The fantasy and war genres: Invasion, the alternate plane and displacement

Films employing the fantasy/war genre are top box office attractions. There is much for the screenwriter, or for those who guide screenwriters, to consider in this fact. This article will explore the reasons for the popularity of this film genre hybrid and contrast these films’ lure to narratives in the war genre told through a straightforward, realistic method. The article will also investigate how the fantasy/war genre, using elements of the fantastical fairy tale or using the fantastical alternate plane in films such as Alice in Wonderland (2010), World War Z (2012) and Red Dawn (1984, 2012), provide a desired displacement for an audience in regards to conscious or sub-conscious anxieties regarding living in a world in constant war.