefdCUeJI --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Part 1, we covered films like Time Bandits, The NeverEnding Story, Excalibur, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Legend, The Beastmaster, Krull, Ladyhawke and The Fall.

[@quantumparadox2518]

I just subscribed so I’ll definitely be on the hunt for that

[@TheDRODOR]

We need part 3

[@joezar33]

10:37 hey yo ?!?! how u going too forget about *Subotai* Archer & Thief played by Gerry Lopaz ? Greatest Wingman side kick in fiction

[@StarskyBuba]

Great stuff. Thanks. Some real classics in the lot. Shame we don't seem able to make movies like that anymore.

[@snorpenbass4196]

The funniest part about Flash Gordon is how they actually managed to bring the original comics to life - the vibrant colors, the designs, even the cheesy bits. They didn't "update" the look to fit the new post-Star Wars vibe everyone else was going for, they went full on bright colors and gold everywhere. I have a few old collections of the colorized versions of the comic strips, and they look _exactly_ like the movie.

[@snorpenbass4196]

As for The Adventures of Baron Münchhausen, the movie actually uses a lot of the original tall tales gathered way back in the 1700's - which in turn were liberally "borrowed" from humorists of ancient Greece and Rome (mainly "A True Story" by Lucian/Lukianos). The framing story is original to the movie, but the rest is pure nonsense as told by a big fat charming liar.

[@waynezimmerman1950]

@@snorpenbass4196 my favorite story from his collection was where Munchhausen was travelling on horseback through a terrible storm; somewhere in Russia(from my failing memory of it) when he came upon an unexpected towering snow mound. Deciding to take some rest under this very welcome wind break, the baron tied his horse to what he thought was an exposed tree limb. Upon waking to a sunny morning our adventurer was surprised to discover most of the snowfall had already melted away. He was further astonished when instead of a barren wasteland, instead there was a church from whose steeple his horse now dangled. 👍

[@sonyasandoval1477]

I still love Flash Gordon, cheese and all. In fact, I can't hear the word "Flash" without wanting to go "Ah Ahhh!" How about you?

[@CreatureFlicks573]

That's not really true. Flash Gordon (1980) took a lot from Star Wars and was updated for early 80's sensibilities. The tone changed from straight adventure to more overtly comedic and "campy" which was the reputation of the franchise at the time and comedy was also a slightly apparent element in Star Wars. The locations and the costumes were also mostly influenced by 60's fashion and even some Star Wars touches. Even a certain amount of the special effects and designs took from Star Wars, more or less. Dale Arden became slightly more active and "stronger" like Leia. It was totally updated to fit the times and post-StarWars genre cinema.

[@WalfridoFraticelli]

My favorite movie. Yes is campy, but a lot of FUN

[@quantumparadox2518]

I’d throw in She, Krull, the beastmaster, ladyhawke, the death stalker films, but I love all the films on this list for sure. Staples of my childhood

[@danielchapman6032]

Those are all great movies. Ladyhawke is one of my favorites. A forgotten classic.

[@leespiderpod]

Ladyhawke is a masterpiece i appreciate more as an adult

[@zshakur]

Krull, Beast Master, Legend and that movie with the villain "Over Dog"...CLASSICS!!!

[@Underrated-Cinema]

Great choices! I've actually covered Krull, the Beastmaster, and Ladyhawke in another fantasy video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpCqd5eefdCUeJI

[@kontrarien5721]

Space Hunter!@@zshakur

[@martineldritch]

Excalibur was a personal favorite, and Ladyhawke

[@ToeCutter0]

I'm not quite sure how Excalibur or Legend weren't included here. You just can't say "80's fantasy film" without them. I was pleased to see Baron Munchausen included though. That film was criminally underrated.

[@Underrated-Cinema]

Excalibur and Legend are indeed iconic 80s fantasy films. I've actually included them in another fantasy video. And I couldn't agree more about Baron Munchausen - it's definitely an underrated gem! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpCqd5eefdCUeJI

[@alexandretorres5087]

I think that Ladyhawke is very underrated. Modern viewers don't stand the soundtrack, but the movie is awesome. Excalibur was not underrated at all, holds very well nowadays.

