What are the BEST LOOKING movies of all time?

1. 61

   theageofcakeposted 13 years ago

   Sure we could worry ourselves over a great screenplay and strong performances, but what are the movies that excel for sheer visual beauty?  This could be in terms of effects, cinematography, sets, etc. - Anything that strikes you!
   
   I'll get the one most fresh in everyone's memory out of the way:  Avatar.  The script was spotty and the story occasionally nonsensical, but what a feast for the eyes!
   
   As for something more "classic" - Jim Henson's Dark Crystal.  The world he creates, which is comprised of puppets and detailed set designs, is magnificent. 
   
   Others?

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      ecogirl333posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Unforgiven for the sheer scale of Western skies.

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         theageofcakeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Awesome choice, and probably not one I would have thought of myself.

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            ecogirl333posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Why thankyou!  I was blown away when I saw it at the cinema.

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      cosetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hero by Quentin Tarantino, and The Last Samurai. there's lots more, i just can't think of them now.

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         dohn121posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         The Last Emperor was amazing

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      Justine76posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Havent seen Avitar yet. I loved Dark Crystal. That was the first mvie I ever saw at the Drive-In.
      I loved "The Watchmen", visually. Oh, and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." and "No Country for Old Men". I loved how the Coen brothers used trees.

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      1. 61

         theageofcakeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Dark Crystal is phenomenal.  When I consider the talent we lost when Henson died, its almost unbearable.  Luckily, we have Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy 2) and Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are) picking up where he left off.  I can only hope a handful of filmmakers will continue to make movies in his spirit.
         
         And yes, Watchmen is wonderful visually.  As much as I dislike Zack Snyder's adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's original book, he certainly as an eye for visual drama.  The ensemble cast, though, was pukey (save for Dr. Manhattan, Rorschach, and The Comedian, who were all portrayed surprisingly well).

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            Justine76posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            regretably, never read teh book.
            I was thinking of Rorschach. "None of you seem to understand, Im not locked in here with you, your all locked inhere wiht ME!!"
            Oh, yeah..for an old school movie..oh my how did I forget til now...
            Legend!! I hate Tom Cruise, but..Tim Curry as the DEVIL??!!!
            This movie, for its time....rocked my world!! And teh goblin thingys, and the Unicorn? way cool movie!!!

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      TreasuresByBrendaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      How about A Passage to India...(had to go look up the name.)

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   5. 40

      Nick17Pierce19posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Terminator 2, for the time the CGI was mind blowing, absolutely mind blowing. It still actually holds its own today in comparison to modern CGI, which makes it even more timeless in my opinion.

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      mkplclposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      X Men 1-4

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      Shinkickerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Betty Blue had wonderful cinematography capturing the colour and sensuality of France

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2. 59

   jellydonut25posted 13 years ago

   2009's Star Trek is a BEAUTIFUL film
   The Empire Strikes Back is startlingly good looking, especially in comparison to the original Star Wars
   The Mist is a really good looking film, ESPECIALLY in black and white (it's a director's extra on the DVD...Darabont originally WANTED black and white)
   Terminator 2
   Pirates of the Caribbean series has some really good visuals
   Two different versions of War of the Worlds are very cool to LOOK at
   Suspiria is another stunning film to see
   oh, also 1933s Invisible Man

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   1. 61

      theageofcakeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You know what, 2009 had quite a few visually breathtaking films that also happened to have some substance.  I mentioned Avatar and you Star Trek, but there's also Pixar's Up, Coraline, District 9, Moon, Fantastic Mr. Fox, it goes on and on.  It was definitely a strong year for cinema.
      
      Anyway, great list.

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      dohn121posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You have good taste my friend...Kind of like a Krispy Kreme

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3. 0

   sneakorocksolidposted 13 years ago

   There is only one movie that speaks for all time it's"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and the final showdown and gun fight!

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   PrettyPantherposted 13 years ago

   The first two that come to mind are "Legends of the Fall" and "Dr. Zhivago."

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5. 79

   brimancandyposted 13 years ago

   I think Jurrassic Park was pretty amazing when I first saw it.
   The way they brought the dinosaurs to life was very cool. And, it pretty much started the race for even better graphics in not only movies, but video games as well.
   
