5 Best Adventure Movies Nobody Talks About Anymore

Studio Ghibli

When people talk about the best adventure movies of all time, titles like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The Princess Bride” get thrown around in discussions — and rightfully so, because they’re awesome films in the genre and deserve their plaudits. However, there are other movies that also merit being part of the conversation but have largely been lost to the cruelty of time.

It’s no one’s fault, really — it’s similar to how a meme video about a popular movie can blow up online, but deep, thoughtful essays about the same film disappear into the void. Sometimes, there’s no rhyme or reason for what finds its way into the public consciousness — as well as what doesn’t.

Well, let’s rectify this. It’s time to recognize the underappreciated adventure movies that hardly anybody talks about anymore but should. From animated gems to live-action deep cuts, let’s get the blood pumping, the heart beating faster, and explore the films that make us dream of greater causes and purpose out there. To quote the opening song from “The Hobbit” animated movie, “The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.”

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

There have been a fair share of adventure movies about a boy and his dog, but what about a man and his wolfdog? Well, 1991’s “White Fang,” which is based on Jack London’s novel, stands tall as one of the most underrated in its genre, featuring all the thrills and feels that one would imagine from a poignant story such as this one. It’s a simple but effective story, focusing on Jack Conroy (Ethan Hawke) who searches for gold in Alaska. Along the way, he encounters a wolfdog named White Fang. Jack is told that White Fang can’t be tamed to become man’s best friend, but he seeks to change this, as they form a bond that saves both their lives.

A young Hawke displays expressive range in this heartfelt adventure movie. He’s also paired with the sensational and believable animal star Jed, who also turned in a scene-stealing performance in John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” Look, Jed didn’t appear in too many roles, but he could lay claim to being one of the all-time animal greats. Just call him Daniel Day-Woofis and consider him the bestest boy ever.

On Rotten Tomatoes, “White Fang” has 68% and 63% on the Tomatometer and Popcornmeter respectively. It’s gorgeously filmed and emotional, appealing to both animal and adventure lovers alike.

Orion Pictures

Based on real-life events, Roger Donaldson’s “The Bounty” merges history, drama, and adventure into a powerful 1984 film that deserves more credit and celebration than it gets. The story is about the crew of the ship known as the HMS Bounty that sets sail in 1787. Led by Lieutenant William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins), the crew stops over in Tahiti longer than expected after a difficult journey. Certain members fall in love with the island life and its people, creating an internal conflict among the crew and culminating in a mutiny.

While “The Bounty” might not be among Roger Ebert’s favorite movies of all time, it’s still a film that the famous critic gave a perfect score. In his review, Ebert wrote that “‘The Bounty’ is a great adventure, a lush romance, and a good movie.”

For those looking for a sea-sailing epic that contains a star-studded cast including giants of the game like Hopkins, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson, Mel Gibson, and Laurence Olivier, look no further than “The Bounty.” Yes, there are a few wobbles in terms of the historical accuracy, but Donaldson’s film actually does a better job at capturing the real event than most people realize.

Amplify

Everybody has a favorite movie or scene they become obsessed with and fantasize if it could be real or not. In David Zellner’s “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter,” the 2014 movie explores the great what-if through Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) who lives an ordinary existence. Deciding to spice up her life, she embarks on a quest to find the hidden money from the Coen brothers’ 1996 crime caper “Fargo” (one of the best crime movies of all time).

There’s both a sweetness and sadness to Kumiko’s story, as her journey serves as a metaphor for what’s happening beneath the surface and bubbling in her psyche. “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter” prides itself on its strangeness and letting the audience fill in a lot of the blanks along the way. It isn’t a straightforward movie that everybody will immediately gravitate toward, but if you spend time with and think about it, it’s a rewarding experience.

If an oft-kilter adventure sounds palatable and like something you’d love to get lost in, you’ll struggle to find rarer gems than “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter.”

Studio Ghibli

If adventure is on offer, it needs to feature at least one Hayao Miyazaki movie. While there are many quality choices to pick from Miyazaki’s catalog, do not sleep on 1992’s “Porco Rosso.” This animated film follows the titular character (voiced by Michael Keaton in the 2005 English dub), a bounty hunter pilot who turns from a man into a man-pig hybrid and battles against fascism in the 1920s. In the story, Porco finds himself in a conflict with air pirates and an American pilot named Donald Curtis (Cary Elwes), who also sets his eyes on Porco’s love interest, Gina (Susan Egan). After his plane is damaged, Porco needs to rebuild — both his plane and himself.

“Porco Rosso” is simply a wonderfully animated film that soars, thanks to its highly imaginative premise that understands how to balance its elements of adventure and fantasy with softer touches of humor and sentiment. In typical Miyazaki fashion, this movie also possesses the ability to creep into the heart and stay there through its combination of unforgettable characters and exquisite storytelling.

20th Century Studios

Whenever someone looks at the best animated adventure movies from the 2010s, 2013’s “Epic” often gets lost among bigger names like “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Moana.” Yet Chris Wedge’s family-friendly flick works as both a modern-day fairy tale and all-out — pardon the pun — epic adventure.

It’s a tale that many might recognize, as the young Mary Katherine Bomba (voiced by Amanda Seyfried), aka M.K., doesn’t believe her father Radcliffe’s (Jason Sudeikis) theories about another kingdom where good and bad collide. However, when she shrinks down to size and inadvertently becomes a part of this conflict between the Leafmen and Boggans, she starts to understand the importance of this other world as well as its relation to her own.

“Epic” might not reinvent the storytelling wheel, but what it does, it does right. It also lacks the fanfare because it doesn’t have the Pixar or Disney brand on it, but it’s still a highly enjoyable fantasy adventure film that knows how to pull its audience into an exciting and enthralling world that’s fun to revisit over and over again. On Rotten Tomatoes, “Epic” has 65% on both the Tomatometer and Popcornmeter, but mark our words, this is an animated feature that seems to only get better with time.