Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of Peter Pan & Wendy, which features the fairy Tinker Bell, we’re counting down our favorite movies featuring fairies! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
In some ways, Peter Pan might be the number one film with fairies. That’s because there might not be a more iconic fairy in literature, film, or pop culture than Tinker Bell. Hell, how many fairies do you even know by name that if you said that name in general conversation, other people would actually know who you are talking about? That’s the impact, the legacy, of this film and this character. When you get into the movie itself, well, there are major issues. Let’s just say this movie hasn’t aged well and is culturally insensitive in big ways. Outside of that, though, this film tells one of the most beloved coming-of-age stories ever made, as it dazzles us with swashbuckling, fantasy, and song. It features memorable and iconic scenes that are still referenced to this day. What’s really impressive, however, is how this movie, despite its flaws, has managed to remain one of the better cinematic adaptations of Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up as this story has been adapted many times due to its rights lying in public domain. If you can set aside this film’s issues, then you can have a good time. Maybe, with enough pixie dust, you can even fly… (Heath Lynch)
It’s been over 20 years, but Baz Luhrmann still hasn’t managed to direct something as perfect as Moulin Rouge! But it may just be my bias talking, as Moulin Rouge! has been in my top five for quite some time now. Why, you may ask? Because of its insanity. This film mixes everything: classical music with contemporary, absinth with fairies (portrayed by Kylie Minogue!), and has one banger after another. The first 20 to 30 minutes won’t even let you breathe, as it starts on a very high, almost hyper-like note, and it doesn’t slow down until the hats get thrown in the air by the men patrons of Moulin Rouge. And by that time, you will know whether you are in or out. If you are in, you will witness one of the best love stories, portrayed by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor (their chemistry was sparking in this film), and dare say one of the best, most insanely edited films of all time, too. Just the “El Tango De Roxanne” scene alone is proof of how quick-cut editing should be done, and that there is a place for it in a modern cinema if used as a narrative device. I can’t compliment this film enough, but as I mentioned, my bias is clearly showing. I have seen this film multiple times, and still can’t seem to get bored watching it. It’s the best musical ever made, in my eyes. (Luke Burian)
In 2001, DreamWorks released perhaps its best animated feature up to that point: Shrek. Then they knew they had to have a followup, so in 2004 they released Shrek 2. Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are now married, and are living their happy ogre life, when Fiona’s parents, King (John Cleese) and Queen (Julie Andrews), invite Shrek and Fiona to Far Far Away to bless their marriage. With every sequel, we need exciting new characters, and Shrek 2 spares no expense. We get Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), who was promised to Fiona, Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders), who delivers the iconic performance of “I Need a Hero,” and finally, the legendary Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas). Eddie Murphy also returns with his lovable talking Donkey as Shrek’s sidekick and best friend. DreamWorks goes full chaotic with this sequel, not only delivering a fantastic movie but also expanding the fairytale land, and being extremely meta; never gets old. Growing up, I wore out my VHS copies of both movies. These films may be crude and gross at times, but they are still some of the best animated features to come from DreamWorks. Fairy Godmother is an iconic character, and her role as the villain just elevates this movie. (Austen Terry)
As someone who saw The Nutcracker ballet performed annually growing up, the Sugar Plum Fairy was the epitome of beauty and grace in the Land of Sweets. It was where the heroine of the play finished her journey — literally the dancer of her dreams. Sugar plums are so sweet, they’re what children dream of the night before Christmas. Then, The Cabin in the Woods came along and turned those dreams into a nightmare, with her visage transformed into a gaping maw with rows and rows of sharp teeth. The sendup of the horror formula follows a group of college students who vacation to the titular location, where they’re forced to fight for survival against the shadowy cabal that has conspired against unsuspecting teens for decades. Though not one of our main villains, the fairy is seen at points, and does get to have some fun during the climactic scene. Her screen time may be small, but it forever changed how I view a character who was a childhood staple. (Jake Bourgeois)
It seems fitting that this is my pick for this best ever challenge when my daughter is performing in a children’s play of Cinderella this coming weekend. The Fairy Godmother is Disney’s best fairy for a variety of reasons: She has an iconic song that is now almost 75 years old; she helps Cinderella realize her potential, while allowing her to realize her dreams, with a little bit of help; and she’s sassy, and doesn’t do anything to harm anyone else intentionally or otherwise. Cinderella is a story about a girl who struggles from the oppression of her cruel family, and without her Fairy Godmother, she doesn’t get away from them. Any fairy that can turn a pumpkin into a baller carriage is pretty great in my eyes. She makes her mark in a small amount of time and doesn’t overshadow the story. In the end, the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella is Disney’s greatest fairy and everyone else is just chasing after her. (Mike Hilty)
