Adventure Movie Rankings
Unlike the fantasy genre, I am considering the adventure genre to not feature otherworldly elements. It's swords without the sorcery and large-scale journeys.
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- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordSean ConneryAlison DoodyIn 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers."You call this archaeology?"
The film that ended the original Indiana Jones trilogy is the best adventure movie ever captured on screen. There's a healthy dose of mystery, action, puzzle-solving and humor in this one as Jones goes looking for his father and the Cup of the Holy Grail while going head to head with the Nazis once more. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKaren AllenPaul FreemanIn 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers."Why'd it have to be snakes?"
With a hero recognized by everyone in the world, the first Indiana Jones movie is definitely a treasure worth checking out. At the same time, though, it's not the masterpiece it's often made out to be. It's fun, funny and epic in scope, but the ending sort of let me down as Jones didn't necessarily win so much as survive. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKate CapshawKe Huy QuanIn 1935, Indiana Jones is tasked by Indian villagers with reclaiming a rock stolen from them by a secret cult beneath the catacombs of an ancient palace."Nothing shocks me. I'm a scientist."
The second Indiana Jones movie (and first chronologically) is distinguished from the others in the series by its dark mood and themes. That would have been fine, but they obviously felt the need to lighten things up by pairing Jones with two pretty annoying sidekicks that aren't there for much other than comedic relief. - DirectorKen AnnakinStarsJohn MillsDorothy McGuireJames MacArthurA Swiss family must survive being shipwrecked on a deserted island.This movie was so much fun to me as a kid and remains excellent to this day. All the different animals, the fights with pirates and the family dynamic makes it one of the best family adventure films.
- DirectorJerry ZuckerStarsSean ConneryRichard GereJulia OrmondLancelot falls in love with Guinevere, who is due to be married to King Arthur. Meanwhile, a violent warlord tries to seize power from Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsKirk DouglasJames MasonPaul LukasA ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.You could call it science fiction, but it definitely has the adventure quality to it, so I think it belongs here. I loved this as a kid and still love it watching today.
- DirectorDavid YatesStarsAlexander SkarsgårdRory J SaperChristian StevensTarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.There is something a little off about this movie, but I really liked it.
- DirectorMichael CurtizWilliam KeighleyStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandBasil RathboneWhen Prince John and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence in 1190s England, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader of a resistance movement."I'm only just beginning."
The best live-action Robin Hood film is also one of the first. It's almost amazing to think that no adaptation since, save the Disney cartoon, has been able to surpass it; that is, until you sit down and watch it. It's colorful, fun, funny and dramatic all at once. The whole family can enjoy this treasure. - DirectorMario BavaStarsCameron MitchellAlice KesslerEllen KesslerTwo estranged brothers confront each other as rivals when war breaks out between Britain and the Vikings for control of England.This movie surprised me by how good it was. It was quite realistic aside from the whole brother story line. Kills make sense, and it's not all one hero saving the day. I really enjoyed this one.
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsSean AstinJosh BrolinJeff CohenA group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure.This is perhaps the most overrated film of all time. Yes, it's certainly a good movie and can be a lot of fun to watch, but most people rate this highly based on nostalgia. My biggest problem with this film is that it feels like a big inside joke. And, as an audience member, there is no possible way that you can be in on the joke, no matter how much you think you are. We have no idea why these kids are called The Goonies or how they came to develop their apparent code. Those details aside, I will admit it's a fun movie.
- DirectorByron HaskinStarsBobby DriscollRobert NewtonBasil SydneyThe treasure seeking adventures of young Jim Hawkins and pirate captain Long John Silver.Long John Silver in this movie set the standard for pirates that has remained to this day. He is terrific in his role, and the movie is a lot of fun yet surprisingly violent for a Disney film. I have heard that this interpretation is better than the book itself.
- DirectorJohn BoormanStarsNigel TerryHelen MirrenNicholas ClayMerlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.
- DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsCharlton HestonYul BrynnerAnne BaxterMoses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery."Let my people go."
As far as classic epics go, there probably isn't one better than the story of Moses. It feels incredibly grand and includes a number of very memorable characters. The only drawback is the running time, from which a good hour could probably have been shaved to increase replay value. Still, it's a great story and an enormous Hollywood success. - DirectorKevin ReynoldsStarsKevin CostnerMorgan FreemanMary Elizabeth MastrantonioRobin Hood decides to fight back as an outlaw when faced with the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham.This gritty version of the Robin Hood legend seems to be undergoing an identity crisis. There are a great many subplots, and it's humorous at one moment and brutally violent the next. I remember it scaring me silly as a kid.
- DirectorRon UnderwoodStarsBill PaxtonCharlize TheronRade SerbedzijaA legendary fifteen-foot tall mountain gorilla named Joe is taken to an animal sanctuary in California by zoologist Gregg O'Hara (Bill Paxton) and Jill Young (Charlize Theron), with whom he grew up. Poacher Strasser (Rade Serbedzija) returns from the past to seek vengeance on Joe.This was pretty solid and actually better than the original. There were plenty of scenes where I couldn't tell if the gorilla was CGI or animatronic, and that is a huge compliment.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsChris HemsworthCillian MurphyBrendan GleesonA recounting of a New England whaling ship's sinking by a giant whale in 1820, an experience that later inspired the great novel Moby-Dick.I think I'm one of the few people who actually enjoyed Moby Dick, but I read it in four days lying on a beach, so I think that helped. Anyway, this movie is as good a Moby Dick movie as we may ever see.
- DirectorMichael AndersonJohn FarrowStarsDavid NivenCantinflasFinlay CurrieA Victorian Englishman bets that with the new steamships and railways he can circumnavigate the globe in eighty days.This is one of the most beautiful movies you'll ever see, and I mean physical beauty. These guys go everywhere and do everything, and it all feels ridiculously grand. It's just not captivating. Lazy Sunday movie? Sure. Any other time? Probably not going to work. This did win Best Picture in 1957.
- DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsEverett McGillRon PerlmanNicholas KadiThis story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.For a movie with no dialogue, this one is pretty entertaining. It's also ridiculously realistic as there isn't a great deal of "convenient" moments you see in most adventure movies. Sometimes our heroes run away; sometimes they just win easily without any buildup.
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsGeena DavisMatthew ModineFrank LangellaA female pirate and her companion race against their rivals to find a hidden island that contains a fabulous treasure.It's certainly not the best pirate movie ever made, but it's far from the disaster it's been made out to be. There isn't much earth-shattering about this movie aside from the amazing visuals, but you can see how it heavily influenced the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, especially the first half of the movie.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael DouglasKathleen TurnerDanny DeVitoA mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure hunting for treasure with a mercenary rogue.Here's a movie that is very unique among any genre. Yes, the romance amidst an adventure has been done many times, but there's just something about this one that comes off as different. It's fun, funny and pretty exciting. I'll refer to it as a nice getaway movie that breaks from the monotony of so many others.
- DirectorFrank MarshallStarsLaura LinneyTim CurryDylan WalshWhen an expedition to the African Congo ends in disaster, a new team is assembled to find out what went wrong.This is a very strange movie to me. It was marketed as a monster movie, but the gorillas really aren't around until the finale. It's much more of an adventure movie that is very much about the people involved. It fluctuates between an adventure, thriller and monster movie and is all right but not great because of it.
- DirectorErnest B. SchoedsackStarsTerry MooreBen JohnsonRobert ArmstrongA young woman who has raised a giant gorilla from an infant brings him to Hollywood years later seeking her fortune.This almost feels like a do-over for King Kong given it's the same company and features one of the same actors. It's like they wanted to give the classic a happier ending. This one isn't really fantasy since there is nothing that outrageous about Joe. He's a very big gorilla but not kaiju monster size by any stretch. This is a fine, enjoyable film but certainly not spectacular.