[@Sirchud68]

Fire and Ice, Heavy Metal, Wizards… Can’t forget the animated classics…

[@Farold_Haltermeyer]

My Dad worked on a few of those, happy memories of going to work with him and wondering Elstree and Pinewood studios and seeing many of the others being prepped or shot. An amazing time for cinema...and glad I’m not alone in viewing the LotR films as being the death knell for analogue filmic experiences

[@waynezimmerman1950]

Clash of The Titans was the swan song; of sorts, for Harryhausen(who would still be consulted forever by those fans who would become movie idols themselves). My only issue with Clash was the studio decision to spend more money on big name cameos(for the Gods) instead of letting Ray go wild on the creature FXs; which were fine. The previous Jason & The Argonauts(1963); my very favorite among his movies, did it and still brought in amazing actors. A personal fan moment is that back in the early 90s I met Ray at a sci fi con in Philadelphia, PA(Philcon). I had come out of the dealers room; having just bought a book on the man and his movies, when I spotted him standing against a wall; by himself. I politely asked if he could sign my book and Ray did; before giving a smile as he told me that his handlers would be coming by to take him to dinner, but we could chat until then. It turned out to be the most amazing half hour; just two artists(one pro and one struggling) going on about the craft; with Ray more interested in my projects as discussing his own.

[@Kev_Cos]

Thanks for the great story. Ray was a true visionary, I haven't seen Jason & the Argonauts in years. It used to be on a Sunday afternoon all the time during the 90s when I was growing up and I loved it and his other movies.

[@waynezimmerman1950]

@@Kev_Cos I use a scene from Jason to shut down people who keep trash talking older film effects. It's the one where the blind seer Phineus kept getting harassed by harpies. If you watch it online, watch the whole sequence and see if you can catch where the pass between actor and animation occurs. His work is that good.

[@ScrewyDriverTheMan]

ERIK the VIKING, 1989 hardly anybody knows about it, which is the weirdest thing. It's one of my faves. What Terry Jones managed to do with it was remarkable, actually.

[@psysonichedgehog]

Love that movie! I've always thought "The Fall of Hy-Brasil" is a sadly hilarious metaphor for inaction against climate change.

[@Underrated-Cinema]

I actually had it on my initial list, but unfortunately, it didn't make the final cut for this particular compilation. Still, it's fantastic to know it's one of your favorites!

[@adambowman5964]

Dude I loved Erik the Viking!

[@ScrewyDriverTheMan]

@@Underrated-Cinema Yeah I 😍it so much !

[@oldoneeye7516]

it is a terrible, terrible viking movie. Maybe it is good as pure fantasy, but i can not "blend out" my love for history and reenacrment while watching. Whoever designed the costumes should be put on the rack. But to give it credit: modern viking shows and movies are not better, rather even worse.

[@marijandesin8226]

Time Bandits, The Princess Bride, Excalibur, Red Sonia and don't froget The Barbarians twin brothers 😂 if you want a good laugh

[@JJJulesToo]

The Dark Crystal, Neverending Story, Beastmaster, Krull, Red Sonya, Ladyhawke, The Last Unicorn, Excalibur, The Black Cauldron....all the stuff of childhood dreams and nightmares.

[@Art-is-craft]

Throw Star Wars in there as well for large scale epic.

[@Original50]

I heard that, if you say 'Red Sonja' three times, your trousers explode! 🥴

[@fishman1347]

I think beastmaster should be on the list

[@kaysmith8992]

Dark Crystal definitely helped to prepare kids for real horror films as they got older.

[@wbbartlett]

War Wick and his brother Candle Wick set off on an adventure. Pronunciation pedantry aside, this was a great list.

[@chichiboypumpi]

I love all the movies featured here, Willow, Dragonslayer, and Baron Munchausen being top

[@adrianbuckvideo]

You missed out Ladyhawke (1985) starring Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Broderick IMHO the most romantic fantasy of the 80s with some iconic scenes, one even copied in a Game of Thrones episode. This was Hauer's character riding his horse defiantly into a church right up to the alter. The sound of hooves on the stone is the only soundtrack needed. Charles Dance does the same in GoT (with the same emphasis on the sound of hooves on stone) but this time in the Throne room right up to the throne where Joffrey is sitting somewhat intimidated by his grandfather unexpected presence.

[@Underrated-Cinema]

Thanks for mentioning 'Ladyhawke'! It's one of my favorites too, and I completely agree with you about its romantic and iconic scenes. Actually, it's already included in Part 1 of our list: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpCqd5eefdCUeJI I completely forgot about that scene from Game of Thrones. And speaking of favorite scenes, one of mine in Ladyhawke is when the hawk is injured, and Hauer's character kneels on the ground, praying.

