The Spectacle of Fantasy

Fantasy films are renowned for, and in fact classified by, their fantastical elements. The use of Computer Generated Imagery, or CGI, has become a staple for fantasy movies that are striving to capture the impossible and the fantastical. The scenes in fantasy movies that incorporate CGI are very expensive to make and are a tedious process for the animators. The CGI scenes in fantasy movies are usually displayed throughout the movie’s trailer and generally create the most excitement in the movie theater because of spectacle. Fantasy movies use spectacle to capture the audience’s attention whether it’s vast armies battling in Lord of the Rings or an enormous Kraken rising from the seas in Clash of the Titans. These scenes are rarely intended to advance the plot but are a crucial element to the fantasy movie. These spectacle shots are part of what make the fantasy film unique and popular, just as the audience is wowed by the strange creatures and plant life found on Pandora in the movie Avatar.

Lately fantasy movies seem to focus solely on spectacle as a selling point. A filmmaker can forgo character development and a complex plot to focus on merely the CGI spectacle shot that will generate enough revenue to turn a profit. Lord of the Rings, however, manages to incorporate spectacle for the sake of the movie instead of merely for the awe factor.

A good fantasy movie uses the fantastical and the spectacle shots to reflect on the most non-fantastical element of the movie: human nature. Whenever there is a shot in Lord of the Rings that shows vast armies of thousands of soldiers or towering war elephants stampeding over the battlefield there is usually a shot that shows one of the leading protagonists. In these captivating moments we get a look into the heart of the character, be it the mighty King Theoden or young Pippin, as they struggle with their emotions. We see their faces express the overwhelming fear of death and their courage to stand and fight. A fantasy movie is defined by its magical or fantastical elements, but its merit comes from its ability to examine the human spirit and reflect on human nature. In contrast to enormous walking trees or mountain trolls is the human reaction (albeit not always from a human creature) to these fantastical elements. We see the fiercest bravery in Gimli and yet the lowliest selfishness in Smeagol. Frodo’s companion Sam, even when faced with the perilous Mount Doom and the terrifying black cloaked riders, is unyieldingly faithful to Frodo. His unselfishness shows the absolute best of human nature in his undying loyalty. The fantastical element is capable of showing human nature in the most profound way that no other genre of movie could achieve because of its fantastic spectacle.