The 15 Funniest Fantasy Movies, Ranked

Image via 20th Century Studios Updated Oct 12, 2026, 7:38 AM EDT Sign in to your Collider account Fantasy movies are generally supposed to offer a grand sense of adventure as they explore worlds completely different than our own, or a heavily altered version of Earth. Either way, the expectation is that they bring something never seen before to film, delivering stories about magic, monsters, alternate dimensions, or unexplained paranormal events to cinema. Sure, some movies like to throw some humor into the mix, but this is often just a passing joke or two. Some movies crank this up to 11, though, and bring repeated comedic instances to a typical fantasy story, which spices things up quite a bit, even if it doesn't quite fit in with the comedy genre. These are the funniest fantasy movies, for tales of high-stakes adventure and hilarity. 15 'Hook' (1991) Image via TriStar Pictures Hook is what happens after Peter Pan (Robin Williams) decides to move to Earth, where he finally grows up, leaving Neverland behind. In the meantime, the Lost Boys are leaderless and desperate for guidance, and Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) is depressed and no longer feels he has a purpose in life without his old adversary. As a desperate attempt at finding this purpose, he has Peter's children kidnapped, forcing an adult Peter Pan to return to Neverland and rescue his kids. Critics were, for some reason, not super thrilled with this movie, but most audiences were. Today, the ridiculousness of it and the hilarious punchlines make it a nostalgic film that many 90s kids keep coming back to. It's an exploratory "what if?" into a classic fantasy tale, a charming pseudo-sequel, and one of the funniest fantasy films ever made. 14 'Freaky Friday' (2003) Image via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Freaky Friday might be a little light on the fantasy elements, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth watching. The movie stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a mother and daughter who do not get along. After breaking open some fortune cookies at a Chinese restaurant, they switch bodies due to some supernatural power. Now, they must learn to live each other's lives whilst trying to make it seem like nothing is wrong. This is not just a 2000s teen comedy — it is the 2000s teen comedy, right up there with Mean Girls (which also coincidentally starred Lindsay Lohan). The movie shows what happens when an uptight mother is crammed into the life of her rebellious daughter and vice versa. It's such a nostalgic movie that became a staple of the decade and an instant fantasy/comedy classic. 13 'Jumanji' (1995) Image via TriStar Pictures Jumanji follows a boy named Allen who digs up a board game of the same name. The magical board game serves as a portal to the African jungles, trapping him inside. Decades later, the game is rediscovered by two new kids, who play the game and free the now-grown Allen. However, they must finish the game in order to seal away the mischievous animals, natural disasters, and vicious predators they have unleashed as a result of the gameplay. The fact that the adult version of Allen is played by Robin Williams means viewers can expect a comedy film, in much the same vein as Hook. Robin Williams almost always means there will be a heavy amount of humour in the film, after all. While a lot of the humour is absurdist or slapstick, it's still done very well. Even if this movie got mixed reviews from critics, audiences can't help but love this engaging and original film. 12 'Hercules' (1997) Image via Walt Disney Animation Disney's animated musical Hercules almost didn't make it to release due to funding issues, but fortunately, the people behind it believed in it so much that they were willing to sacrifice their paychecks to make it happen. The world is the better for it, too. This musical is a kid-friendly retelling of the 12 Labours of Hercules from Greek mythology, where the hero must face off against various monsters and retrieve certain magical items. However, the funniest character in this film is by far the god of the Underworld, Hades (James Woods). Woods created the character to sound like a used car salesman, and it adds so much to the film, providing a fresh take on a well-known figure of mythology. The result is a truly hilarious villain that fans love more than the heroes, because he's just that funny, especially when dealing with his incompetent minions. 11 'The Emperor's New Groove' (2000) Image via Walt Disney Animation The Emperor's New Groove is one of the most underrated Disney films ever, which has seen something of a rise in popularity after internet users rediscovered it and spread it around via the use of memes. Set in the Inca Empire, the plot follows a secret conspiracy to assassinate the emperor, all orchestrated by a malevolent witch and her oafish assistant. The dialogue in this film is absolutely brilliant, laden with sarcasm, punchlines, and outrageous reactions to ridiculous situations. There isn't a minute that goes by in this film where a character doesn't say something absolutely iconic. Even though this movie is a Disney animated feature, it's surprisingly not a musical, but that's okay, because it doesn't need to be musical to be funny. 