Entertainment
The Very Best Fairy Tale Movies
List Rules
Vote up your favorite movies that take place in a fairytale world.
What are the best fairytale movies ever made? The films on this list include some wonderful, classic tales. Some are based on actual fairy tales, and others are simply so fantastical they qualify. A great fairy tale movie manages to capture the movie goer's imagination with a compelling storyline, interesting characters and certainly, great acting (including voice acting). Which fairytale films are your favorites? Vote them up on this list, and be sure to add any favorites that are missing.
Disney movies immediately spring to mind whenever great fairytale films are discussed. For decades, Disney's animated tales of magical lands filled with colorful characters, including princes and princesses, and dastardly villains enthralled millions of movie fans. Oh, and yes, everyone lives happily ever after, of course.
But Disney's animated films aren't the only great fairy tale movies for kids -- not by a long shot. Some truly excellent fairytale movies aren't animated at all. Examples? 1998's Ever After was a great, romantic take on the classic Cinderella fairy tale, and 2007's Enchanted was a great nod to some of the best fairytale films ever made. And no list of the best fairytale movies would be complete without The Princess Bride, arguably one of the best movies of all-time -- fairytales or not!
Some of the best fairy tale movies are primarily for children, but in recent years, several new, darker movies based on classic folklore tales have emerged, including 2011's Snow White and the Huntsman.
Enjoy voting on this list of the greatest fairytale movies ever made to which one is the best of all time!
Ranked by
- 1
Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy- Released: 2010
- Directed by: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
When the kingdom's most-wanted bandit, Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), hides in a convenient tower, he immediately becomes a captive of Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), the spire's longtime resident. Crowned with ...more - 2Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White
- Released: 1991
- Directed by: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
An arrogant young prince (Robby Benson) and his castle's servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. ...more - 3Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin
- Released: 1992
- Directed by: Ron Clements, John Musker
When street rat Aladdin frees a genie from a lamp, he finds his wishes granted. However, he soon finds that the evil has other plans for the lamp -- and for Princess Jasmine. But can Aladdin save ...more - 4Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton
- Released: 1950
- Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
With a wicked stepmother (Eleanor Audley) and two jealous stepsisters (Rhoda Williams, Lucille Bliss) who keep her enslaved and in rags, Cinderella (Ilene Woods) stands no chance of attending the ...more - 5Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Christopher Daniel Barnes
- Released: 1989
- Directed by: Ron Clements, John Musker
In Disney's beguiling animated romp, rebellious 16-year-old mermaid Ariel (Jodi Benson) is fascinated with life on land. On one of her visits to the surface, which are forbidden by her controlling ...more - 6Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz
- Released: 2001
- Directed by: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Once upon a time, in a far away swamp, there lived an ogre named Shrek (Mike Myers) whose precious solitude is suddenly shattered by an invasion of annoying fairy tale characters. They were all ...more - 7Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden
- Released: 2007
- Directed by: Kevin Lima
Banished by an evil queen, Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) from a fairy-tale world lands in modern Manhattan, where music, magic and "happily ever after" are sorely lacking. She is adrift in this ...more - 8Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin
- Released: 1987
- Directed by: Rob Reiner
A fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love. He must find her after a long separation and save her. They must battle the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin to be ...more - 9Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes
- Released: 2005
- Directed by: Andrew Adamson
During the World War II bombings of London, four English siblings are sent to a country house where they will be safe. One day Lucy (Georgie Henley) finds a wardrobe that transports her to a magical ...more - 10Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley
- Released: 2014
- Directed by: Robert Stromberg
As a beautiful young woman of pure heart, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life in a forest kingdom. When an invading army threatens the land, Maleficent rises up to become its fiercest ...more - 11Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson
- Released: 2012
- Directed by: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Merida (Kelly Macdonald), the impetuous but courageous daughter of Scottish King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), is a skilled archer who wants to carve out her own path in ...more - 12Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried
- Released: 1953
- Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
In this Disney animated film, Wendy (Kathryn Beaumont) and her two brothers are amazed when a magical boy named Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll) flies into their bedroom, supposedly in pursuit of his ...more - 13Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley
- Released: 1959
- Directed by: Clyde Geronimi
Filled with jealousy, the evil witch Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) curses Princess Aurora (Mary Costa) to die on her 16th birthday. Thanks to Aurora's guardian fairies (Verna Felton, Barbara Jo Allen, ...more - 14Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes
- Released: 2004
- Directed by: Tommy O'Haver
As a baby, Ella (Anne Hathaway) receives a visit from Lucinda (Vivica A. Fox), her fairy godmother, and is bestowed with a magical talent that requires her to obey anything that she is told to do. ...more - 15Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne
- Released: 1937
- Directed by: David Hand
The Grimm fairy tale gets a Technicolor treatment in Disney's first animated feature. Jealous of Snow White's beauty, the wicked queen orders the murder of her innocent stepdaughter, but later ...more - 16Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Héctor Elizondo
- Released: 2001
- Directed by: Garry Marshall
Shy San Francisco teenager Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is thrown for a loop when, from out of the blue, she learns the astonishing news that she's a real-life princess! As the heir apparent to ...more - 17Drew Barrymore, Anjelica Huston, Dougray Scott
- Released: 1998
- Directed by: Andy Tennant
This updated adaptation of the classic fairytale tells the story of Danielle (Drew Barrymore), a vibrant young woman who is forced into servitude after the death of her father. Danielle's stepmother ...more - 18Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
- Released: 2005
- Directed by: Mike Newell
The fourth movie in the Harry Potter franchise sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) returning for his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with his friends, Ron (Rupert Grint)Â ...more - 19Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David
- Released: 2009
- Directed by: Ron Clements, John Musker
Hardworking and ambitious, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) dreams of one day opening the finest restaurant in New Orleans. Her dream takes a slight detour when she meets Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), who has ...more - 20Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff
- Released: 2013
- Directed by: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
When their kingdom becomes trapped in perpetual winter, fearless Anna (Kristen Bell) joins forces with mountaineer Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his reindeer sidekick to find Anna's sister, Snow ...more - 21Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn
- Released: 1951
- Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
Lewis Carroll's beloved fantasy tale is brought to life in this Disney animated classic. When Alice (Kathryn Beaumont), a restless young British girl, falls down a rabbit hole, she enters a magical ...more - 22Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Robert De Niro
- Released: 2007
- Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
To win the heart of his beloved (Sienna Miller), a young man named Tristan (Charlie Cox) ventures into the realm of fairies to retrieve a fallen star. What Tristan finds, however, is not a chunk of ...more - 23Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger
- Released: 1939
- Directed by: Victor Fleming
When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to ...more - 24Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst
- Released: 1995
- Directed by: Joe Johnston
A magical board game unleashes a world of adventure on siblings Peter (Bradley Pierce) and Judy Shepherd (Kirsten Dunst). While exploring an old mansion, the youngsters find a curious, jungle-themed ...more - 25Chieko Baishô, Takuya Kimura, Akihiro Miwa
- Released: 2004
- Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
A young girl is forced to toil in her parents' hat shop and her only joy is in her occasional meetings with a handsome stranger, Howl the wizard. When a witch sees her happiness, she curses her to ...more