[@flaggerify]

Unwatchable.

[@martabachynsky8545]

For the longest time, Ladyhawke was my favorite movie. I saw it when I was in high school, and when the credits rolled, a lot of people in the movie theater applauded. I think it took Braveheart to blow it out of the water. Still, it is one of my favorite movies of all time.

[@adambowman5964]

I love Baron Muchausen. And Flash Gordon was so underrated. The score by Queen was epic and still one of my favorites. I loved Willow. I thought it was so well made. I had high hopes for Willow series. But they kind of dropped the ball.

[@Underrated-Cinema]

I share your sentiments about the Willow series. It's unfortunate that it didn't quite live up to expectations.

[@tro8191]

Had such a huge crush on Princess Aura I saved up from my paper route to but the Flash Gordon poster just for her!! ❤️

[@Aethgeir]

@@Underrated-Cinema I don't know, my expectations were pretty low and it still fell short.

[@atp962]

Legend. Tom Cruise, Tim Curry, Mia Sara and more. Currently free 3/10/24 on KZbin.

[@acewickhamyoshi8330]

Oh yes ,, Legend was free til 2020.. it seems that Samsung tv had it for 3 years , then bots removed non 4K versions

[@chinabluewho]

When Dragon slayer came out it caused a big ruckus as there was brief nudity alot of violence so Disney created Touchstone so they could keep making more adult style films.

[@AnytimeBaby78]

I looked for Hawk the Slayer so long , nobody remebered the movie , felt like i was the crazy one for recalling some scenes but nobody else did , thank you so much for this list

[@GKViddingHD]

Return to Oz made me shiver even as an adult. ♥ Thank you for your Top 10

[@jeryth057]

I had a nightmare about the Wheelers

[@GKViddingHD]

I liked them, they looked like cool punks. But the queen with her many heads, now that was creepy.@@jeryth057

[@juliusfrauenglass2411]

@@jeryth057 It is a mishmash of the 2nd and 3rd Oz books , and yes the wheelers are a crazy frightening thing but they can't do stairs.

[@peterhaslund]

Conan the Barb is actually one of my fave films. I watched it as a teen and the first scenes scared me but I closed my eyes and boldly ventured on, eyes glued to the screen, right til the ghastly end. Written and directed by a triplet of geniuses: Robert E. Howard, John Milius and Oliver Stone, it's still great today. Like a Casablanca where you expect nothing and get... everything!

[@patrickridley7102]

One of my favorites from this period was Time Bandits. Who remembers that one?

[@acewickhamyoshi8330]

I liked impersonating the accents , si ralph richardson,, Ian Holme , who did Dreamchild ,,.. the art style genre,,

[@shawnvogt888]

Saw it in the theater.

[@RetroFutureArts]

Wow I'm just blown away by how visually striking Return to Oz is. I would never even have considered watching it because of its title (and obviously its underlying universe) but now I absolutely have to get it. Thanks!

[@shawnvogt888]

Have you never read the books? They're a bit darker than what people expect.

[@kaysmith8992]

It's on my list to rewatch as an adult after 30 years - I remember finding it quite cold and creepy when I was a kid, but then those films often age the best.

[@Plantsandtoyhorses]

Funny about Hawk the Slayer, back in the day, we joked saying "are you sure they didnt just secretly film a bunch of LARPers?" Me my brother and our friends all used to do medieval/fantasy play, where we'd craft weapons out of foam, wood shilds and armor. So I guess we were the pot calling the kettle black!🤣

[@thecandlemaker1329]

Gilliam's take on the adventures of Baron Munchausen was actually inspired by an earlier Czech adaptation by Karel Zeman, of whom Gilliam is a big fan. The Czech version is equally worth tracking down for all lovers of fantasy cinema, as is much of the rest of Zeman's filmography. You could really see the origin of Gilliam's signature style.

[@MrTureson]

"a period when storytelling was as boundless as our dreams, and special effects served the story, not the other way around" sadly words that have been forgotten by Hollywood and others.

[@DingoDin]

Yes to all on this list! ❤ Part 3, please? New sub here, can’t wait for more! I could write an essay on 80s fantasy but I think you’ll do it better ✨

[@JoeyChilango]

Wonderful video. I really hope to see this channel grow.

