There is a lot of great fantasy movie series. The problem with all these is, as fantasy book series contains a lot of worldbuilding and detail, it is never easy to reproduce all of it faithfully in the movie adaptation. But as we all have a lot of indoor time to kill during quarantine, it can be a great idea to revisit these best adventure fiction and urban fantasy movie series of all time with friends or family.
The Twilight Saga
| Synopsis of The Twilight Saga: | High-school student Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), always a bit of a misfit, doesn’t expect life to change much when she moves from sunny Arizona to rainy Washington state. Then she meets Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a handsome but mysterious teen whose eyes seem to peer directly into her soul. Edward is a vampire whose family does not drink blood, and Bella, far from being frightened, enters into a dangerous romance with her immortal soulmate. |
| My Take: | After watching the first movie I was told that the books were much better and as such, I read the series and I must say that the books make the movies look absolutely horrible. There is such a lack of depth in the movies and so little being explained that it leaves drastic gaps in the story. There were several things that bugged me quite a bit in the second movie, but overall speaking I feel that it is still worth watching. Read my full review ‘Why Is The Twilight Saga: New Moon A Good Movie?’ next. |
Avatar
| Synopsis of ‘Avatar‘: | When his brother is killed in a robbery, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully decides to take his place in a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns of greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge’s intentions of driving off the native humanoid “Na’vi” in order to mine for the precious material scattered throughout their rich woodland. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na’vi people with the use of an “avatar” identity. |
| My Take: | Phenomenal is a word that falls short in describing this movie. The visuals are ushering in a new era of CG that I welcome with open arms. Well scripted, well-acted, and all-around win. |
Coraline
| Synopsis of ‘Coraline‘: | When Coraline moves to an old house, she feels bored and neglected by her parents. She finds a hidden door with a bricked-up passage. During the night, she crosses the passage and finds a parallel world where everybody has buttons instead of eyes, with caring parents and all her dreams coming true. When the Other Mother invites Coraline to stay in her world forever, the girl refuses and finds that the alternate reality where she is trapped is only a trick to lure her. |
| My Take: | As a die-hard Tim Burton fan… I had to see this movie. Directly after leaving the theater I told myself that I would own it! On the surface, it is a children’s tale, but it has a sinister underlying quality making it creepy and awesome. |
Sherlock Holmes
| Synopsis of ‘Sherlock Holmes‘: | After finally catching serial killer and occult “sorcerer” Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again. Contending with his partner’s new fiancée and the dimwitted head of Scotland Yard, the dauntless detective must unravel the clues that will lead him into a twisted web of murder, deceit, and black magic. |
| My Take: | Serious yet funny and witty too. This movie had me laughing throughout, while also keeping me wondering what would happen next. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law played off of one another wonderfully. A must-see for sure. |
Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Extended
Synopsis of the ‘Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Extended’: | Well… all the plot summaries I could find for this long-winded tale take as long to read as it does to watch the films! So here is my super short trilogy summary. Frodo Baggins gets chosen to carry the burden of the evil “one ring” all the way to the fires of Mount Doom where it was forged. Many wartime events transpire throughout the trilogy and lives are lost. It all boils down to a really long walk to a big volcano though. |
| My Take: | My summary might make it sound as if I don’t like the trilogy, but I love it. The extended edition of the Lord of the Rings especially, because you get to see the extra footage that helps to flesh out some of the stories and it is very valuable indeed. If you have about 12 hours to spend then you should consider this to entertain you. |
Zombieland
| Synopsis of ‘Zombieland‘: | The horror-comedy Zombieland focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. Columbus is a big wuss — but when you’re afraid of being eaten by zombies, fear can keep you alive. Tallahassee is an AK-toting, zombie-slaying badass whose single determination is to get the last Twinkie on earth. As they join forces with Wichita and Little Rock, who have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem, they will have to determine which is worse: relying on each other or succumbing to the zombies. |
