The adventure genre is a crucial aspect of cinema. Since the dawn of the medium, adventure movies have dazzled audiences with their inventive premises, immersive worldbuilding, and courageous heroes. Think of early classics like The Thief of Bagdad or The Adventures of Robin Hood, all the way to modern gems like Stardust and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, triumphs that have aged beautifully as the pillars upon which the adventure genre rises.
Indeed, the adventure genre has much to offer, and many of those offerings come incredibly close to perfection. Perhaps they’re held back by a particular plot or character, or maybe some of the content hasn’t exactly aged well for whatever reason, but these movies remain incredible examples of 9-out-of-10 adventures. So if you’re looking for your next great movie adventure, look no further than these near-perfect efforts.
‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’ (2003)
Academy Award winner Russell Crowe stars as Jack Aubrey in Peter Weir‘s 2003 adaptation of Patrick O’Brian‘s Aubrey-Maturin series. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World sees Aubrey, the brash captain of the H.M.S. Surprise, chasing down a powerful French vessel through the South American coast during the Napoleonic Wars. Paul Bettany co-stars as Stephen Maturin, Aubrey’s friend and the ship’s doctor.
Weir’s unique blend of panache and confidence behind the camera makes Master and Commander the epitome of naval adventure cinema (an admittedly limited subgenre, but still). The sea battles are probably the greatest ever depicted on the big screen, and Crowe is at his hunkiest and most heroic in this role, arguably surpassing his Oscar-winning role in Ridley Scott‘s Gladiator. It is perhaps too long, and the screenplay feels undercooked, but Master and Commander remains a masterclass in cinematic warfare, especially when it comes to the tactical aspects.
‘Shanghai Express’ (1936)
The iconic Marlene Dietrich stars in Shanghai Express, one of her most famous and revered collaborations with Josef von Sternberg. The film sees two former lovers reuniting on a Shanghai-bound train as a civil war rages on. However, a rebel army leader takes over the train, holding them hostage.
For a ninety-four-year-old movie, Shanghai Express holds up incredibly well. Dietrich is at her most magnetic here, beautifully shot by Lee Garmes‘ cinematography, and the underrated Anna May Wong does an admirable job as the courageous Hui Fei. The film is also a perfect example of how the adventure genre looked before the advent of CGI. Everything in Shanghai Express is dialed up to eleven, from the sets to the costumes to the set pieces, but adjusted to the capabilities and limitations of the time. The result is a unique war-adventure movie that feels engaging despite its confined setting, making the most with the least.
‘Romancing the Stone’ (1984)
Adventure and romance go together incredibly well, and it’s wild that very few movies actually use both genres to their full potential. Among the few that excel at it is Robert Zemeckis‘ Romancing the Stone, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as a mercenary and a romance writer caught up in a wild jungle adventure to save her sister from a band of smugglers looking for a treasure map.
Admittedly, Romancing the Stone excels more at the romance part, largely thanks to the explosive chemistry between Douglas and Turner. However, Zemeckis handles the adventure aspects with skill, resulting in one of the most exciting movies of the ’80s. There’s a real sense of awe in the set pieces here, a quality that makes audiences actually wonder at the events rather than just going along with them. The on-location shoot also gives the movie a more realistic look, making the danger seem not only palpable but refreshingly authentic, a quality sorely missing from today’s CGI-ridden offerings.
‘The Mummy’ (1999)
Oscar winners Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz star in Stephen Sommers‘ 1999 summer blockbuster, The Mummy. A new take on the classic Universal Monster, the film follows Evelyn (Weisz), an intrepid Egyptologist and her immature brother as they join daring explorer Rick O’Connell (Fraser) on a trip to a mythical city. There, she accidentally awakens the mummy of an ancient priest hellbent on bringing his lover back to life by any means necessary.
To many millennials, The Mummy is the epitome of cinematic adventure, and it’s hard to argue with them. The film has so much fun with its premise, injecting humor, big-scale set pieces, and even some strong horror elements to deliver a singular adventure the likes of which we often see anymore. The romance is also irresistible, with both Fraser and Weisz at the peak of their appeal, sharing explosive chemistry in service of a classic love story. The sequels are not great, but a fourth Mummy movie has been announced, with both Fraser and Weisz returning, so perhaps there’s still life left in this beloved franchise.
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ (2006)
The second entry in the Pirates of the Caribbean series is perhaps the most singular of all. Dead Man’s Chest sees Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) attempting to escape a deal he made with the powerful Davy Jones (Bill Nighy). Elsewhere, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) tries to free his father, Bootstrap Bill (Stellan Skarsgård), from Jones’ servitude, while Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) tries to rid herself and Will of the arrest warrant against them.
Upon release, Dead Man’s Chest was heavily criticized and considered a downgrade compared to The Curse of the Black Pearl. Yet, twenty years later, the film has aged beautifully and is now widely regarded as one of the best adventure movies of the new millennium. Everything, from the score to the production values, is majestic, and the action is exhilarating, particularly the climactic sequence in Isla Cruces, which features one of the most inventive three-way duels in modern cinema. The best aspect is undoubtedly the CGI, which looks better than ever. The standout is Davy Jones, arguably the single greatest CGI creation in cinema.
‘Jason and the Argonauts’ (1963)
Jason and the Argonauts is one of the best and most highly regarded adventure movies in Classic Hollywood, a triumph of visual effects from a time when the process was just emerging as a crucial part of cinema. Todd Armstrong stars as Jason, who goes on a quest to recover the legendary Golden Fleece. Joined by other heroes of Greek myth, Jason fights numerous fantastical and dangerous creatures while protected by the goddess Hera (Honor Blackman).
Nowadays, Jason and the Argonauts is best remembered for the iconic battle sequence where Jason fights seven skeleton warriors. The visual effects were courtesy of legendary motion picture artist Ray Harryhausen, with the film often considered his magnum opus and a groundbreaking part of visual effects history. The scene has become synonymous with the film itself and inspired countless subsequent movies, but Jason and the Argonauts also features other standout moments, including the fight against Talos, the giant bronze statue. This classic fantasy movie has aged perfectly as the kind of adventure that feels like a throwback to the genre’s golden days.
‘Hugo’ (2011)
When one thinks of Martin Scorsese, the mind usually goes to the crime or gangster genre. “Family” and “adventure” are not two genres usually associated with the Oscar-winning titan, yet Scorsese proved he could tackle them beautifully with 2011’s Hugo. Asa Butterfield stars as the titular character, a young orphan living in a train station in 1930s Paris. Joined by a young girl, Hugo embarks on an adventure to learn the secrets of a mysterious automaton left behind by his late father.
Hugo is a rather unique movie. The plot is somewhat tricky, leading the audience down one direction before revealing itself to be far simpler: a love letter to cinema rather than some steampunk adventure. Yet, it’s precisely in that intimacy that the film thrives. Hugo boasts an extravagant production design, a gorgeous score, emotional performances, and Scorsese’s trademark touch behind the camera. However, it’s mostly a testament to the beauty of cinema and the power of storytelling, and their ability to shape one’s life.