[@Underrated-Cinema]

Thanks a lot! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@peloquin5652]

my faves are KRULL and Legend

[@adambowman5964]

Both are two of my favorites and totally underrated. Legend was visually amazing and should have won an Oscar. Plus, it had an awesome musical score. Krull was awesome too. I loved the glaive.

[@BarbaricWizard]

Amazing! Thank you for this video❤

[@windsorSJ]

What about Labrynth? I think the best fantasy movie.

[@Underrated-Cinema]

I've actually included them in another fantasy video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpCqd5eefdCUeJI

[@adambowman5964]

I loved Labrynth! I totally fell in love with Jennifer Connelly.

[@DawlessHouseMusic]

Dragonslayer was a big deal when I was a kid.

[@socksieboy01]

Excalibur and The Beastmaster should have been in this list.

[@Underrated-Cinema]

I've actually included them in another fantasy video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpCqd5eefdCUeJI

[@trevor7861]

Excalibur is one of the best movies of all time! That’s a fact

[@stvbrsn]

Excalibur might be better categorized as historical fiction than fantasy. “Historical fantasy?”

[@PainfullySubjective]

wow. what an incredible list! thank you!

[@AndreComtois]

Dragonslayer and Clash of the Titans were cornerstones of my childhood.

[@Mancada100]

Willow was amazing! It was very popular during the 80s and the closest thing we got to LOTR before LOTR.

[@TheDRODOR]

The dark crystal was a great movie too!!

[@TheGamerZapocalypse]

The 1980 FLASH GORDON, DRAGONSLAYER and CONAN THE BARBARIAN movies Truly Great stories with inspiring endings and a joy to watch...Timeless!

[@alainrocheve1501]

Best YT video of the day, and I saw a lot today ... Thanks !

[@lesigh1749]

I have seen all of these except the first one which I had never heard of. It was a golden age for fun escapism in movies.

[@madisonhasson8981]

Return to Oz gave me nightmares. I only saw it once in '86 and didn't stop having nightmares staring the pumpkin head man until the very early '90's.

[@dreamguardian8320]

The 80's, the golden age where fantasy and adventure movies were truly magical and exciting, and both 2D and Stop-Motion animation were classics and popular, unlike today. I for one am lucky and glad I was born during that golden age.

[@agenger1ofsuperclubpenguin326]

7:35 There's no place like our movie Return to Oz. We remember.

[@sleuthentertainment5872]

If you look for adventure/fantasy movies nothing better than the 80s. Labyrinth, Yor, Legend, Excalibur, The Neverending Story, Dune, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dreamscape, The Last Starfighter, Big Trouble in Little China, Clash of the Titans, Legend of the 8 Samurai, The Warrior and the Sorceress, A Chinese Ghost Story...

[@KristineMaitland]

The funny thing is I did not recognize the actor playing Galen in Dragonslayer years later when he was in Numb3rs.

[@VampireJerome]

Remember Him In Ghostbusters 2?

[@Thrashedcrow]

Great list! So many more like Ice Pirates and Time Bandits, this list could be miles long!

[@dblackzilla]

80's was the greatest decade for Movies & Music.

[@alexandretorres5087]

Make a 70 list! Zardoz, Jabberwocky, The Hobbit (animated), etc

[@Underrated-Cinema]

That's a great idea! A 70s list sounds like a good addition. I'll definitely consider it for a future video. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@tro8191]

The Hobbit animated! 👍👍 Still hun “Gollum’s Riddle” sometimes!!!😊

[@adrianmontoya1834]

Ive watched all 3 of these and they're all great. Ive got several on my list of must watch plus some to revisit!!

[@marijandesin8226]

Can testify that The quest for fire still holds up in 2024 🔥

[@kaysmith8992]

Which platform did you watch it on, may I ask? I watched it on Amazon and the highest video quality was awful.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

This is fantastic

[@verenceable]

Krull ❤ The DARK Chrystal ❤❤The Princess Pride ❤ Neverending Story of course …. There are so many iconic Movies at the 80ies

[@candjim]

I really love and have a soft spot for 'The Sword and the Sorcerer' (1982).

[@darrinwebber4077]

Quest For Fire. One of my all time favorites. And it had dialogue... Two distinct languages in fact.

[@carlosdelcampo119]

Excellent! Not many people talk about Baron Munchausen. I was only 10 when the movie came out and my parents took me to the movie theater to see it.

