‘80s Fantasy Movies Whose Special Effects Put Modern Blockbusters to Shame

Fantasy films have long captured the imaginations of audiences worldwide. With magical realms, otherworldly spectres, and mythical creatures, they tell rich and fascinating tales. With so many supernatural components contained within a fantasy movie, there is a real need for inventive and convincing special effects. If the presentation of the visual effects falls short, the illusion crumbles. Not only can poor effects bring viewers out of the world of the play, but they can also completely detract from any action taking place.

In the 1980s, movies were reliant on practical effects. Filmmakers used makeup and prosthetics, puppetry, lighting, and camera trickery to visualize some of cinema’s most ingenious concepts. Computer-generated imagery, or CGI, was in its infancy, and while CG enhanced certain scenes, the 80/20 or 90/10 ratio of physical to animated effects makes fantasy movies from the 1980s hold up remarkably well.

The risk of relying heavily on computer graphics is the human eye. It is a highly discerning instrument and adapts very quickly. Animation changes so rapidly that what looks groundbreaking to viewers now will look amateurish in as little as four years. For example, compare the graphics of Toy Story (1995) with Toy Story 2 (1999), and you can see a significant difference. In the 1980s, when CG was used sparingly, it made for some visually gripping and aesthetically pleasing movies. These 10 films have not only passed the test of time, but they have done so with flying colors, and they look far better than the majority of movies made today.

1 'The NeverEnding Story' (1984)

Based on the book by Michael Ende, The NeverEnding Story crosses multiple planes of existence. There is the magical realm of Fantasia and the real or mundane world. The NeverEnding Story has an inspired plot device in that the reader of the book has a chance to directly impact events taking place within the fantasy realm.

Although not as involved as the book, The NeverEnding Story is an excellent contribution to fantasy cinema that touches on deep, thematic elements of good vs. evil, complacency vs. action, and the power of imagination. The special effects in The NeverEnding Story enhance its ability to communicate a captivating narrative. Using puppetry to bring creatures like Falkor (Alan Oppenheimer) to life, the actors in The NeverEnding Story are able to engage with them in a way that is palpable. The NeverEnding Story’s visuals still hold up, and it remains as entertaining to watch now as it did over 40 years ago.

2 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' (1988)

Winning three Oscars, including ones for visual effects and film editing, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a timeless triumph. Set in Hollywood in the 1940s, the movie follows the titular Roger (Charles Fleischer), who is framed for murder. Roger enlists the help of a private detective named Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) to help him prove his innocence. The interesting dynamic of the featured duo is that Eddie is played by an actor, and Roger is a hand-drawn, animated rabbit.

Several movies have blended animation with live-action, but none has done it so well as Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It is one of the most ambitious fantasy movies ever made, and it still holds up today. By combining precision timing, line-of-sight cheats, and live props, the special effects are believable and engaging. Who Framed Roger Rabbit sought to discover what could be possible in filmmaking, and it changed the game forever.

3 'The Dark Crystal' (1982)

An antithesis of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal did not blend actors with nonhuman characters at all. Instead, it featured a cast of completely puppeteered performances. Henson and co-director Frank Oz are the best of the best when it comes to puppetry in Hollywood. Together, they managed to make one of the most inspired and ethereal movies of all time.

The Dark Crystal has multilayered worldbuilding and involves several races, like the innocent and brave Gelflings and the sinister, deceitful Skeksis. Altering the shapes and sizes of the creatures in The Dark Crystal conveyed clearly to the audience which ones were good and which ones were evil. Filming The Dark Crystal was a physically demanding performance for all of the puppeteers involved. A single Skeksis puppet weighed up to 80 pounds. Puppetry has been around for thousands of years for a reason, and The Dark Crystal is exemplary. Harkening back to some of the earliest puppeteering formats like Wayang golek or marionettes, The Dark Crystal removed humans from in front of the camera and, as such, the story holds up spectacularly well.

4 'Dragonslayer' (1981)

When two leading authorities on dragons and beasties say your dragon is epic, you can trust it. That is the case for the menacing, fire-breathing nightmare on wings that is Vermithrax Pejorative in Dragonslayer. George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon) and Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water) know a thing or two about creating visually engaging monsters, and both agree that the dragon in this 1981 cult classic is one of the best.

Vermithrax was a physical model that was then spliced into the live-action of the film for flying scenes. Then, life-sized pieces of the beast were fabricated for the cast to interact with. With the fantastic creature design by Industrial Light and Magic, every coloring, texture, and scar is fleshed out in exquisite detail. Decades before Smaug or Caraxes, Vermithrax was the slithery, flying horror that made viewers look to the skies with dread. This creature performance has lost none of its impact and is still thrilling to watch.

