MY 30 FAVORITE ADVENTURE MOVIES

MY 30 FAVORITE ADVENTURE MOVIES 

The adventure genre is broadly defined as a story where there is a hero or a group that is on some sort of journey or quest.  It's sometimes associated with the fantasy genre, but doesn't have to be. 

As with any favorites list, this one is subject to change, but this is where things rate with me right now.

1. ROGUE ONE (2016) plus the original STAR WARS TRILOGY (1977, 1980, 1983) - The rebellion stands up to the evil galactic empire.
2. THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY (Extended edition, 2001, 2002, 2003) - The dark lord's ruling ring has been found, and the forces of good decide that it must be taken into the heart of the dark lord's domain, the only place where it can be destroyed, thus destroying evil forever.
3. A KNIGHT'S TALE (2001) - A young man poses as a noble so he can compete in the popular medieval sport of jousting. 
4. PROJECT HAIL MARY (2026) - The galaxy's stars, including the sun, are dying, so the nations of the world unite to mount a mission to the one star that isn't in the hope that a solution can be found. 
5. THE MARTIAN (2015) - One astronaut is lost and presumed dead when a mission to Mars has to be scrubbed and the rest of the crew evacuates to space and heads home.  But, the one they left behind isn't dead...
6. THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (2013) - When an important photographic negative can't be found, a daydreaming man embarks on quest to find it.
7. PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (1987) - An odd pairing of a business man and a salesman are stranded on their way home, and they team up in an effort to get home before Thanksgiving.
8. TRON (1982) - A brilliant software engineer becomes digitized and is transported into a computer where he has to defeat a rogue program before he can escape.
9. CHASING MAVERICKS (2012) - A young man convinces a local surfing guru to train him to surf a massive wave known as Mavericks. 
10. THE HUNGER GAMES (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) - An oppressive central government randomly selects two children ages 12-18 from each of the twelve districts to participate in an annual fight to the death in an event called The Hunger Games.
11. THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE (2024) - A small team is sent on the first British black ops mission in an attempt to cripple the German's Atlantic U-Boat fleet.
12. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) - Indiana Jones is sent to Egypt by the US government to try to find the lost Ark of the Covenant before the Germans can.
13. INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989) - Indiana Jones is roped into joining an expedition to save his father, and find the Holy Grail before the Nazis can. 
14. BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE (1989) - Someone from the future provide HS students Bill and Ted a time-traveling phone booth to help them complete their history report, and by so doing, save the future of humanity.
15. THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) - A farm boy leaves to seek his fortune so he can return and marry his love, Buttercup.  When he returns, he has to fight to try to get her back.
16. BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) - A HS student travels to the past where something he does changes the future, so has to go back to try to undo what he did. 
17. DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES (2023) - Characters in a Dungeons and Dragons game have adventures and misadventures as they try to bring someone back from the dead and get rich in the process.
18. JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO (1990) - A hypochondriac is convinced to jump into the volcano on a tiny Pacific island so a business tycoon can acquire the rights to a rare mineral, and he has adventures and finds love along the way.
19. SAHARA (2005) - Marine salvage experts find themselves in the desert of Africa during their quest to find a lost Civil War era Confederate ironclad ship.  
20. CAST AWAY (2000) - A FEDEX executive is stranded alone on a tiny Pacific island when his plane crashes. Then, when his chance comes, he tries to escape to sea.
21. LADYHAWKE (1985) - An evil bishop casts a curse on two young lovers, one becomes a hawk by day and the other becomes a wolf by night.   
22. HIDALGO (2004) - A distance horseback racing champion and his horse, Hidalgo, are recruited to participate in the deadly Ocean of Fire long-distance race in the Middle East.
23. THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990) - Officers of a Soviet nuclear missile sub plan to defect to the west and take their submarine with them.
24. STAR TREK (2009) - A massive alien ship emerges from a black hole and sends the universe on an alternative future.
25. UP (2009) - To fulfill his promise to his deceased wife, a retired man and a young boy uses helium balloons to fly his house to South America where they have amazing adventures. 
26. NEVER CRY WOLF (1983) - A Canadian naturalist is sent into the far north with the assignment to document the slaughter of caribou herds by wolves.
27. DUNE (2021) - The planet Arrakis, also known as DUNE, is the only place in the universe where the spice melange can be harvested, and great houses of the empire compete for the glory and riches that go along with the right to manage the planet.
28. THE LAST STARFIGHTER (1984) - A teenage boy's dream is to be accepted to college so he can escape the trailer park is dashed, but when he breaks the record on a video game, unexpected doors open for him.
29. FINDING NEMO (2003) - A young clownfish named Nemo is captured by a diver, and his father sets out on a quest to find Nemo and bring him home. 
30. THE LOST CITY (2022) - An obsessive billionaire kidnaps the author of a series of adventure books in an effort to obtain a legendary artifact.