Have you experienced the beauty of Cartoon Saloon? It is one of the most impressive animation creators in the world, but not nearly enough people have seen their work. Their feature film journey started with The Secret of Kells. The gorgeous 2D animation is striking, and the culture/mythology is engrossing to say the least. It is a heartwarming and thrilling journey of a young man who connects with a shape-shifting fairy, while processing the heavy hand of his religious father. There are horrific moments of invasion and destruction. There are moving moments of the beauty of nature encompassing us in its embrace. Beauty is the single most impactful word that could be used to label this fantastical experience. The Celtic and Gaelic elements feel deeply unique in this modern animation landscape, and The Secret of Kells has set the tone for this animation house to make a unique and impressive splash in this competitive world of animation filmmaking. (Shane Conto)
2022 was, for better and for worse, the year of Pinocchio. We got a soulless live action remake from Disney, a dub of a Russian CGI adaptation starring Pauly Shore, and, most thankfully, a stop-motion animated film directed by Guillermo del Toro. Taking a darker look at the fairytale and leaning in on the setting of World War II era fascist Italy, del Toro brings Geppetto (David Bradley) to the forefront, as it focuses in on his grief following the loss of his son Carlo and his creation of Pinocchio (both voiced by Gregory Mann) to fill the void left behind. As Pinocchio, guided by Sebastian J. Cricket (Ewan McGregor), learns to go about life with a greater sense of responsibility, Geppetto must accept that Carlo isn’t coming back, and that he cannot hold the standard of his deceased son against Pinocchio. This story, and the animation through which it is told, are both breathtakingly beautiful, easily making this the best adaptation of the Pinocchio story since the 1940 Disney classic, and perhaps even surpassing that. Ultimately though, what I hope Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is most remembered for is helping to push how Hollywood perceives the medium of animation, not as a genre which only serves children, but as a style of filmmaking that can convey emotion and artistry in ways live action cannot. As del Toro said in his Oscar acceptance speech: “Animation is cinema … and animation is ready to be taken to the next step.” (Jake Hjort)
In 1936, Walt Disney, who had created Mickey Mouse just 15 years earlier, decided his character needed more screen time, and began developing a short called The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. When production costs began to climb for the short, it was decided that it would become a feature film to make back its money. Out of that came the all-time classic, Fantasia. Released in 1940, and considered to be a classic in the Disney catalog, the film has eight different sections. One of the most well-known shorts is an animation set to Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, in which the changing of the seasons is depicted through the use of nature, movement, and even some dancing fairies. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice may just be my favorite of the group, as well as the most iconic. Based on the Goethe poem Der Zauberlehrling, Mickey attempts some of his master’s spells, but things get out of hand. This short, of course, led to Disney using the indelible image of Mickey the sorcerer in countless ways throughout their brand; most notably, the sorcerer hat was the central hub for MGM Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World until 2015. Fantasia is a gorgeous, moving piece of animation that stands out as one of the most classic and well-made animated films ever made. (Jacob Kinman)
How did Cartoon Saloon expand their storytelling with their second fairytale full of Celtic mythos? Song of the Sea is another deeply moving and visually enticing experience that is great for the whole family. There are still thrilling and frightening moments (as there will be in all their tales), but those more mature moments meld so perfectly with the resonant themes and beauty of the piece. This is another tale of family and fanaticism, as a father must struggle with the reality of his familial dynamics. Director Tomm Moore captures Celtic wonder with the use of selkie, the faerie creatures of legend who shape shift. This family is sent on a dangerous journey when a powerful being interjects into an already challenging experience. This wondrous world of faeries explodes with all types of wondrous creatures, making this a wonderful mix of fantasy and familial drama. The heart is huge in this adventure, and will most likely leave you a bit teared up by the time the music and credits hit. (Shane Conto)
Pan’s Labyrinth is not your typical lighthearted fairytale, a word I’m only just realizing likely originates from tales about fairies. Guillermo del Toro is unparalleled in his ability to seamlessly blend bleak and desolate reality with whimsical, albeit macabre, fantasy. Pan’s Labyrinth is his greatest example of this — and his masterpiece overall — as it showcases Spain in 1944 just five years after its Civil War, along with a mythical land within an abandoned labyrinth. Ivana Baquero is brilliant as the young Ofelia, who is struggling with adjusting to a new lifestyle as she and her increasingly ill and pregnant mother move in with her stepfather, a truly horrific and corrupt captain. When the fantasy world comes calling, she embraces it in an instant. Whether it’s a product of the twisted environment she is growing up in, or it is inherent to her nature, Ofelia’s fearlessness is admirable. She is unfazed by terrifying, mythical creatures or crawling through swarms of gigantic bugs. The creatures feature some of the best practical design put to film. It’s funny how today’s CGI could easily create something that looks more realistic, but it could never make something that feels more realistic. The atmosphere is also enhanced by del Toro with creative camerawork, cuts, and transitions, especially the shot going from bed to womb to fantasy land and back to the bed, all while feeling like a tracking shot. Much like the original fairytales, this delightfully dark saga may be a bit too intense for kids. (Jason Mack)
Sleeping Beauty
