The Five Best Adventure Films of All-Time

Adventure films have always been huge hits. In fact, as a whole we have always been intrigued by adventure, from the vacations we take to the games we play, but nobody does adventure quite like the silver screen.

Yes, Hollywood is home of the adventure, especially for those of us who like to live vicariously through others. Down the years there have been dozens of adventure movies, many of which have gone on to franchise out into video games, merchandise, and even arcade games remain as popular as ever in the genre.

But with decades worth of adventure films being the inspiration behind the latest video games and slots, what are the best movies in the genre of all-time? It’s going to be a hotly debated one, but we’ve managed to narrow it down to a top five…

Stand by Me

We’re starting with this coming-of-age story released in 1986 and based upon Stephen King’s novel The Body. Stand by Me was the film that launched a number of careers and is set in 1959 as a group of young boys set out on an adventure to discover the missing body of a local boy.

It’s a movie that has humour, friendship, innocence, and sadness and is one that tugs at the heartstrings of many. It’s a cult classic and comfortable makes it into our top five.

Moonrise Kingdom

Most of what Wes Anderson touches turns to gold, and Moonrise Kingdom is arguably his best movie to date. Starring the raft of top actors you expect from an Anderson movie, including Ed Norton, Bruce Willis, and Frances McDormand to name a few, the film is about two runaways who set out on an adventure to an island off the coast of New England.

It’s another adventure film with comedy at the heart of it and naturally has all the charm that we’ve come to know and love from this magnificent director and storyteller.

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Of course, we were going to include Indiana Jones, and of course it was going to be Raiders of the Lost Ark. The first film in the franchise is certainly the best and created a truly iconic role for Harrison Ford. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film sees Indiana Jones out on a quest to prevent the Nazis from stealing the Ark of the Covenant, an ancient religious relic. It’s an adventure movie with all-out action, and perhaps the most famous adventure movie of all time.

Jurassic Park

Another classic franchise, another Spielberg masterpiece, and another we’re sticking to the first movie with is Jurassic Park. The movie follows the story of a theme park which has recreated dinosaurs, to what turns out to be devastating effect. But can a team of scientists, which includes Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough save the day in this 1993 adventure?

Cast Away

Tom Hanks stars in Cast Away, a film in which the FedEx engineer ends up stranded on a desert island during a work assignment. He befriends a volleyball named Wilson and the movie follows just how Hanks copes on the island. The 2000 film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, enjoyed critical acclaim and resulted in a number of nominations, including Hanks for Best Actor at the 2001 Academy Awards. It’s a much watch of the genre.