Hannah's Media Blog : What's So Fun About Fantasy?

Everyone dreams of being a superhero, a knight in shining armor, magical powers, supernatural events, and folklore. But why? What is behind the popularity of fantasy films? What even is fantasy?

Fantasy is defined as a genre of literature that features magical and supernatural elements that do not exist in the real world. Now, that definition might just be the prominent reason why so many people are attracted to fantasy films. These kinds of films give people a sense of imagination, and escape from the reality they face every day by entering a new supernatural and fantastical reality. This genre is popualar because it connects with men and women. This genre is almost as equally viewed between men and women coming in at 71% viewing by men and 70% viewing by women. Thus, creating quality entertainment that both genders can partake in watching.

CONTENT: Typically in a fantasy film, the main character or the protagonist of the story undergoes a mystical experience where they need to call upon supernatural beings to aid in searching for a solution. Typically, the characters that are predominant take the role of the prince, princesses, or any royalty of that type. There are also roles often understood within fantasy films. There are roles such as the sidekick, mentor, villain, evil creature, etc. These roles combined create a sense of fantasy or imagination that often attracts viewers, ranging from all ages.

   EX: The original Spiderman (2002) film is a fantasy film as Peter Parker is a character who starts off as a regular high school student, then gets bitten by a spider and turns into a superhero with magical powers. 

Magic is a commonality in fantasy films. Magic usually serves as a plot device in order to spice up what is occurring in the movie. Viewers tend to be drawn to fantasy films because what is shown is never occurring in real life naturally. Magic is shown in a multitude of ways through fantasy films, whether it be through the main character having magical powers, a magical prop being used in the film, a protagonist calling on the magical powers of a supernatural being, etc. There are many ways in which magic is seen throughout fantasy films and how it is heavily incorporated into the overall plot of the story.

EX: The film Deadpool (2016) is about a man that no matter the injury always recovers his body parts. He has a superhuman magical body that never dies.

In almost every fantasy film, there is a fictional universe expressed. This universe usually either protects or harms the characters in the film. This fantastical universe is magical, containing supernatural creatures, however, a fantastical universe may also be evil and wreak havoc for the protagonist in the film. Since fantasy films overlap with science fiction and horror, if advanced technology is emphasized in this fantasy world, it may lean towards a science fiction film. As well, if evil fantasy forces are involved in the new world, the genre may change toward a horror genre.

Ex: Black Panther (2018). The black panthers and their community remain safe as long as the dome is covering their home. When the dome is broken by the enemy, they must fight.

Production Techniques:

Sound is a crucial part of making a fantasy film. Since fantasy films have supernatural or magical aspects to them, it is important for the audience to be engaged in the film by having realistic and new sounds to go along with the objects or events in the film. New sounds created allow viewers to believe in the world created in the film even more. In fantasy films, sounds need to be believable and due to this, sounds are created by usage of familiar things contrasted together to form new sounds that take longer for the audience to recognize. Color is an important aspect of fantasy films because it allows the reader to embody a new psychological experience incorporated with new colors and settings. Color often illustrates the tone of the film. Colors impact people’s emotions, memories, experiences, which is why director’s use this to their advantage when creating films. More color usually means a more fantastical film. For example, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory embodies a fantastical film and creative, happy tone. The colors in this movie are a mixture of bright versus murky colors. This helps to express the surreal feel of the movie.

Charlie and the Chocholate Factory (2005)

Marketing:

Fantasy films are made in direction towards youthful audiences as well as adult level audiences. They vary according to the maturity of the film. Many fantasy films are directed towards youthful audiences because many of the plots or stories are derived from actual children's books or novel series. The use supernatural elements and vivid colors express a sense of childish expression. Most younger childhood films and television shows are vivid with color and bright expressions. Many correlate that youthfulness to the creativity expressed in most fantasy films.

Fantasy films often get a large fan base when it has to do with good vs evil and superheros with magical or supernatural powers. Often times in fantasy films there are protaganists or one single protaganist who either recives help by magic or has superntural powers to help. Either way, this character who helps others or has abilities that normal people do not, has a large following. For example, Marvel films are action packed films that incite adventure, power, and danger. Films such as Spiderman, Wonderwoman, etc. These fantasy films have a large fan base that celebrates them as they receive endorsements such as advertisements. These characters illuminate the film and give it life. As such, merchandize is sold heavily in different sections of the world that helps market the films created and market the idea of creativity.

Samples:

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) is a fantasy film whose plot focuses on a group of misfits who are setting up to save the universe from destruction. In this movie, the main character, Peter Quill steals an orb unknowing of its magical powers. He is a man who often listens to music and adventures by himself. He is from earth unlike the other characters in the movie. Once he notices what he has done, his group of bandits or other alien creatures help him to secure the universe from harm’s way by protetcing the orb. A bad villain named Ronan the Accuser is hunting down Peter and his friends in order to take the orb and trasnform the universe into what he deems suitable for everyone. The setting of this movie changes from different planets to the spaceship often. As such, new worlds are created and introduced to the audience. Sound is used to exemplify these new worlds. Creatures such as aliens speak with different noises than Peter who is a human. Groot, Peter’s sidekick, only says three words subtley and somehow everyone knows what he is saying. These sounds are unfamiliar which makes the movie fantastical and intriguing. Color is also used in this film wisely as many bright colors are used to illustrate new planets that are being explored by the team. As well, when the planet begins to crumble at the hands on the enemy, that is also expressed in dark color tones.

The film Beauty and the Beast (2017) is a fantasy film that embodies the term "fantasy" perfectly. This film features Princess Belle (Emma Watson) trapped in an old castle where she finds that everything within the castle comes to life. There lives a Beast (Dan Stevens) who used to be a prince. A long time before Belle arrived, an evil witch cast a spell on the castle and all those who lived in it, making them prisoners to the castle. Later as the movie advances, the audience realizes that the only way to break the curse is for Belle and the Beast to fall in love. The enchanted ness of the castle and the creatures living inside make this movie a true fantasy. The sounds throughout the movie are crucial as they show the characters moving about in their unnatural form as props in the castle, such as a candle. Sounds such as music and singing are also crucial in this movie because they give the reader a sense of musicality. The tone is shifted in the movie when a new musical sound is played. The tone is more cheerful. The lighting of the film changes drastically from dark and gloomy in the beginning to bright and joyous as the curse over the castle is lifted and the objects and the Beast come to their natural human form after the Beast marries Belle.

Intriguing Fantasy Films:

Maleficent (2014)