Image credit: MGM, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures, New Line Cinema, Working Title Films, Warner Bros., Ramsway Ltd., TMS Entertainment
The 90s brought us not only some cult classics, but also fantasy movies so cringe-worthy you can't help but love 'em.
Long before "Harry Potter", there were these, well, "masterpieces".
1. "Warriors of Virtue" (1997) Remember this one? No? Yeah, you're not alone: this movie is basically obscure now.
A young boy named Ryan falls into a magical world populated by kangaroo-like warriors. Yeah, you heard right: kangaroos. They each represent an element like Earth, Fire, or Wood (because why not?). Ryan helps them fight against an evil lord who's polluting their world. It's environmentalism meets furry martial arts.
The CGI is outdated, the costumes are laughable, but hey, it's got a strange charm.
2. "The Pagemaster" (1994) Ah, the Macaulay Culkin phase. The kid who rocked "Home Alone" stars as Richard, a boy who slips on a wet floor in a library and finds himself in a cartoon world of literary genres. He teams up with three anthropomorphic books (Adventure, Fantasy, and Horror) to find the "Exit" sign and get back home.
Remember, kids, reading is fundamental — even if it involves dodging fire-breathing dragons and pirate ships.
3. "Kull the Conqueror" (1997) Before he was governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger was supposed to reprise his role as Conan. Instead, we got Kevin Sorbo as Kull, who becomes king by, well, accident. He marries a resurrected witch who tries to bring a demon army to life.
The plot is pretty much a random mix of sword fights, cheesy dialogue, and magical mumbo jumbo. Terrible? Yes. Entertaining? Absolutely.
4. "Spawn" (1997) Comic book lovers, remember this one? A government assassin named Al Simmons is killed by his boss and finds himself in Hell. He makes a deal with a devilish entity to become Spawn, a Hellspawn, in exchange for seeing his wife again. But as all Faustian bargains go, there's a catch: he's supposed to lead Hell's army in the war against Heaven.
The CGI is horrendous by today's standards, but it's a glorious mess.
5. "The NeverEnding Story III: Escape from Fantasia" (1994) Why did they mess with a classic? The third installment of this franchise sees Bastian back in Fantasia, which is now being invaded by "The Nasties" from the real world. Yep, even fantasy realms aren't safe from bad 90s tropes. Bastian and his magical pals must stop them and restore order.
It's as convoluted as it sounds, but if you grew up with it, the nostalgia hits hard.
6. "Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland" (1992) "Finding Nemo" this is not. Little Nemo is a young boy who travels to a dreamland called Slumberland at the behest of King Morpheus. Just imagine Candyland on a sugar rush. But— oh snap — Nemo accidentally unleashes the Nightmare King. The plot thickens as he goes on a quest to rescue the king, armed with a magic scepter and friendship.
Sure, it's a kids' movie, but the plot holes are the size of craters.
7. "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" (1997) So the first "Mortal Kombat" was campy fun. This sequel? A whole new level of bad. Emperor Shao Kahn decides to merge Outworld with Earthrealm, and our heroes — Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade — have to stop him. Along the way, they fight the likes of Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and other "well-developed" characters.
The movie was a flop, the majority of OG actors went nowhere near this mess, but it's the kind of bad you can't look away from. "Finish him!"
8. "Tales from the Crypt Presents: Bordello of Blood" (1996) Not strictly fantasy, but with elements so absurd it crosses into fantastical territory. A private investigator searches for a missing person and stumbles upon a brothel run by vampires. Yep, you read that right, this is some fun establishment. They're using it as a front to feed on unsuspecting clients.
The movie's loaded with gratuitous gore and humor that makes you wonder if the writers were vampires themselves, sucking the life out of good taste.
9. "Quest of the Delta Knights" (1993) David Warner plays dual roles in this flick, as both the mentor Baydool and the evil oppressor Lord Vultare. Our hero, a young boy named Tee, joins a secret society called the Delta Knights to bring down Vultare. He discovers a lost city and some questionable historical mash-ups (Da Vinci and Archimedes in the same timeline?).
Bad acting, a nonsense plot — what's not to love?
10. "The Borrowers" (1997) Based on the children's book, this film explores the lives of tiny people living under the floorboards. When their home is threatened, they have to go on an adventure in the "big world" to save it.
The special effects are charmingly dated, and the plot is as thin as a borrower's hair. But, let's be honest, you'll probably still enjoy it, if only for the cast, including John Goodman, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie and kiddy Tom Felton.
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