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The Best Adventure Movies

Updated September 3, 2020 77.9k votes 6.6k voters 325.4k views206 items

List RulesVote up your favorite films that center around adventure stories.

List of adventure movies. What are the best adventure movies? If you're a thrill-seeking, adrenaline-obsessed movie-goer, these are the top adventure movies you have to see. While it's hard to rank the best adventure movies between the greatest classics and the thrilling new releases, here's a list that ranks the best adventure movies from best to worst. Looking for an epic story? Look no further than this list of adventure films to catch as soon as you can.

Adventure movies have a special place in everyone's DVD collection, because sometimes all you want to do is get engrossed by a tale of epic proportions. Whether it's guided by love and romance or simply just the thrill of action and adventure, Hollywood continually makes the big bucks off of the movies that will keep us on the edge of our seats. Adventure films will never go out of style and will keep audiences excited for years to come as graphics continue to get better. Adventure films have a way of transporting us to a different place and time, they can also be movies about finding lost worlds away from the mundanity of our regular lives and into exciting and thrilling new possibilities. When's the last time you went on an adventure?

So what are the best adventure movies of all time? Explore the top picks and rank your favorite adventure movie using this list. And, if you love the adventure genre, check out this list of the best adventure shows.

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Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Harrison Ford, Alfred Molina
Released: 1981
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The... more on Wikipedia
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1,364
592
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Harrison Ford, Sean Connery
Released: 1989
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven... more on Wikipedia
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1,296
710
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen
Released: 2001
Directed by: Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 epic fantasy film directed by... more on Wikipedia
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1,228
682
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen
Released: 2003
Directed by: Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy drama film directed by... more on Wikipedia
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The Mummy
Rachel Weisz, Brendan Fraser
Released: 1999
Directed by: Stephen Sommers
The Mummy is a 1999 American fantasy adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers... more on Wikipedia
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Jurassic Park
Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum
Released: 1993
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg.... more on Wikipedia
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1,078
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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen
Released: 2002
Directed by: Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a 2002 epic fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson... more on Wikipedia

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The Princess Bride
Billy Crystal, Robin Wright
Released: 1987
Directed by: Rob Reiner
The Princess Bride is a 1987 American romantic comedy fantasy adventure film directed and... more on Wikipedia
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Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Released: 1980
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner.... more on Wikipedia
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Back to the Future
Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd
Released: 1985
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley
Released: 2003
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 American fantasy swashbuckler... more on Wikipedia
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244
National Treasure
Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger
Released: 2004
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
National Treasure is a 2004 American adventure film produced and released by Walt Disney... more on Wikipedia
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Romancing the Stone
Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito
Released: 1984
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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468
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The Count of Monte Cristo
Henry Cavill, Jim Caviezel
Released: 2002
Directed by: Kevin Reynolds
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Speed
Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves
Released: 1994
Directed by: Jan de Bont
Speed is a 1994 American action film directed by Jan de Bont in his feature film directorial... more on Wikipedia
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410
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Goldfinger
Sean Connery, Honor Blackman
Released: 1964
Directed by: Guy Hamilton
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320
187
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Drew Barrymore, Erika Eleniak
Released: 1982
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg
Released: 1984
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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Wonder Woman
Gal Gadot, Chris Pine
Released: 2017
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
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Independence Day
Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum
Released: 1996
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
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First Blood
Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy
Released: 1982
Directed by: Ted Kotcheff
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The Last of the Mohicans
Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe
Released: 1992
Directed by: Michael Mann
The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 historical epic film set in 1757 and produced by Morgan... more on Wikipedia
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Guardians of the Galaxy
Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana
Released: 2014
Directed by: James Gunn
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Die Hard 2
Bruce Willis, John Leguizamo
Released: 1990
Directed by: Renny Harlin
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The Goonies
Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin
Released: 1985
Directed by: Richard Donner
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