   All three of the Star Wars episodes had some great scenery in them, and some intense action scenes. However, I didn't really care for Revenge Of The Sith. But, visuals were great.
   
   Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter also had some very stunning visuals in them. Even though I thought lord of the rings was incredibly creepy, it had a really great story. And the Harry Potter films just took fantasy to the next level.
   
   Another good one was Independance Day.

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      betherannposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I have to agree on LOTR and Harry Potter.  HP was not necessarily a well-told film story (the books rocked), but it looked really good.  My favorite in terms of looks was Azkaban, which also happened to rate highest for me in terms of story and quality.

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6. 78

   pay2cEMposted 13 years ago

   #1 Avatar: I hate to use up my quota of superlatives on a single flick, but this was (at least on IMAX 3D) breathtakingly, jaw-droppingly stunning!
   
   #2 300: The plot DIDN'T suck...because there wasn't one, but an illiterate deaf-mute would have to appreciate those slo-mo visuals.
   
   #3 LotR Return of the King: If 100,000 CGI horseman charging towards 60-foot tall elephants doesn't put a knot in your throat, see your local physician to ensure that you still have a pulse.
   
   #4 Sin City: Textbook case study on how to make a graphic novel come to life.
   
   #5 The Matrix: C'mon, guys! That movie was SERIOUSLY freaking COOL looking!
   
   honorable mention: The Wizard of Oz, Last of the Mohicans, Braveheart, Gladiator, What Dreams May Come, Legends of the Fall, 2012, Watchmen, and the trailer for the new Tron.

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      receptionistposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Great list.
      
      I've to add The Labyrinth. Just blew me away when I first watched it. Thought The Goblin King was just so cool. And The Goblin City and its creatures - woah!

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   thekidandblueposted 13 years ago

   Slumdog Millionaire was a beautful looking film

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8. 62

   thirdmilleniumposted 13 years ago

   Fiddler on the roof

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      CrystalStarWomanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Fiddler on the Roof was nominated for an Oscar for best art direction - and the art director used to live at the end of my road!
      
      For me the most beautiful movie ever is Hero (aka Nameless, or Ying xiong).
      
      Every scene was breath-taking, every frame was a work of art.
      
      VisuallY STUNNING. I want to go and watch it again now

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9. 87

   rebekahELLEposted 13 years ago

   Avatar being the most recent~~ amazing on imax, 3d as mentioned. you truly feel like you are in the fantasy at times.
   
   Thin Red Line is also amazing~ takes place in the South Pacific, filmed in queensland, australia, solomon islands portraying the battle of guadalcanal during WW11. it's not just battle scenes, it's truly breathtaking. if you've never seen it, I highly recommend it. the film score is Hans Zimmer and he has said, it is one of his best.

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10. 75

    WriteAngledposted 13 years ago

    The start and finish of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I found the combination of visuals and music unforgettable. I must admit to being a bit bored during the central part though.

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    1. 61

       theageofcakeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I'm ecstatic that someone picked this movie, but it saddens me that the middle part bored you.  I thought the anxiety of being in space felt all too real in those sequences.

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          WriteAngledposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Sorry! I guess I'm much more a fantasy fan than a sci-fi fan I loved the mystery of the opening and closing sequences, but was totally put off by the HAL story.

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11. 60

    Windsweptplainsposted 13 years ago

    I adore Pride and Prejudice 2005 for its beautiful English countryside. And I love Lord of the RIngs for the same reason many love Avatar: for it's visual splendor.

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    cosetteposted 13 years ago

    oh yeah. i saw that a long time ago. wow...

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13. 83

    dohn121posted 13 years ago

    Oh and I'll add one more: Seven Samurai.  Without the work of Akira Kurosawa, many of the "westerns" we know today wouldn't be what the are (i.e. riding into the sunset).
    
    And I do agree with your selections, cosette.

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       cosetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       
       
       you know, the first time i saw The last Samurai, i started crying halfway through. the music combined with the imagery of their world, so ordered and beautiful, well it was just stunning.
       
       haha Seabiscuit wasn't visually stunning but that scene where he finally gets it...where he finally decides he's gonna go for it, that made me cry too. i wish i had a horse.