5 'Beetlejuice' (1988)

What if a house were inhabited by ghosts and haunted by the living? That is the intriguing, upside-down premise of Beetlejuice. In the movie, two ghosts named Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis) are desperate to have their beloved home rid of the new living humans who have moved in. After unsuccessfully trying to drive the newcomers out themselves, Adam and Barbara resort to a drastic measure by summoning the malevolent entity known as Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton).

When Betelgeuse appears on the scene, all hell breaks loose, quite literally. This classic Tim Burton flick is one of his earliest and widely celebrated accomplishments. By using stop-motion animation, prosthetics, and special effects makeup, Beetlejuice delivers on some truly creepy and quirky scares. In an interview with the New York Times, the returning cast for the long-anticipated sequel praised the use of practical effects that gave the first movie a “handmade quality.” Burton also said he believed practical effects help actors by giving them a better idea of what they are interacting with.

6 'Legend' (1985)

Rob Bottin is a master of makeup and special effects. Known for his work in movies such as The Thing, Total Recall, and RoboCop, his career has produced some gripping special effects performances. You would think that combining his genius with the other notable talents of director Ridley Scott and leading man Tom Cruise would be a sure recipe for a perfect movie, but alas, Legend falls short.

As I like to say, movie stars don’t make good movies; good movies make movie stars. Legend is a perfect example where, despite all of the aptitude, it failed to deliver a cohesive film that was fully realized. However, one thing that Legend is celebrated for is its phenomenal special effects. For this reason, Legend has become an influential work that has left its mark on the mise-en-scène of nearly every major fantasy project that followed. Legend may not be the best story, but it is a visually stunning movie that remains one of the best for visual effects in the entire genre, even now.

7 'Ghostbusters' (1984)

When New York City is beset by ghosts, who are they going to call? Ghostbusters. Privatizing spectral solution strategies, the intrepid team deals with spirits of all levels of maliciousness, from the seemingly benign to the clearly devious. Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray (Dan Aykroyd), Egon (Harold Ramis), and Winston (Ernie Hudson) work hard to make sure their beloved city stays safe.

The special effects in Ghostbusters are still believable and amusing to watch. The original film launched a successful franchise and took its place as a staple in geek and pop culture. Besides the excellent effects, the script, performances, and comedy bits are still spot-on. With its effective apparitions and comical overtones, Ghostbusters remains a highly entertaining movie to watch.

8 'Labyrinth' (1986)

A fan-favorite movie that combines hypnotic storytelling with dreamlike visuals is the David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly-starring epic Labyrinth. The plot follows the young and impulsive Sarah (Connelly) as she hastily wishes out loud for her baby brother to be sent to the Goblin kingdom. By the time Sarah regrets her actions, it is already too late. She must venture to the other realm and retrieve her infant sibling before he is lost forever.

Bowie is iconic as the Goblin King, and Connelly is irreplaceable as Sarah. Their performances are enhanced by the fantastic puppetry of Jim Henson and his team. Labyrinth remains a beloved fantasy film, and it is as enchanting to watch now as it ever was, thanks in no small part to the stellar special effects. As Collider’s Chris McPherson notes, “For many, the film represents the pinnacle of practical fantasy filmmaking, as it's unbelievably tactile, surreal, and emotionally resonant in ways CGI has rarely matched.”

9 'Poltergeist' (1982)

Another film on this list nominated for a Best Visual Effects Academy Award is Poltergeist. In the movie, a young family moves into a new home, but their American dream soon turns into a nightmare when they are terrorized by mean spirits. When the malicious entities capture their youngest daughter, the family must rally together and cross over to the other side to get her back.

Poltergeist’s special effects are truly terrifying. With the movie being set in a normal family home, not deep in a forest or inside a dark, winding cavern, there is nowhere for the victims or the audience to hide. The eerie effects are plain to see and are still unsettling to watch. Released two years before the PG-13 rating was invented, Poltergeist is still rated PG. However, this is one supernatural movie that you do not want to watch with the kids. Poltergeist’s enduring ability to scare viewers is a testament to the cast and crew’s hard work. It is a 1980s horror gem that has influenced countless movies since.

10 'An American Werewolf in London' (1981)

Another Oscar winner on this list is John Landis' An American Werewolf in London. Landis, who is known for his comedies The Blues Brothers and Animal House, brought his biting sense of humor and paired it perfectly with horror. The movie centers around two American tourists who get attacked by a werewolf while visiting Great Britain. As the name suggests, David (David Naughton) is turned, and he becomes a werewolf.

The special effects in An American Werewolf in London are some of the best in any genre. They are still spectacularly engrossing to watch and are so photorealistic they make the drama feel heightened. An American Werewolf in London served as a forerunner to other horror comedies that would follow, and its dedication to great special effects sells the story and keeps audiences dialed in and fully enthralled.