98 Best Adventure Movies All Time Ranked

Of all the stories humans tell, there's just something about a fantastic adventure that speaks to our souls time and time again, whether it's an ancient text like "The Epic of Gilgamesh" or a more modern-tale like George Lucas' "Star Wars." The fact that we've always been drawn to stories of quests and derring-do proves the power of a good adventure to reach deep into the human spirit. 

When a great adventure comes alive on the big or small screen, it gives viewers a chance to step outside of their world and experience the potential of a transformative journey. Whether it's a journey across the sea or across all of space and time, there's nothing like sitting down with a tub of popcorn and stepping into a new world. Next time you're looking for adventure, we've got you covered with the 98 best adventure movies ever made. 

Updated on May 23, 2022: Great new adventure movies are released all the time! We'll be updating this list every so often to include the best new adventure films, so be sure to check back soon for more fantastic quests! 

In "Ready Player One," teen orphan Wade Watts lives in a miserable dystopian world where RVs are stacked like the world's saddest LEGOs. But lucky for Wade, the wi-fi is fantastic. Our hero — and most everyone else — spends their days inside the OASIS, a video game reality that's the ultimate form of escapism. But when the OASIS creator leaves his vast fortune and company ownership hidden inside his VR world in an Easter egg, Wade embarks on the ultimate virtual adventure to find it, traveling through a world populated with Gen-X pop culture references and baddies for hire. 

• Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 2018
• Runtime: 140 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 72%

Adapted from Patrick O'Brian's series of historical novels, "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" is a seafaring naval adventure set during the Napoleonic Wars. Like the novels, the film follows the adventures of Royal Navy captain Jack Aubrey and his ship surgeon, Dr. Stephen Maturin. In pursuit of French privateers, Captain Aubrey leads the HMS Surprise around Cape Horn to the Galápagos Islands, where they encounter a host of maritime adventures from eerily becalmed waters to strange new species to hand-to-hand combat with unsavory mariners. 

• Starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, James D'Arcy
• Director: Peter Weir
• Year: 2003
• Runtime: 138 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

Set in feudal Japan, "The Hidden Fortress" finds hard-luck peasants Tahei and Matashichi setting a course for adventure by joining the powerful Yamana clan of soldiers and eventually escorting a princess and her family gold through enemy territory. Imperfect heroes that they are, Tahei and Matashichi are hardly up to the challenge of facing off with warring samurai. But with the help of a few brave allies, they manage to scrape through by the skin of their teeth. One of the biggest influences on 1977's "Star Wars," "The Hidden Fortress" is a true classic of Japanese cinema.

• Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki
• Director: Akira Kurosawa
• Year: 1958
• Runtime: 139 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

 "Captain Blood" is a seafaring adventure set in the Golden Age of Piracy, and when it comes to adventure, no one did it better than 17th-century pirates. This high-seas adventure finds Irish physician Peter Blood sold into slavery in the West Indies. After Blood is purchased by the lovely Arabella Bishop, he later escapes Port Royal during a Spanish man-o-war attack, taking up a new life as a Caribbean buccaneer where swashbuckling adventures and romance on the high seas are the order of the day. For those not familiar with old-timey actors, Blood is played by Errol Flynn, the greatest action star of his day, and "Captain Blood" finds him at his adventurous, charming best.

• Starring: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone
• Director: Michael Curtiz
• Year: 1935
• Runtime: 119 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is widely considered one of the best and most influential wuxia films of all time, thanks in large part to its gorgeous cinematography and unique martial arts scenes. The story is set in 19th-century China during the Qing dynasty and follows the adventures of female machete warrior Yu Shu Lien and her wudang swordsman friend Mu Bai as they battle other warriors over the 400-year-old sword Green Destiny. Come for the flying duels amongst bamboo, stay for the sweeping romance and epic adventure.

• Starring: Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi
• Director: Ang Lee
• Year: 2001
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

The ultimate American road comedy, "National Lampoon's Vacation" is the first film in the "Vacation" series and follows the Griswold family's adventures as they embark on a cross-country road trip from suburban Chicago to the beloved theme park Walley World. Partly due to patriarch Clark Griswold's many personality flaws, the family encounters more than their share of troubles along the way, including a hostage situation when things don't go as they planned at the park. Anyone who's taken a long family road trip will relate to the comedic miseries visited upon the Griswold's Wagon Queen Family Truckster. 

• Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, John Candy
• Director: Harold Ramis
• Year: 1983
• Runtime: 98 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

The archetypal spaghetti Western, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" follows three gunslingers on a quest to find a cache of Confederate gold hidden by a fugitive during the bloody peak of the Civil War. On one side, you've got the "Good," a marksman/bounty hunter who's always one step ahead of everybody else. Then there's the "Bad," a squinty-eyed mercenary with no remorse when it comes to murder. And finally, there's the "Ugly," a sniveling bandit who's a lot faster on the draw than you might expect. Together, these three double-cross each other, butt heads, and occasionally give each other a hand as they search for treasure. With three iconic characters and Ennio Morricone's incredible score, it's no wonder this is the ultimate Wild West adventure.

• Starring: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef
• Director: Sergio Leone
• Year: 1966
• Runtime: 161 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

With a theme park chock full of cloned dinosaurs, what could go wrong? This is the central question in the film "Jurassic Park," which finds a group of survivors on the run from dinos off the coast of Costa Rica. Not long after experts paleobotanist Ellie Sattler, paleontologist Alan Grant, and chaos theory math whiz Ian Malcolm arrive to sign off on the park's safety, a storm and a disgruntled hacker descend upon the island, leaving the resident dinos to run amok after the park's electric fences lose power. Throw a couple of kids into the mix, and it's a recipe for some serious prehistoric adventure, complete with eye-popping effects, both practical and CGI.

• Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 1993
• Runtime: 128 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

One of the world's few Thanksgiving films, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is part buddy comedy, part road trip adventure. The tale finds frustrating but friendly traveling salesman Del Griffith crossing paths with uptight marketing exec Neal Page as they team up in a desperate bid to get Neal home in time for his turkey dinner. Despite the short distance between New York and Chicago, the unlikely pair find themselves on something of an epic journey after their plane gets diverted to Wichita. This hilarious and heartwarming adventure should be on everyone's Turkey Day watch list, largely thanks to the incredible chemistry between comedic legends John Candy and Steve Martin.

• Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins
• Director: John Hughes
• Year: 1987
• Runtime: 92 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

"The African Queen" takes place on a steamboat in 1948 German East Africa — a unique location for a sweeping story. The film finds a pair of sibling British missionaries caught in the middle of a war between the U.K. and Germany. But after her brother's death at the hands of German troops, Rose Sayer teams up with a local steamboat captain, heavy-drinking Canadian Charlie Allnut, to upgrade his boat — the African Queen — into a massive torpedo to take on the Germans. Granted, the uptight Christian and the booze-guzzling riverman don't get along at first, but strange circumstances often lead to strange romances. This adventure story was shot on location in the Congo and Uganda, efforts that paid off in terms of the film's gorgeous Technicolor scenery. 

• Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley
• Director: John Huston
• Year: 1951
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

An 18th-century swashbuckling adventure, "Pirates of the Caribbean" is a fantastical tale that follows Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann as they cross paths with the infamous pirate Captain Jack Sparrow and the cursed crew of the Black Pearl. Based on the beloved Disney Parks ride of the same name, the "Pirates" film series is a surprisingly exciting adventure filled with plenty of mythology and wacky adventures. But it all started here with a film that became an instant classic, largely thanks to Johnny Depp's iconic performance as rum-loving, rock star pirate.

• Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom
• Director: Gore Verbinski
• Year: 2003
• Runtime: 143 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

Inspired by the Homerian epic poem "The Odyssey," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" is a Coen brothers satire set in the Great Depression that follows three escaped convicts on a treasure hunt after breaking out of a chain gang. Ulysses Everett McGill leads his pals Delmar and Pete on a wild journey where they encounter figures taken straight from Homer to the tune of period folk music. Clever, fun, and more lighthearted than many other Coen brothers projects, the film is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys a great soundtrack and a solid adventure. 

• Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson
• Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
• Year: 2000
• Runtime: 106 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%

Based on the 1844 Alexandre Dumas novel of the same name, "The Three Musketeers" follows the 17th-century adventures of d'Artagnan after joining forces with the famed "three inseperables" — Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. The silent French historical adventure finds the quartet swashbuckling their way around Europe with plenty of fancy swordplay and gorgeous period costumes. 