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    cosetteposted 13 years ago

    for me, HAL was the most engrossing part.
    
    that monolith freaked me out though. the voices...

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    1. 61

       theageofcakeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Absolutely agree on both counts.  The marriage of sight and sound in that movie made for a real intense, haunting experience.  I only just saw it for the first time last summer, and I can't remember being so engrossed in a movie since being a child.  It was like being 8 years old and seeing Jurassic Park for the first time - I was utterly mesmerized.

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15. 61

    Miss Belgraviaposted 13 years ago

    Barry Lyndon. Which most people under 50 have probably never heard of. It starred Ryan O'Neal, and was released in 1975. A largely forgotten Stanley Kubrick film.

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    lyricsingrayposted 13 years ago

    Breakfast at Tiffany's

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       Justine76posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       ohhhh!!! at the end, when they smoosh the cat, in the pouring rain?!!! darn movies, if only real life could be so romantic...

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17. 0

    Denno66posted 13 years ago

    2001: A Space Odyssey. Great visuals decades ahead of it's time.

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18. 61

    kingbynameposted 13 years ago

    The best-looking films have to sweep you off your feet and draw you into the visual narrative at the same time - no mean feat!
    
    Here are a few that have particularly impressed me over the years:
    
    
    Blade Runner
    Lawrence of Arabia
    Chungking Express
    Once Upon A Time In The West
    Citizen Kane
    The Godfather and The Godfather II
    L'Atalante
    Sunrise
    North by Northwest
    The Wages of Fear
    Kieslowski's Three Colour Trilogy
    The Red Shoes
    Mean Streets

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    1. 69

       Ralph Deedsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       You listed some of my all time favorite movies. But for sheer visual beauty Akira Kurosawa's "Ran" is my pick. "Doctor Zhivago" was also a visually beautiful movie, in my opinion.

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    2. 61

       theageofcakeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Lawrence of Arabia is awe-inspiring in many ways.  Great movie.

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19. 40

    modecaposted 13 years ago

    I'm a huge film fan and love directors who use cinematography to the full.
    
    Here are some of my picks:
    
    Apocalypse Now always takes my breath away.
    
    
    Old Boy - Park Chan Wook is a genius
    
    
    Primer - an obscure indie flick - great cinematography on a budget
    
    
    I love big special effects movies too, recent faves include Knowing -the best train crash in film history ever!!

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    1. 69

       Ralph Deedsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       "Appocalypse Now" is a visually spectacular movie and otherwise one of the greatest war movies of all time. "Gone With the Wind" was a breakthrough technicolor movie. But my pick for the most visually beautiful movie is Akira Kurosawa's "Ran," which retells Shakespeare's "King Lear" set in medieval Japan.

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20. 58

    madhugrposted 13 years ago

    "My Best Friend's Wedding" was my favorite for a long time. It had Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz in the same movie.

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21. 60

    mrcoopr2010posted 13 years ago

    New Jack City
    Malcolm X
    Baby Boy
    Boyz N The Hood
    Auto Focus
    All the Dirty Harry movies
    All the Rocky movies
    Home Alone 1 and 2
    Mrs. Doubtfire
    Stephen King's IT
    Superman the Movie
    The Muppet Movie
    The Great Muppet Caper (???)
    The Muppets Take Manhattan
    The Pursuit of Happyness
    Madea's Family Reunion
    Diary of a Mad Black Woman
    Madea Goes to Jail
    American Violet
    The Incredible Hulk
    Spider Man 1 to 3
    The Jazz Singer
    Dr. Zhivago
    Cabaret
    All That Jazz
    Lenny
    Bird
    Notorious
    Obsessed
    Get Rich or Die Tryin
    Mo' Better Blues
    An American Werewolf in London
    Silver Bullet
    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (both 1931 and 1941 versions)
    Purple Rain
    Hustle and Flow

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22. 61

    raven1967posted 13 years ago

    There are so many visually beautiful movies, especially for us fans. I loved how they captured small town america in "It's a Wonderful Life", specifically the outdoor scenes with falling snow(idealized, of course). Recently,"Cold Mountain" was like watching a painting come to life or poetry in motion. If you haven't seen it, do so, it is visually stunning. F**king incredible!!!!