- DirectorStephen HerekStarsCharlie SheenKiefer SutherlandChris O'DonnellFrance, 1625: Young d'Artagnan heads to Paris to join the Musketeers but the evil cardinal has disbanded them - save 3. He meets the 3, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and joins them on their quest to save the king and country.Disney's version of the classic tale is a family fun-type adventure, but it surprisingly has its share of adult moments, including some killing and strong sexual connotations. As such, it really seems to be trapped between two target audiences, which may explain why I liked it a lot as a kid but only think it's all right as an adult. Simply put, it could have and probably should have been better.
- DirectorLewis TeagueStarsMichael DouglasKathleen TurnerDanny DeVitoWhen Joan Wilder is abducted while on a trip along the Nile, her boyfriend, Jack Colton, and pal Ralph rush to rescue her and retrieve a fabled jewel.It's definitely not as good as the first movie, but the sequel to Romancing The Stone is likable enough and has a pretty satisfying ending.
- DirectorSimon WestStarsAngelina JolieJon VoightIain GlenVideo game adventurer Lara Croft comes to life in a movie where she races against time and villains to recover powerful ancient artifacts.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsCharlton HestonJack HawkinsStephen BoydAfter a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.Not a big fan of this supposed epic. Sure, it's grand in scale and everything, but it's way too long. This should have been maybe two and a half hours.
- DirectorHéctor OliveraStarsLana ClarksonKatt SheaFrank ZagarinoA sword-wielding warrior, Amethea, and a few companions embark on a life-or-death mission to liberate her people from the clutches of a brutal monarch who destroyed her village and enslaved her people.I can forgive anyone for being suckered into seeing this one for the incredible poster, but the sword and sorcery movies of the 1980s had a way of not living up to the hype of the cover. This one is fun enough, but it's clearly B-movie material. The acting is pretty awful, but the actresses are ridiculously pretty. There are a few moments where the teenage boy in me saw my tongue hit the floor, but, beyond them, it's not up to par.
- DirectorKerry ConranStarsGwyneth PaltrowJude LawAngelina JolieAfter New York City receives a series of attacks from giant flying robots, a reporter teams up with a pilot in search of their origin, as well as the reason for the disappearances of famous scientists around the world.In a movie that looks as awful as this does, you would think they would at least go out and cast some great leads. Instead, we get Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow turning in two truly awful performances. The plot was about the only interesting element in this one, but it gets lost amid all the other calamity.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsHarrison FordPhoebe Waller-BridgeAntonio BanderasArchaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history.The fourth entry in the series is criminally bad, and this one isn't much better really. The characters are uninteresting at best and downright annoying for the most part. The story is really stupid albeit not as bad as Crystal Skull.
- DirectorMatt CimberStarsLaurene LandonCihangir GaffariMaría CasalBorn in a tribe of fierce warrior women, the archer and sword fighter, Hundra, has been raised to despise the influence of men. Superior to any male, Hundra takes a vow of revenge until one day she finds love.This is a movie built on sex. Unfortunately, it's not the kind I like. If you're a female power type of girl who also happened to enjoy Conan the Barbarian, then this movie will be right up your alley.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordCate BlanchettShia LaBeoufIndiana Jones becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.A lot of classic heroes got an epilogue piece in the 2000s. Indiana Jones was one who didn't need another story, especially one as bad as this turned out to be. The films in the original trilogy always asked you to suspend disbelief quite a bit, but this one just took it way too far by introducing aliens. Also, not one character outside of Indy is the leasdt bit interesting.
- DirectorSean PennStarsEmile HirschVince VaughnCatherine KeenerAfter graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.I really hate this movie because I couldn't disagree with the message any more than I already do. To me, a kid who throws away opportunity to live unprepared in the wilderness deserves to die. He was a selfish individual, and the more the movie tried to make him out to be some noble character, the more I tuned out. This movie is trash.