| My Take: | This movie had me laughing pretty hard. Woody Harrelson was especially fantastic and made me want a Twinkie… and I hate Twinkies! |
Wanted
| Synopsis of Wanted: | The anxious, clumsy, and abused office clerk Wesley Gibson has a boring routine life: his obese boss humiliates him and his girlfriend betrays him with his colleague and best friend. When he meets the sexy Fox, Wesley is informed that his father was a professional killer that belonged to an ancient organization called Fraternity and was killed by the skilled and powerful Cross, a hit-man that has betrayed the Fraternity. Wesley learns that his anxiety actually is a manifestation of his latent abilities and he joins the society under the command of Sloan. Trained by Fox, he changes his personality and attitude, becoming prepared to face the dangerous Cross and find a hidden secret. |
| My Take: | Everything about this movie has a sleek and sexy feel to it, from the high-energy car chases, the fast-paced fight scenes, and the killer soundtrack. Wanted is a badass addition to any movie collection. |
Harry Potter Series
| Synopsis of the ‘Harry Potter Series’: | The novels revolve around Harry Potter, an orphan who discovers at the age of eleven that he is a wizard. Wizard ability is inborn, but children are sent to Wizarding School to learn the magical skills necessary to succeed in the wizarding world. Harry is invited to attend the boarding school called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each movie chronicles one year in Harry’s life, and most of the events take place at Hogwarts. As he struggles through adolescence, Harry learns to overcome many magical, social, and emotional hurdles. |
| My Take: | I have never read the books, although I do intend to, I have seen every movie thus far (and eagerly await the next movies!). Ultimately I think that they couldn’t have found a better cast of actors to bring these characters to life, and the special effects are masterful, to say the least. For an intense and entertaining story, Hogwarts is the place to be. |
The Guild
| Synopsis of The Guild: | This is a series about an online guild of friends who live in the local area but only know each other through their online alter-egos. Cyd/Codex (Felicia Day) is struggling with an addiction to their current MMO, dealing with a psychiatrist who “breaks up with her” and a gnome warlock who shows up at her front door thinking they are romantically involved. Codex then decides it’s time to get the help of her guildies and things get tricky from there. |
| My Take: | I loved this show so much. To keep this simple and short… hilarious and you should watch it! |
Bones
| Synopsis of Bones: | Brilliant, but socially inept, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperence Brennan works at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington DC. After consulting for him on an FBI case, she is approached by ex-Army Ranger turned Special Agent, Seeley Booth to help the Bureau solve crimes by identifying human remains that are too far gone for standard FBI forensic investigations. Brennan’s empirical, literal view of the world causes friction with Booths’ emotive, instinctive attitude creating a volatile relationship. As their caseload increases, the symbiotic partnership produces results and with the support of Brennan’s Squint Squad murderers (past and present) should be on the lookout. |
| My Take: | Opposites really do attract and I am completely drawn in by this series. If you get queasy at the sight of gore then this might not be right for you, but otherwise, you are doing yourself a disservice not to watch it! |
Supernatural
| Synopsis of Supernatural: | When Sam and Dean Winchester were just kids, their mother was horribly murdered in front of their father by something “supernatural”. Their lives were never the same again. After their mother’s murder, their father took an interest in the supernatural and the unexplained and raised the boys as warriors with skills to fight back against the unknown and protect the innocent. 22 years later, as Sam and Dean grew up, their father suddenly disappears on a supposedly routine supernatural hunt. Sam and Dean search for their father and along the way help anyone with a supernatural problem with the help from their dad’s journal that contains most of his knowledge about the supernatural that he had accumulated over his 22 years of non-stop obsessive hunting. |
| My Take: | Brotherhood is exemplified in this series with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles representing the best of bickering, fighting, and loyalty that siblings have to offer. The effects are surprisingly well done for TV, and the soundtrack can’t be beaten. |
These are the best as they influenced me a lot. They are not just a book adapted to a movie. They can have a pretty good impact on adults too.
If you want to learn more about my taste and preferences, find more of my lists here.