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23. 61

    raven1967posted 13 years ago

    Couple others...lol...I agree with "Sin City" and "Pan's Labryinth" and many of the others. Alright a few more I think were missed, this is fun :
    
    A River Runs Through it
    Double Indemnity
    Farewell My Concubine
    All The Mornings of Tomorrow
    Aliens
    Seven Years in Tibet
    Dances With Wolves
    Schindler's List
    Sound of Music
    Beauty and The Beast(Disney)
    Edward Scissorhands

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24. 59

    Cly Walshposted 13 years ago

    While The Dark Crystal is my favourite movie, the 'best looking' movie from my perspective is Takeshi Kitano's version of Zatoichi.

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25. 70

    sunforgedposted 13 years ago

    I think most of my favorites have been mentioned multiple times but I think
    
    "A Clockwork Orange" is noticeably absent
    
    I also think A.I.(Artificial Intelligence) had a very unique and beautiful visual treatment
    
    well really anything by Kubrick
    
    What Dreams May Come
    
    THE CELL !!!
    
    and probably some Tim Burton belongs in this list
    
    
    
    

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       blondepoetposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       And Sunforged is the biggest spunk of all time. Saw your pic in Kimberley's hub. Omg how could you be hiding all that goodness for all this time from us ladies LMAO.

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    Rayalternatelyposted 13 years ago

    Did I miss the mentions for Gone With the Wind and Wizard of Oz?

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    sunforgedposted 13 years ago

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    oh yeah and both Charlie and the chocolate factories!
    
    @blondpoet , Im a spunk! Im not hiding I THINK I was previously featured on your very own male hubbers collection ..i think you called me a spaceman! ..am I remembering right?

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       blondepoetposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Haha yes I do remember. I never saw that pic of Kimberleys though. That one could land you as Cleo's new centrefold Sunforged.

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    Cowboycoffeeposted 13 years ago

    Big Fish, Was A Visual Treat to Me. = )

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29. 0

    khmohsinposted 13 years ago

    hmm, great this thread is a becoming a nice encyclopedia of Good Movies.
    "The Patriot",& "Shooter", are some of my favorites.

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30. 74

    Canklefishposted 13 years ago

    I always reference my favorite flick, 'Joe Versus the Volcano' for its stark and vivid symbolism. Aside from the growling shark in the fishing scene, the entire movie is eye candy, and I catch something new and interesting with every viewing.
    
    This is one of those 'love it/ hate it' films, and yes you read that correctly... This is my favorite film of all time.

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    fierycjposted 13 years ago

    Hero, The Fall, Inglourious Basterds, All Tony Scott Movies have a distinctive visual style, Mr. Magnorium's Emporium, Speed Racer, and so many others.

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    fierycjposted 13 years ago

    300 and Watchmen...some Cinematography there! And Layer Cake...forgive me Matthew Vaughn.

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       Sufidreamerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       300 was good - one of the early scenes, showing the view across Ancient Sparta and the surrounding mountains, is absolutely spot on. It does actually look like that.
       
       I always liked 'Once Upon a Time in the West.' A wonderful, sprawling western.
       
       Spartacus is an all-time favourite.
       
       The original 'Get Carter' - a nasty little film.
       
       'Conan the Barbarian,' - The only Conan adaptation that captured the dark mood of Howard's books. Awesome soundtrack, too.
       
       'Seven Samurai' - Beautifully shot.
       
       'Clerks' - Shot on such a low budget, but set Kevin Smith on the road to fame and fortune.

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33. 78

    barryrutherfordposted 13 years ago

    I liked the English countryside scenes in Barry Lyndon.
    
    http://thisisanadventure.com/wp-content … lyndon.jpg

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    Sab Ohposted 13 years ago

    Ten to Chi (1990)
    
    The history is a bit suspect, but the visuals are stunning.

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35. 75

    FranyaBlueposted 13 years ago

    BEST LOOKING movies - Oceans 11/12/13 - A feast for all the ladies eyes

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36. 40

    World Marketingposted 13 years ago

    The Gladiator "Honor Him"

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37. 65

    betherannposted 13 years ago

    I love Tim Burton's style -- anything by him looks fantastic to me!

