Movies Like The Lord Of The Rings That Are Definitely Worth Watching

In the wake of the unprecedented success of "The Lord of the Rings," many fantasy films based on beloved novels aimed to create similarly successful franchises. Unfortunately, many of these films bombed, and audiences looking to diversify their fantasy viewings ultimately turned to television shows like "Game of Thrones." Many of these botched franchise ventures weren't good enough to justify multiple entries; after the disastrous first films, no one was asking for a sequel to "Eragon," "The Dark Tower," or "The Giver." However, 2008's "Inkheart" is worthy of critical reappreciation, as, despite its financial failure, the film has a lot of merit.

"Inkheart" is based on a trilogy of novels by Cornelia Funke. It follows book lover Mortimer Folchart (Brendan Fraser), who loves exploring fairy tales with his beloved wife, Resa (Sienna Guillory). After reading an old copy of a book called "Inkheart" out loud, Resa is transported into the fantasy world depicted in its pages, while the fire-wielding Dustfinger (Paul Bettany) appears in the real world. Both Mortimer and Dustfinger are heartbroken when the spell can't be reversed, separating them both from their true loves.

Mortimer travels the world in search of another copy of "Inkheart," and gradually reveals the magical events to his 12-year-old daughter Meggie (Eliza Bennett). Meggie is a great audience avatar, as she learns about the "Inkheart" world at the same time that viewers do.