10 'Enchanted' (2007) Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Enchanted is a movie that begins like any ordinary animated Disney princess feature, but after the princess Giselle (Amy Adams) falls down a well, she finds herself transported to the third dimension, emerging into present-day New York City. The juxtaposition of having an elaborately dressed princess in Manhattan is ironically funny by itself, but the movie really shines in its punchlines. The overarching tongue-in-cheek parody of classic princess flicks is brilliantly executed by exploring how these fantastical characters would function in the real world. One of the most rewatchable Amy Adams movies, Enchanted is a unique and self-aware look at typical genre conventions, splicing traditional fairy tale stories with our ever-changing world in a way that is surprisingly amusing. 9 'Hocus Pocus' (1993) Image via Buena Vista Pictures Hocus Pocus follows the three Sanderson sisters, a group of witches who previously lived in Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 17th Century. 300 years later, they are accidentally resurrected by two young children whilst exploring their derelict cottage. With its off-the-wall aesthetics and strange humor, Hocus Pocus quickly became one of the quintessential 90s comedies, which is still the subject of a lot of buzz over three decades later. Critics were not very kind to the film, unfortunately, but audiences seemed to appreciate the film much more. It's not only nostalgic but a great film to rewatch every Halloween, with many audiences returning to it every year to experience its harmless hilarity and typical Disney tropes. Hocus Pocus is a film that works best at face value, without looking too deep into the technical aspects of it. It's fun, it's goofy, and it's hilarious, and that's why people keep coming back to it. Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes What Fantasy World Do You Belong To? Middle-earth · Grand Line · The Continent · Camp Half-Blood Pick your magic, your crew, where you want to wake up and who you would rather be fighting, and we will tell you which world you actually belong in. Four are open to you: an ancient kingdom living through its last good age, an endless sea full of pirates, a continent that pays people to kill monsters, and a summer camp where the Greek gods are extremely real and mostly a nuisance. 💍Middle-earth(Rings of Power) 👒Grand Line(One Piece) 🐺The Continent(The Witcher) 🔱Camp Half-Blood(Percy Jackson) FIND YOUR WORLD → 01 What kind of power do you want? Every one of these worlds runs on a completely different sort of magic. ASomething ancient and half forgotten that came down through my family. BSomething completely ridiculous that works in a fight and gets a laugh. CNo magic at all, just training, potions and a very sharp sword. DSomething I inherited from a parent I have barely met. NEXT QUESTION → 02 Who is travelling with you? Nobody gets through any of these stories entirely on their own. AA fellowship drawn from every corner of the world who barely trust each other. BA crew I picked up one at a time, all of whom would die for me. CTwo or three people I would never describe out loud as friends. DTwo mates from school who are exactly as out of their depth as I am. NEXT QUESTION → 03 Where do you want to wake up tomorrow? The best fantasy is usually just somewhere you would genuinely like to live. AA high city of white stone with the sea somewhere far below. BA ship under sail, with an island ahead that nobody has mapped. CA rented room over a tavern, in a town I am leaving in the morning. DA cabin at a summer camp with everybody else already awake outside. NEXT QUESTION → 04 How are you making a living out there? Even in fantasy somebody has to pay for the horse. AI am not, because somebody far older than me decided this was my duty. BTreasure, and I am not always careful about whose it used to be. CI take contracts, since people will pay well for what they will not touch. DI am fifteen and this is all technically a school trip. NEXT QUESTION → 05 There is something in the woods. What do you do about it? All four of these worlds keep something unpleasant out there in the dark. ASend word to somebody who has seen this before, then hold the line. BWalk straight in, because it is interesting and possibly edible. CAsk what it has been eating and what the village is willing to pay. DWork out which myth it escaped from, then improvise very badly. NEXT QUESTION → 06 Who is the villain of your story? The enemy tells you far more about a world than the hero ever does. AAn ancient evil that has been patient for several thousand years. BA government that has spent a long time calling itself the good guys. CA man who turns out to be far worse than anything I hunt for money. DA god, or possibly my own family, and quite likely both at once. NEXT QUESTION → 07 What do you actually believe in out there? Every world hands its heroes one rule and asks them to hold onto it. ASome things are worth defending even when the odds are hopeless. BNobody gets to tell me where I can go or what I am allowed to want. CPick the lesser evil, and never pretend afterwards that it was not evil. DMy friends come before anything a prophecy has to say about it. NEXT QUESTION → 08 A thousand years from now, how are you remembered? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides your world. AIn a song, in a language hardly anybody still speaks. BAs the one who got there first and proved the whole thing was possible. CBarely, and mostly wrongly, in ballads I would absolutely hate. DOn a plaque at a camp, read by kids about to do the same thing. REVEAL MY WORLD → The Map Is Drawn Your World Is…Four worlds and four completely different ideas of what a good life looks like. This is where you belong, what it would ask of you, and what you would get back in return. Middle-earthYou belong somewhere old enough that the mountains have names and somebody can still tell you who gave them. Middle-earth is for people who think the right thing is worth doing even when it will not be finished in their lifetime. This is the only world on the list where doing good is understood as a very long defeat, fought anyway, by people who will never see how it ends. You are drawn to grandeur, to white cities and deep forges and the sense that almost everything you touch is older than your entire family line. The Rings of Power is set in the last good age before it all goes wrong, which gives every quiet scene in it a slightly unbearable weight. You would take the hard road, and you would take it on foot. The Grand LineYou want the sea, a crew, and absolutely nobody telling you where you are allowed to go. The Grand Line is the world for people whose main ambition in life is finding out what is over there. One Piece has run for decades on one very simple engine, which is a group of people who each want something impossible and have decided to go and get it together. You collect people. Your ideal crew is a set of misfits who were each written off somewhere else before you turned up and offered them a better idea. The world is enormous and deliberately ridiculous, and the emotional gut punches land harder because of that rather than in spite of it. You would set sail knowing the map runs out, which is more or less the entire point of it. The ContinentYou would rather be feared and useful than liked and useless. The Continent is a world where the monsters are the straightforward part of the job and the people are where it all gets complicated. Witchers get paid to do what nobody else will and resented for existing at all, which is a trade most people would refuse and you would probably accept. You have no real illusions about which side is the good one, largely because on the Continent that question tends to have a disappointing answer. The best of these stories are not about the fighting. They are about somebody with a rigid code being repeatedly cornered into caring about people. You would take the coin, finish the job properly, and be out of town before the story got told wrong. Camp Half-BloodYou want the myths to be real and loose in the actual world, and you want to find out at about thirteen that you were never anywhere near as ordinary as everybody kept telling you. Percy Jackson takes the oldest stories we have and drops them into car parks and diners, which makes the gods considerably funnier and a great deal worse. You would be the kid every school gave up on, who turns out to have been built for something nobody thought to test for. The series is genuinely about friendship rather than destiny, and it says so out loud every time a prophecy tries to get in the way. Camp Half-Blood is the real fantasy here: a place where the thing that made you difficult everywhere else is the thing that makes you belong. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 8 'Barbie' (2023) Image via Warner Bros. Barbie may be based on a line of kids' toys, but the 2023 movie was actually fairly mature without straying into R-rated territory. The movie stars Margot Robbie as Barbie, who lives in a fantastical world that functions as a matriarchal society. The movie may be pretty funny, but it also delves into some pretty profound concepts like gender equality, mortality, and superficiality. Barbie finds herself in the real world, where she learns a lot about herself and about some real societal problems. The movie is not at all afraid to be what it wants, even going so far as to critique its own branding, allowing itself to break barriers and shatter any preconceived expectations of it. Though it is surprisingly profound, it is also rather funny, with a lot of jokes hitting right on the mark as it tackles some deep concepts. 7 'Shrek 2' (2004) Image via DreamWorks Pictures The first Shrek movie was pretty funny, even for a kids' movie, which has resulted in it receiving the meme treatment. Shrek 2, however, was even funnier than the first one. Yes, it is a film primarily intended for children, but the humor is often crude and has plenty of adult jokes snuck in, so it's enjoyable for people of all ages. Like the first film, Shrek 2 stars Mike Myers as the ogre Shrek, who lives in a magical world in which all fairy tales exist and often overlap with each other. Following the events of the first film, he is now living happily with his human-turned-ogre wife, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), when they are summoned to appear at Fiona's parents' castle. Shrek doesn't really fit into the whole royal lifestyle and gets into a variety of conflicts with many of the fairy tale characters as a result. The Shrek series has humor that is knowingly bizarre, but it isn't going to change for anyone. This proves to work in its favor because Shrek 2 is just as funny on a rewatch as it was the first time. 6 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' (2003) Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is the first film in its franchise, which stars Johnny Depp as the bumbling pirate known as Captain Jack Sparrow. Pretty much everything Captain Jack says is a memorable quote, and his goofy demeanor gives the eccentric pirate endless entertainment value. Of course, this is one of the best pirate movies at heart, so there's still plenty of adventure and swashbuckling action. The fantasy aspect comes from the Black Pearl's literal skeleton crew and their treasure, which bears an ancient Aztec curse. There's action, romance, thrills on the high seas, and above all, comedy. This movie established a whole slew of running gags that would make later appearances in the franchise and remains one of the go-to pirate flicks for a lot of cinephiles.