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    dyonderposted 13 years ago

    Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colors trilogy (Blue, White, Red). Though subtitled (if one doesn't follow French), the message of each film is so intricately entrenched within the artistry of the direction that one can't help but be swept up.
    Park Chan-wook's revenge trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance/ Oldboy/ Sympathy for Lady Vengeance). All three of these films bring to mind Poppy Z. Brite's essay on the beauty of violence. Gorgeous and disturbing - an intoxicating blend.
    Enki Belal's Immortal is a visual feast, reminiscent of the dream scenes from 1985's Brazil.

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    Vinculumposted 13 years ago

    Not one person has mentioned There Will Be Blood. A beautiful cinematic scape of the west.

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    Greek Oneposted 13 years ago

    when Harry met Sally...
    
    and 300

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    stephensaldanaposted 13 years ago

    I liked " No country for older men" " the watchmen" and " the greenmiles" .. loved these movies..

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    lilian_sgposted 13 years ago

    I would say New Zealand's natural beauty stands out in the Lord of the Rings trilogy!

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    torimariposted 13 years ago

    LOTR trilogy...loved it.

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    bojanglesk8posted 13 years ago

    Avatar.

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    stu-smith72posted 13 years ago

    Into the Wild- Incredible settings, brilliant cinematography and initiative editing
    
    City of God- Possibly the best visual film ever
    
    The Diving Bell and Butterfly- the majority of the film is tough viewing as the camera takes the restrictive perspective of a almost entirely paralysed man, but the scenes of his imagination are truly fantastic
    
    Michael Mann films- Heat, Collateral and Public Enemies have shots to die for
    
    Where the Wild Things Are- Playful and creative, really puts you back in a childs imagination

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    mega1posted 13 years ago

    older movies include:  Bertolucci's ROMEO AND JULIET
    FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD
    any thing by Felinni
    DR. ZHIVAGO - especially the scene of the iced over summer house
    
    more recently I really loved the looks of ALICE IN WONDERLAND
    
    the original MOULIN ROUGE  and then the newer one are both visually great
    
    SLUMDOG MILLIONARE had some great India visuals
    
    I'm forgetting some of my other favorites right now.
    
    oh yeh - MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM - the one with Michelle Pfeiffer

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    Flightkeeperposted 13 years ago

    Best looking movies for me:
    
    Wizard of Oz - when the movied turned from black and white to color was amazing.
    
    The Ten Commandments - who does't like tons of bare-chested masculine men strutting around?  And you can't forget the parting of the Red Sea.
    
    Oklahoma - and any of the Oscar and Hammerstein movie musicals, have great costumes, set pieces, and background.
    
    Dick Tracy - amazing costumes and set pieces
    
    Batman - the first movie, highly stylized.  Everything looks sharp and gleaming.
    
    That's all off the top of my head, but there are others.

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    jenblacksheepposted 13 years ago

    The film that came to my mind first was 300 and that has already been mentioned several times. Sin City is also good, coz they're both pretty similar.
    
    There's a film called The Fall that I think it visually very good (and in other respects too). It was recommended to me by the guy in the store but other than him I've never met anyone that's seen it.

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       Sufidreamerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       The first time I saw '300' was in an open-air cinema a few hundred yards away from the ruins of Ancient Sparta.
       
       Watching movies doesn't get much better than that!
       
       Adding to my previous list, how could I forget 'Excalibur?' A beautiful film.

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          jenblacksheepposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Wow that's cool. I'm glad I saw 300 at the cinema, I don't think it would have had nearly the same visual effect watching it on a tv. I was just too young to see Sin City when it came out at the cinema but I imagine that would have been much the same.

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    Ralph Deedsposted 13 years ago

    Earlier I mentioned Kurosawa's "Ran."  "Dr. Zhivago" comes to mind also.

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    Lora Palmerposted 13 years ago

    Wow, great collection of beautiful movies here! What Dreams May Come was my first thought after reading the title, and I'm so glad to see someone else came up with it, too.  Avatar and the Harry Potter movies are also really visually stunning movies.

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