• Starring: Douglas Fairbanks, Leon Bary, George Siegmann
• Director: Fred Niblo
• Year: 1921
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Rating: NR

• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

A continuation of the cult series "Firefly," "Serenity" is a space Western that picks up where the show leaves off with the smuggler crew of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity. Like the series, "Serenity" is set in the 26th century and finds the crew harboring a pair of refugees — the psychic science experiment River Tam and her brother Simon. Plus, we've got bank robberies, we've got the cannibalistic Reavers, and we've got an obsessed government assassin who'll stop at nothing to track down our heroes. With a cast that includes Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, "Serenity" is an imaginative space adventure full of the magic that "FIrefly" fans came to love during the show's too-short run.

• Starring: Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Summer Glau
• Director: Joss Whedon
• Year: 2005
• Runtime: 119 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

Perhaps the most exciting entry in the MonsterVerse franchise, "Kong: Skull Island" finds a group of scientists and soldiers heading to the titular isle. Little do they know, they're in for a big surprise, as the place is crawling with giant insects, massive sea creatures, and one very large ape. That's right, it's King Kong, the island's protector who's engaged in a war with subterranean reptilian predators called "skullcrawlers." Half our heroes want to ally with Kong. The other half wants to kill him. Everybody wants to get off that island ... but the monsters have other ideas. The film reimagines King Kong as a lonely god figure who must be protected at all costs and adds to the mythology of the Kong universe. 

• Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson
• Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
• Year: 2017
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

Based on the fantasy book series by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, "The Spiderwick Chronicles" is a family fantasy-adventure centered around the Spiderwick estate and a field guide to magical fairies including brownies, goblins, fairies, and a shapeshifting ogre. After twin Jared happens across the book and encounters a brownie, he and his siblings find themselves caught up in a fantastical world where magic is real.

• Starring: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary-Louise Parker
• Director: Mark Waters
• Year: 2008
• Runtime: 97 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

A Technicolor tribute to Jules Verne's classic novel, Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is a sci-fi steampunk masterpiece. The tale finds Professor Aronnax — accompanied by sidekick Conseil and harpooner Ned Land — searching for a mysterious sea monster, all to discover the creature is actually the Nautilus — a submarine captained by the obsessive Captain Nemo. Aboard the Nautilus, our heroes encounter cannibals, warships, and even a giant squid as they explore the ocean in all its beauty. Even by today's standards, the 1954 special effects are spectacular, and James Mason's performance as Nemo might be a career best.

• Starring: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas
• Director: Richard Fleischer
• Year: 1954
• Runtime: 127 minutes
• Rating: G
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

When bullied and economically disadvantaged adolescent Jess meets his new neighbor, Leslie, the pair invent an imaginary world called Terabithia — a land of magic and escape. More of a story about the heartache and challenges of adolescents having to face the adult world than a simple children's story, "Bridge to Terabithia" is an emotional tale of two kids finding strength in their own creativity.  

• Starring: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel
• Director: Gábor Csupó
• Year: 2007
• Runtime: 95 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

A genre-bending revenge fantasy, "Kill Bill: Vol. I" takes its influences from everything director Quentin Tarantino loves, including spaghetti Westerns, martial arts films, and Blaxploitation. The tale finds the Bride waking up from a years-long coma to declare revenge on her old comrades, the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, who turned her wedding day into a bloodbath and tried to kill her. A vivid and bloody odyssey, the film is mandatory viewing for anyone who loves great cinema.  

• Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox
• Director: Quentin Tarantino
• Year: 2003
• Runtime: 110 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

A sequel to "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" picks up a decade after the human population has been all but wiped out by the Simian flu. In the wreckage of what remains, intellectually enhanced apes have created a colony and are beginning to take a hard line against the remaining humans. After all, people weren't too kind to these guys before civilization fell. A violent and metaphoric look at humanity's faults, the film is considered one of the best in the "Planet of the Apes" saga. 

• Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman
• Director: Matt Reeves
• Year: 2014
• Runtime: 130 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

One of Hollywood's few pre-Code films, "King Kong" is a beauty-and-the-beast tale that uses stop-motion animation to depict Kong, the monstrously large ape that makes his home on Skull Island, a mysterious land populated with prehistoric creatures. After Kong is captured and brought to New York City, the creature breaks free, absconding with actress Ann Darrow and rampaging through Manhattan. "King Kong" is the widely considered one of the most influential monster films of all time, and its legacy can be seen in many new films today. 

• Starring: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot
• Director: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
• Year: 1933
• Runtime: 100 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

"Avatar" is set in the year 2154, when humanity's reckless environmental habits have finally taken their toll. Amid the ensuing energy crisis, the Resources Development Administration has begun mining an ore called unobtanium on the lush moon Pandora in the Alpha Centauri system. To help communicate with the Na'vi, the blue humanoids who call the planet home, the human representatives use avatars to appear like the locals. But when one human begins falling for both a Na'vi and her way of life, we're taken on the journey of a lifetime. Part "Romeo and Juliet," part critique of imperialism, "Avatar" creates a vivid and imaginative world straight out of James Cameron's sci-fi dreams. 

• Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang
• Director: James Cameron
• Year: 2009
• Runtime: 162 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

If you're looking for a fun, exciting, sexy time, then you can't go wrong with "The Mask of Zorro." In this 19th-century adventure, the famed masked swordsman is ready to find a protége who's willing to take up the mask and sword in his stead. His new student happens to be Alejandro Murrieta, an uncouth bandit who has a lot to learn about high society and swordplay if he ever wants to get revenge on the man responsible for his brother's death. Of course, he'll also have to deal with the beautiful and dangerous Elena, a noblewoman with a connection to the OG Zorro. Romantic, swashbuckling adventure commences, with plenty of fencing duels, tangoes, and witty repartee.

• Starring: Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones
• Director: Martin Campbell
• Year: 1998
• Runtime: 136 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

The first film in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "The Fellowship of the Ring" finds hobbit Frodo Baggins embarking on his hero's journey to return the evil One Ring to Mordor where it can be destroyed once and for all. With the Fellowship of the Ring to protect him in his task, Frodo travels through treacherous lands, with his long and arduous journey only just beginning. Featuring one of the all-time movie scores from composer Howard Shore, "Fellowship of the Ring" is set against the beautiful vistas of New Zealand and features a host of impressive practical effects, some stirring battle sequences, and plenty of heartfelt emotions.

• Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler
• Director: Peter Jackson
• Year: 2001
• Runtime: 178 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

A lovely film brimming with imagination, "Big Fish" takes a whole bunch of tall tales and spins them into a lovely little yarn. When an estranged son returns home to see his dying dad, he recounts some of the outlandish flights of fancy his father told him over the years. The stories are beyond unbelievable, with fables touching on witches, giants, and childhood growth spurts so dramatic they left our storyteller bedridden. A tale of familial love, forgiveness, and reconciliation, the film is one of Tim Burton's more emotional ventures. 

• Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup
• Director: Tim Burton
• Year: 2003
• Runtime: 125 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

When perpetually immature cab driver John manages to lose his lady, his apartment, and his job in the span of a few hours, he and his bestie Russell decide to enlist with Uncle Sam. Despite their ridiculous antics during basic training, the pair end up stationed in Italy, where their continued shenanigans land them in the middle of some serious Berlin Wall-era Cold War hijinks. If you're a fan of "Ghostbusters," you'll definitely want to check out this hilarious flick, as it features a lot of the same talent both in front of and behind the camera.

• Starring: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates
• Director: Ivan Reitman
• Year: 1981
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

Set in Morocco during World War II, "Casablanca" finds American expatriate and club owner Rick entangled in a dangerous international affair when his former lover Ilsa comes to him for help getting her Czech resistance leader husband out of the country to safety. A tale of star-crossed lovers in a world turned upside down by war, "Casablanca" is widely considered one of the most romantic films of all time.

• Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid
• Director: Michael Curtiz
• Year: 1942
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

In "Romancing the Stone," steamy romance novelist Joan Wilder finds herself in the middle of her own real-life romantic adventure when her sister is kidnapped by a pair of skeezy treasure hunters in Colombia. After crossing paths with a bird hunter looking to make a few bucks, the couple end up on the run from corrupt cops in an adventure ripped straight from the pages of a Harlequin. Anyone looking for a lighthearted romp with a few splashy thrills will get a kick out of this very '80s flick.

