Best Fantasy Movies of 2003

1.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

7.5

8.9/10

Aragorn is revealed as the heir to the ancient kings as he, Gandalf and the other members of the broken fellowship struggle to save Gondor from Sauron's forces. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam bring the ring closer to the heart of Mordor, the dark lord's realm.

2.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

6.7

8.0/10

Jack Sparrow, a freewheeling 18th-century pirate, quarrels with a rival pirate bent on pillaging Port Royal. When the governor's daughter is kidnapped, Sparrow decides to help the girl's love save her.

3.

Big Fish

6.5

8.0/10

Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.

5.

Bruce Almighty

5.7

6.7/10

Bruce Nolan toils as a 'human interest' television reporter in Buffalo, N.Y., but despite his high ratings and the love of his beautiful girlfriend, Bruce remains unfulfilled. At the end of the worst day in his life, he angrily ridicules God—and the Almighty responds, endowing Bruce with all of His divine powers.

6.

Underworld

5.6

7.0/10

Vampires and werewolves have waged a nocturnal war against each other for centuries. But all bets are off when a female vampire warrior named Selene, who's famous for her strength and werewolf-hunting prowess, becomes smitten with a peace-loving male werewolf, Michael, who wants to end the war.

7.

Elf

5.5

6.9/10

When young Buddy falls into Santa's gift sack on Christmas Eve, he's transported back to the North Pole and raised as a toy-making elf by Santa's helpers. But as he grows into adulthood, he can't shake the nagging feeling that he doesn't belong. Buddy vows to visit Manhattan and find his real dad, a workaholic publisher.

8.

Freaky Friday

5.1

6.1/10

Mother and daughter bicker over everything -- what Anna wears, whom she likes and what she wants to do when she's older. In turn, Anna detests Tess's fiancé. When a magical fortune cookie switches their personalities, they each get a peek at how the other person feels, thinks and lives.

11.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

4.8

5.8/10

To prevent a world war from breaking out, famous characters from Victorian literature band together to do battle against a cunning villain.

12.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life

4.7

5.5/10

Lara Croft ventures to an underwater temple in search of the mythological Pandora's Box but, after securing it, it is promptly stolen by the villainous leader of a Chinese crime syndicate. Lara must recover the box before the syndicate's evil mastermind uses it to construct a weapon of catastrophic capabilities.

13.

Frank Herbert's Children of Dune

4.5

7.5/10

Under Paul ‘Muad'Dib’ Atreides' rule as Emperor, the planet Arrakis has enjoyed a renaissance. However, the revolution that Muad'dib inspired has transformed into a brutal jihad that has plunged all of humanity into a bitter, neverending cycle of interstellar war. Now a conspiracy on Arrakis threatens to rob Muad'Dib of his throne and his life.

14.

The Haunted Mansion

4.4

5.0/10

Workaholic Jim Evers and his wife/business partner, Sara get a call one night from mansion owner, Edward Gracey wants to sell his house. Once the Evers family arrive at the mansion a butler takes them to dine with Gracey. Gracey takes one look at Sara and he thinks she's his lost lover.

15.

Daredevil

4.4

5.3/10

He dwells in a world of eternal night, but the blackness is filled with sounds and scents, tastes and textures that most cannot perceive. Although attorney Matt Murdock is blind, his other four senses function with superhuman sharpness. By day, Murdock represents the downtrodden. At night he is Daredevil, a masked vigilante stalking the dark streets of the city, a relentless avenger of justice.

16.

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman

4.2

6.7/10

A new vigilante, Batwoman, is wreaking havoc in Gotham City. The dynamic duo must discover her true identity.

17.

Bulletproof Monk

4.1

5.5/10

A mysterious and immortal Tibetan kung fu master, who has spent the last 60 years traveling around the world protecting the ancient Scroll of the Ultimate, mentors a selfish street kid in the ancient intricacies of kung fu.

18.

Dreamkeeper

3.9

7.6/10

In South Dakota, in an Indian reservation, an old storyteller Indian asks his grandson Shane, who is in trouble owing money to some bad guys, to take his old pony and him to Albuquerque to the great powwow, an Indian meeting. While traveling, Grandpa tells mysterious Indian tales of love, friendship and magic.

19.

The Saddest Music in the World

3.9

7.2/10

In Depression-era Winnipeg, a legless beer baroness hosts a contest for the saddest music in the world, offering a grand prize of $25,000.

20.

The Medallion

3.8

5.2/10

A Hong Kong detective suffers a fatal accident involving a mysterious medallion and is transformed into an immortal warrior with superhuman powers.