[@shawnvogt888]

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen was excellent.

[@pauljarrold7912]

Could you please do an animation list fantasy from the 80s. The secrets of nimh, A flight of dragons, The black cauldron, Starchacer the legend od Orin, the last unicorn, Heavy metal and the Dark crystal to name some.

[@Underrated-Cinema]

I'm already considering it, and interestingly, most of the animations you mentioned are already on my list!. Your input further solidifies my choices. Much appreciated!

[@shawnvogt888]

Love all of the animation listed, man. You have great taste.

[@rosalialabares5489]

thanks for sharing, i grew up with these movies....

[@mtpstv94]

Willow, Return to Oz... two amazing movies. I have no idea how many times I watched those as a kid and still do occasionally. I recall Dragonslayer being a bit interesting but I didn't spend a lot of time watching it. Saw that it was on and caught parts quite often though. Flash Gordon though? Cringe.

[@annalieff-saxby568]

I always wondered if anyone else remembered "Hawk the Slayer", and now I know.

[@radovanprstojevic1060]

Hawk the Slayer....maaan, i've been lookin for this for ages!! 🙏

[@SpelCastrMax]

Jack Pumpkinhead wasn't really cowardly. He was a large child

[@Makoto03]

This was fantastic and nostalgic.

[@shakespeare4bears]

Ron Perlman really didn’t need any makeup for that role

[@inhumanmusic1411]

Really. I took one look at him and recognized him.

[@mixedhairless]

I am so lucky to have seen all of these films on your list in the cinema on their theatrical release. I didn’t like some of these, but the majority IMO still hod up today 2024 .

[@roseNthorn]

I’m adding my 3 favorites Red Sonja, Legend, and The Beastmaster.

[@oldoneeye7516]

I was itching along watching your list, telling myself again and again "why doesnt he mention Conan and Willow?" Even though (or maybe, because?) I am a total Tolkien "fanatic", i regard both movies as better fantasy movies than the LotR movies. The reason for this was said by you - those movies were all about the story, not to show pretty pictures. The Argonath will always send a shiver down my spine when i see the tiny boats of the fellowship between it. But the movies do not catch the incredible story of the books. Even Flash Gordon did a much better job of catching the feeling of the original.

[@dane3038]

Vermithrax IS a dragon from GoT. Listen to Danny's brother's accounting of the lineage of dragon's ( the hot tub scene ) and he drops the name.

[@FluppyBagoo4016]

What about the NeverEnding story??

[@adambowman5964]

I have mixed feeling about it. The musical score was great. My favorite scene was when Atreyu was rescued by Fuchur in the Swamp of Sadness. Did you see the sequels? Wikes!

[@dustinhellstern7728]

For me, I was a bit of a Pscyhedelic experimenter- all throughout High🏫. So, “RETURN TO OZ” is a SØŁiD #1 w/ a very distant 2nd…which would be, “CØŅÅŅ btw…It’s waaay more than just mild nostalgia. I promise you!!

[@StevenLolli]

so good. thank you

[@RetroRobotRadio]

Loved Hawke, Conan, Clash, Flash and Dragonslayer.

[@thehoundsoftindalos8456]

I agree wholeheartedly with this list!

[@r8chlletters]

Yeah I’d retitle this and add quite a few more…I can easily think of a dozen other films that are missing

[@Kaiju-Driver]

Solid list, but to be fair there is soooo many great films!

[@lauralynn9053]

The. Beast master and Krull were my favorite

[@user-jo2sq4nd7u]

好きな映画があった。 見てない映画もあって 見たくなった! ありがと。 There is movies these are my love.also these are never seen .I want watch them! Thank you.

[@tomioka_giyuu_isnot_depres9597]

Saw dragon slayer in the theater. It was crazy to see as a kid.

[@namibuburderoch3965]

Oh dear, you left out one of the greatest 80's fantasy classics of all, Fire and Ice (1983). It even used live-motion to create its animation. Run, don't walk, to watch it on YT, where it's currently free.

[@Underrated-Cinema]

Thank you for your comment! Fire and Ice (1983) is actually already included in my upcoming video. Stay tuned to see it featured!

[@Vlabar]

Conan, Clash of the Titans and Flash Gordon were some of my favorite movies growing up. They hold up well. The remake of Clash of the Titans makes me hope they never remake any of the others on this list.

