It has been said that Hollywood creates it’s own magic what with beautiful stars, special effects, and the wonders of film editing, so it is little wonder that Hollywood would movies that involved magic as something that could frighten, entertain, and stimulate the imagination of audiences of all ages. Which is why Movies about magic have always been hugely successful. Here are 20 movies featuring magic that have enthralled and entertained audiences throughout the years.
1. Peter Pan While most people don’t see Peter Pan as a movie about magic, what else could it be, with tiny Tinkerbell sprinkling pixie dust to and fro, flying children being transported to NeverNever Land and a host of other occurrences. While the essence of the story is about a boy who never wants to grow up, the movie wouldn’t have half as engaging or fun to watch without the presence of Tinkerbell and her own brand of Magic.
2. Mary Poppins Another movie that most people don’t consider contains magic, but does is Mary Poppins. How else does one explain the other Nannies being literally blown away when they come to apply for the job, or the always cheerful Ms. Poppins popping in and out of pictures and rising off the ground to walk on air or the rooftops.
3. Harry Potter This series of movies is filled with wizard like spells and all sorts of magic both good and bad and each movie seemed to get a little more magical and unbelievable as the story line progressed. The real magic may have the spell the was cast on the audience that kept them returning to theaters to watch sequel after sequel.
4. Witches Witches was a movie for children, but in actual fact the movie ended up terrifying young movie goers as the evil witches in this movie turned children into mice. While there was magic in this movie it was mostly black magic and many a parent was furious at this less that child friendly movie.
5. Escape To Witch Mountain This is a Walt Disney production in which two children with magical powers are chased by a scheming millionaire. They manage to avoid being captured through the use of their special powers and the help of good hearted Samaritans. It is an engaging film suitable for the entire family, and while the “magic” is pretty much kept to a minimum it is an essential element of the entire plot.
6. Willow This is a story of a small farmer and a an apprentice magician who finds himself in the position of having to save a baby princess from the hands of an evil queen. The movie is well made and features magic wands, faeries, and a host of magical moments. For those who are Val Kilmer fans, you may enjoy watching a very young Val Kilmer who appears in this film.
7. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe What could be more magical that a wardrobe that transports 4 children into a world of talking beavers and evil white witch?
8. Wizard of Oz For generations audiences have been transported to the magical world of Oz where good and bad faeries, munchkins, flying monkeys and more were the order of the day. Not to mention those magical ruby slippers.
9. The Gift is a psychological thriller with a touch of magic as the main character Annie is blessed or cursed with Second sight and finds herself helping the police to solve a murder. This movie has it rather dark moments, but has an exceptionally good mix of characters played by some well known talent.
10. The Sixth Sense A psychologist played by Bruce Willis is helping a young boy who can see and talk to the dead. Despite the somewhat magical aura of being able to communicate with those that have gone beyond, this is a heartwarming and story with a surprise ending that most audiences never say coming.
11. The Illusionist This is a film about a mediocre magician who plies his trade in a number of small venues finally ending up in Scotland where he takes on a fatherly role to a young girl who believes his tricks are real magic. It is a very emotional type of movie that leaves audiences longing for a different ending, but feeling a kinship with the illusionist all the same.
12. The Last Leprechaun The last Leprechaun features a friendly leprechaun and a wicked witch of a stepmother and two charming children who must save their father from the witches clutches. What could have been a charming a fun movie, somehow falls short and leaves one feeling that this movie could use some real magic to get it back it on track.
13. Bed knobs and Broomsticks A mixture of real life action and animation bed Knobs and Broomsticks starred Angela Landsbury and is a children’s movie filled with magic by Disney studios.
14. Prancer No list of movie magic would be complete without a little Christmas magic and Prancer has all the magic one could ever want. When a wooden reindeer falls from a display and is broken and then a young girl finds and injured reindeer in the woods, she believes and so does the audience it is the wooden reindeer Prancer come to life. The movie is a magical story about love, faith and belief in the impossible and improbable.
15. Practical Witchcraft A romantic comedy starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock this movies uses a number of potions, spells, and the magic to help two sisters find lasting love and destroy the curse that makes every man who falls in the love with women in their family die far too young.
16. Lord of the Rings While the story is chiefly about hobbits, there is plenty of magic as well and even features two magicians Gandolf and Saruman. The Trilogy was a delight to movie goers of all ages.
17. Sword in the Stone Featuring King Arthur and Merlin the magician. King Arthur seeks to remove a magic sword from a stone. This kids movie delighted young audiences and introduced them to the legend of King Arthur.
18. The Prestige The Prestige is a movie for adult audiences. It is a rather dark movie that tells the story of two feuding magicians.
19. Houdini The biographical story of the life of escape artist Harry Houdini played by a young Tony Curtis. This 1963 movie makes the magic of Harry come to life.
20. Penn and Teller Get Killed Real life magicians Penn and Teller star in a movie very loosely based on their life with a few assassins and fake stabbings thrown in for good measure. The real magic however is actually hearing teller speak near the end of the movie.