If you thought Three Men were ill prepared to care for a Baby, you should see what happens when fairies give it a whirl (or is it twirl?). Pretty much everyone over the age of eight is familiar with the story of Sleeping Beauty at this point, but did you ever stop to think about exactly how different that tale would turn out if Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather were even just the tiniest bit adept at child rearing? Let’s face it, they went on a magic fast for 16 years and blew it just hours before the curse was set to be broken because they couldn’t possibly sew a dress, clean house, and bake a cake? It only took Daniel Day-Lewis a year to learn how to make a dress (by hand) when preparing for Phantom Thread, there’s no less than 12 junior baking competition shows currently streaming, and even a kindergartener can sweep and wash a plate, so what’s their excuse for “needing” to use their wands after all this time?! It’s insane! If they held out for one more afternoon, Diablo never would have seen the wand fight, exposing Aurora’s location, and ultimately leading to the entire kingdom falling into a deep sleep. So I guess it turns out fairies failing to follow through on forbidding the use of magic is the only reason the story gets interesting at all, considering they start waving wands 19 minutes in. Fabulously foolish fairies: making movie magic and plot progression since 1959. (Patrice Downing)
The Dark Crystal
So once more I dive into films I’ve never seen before, this week to watch 1982’s The Dark Crystal. Probably the most striking thing about this movie, and the part I honestly appreciate the most about it, is Jim Henson’s use of puppeteering for the majority of the film, with the characters all requiring multiple puppeteers off camera or within the costumes themselves to bring these characters to life. It’s a film where its practicality greatly helps make it all the more magical, with the Gelflings having a mystical and, in ways, fairy like style to them. With it being such a short movie, there isn’t much time to build the world, but the world building that is done, is greatly effective, and helps to serve Henson’s vision that while there are things that indeed can be scary, it doesn’t mean you can’t still strive to make the world a better place. (Joseph Davis)
Labyrinth
Jim Henson’s 1986 classic, Labyrinth, is truly a product of a bygone era. A time where, and I mean this with love, weirdo geniuses were allowed to create fantastical, quasi-horrifying worlds, stick David Bowie in very tight spandex, and market it as a kid’s movie. In this world, Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is an overly dramatic teenager whose one task is to babysit her infant brother. That is, until she accidentally gives the baby to Jareth the Goblin King (Bowie), is transported to his kingdom, and has to journey through an elaborate labyrinth full of obstacles and perils in order to get him back before midnight. When I was first introduced to Labyrinth in elementary school, I was both mesmerized and frightened all at once. Never had I seen something so beautifully grotesque, and from that day on I was hooked. This was something that, in my sheltered life, I had never been exposed to. However, the beauty of Labyrinth is it’s a movie that is also incredibly safe. It’s a fantasy adventure with goblins, fairies, trolls, talking dogs, and whatever Ludo is. Labyrinth is dark and yet comfortable; it’s strange from start to finish, but it never becomes so strange that it alienates the audience. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fantastic musical numbers performed by Bowie throughout. Labyrinth is a movie that everyone should see, young and old. However, I recommend young before adulthood robs you of the childlike wonder necessary to be completely taken by this movie. (Nick Ferro)
Rise of the Guardians
The same year as the first Avengers film, the Man in the Moon was also getting a team together in Rise of the Guardians. The premise here is that Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Sandman are a team that has to fight the Boogeyman (Jude Law) from time to time. But what happens if their team gets a recruit in Jack Frost (Chris Pine)? I instantly fell in love with this idea, and it made for some fun visuals and camaraderie between the Guardians. There’s a good window into what the Guardians’ jobs involve; we’ve seen tons of stories with Santa, but here we see what the Easter Bunny does to get all his eggs hidden, and how the Tooth Fairy collects so many teeth in a single night. These ideas make for many incredible sequences. The events take place around Easter, so this is technically an Easter film. Outside of films about the biblical story of Easter, there aren’t many of those. The voice cast in this is stellar across the board, but Law and Pine perform exceptionally well. The story is a bit trite with some of the tropes it uses: a chosen one, the bad guy trying to take over, and the children of the world not believing, but the look and feel of this make it an enjoyable experience. (John Tillyard)
Maleficent
As we know, Disney has been pumping out live action adaptations of their animated classics. Except in 2014, they retold 1959’s classic, Sleeping Beauty, through the eyes of Maleficent(an excellent Angelina Jolie) — a beautiful and powerful fairy over the Moors who was betrayed by King Stefan (a quivering but quite menacing Sharlto Copley). As Maleficent returns the favor, she curses Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) that on her 16th birthday, she’ll fall into a deep sleep and remain if she doesn’t receive her true love’s kiss. What wasn’t expected was Maleficent watching the young princess to keep her safe from the neglectful and bumbling pixies who care for her. Aurora lives a fulfilling life, while Stefan goes mad with destroying everything that is everything magical. His betrayal becomes hatred as Maleficent learns to open herself up again. We watch Maleficent care for this human, find her old self again, and ensure no harm comes to Aurora. The young princess reflects who Maleficent used to be and warms the fairy’s heart again. A true’s love kiss doesn’t have to be a love between a prince and a princess, but a love between a mother and child. (Chantal Ashford)
Also See: Hook, The Tooth Fairy, Legend, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Willow, Epic