[@kaysmith8992]

It's such a pity that Flash Gordon is judged more for the campness than the beautiful set designs and soundtrack.

[@rubberneckinc.8937]

"GORDON'S ALIVE!" "Go Flash go! Go Flash go!"

[@SoonGone]

Weird title. Great video. I'm adding some of these to my watchlist. 👍 Poor old Warrick Davis, i mean Warwick Davis. Nobody outside of Britain knows how to pronounce his name.

[@kaysmith8992]

I laugh as a Brit but then in fairness, these names were probably more phonetically pronounced in the old days, in order to be spelt like that :)

[@AmalijaKomar]

I would like to see the Return to Oz movie. I've never heard of it. As a kid, I loved Willow and Conan . The first one would like to see very much again. Can't remember it more than just as a great impression.

[@JohnnyOstentatious]

I somehow never caught TIME BANDITS or DRAGONSLAYER growing up. Just bought 'em on Blu-ray.

[@MaskedMan66]

People too often draw a false connection between _Return to Oz_ and the 1939 MGM adaptation of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," not to mention talking as if those are the only two Oz movies ever made. The truth is that RtO is about the twelfth or thirteenth Oz-based movie. And Jack Pumpkinhead is not cowardly.

[@rhinox3474]

Fun fact After Ming was defeated he decided to take up being a Brewmeister

[@McPoshSquatch]

One of my favorite movies, Strange Brew. I believe it's still free to watch on KZbin!🤔

[@mandelbot5318]

Great list, but… I confess I haven’t seen (or indeed heard of) ‘Quest for Fire’, but the description and footage included here make it seem more like historical fiction than fantasy. Are there fantastical elements in the movie not highlighted here?

[@Underrated-Cinema]

You're right! 'Quest for Fire' is more about historical fiction than fantasy, focusing on prehistoric times.

[@tro8191]

U are correct but man is it ever a great movie! As a 10 yr old punk who just wanted to ride my BMX bike, my brother dragged me along to the movies to see it and man, was I on the edge of my seat!!!

[@billybarnett2846]

I believe there was a animated version of Return To Oz and it was presented by the SFM Holiday Network.

[@kittentacticalwarfare1140]

Unrelated tangent, but Quest for Fire proves that we could get a Predator movie without humans, no subtitles to their language and still would be a banger.

[@iloveblue7920]

NO 5, a movie we never needed, and i think it bombed like Quest for Fire

[@jc3drums916]

Judi Bowker 😍

[@StarskyBuba]

The Beastmaster & Krull or also worthy mentions.

[@Underrated-Cinema]

You can find both Krull and The Beastmaster in Part 1 of our list: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpCqd5eefdCUeJI

[@StarskyBuba]

@@Underrated-Cinema Ah. Sorry. I wasn't aware this was part 2. Good work.

[@philip2010]

I love all these movies ❤❤❤❤there all awesome the critics can say what they want but they don't make movies like this anymore these are underated they deserved way more recognition than what they got but they made my teenage life great 😮😅

[@silentm999]

Legend belongs here too

[@texterity3873]

Back then, the greatest special effect was a decent script.

[@JohnSmith-pj6wb]

the best villian of this time was the dark lord in legend played by tim curry....epic make up and costume and epic performance

[@fordprefect80]

The macabre nature of Sword And The Sorcerer terrorised me as a ten year old. I had to cover my eyes on a couple of occasions, but it didn't seem to affect my school friends who were seated next to me.

[@theiggy1474]

I still think his name is Martigan. He got the nickname "Mad" Martigan during battle.

[@Vlabar]

I would rewatch any of these movies rather than go to the theater today

[@kennethlivingston9108]

I own 4 of these movies & I'm getting 1 more (...Baron Munchausen)!

[@yarbles67]

The Keep - amazing film. i consider it fantasy but maybe it's not by some standards.

[@Frank_42]

I don't know that these films were all underrated, and many of them were reasonably well known. There were a lot of critics and people in general that didn't really take fantasy films seriously and would have sold them short based on their own high standards for what constitutes good literature. Even the iconic Conan was derided by some critics including Siskel and Ebert, though it was well known and loved by its fans. It's actually only recently that fantasy and sci-fi films were taken seriously as money makers that would captivate the general public. They were often seen by executives as expensive to make side-genres that were occasionally successful at the box office but not always.

[@hagmann65]

Background music is?