• Starring: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito
• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Year: 1984
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

After his 1988 alien abduction, Peter Quill is all grown up and working with the intergalactic team of criminals who absconded with him as a child. But things take a turn when he gets caught up in a fight over an orb that can destroy worlds. After crossing paths with stern assassin Gamora, vengeful Drax the Destroyer, and bounty hunters Groot and Rocket (a friendly tree and a talking raccoon, respectively), Quill teams up with the rag-tag bunch to save the galaxy from the villainous Ronan the Accuser, a zealot with big plans for that aforementioned orb. An equally lighthearted yet emotional adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Guardians" doesn't ask its viewers to know the ins and outs of the MCU to enjoy the adventure. 

• Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista
• Director: James Gunn
• Year: 2014
• Runtime: 122 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Based on James Fenimore Cooper's classic novel, "The Last of the Mohicans" is a stirring adventure tale set in the 18th century. During the French and Indian War, we follow the adventures of Hawkeye, the adopted white son of the Mohican Chingachgook and adopted brother of Uncas, as he gets caught up in the fighting between the French, the British, and the Hurons. If you're a fan of movies like "Collateral" and "Thief," then it will be fascinating to see director Michael Mann trying his hand at a period piece, especially one anchored by a great Daniel Day-Lewis performance and one of the most rousing musical themes you'll ever hear in an adventure film.

• Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Eric Schweig
• Director: Michael Mann
• Year: 1992
• Runtime: 114 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

In the world of mandatory '80s viewing, "The Goonies" reigns supreme as the ultimate coming-of-age adventure. After a group of kids in Astoria, Oregon, find themselves getting pushed out of their neighborhood by a country club, they decide to embark on a final adventure together in search of pirate One-Eyed Willie's lost treasure. The adventure leads to them into a fantastical subterranean adventure while on the run from a group of gangsters, resulting in a high-energy tale that's packing loads of laughs and genuine sense of childlike wonder. 

• Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Ke Huy Quan
• Director: Richard Donner
• Year: 1985
• Runtime: 111 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%

Adapted from Stephen King's 1982 novella "The Body," "Stand by Me" is a nostalgic coming-of-age adventure set in 1959, when four friends set out to find the body of a missing boy. On their long hike, our heroes face off with a gang of local hoodlums, a speeding train, leech-filled waters, and their own personal troubles. Lacking any of the supernatural stuff that King is usually known for, "Stand by Me" is a fun adventure flick while also be a contemplative look at grief, death, and the all-too-brief moment of childhood.

• Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman
• Director: Rob Reiner
• Year: 1986
• Runtime: 89 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

An odyssey for anyone who's dreamed big despite naysayers, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" finds the planet Earth flush with mysteries of an extraterrestrial origin, from rolling blackouts to chasing after UFOs. Those who experience encounters find themselves drawn to a mysterious site in the middle of nowhere, where the U.S. military plans on greeting Earth's new visitors. 

• Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 1977
• Runtime: 135 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

When Zak, who has Down syndrome, goes on the lam from a living facility to pursue a career as a wrestler, he ends up on the run with a fisherman named Tyler. Together with facility employee Eleanor, the pair build a raft and take off on an adventure to find Zak's favorite wrestler, Salt Water Redneck. The film is a touching homage to Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn," with an optimistic feel that seems rare these days. 

• Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson
• Director: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz
• Year: 2019
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

"The Secret of Roan Inish" is a dreamy adventure set in 1946 Ireland in a world where Irish folklore is real. After traveling to live with her grandparents and cousin on the coast of Ulster amid a series of personal tragedies, young Fiona finds herself in a world where humans and nature live in harmony. There, she learns a family legend that an ancestor was once married to a seal-woman, also known as a selkie. A meditative film that looks for magic in a world of heartache and loss, "The Secret of Roan Inish" provides a soulful vision of a world where myth and reality blur beautifully.

• Starring: Mick Lally, Eileen Colgan, John Lynch
• Director: John Sayles
• Year: 1994
• Runtime: 103 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

One of the most beloved Studio Ghibli films, "Spirited Away" finds 10-year-old Chihiro and her parents captured by supernatural beings who reside at an apparently abandoned amusement park. There, she encounters countless supernatural creatures including yōkai, shapeshifters, shikigami, and other various spirits. While trapped in the spirit realm, the child (renamed Sen) comes to care for a spirit named Haku while also hoping to break a curse that has turned her parents into pigs and led to her own enslavement. 

• Starring: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki
• Director: Hayao Miyazaki
• Year: 2001
• Runtime: 125 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

The film that popularized the concept of simulation theory and introduced terms and concepts like "bullet time" and (inadvertently) "the red pill," "The Matrix" is part cyberpunk reimagining of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," part philosophical exploration of cognitive dissonance, part critique of the world's overdependence on technology. The film finds computer programmer Neo traveling down an existential rabbit hole when he encounters Morpheus and Trinity, who help him realize that most of humanity lives in a virtual world where they have been enslaved by intelligent machines. If he wants to find freedom, he'll have to don a pair of sunglasses, learn kung fu, and become "the One."

• Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss
• Director: The Wachowskis
• Year: 1999
• Runtime: 136 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

In the second and easily most problematic film in the "Indiana Jones" series, the titular character takes a break from fighting Nazis and, on the run from a Shanghai crime boss, ends up narrowly escaping a crashing plane in the Himalayas with his young friend Short Round and nightclub singer Willie. The road to adventure leads the trio to northern India, where they end up stumbling onto a dangerous Thuggee cult who enjoy pastimes such as practicing human sacrifice. Despite its darker tone and the annoying persona of Willie, the film is still one of the better cinematic adventures made to date, complete with a white-knuckle mine cart chase. 

• Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 1984
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" finds the famed archaeologist on a quest to track down his lost father Henry Jones, who went missing while searching for the Holy Grail. His journey takes him through Venetian catacombs to the tomb of a First Crusade knight, from a Nazi-infested Austrian castle to the fictional Canyon of the Crescent Moon, where he encounters several traps and tests that lead him to the Holy Grail. The third "Indiana Jones" sequel coming directly after the dark, unsettling "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," this film is heavy on the lighthearted humor and adventure that made "Raiders of the Lost Ark" a classic, and the cranky yet charming relationship between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery is hilarious.

• Starring: Harrison Ford, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Connery
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 1989
• Runtime: 127 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

"Joe Versus the Volcano" is one of those hidden cult gems that far too few people have had the pleasure of viewing, and it's full of hilarious quotable moments and charming banter to spare. After miserable Staten Island rectal probe factory worker/hypochondriac Joe Banks is told that he has a terminal "brain cloud," he quits his job and accepts an offer from a wealthy businessman to throw himself into a volcano on the tropical island of Waponi Woo. Along the way, he bonds with the industrialist's daughters, Angelica and Patricia (both played by Meg Ryan), and encounters the finest luggage money can buy. 

• Starring: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Abe Vigoda
• Director: John Patrick Shanley
• Year: 1990
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 65%

"The Neverending Story" is a love letter to anyone who's ever felt more at home in a good book than facing the mundane struggles of everyday life. Based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel, the story follows the adventures of 10-year-old Bastian Bux, who steals a magical book from a store after running inside to hide from bullies. Cutting class to hide in the school's attic and read all day, Bastian gets absorbed in the book about an evil force eating away at the magical land of Fantasia, a world built by human imagination. When Bastian's thoughts and actions as the reader begin to impact the story, he begins to realize that he holds the key to saving Fantasia. 

• Starring: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach
• Director: Wolfgang Peterson
• Year: 1984
• Runtime: 92 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" is a magical journey into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where children with a magical aptitude are placed into one of four houses and trained in the use of magic. The story is told through the eyes of the eponymous protagonist, an abused, bespectacled orphan who learns that his parents were important in the wizarding world and died at the hands of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, whose attempt to kill the infant Harry left him with a notorious lightning bolt scar. The film, which follows J.K. Rowling's book closely, addresses the importance of finding acceptance as an outcast and of refusing to give ground to those who would harm others. 

• Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
• Director: Chris Columbus
• Year: 2001
• Runtime: 152 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

A vivid and whimsical trip through Luc Besson's imagination, "The Fifth Element" is a 23rd-century adventure that finds rough-around-the-edges cabbie Korben Dallas assisting a strange orange-haired woman named Leeloo who falls from a building into his cab. Together with the help of priest Vito Cornelius, they work to stop an evil weapon from destroying Earth. While the film doesn't make a whole lot of sense, it's a zippy adventure through a fascinating future brimming with wild aliens and Jean-Paul Gaultier fashions. 

• Starring: Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Milla Jovovich
• Director: Luc Besson
• Year: 1997
• Runtime: 126 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%

The ultimate time travel story, "Back to the Future" tells the tale of Marty McFly, whose adventures with his slightly mad (but in a good way) scientist friend Doc Emmett Brown leave him stranded in 1955, where he almost immediately sabotages his own future after a run-in with his parents. Teaming up with the Doc Brown of 1955, Marty has to work to send himself back to the future while making a love connection between his parents so he doesn't wipe himself out of existence. A wild and wonderful adventure, the impact of "Back to the Future" cannot be overstated, from its role in popularizing skateboarding as a mainstream activity to its influence on television shows like "Rick and Morty" and "12 Monkeys."

• Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Year: 1985
• Runtime: 116 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

In a world where extra-terrestrials are often portrayed as menacing colonizers or monsters, "E.T." is a rare reminder that not everything strange is malevolent. When a group of alien botanists visits the planet Earth, one gets left behind after a run-in with the U.S. government. While hiding in a San Fernando Valley neighborhood, the creature is discovered by 10-year-old Elliott, who befriends the little guy. Together with his sister Gertie and brother Michael, Elliott hides the alien, who calls himself "E.T.," until the government intervenes. The film is a heartfelt metaphor for the importance of communication in overcoming differences.

• Starring: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Year: 1982
• Runtime: 115 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

"The Mummy" finds dreamy 1920s adventurer Rick O'Connell working with wannabe Egyptologist and librarian Evelyn Carnahan and her brother Jonathan on a quest to find Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead. When Evelyn reads from the Book of the Dead near a tomb, she accidentally awakens a long-dormant curse, unleashing the mummified high priest Imhotep on the world, who in turn unleashes ten plagues on Egypt. On the run from Imhotep, the group must work together using their collective book smarts to defeat the ancient villain. 

• Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah
• Director: Stephen Sommers
• Year: 1999
• Runtime: 124 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 61%

Stanley Kubrick's epic historical drama "Spartacus" recounts the tale of the titular historical figure, a Thracian slave thrust into greatness during a period when the Roman Republic is on the slippery slope to its own demise. When Spartacus is shipped off to gladiatorial school, he leads his fellow slaves in an uprising, building an army that Rome can't seem to put down no matter how many legions they send.

• Starring: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons
• Director: Stanley Kubrick
• Year: 1960
• Runtime: 184 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Based on the 1973 William Goldman novel, "The Princess Bride" is the romantic and comedic tale of Buttercup, who falls in love with Westley, a farmhand always answers her demands with a dreamy "as you wish." After Westley leaves to make his fortune so they can afford to get hitched, his ship comes under attack by the Dread Pirate Roberts, whose claim to fame is that he doesn't leave survivors. A few years later when the brokenhearted Buttercup finds herself forced to marry the murderous Prince Humperdinck, she finds herself kidnapped and then kidnapped from her kidnappers only to learn that Westley is still alive. Packed full of charming performances, quotable dialogue, and memorable characters, "The Princess Bride" is one of the best adventures ever filmed. 

• Starring: Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin
• Director: Rob Reiner
• Year: 1987
• Runtime: 98 minutes
• Rating: PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

The second film in the "Lord of the Rings" series and the best in the trilogy, "The Two Towers" finds the Fellowship of the Ring split, with Frodo and Sam continuing the trek to Mordor and Merry and Pippin planning an attack on Saruman's fortress. Elsewhere, Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli reunite with an old mystical friend. Spectacular and emotional, the film is a beautiful tribute to J.R.R. Tolkien's epic tale, and it all leads up to one of the greatest showdowns in cinematic history — the Battle of Helm's Deep. When it comes to battle scenes, they don't get any better than this one. Plus, the movie introduced us to the mo-cap wonder that is Gollum, a character who still haunts our memories with his calls of "my precious."

• Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler
• Director: Peter Jackson
• Year: 2002
• Runtime: 179 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%