What makes a great adventure film? A relatable hero to get behind, an iconic villain or seemingly impossible obstacle to overcome, sprawling scenes, and typically a quest of some sort. The adventure film has been a consistent crowd-pleaser ever since the birth of cinema. The 1980s, specifically, bolstered an impressive roster of adventure films. Movies that are a part of franchises but can stand on their own, and some one-off features as well. Ease back, and let’s examine the best adventure films of the 1980s.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
10 The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Warner Bros.
While The NeverEnding Story may not have enjoyed the mainstream success that some of the other entries on this list achieved. It is nevertheless a very important piece of nostalgic movie watching for those growing up in the 1980s. Perhaps best known for the adorable luck dragon, Falkor, as well as it’s strangely addicting theme song. The NeverEnding Story lives on in ’80s pop culture, even making its way into the hit Netflix show Stranger Things.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
9 The Land Before Time (1988)
Universal Pictures
Before Jurassic Park hit movie screens in the ’90s, perhaps the quintessential dinosaur film up to that point was 1988’s The Land Before Time. Thoroughly different from other prehistoric movies that would follow it, this animated feature and its success were driven by the group of lovable young dinos with which the story centered. Littlefoot, Ducky, Petrie, and Cera became household names to anyone familiar with this movie. A story that tugged at heartstrings and unforgettable characters help make this one of the best adventure films of the ’80s and spawned countless sequels throughout the decades that followed.
8 Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
20th Century Fox
Sometimes a director and an actor link up and magic is made, causing the two to work together on multiple projects. One such combination of this is without a doubt director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell. Having collaborated on five projects together, perhaps none more enjoyable than Big Trouble in Little China. The movie finds Russell as an American truck driver who finds himself tangled up in, you guessed it, trouble in Chinatown. This mystical adventure film features great action and is a fun thrill ride from start to finish. A true ’80s adventure classic.
7 Willow (1988)
MGM/UA Distribution Co.
Fairly or unfairly, you could group Willow in with The NeverEnding Story in terms of mainstream success. However, the movie again tugs at the nostalgic heartstrings of ’80s kids everywhere. With superb acting by a young Warwick Davis, fresh off of his working with George Lucas on Return of the Jedi. The movie is a fun fantasy adventure film, and a standout of ’80s cinema, even spawning a Disney+ continuation series of the story.
6 The Goonies (1985)
Another essential movie when discussing ’80s adventure films is without a doubt The Goonies. Featuring a cast of young actors that would go on to have great success in adulthood such as, Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, and more recently, Ke Huy Quan. The movie is a fantasy ride with memorable moments and quotes to last a lifetime.
5 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
From here on out, the remainder of the list transcends the 80s as a decade, as the remaining five films enjoy such great success and hold such a reverent place in movie history that it is easy to forget they graced movie screens within seven years of each other in the 1980s. The first such film is Steven Spielberg classic, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Easily the best Spielberg film not named Schindler’s List, this movie has endeared generations of movie fans big and small and has stood the test of time. E.T. will still be phoning home long after any of us reading this article have passed on.
4 The Princess Bride (1987)
20th Century Fox
The Princess Bride has enjoyed a massive following during the decades following its release in 1987. You can still catch it on television at least once a month, and the movie has spun off countless parodies, board games, apparel, and accessories. The movie itself, however, transcends commercial appeal as it is rooted in age-old storybook fantasy, rivaling anything Disney has been able to animate.
3 Back to the Future (1985)
Universal Pictures
Diving back into the specific ’80s theme of this list for a moment, what can be said about Back to the Future that has not been said countless times before? It is truly one of the most perfect blockbuster movies to ever be put on screen. The chemistry between the two leads, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd is undeniable and the sci-fi rollercoaster that is the story has continued to entertain well past the 1950s, 1980s, and a futuristic 2015 that never came to be.
2 Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Paramount Pictures
The top two films on this list feel distinctly ’70s, but nevertheless graced silver screens in the 1980s. They both also come from same and similar creators. Indians Jones is one of the most iconic movie characters ever, full stop. He has been featured in four going on five adventures, and is recognizable the world round. The fist entry and crown jewel of this franchise, Raiders of the Lost Ark, premiered in 1981 and was instantly cemented into movie history. While everyone can make a case for what their favorite Indy adventure is, Raiders holds the unique place of being first. Picture a young baseball player who cranks out a homerun on their first at bat, that is Raiders of the Lost Ark. One of the best adventure movies of not just the ’80s, but of all time.
1 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
To think that entries two and one came out within a year of each other is unfathomable to think about. Within a 365-day period, both Raiders of the Lost Ark and our number one entry, The Empire Strikes Back, changed the world of fantasy and adventure films as we knew them. Widely considered to be the best Star Wars project ever made, Empire was one of the first movies to outperform in both success and quality, its predecessor. Considered by some to be the backbone of the Star Wars saga. It truly jump started the 1980s as an unmatched decade of adventure films and despite the numerous unforgettable movies throughout the following ten years, never relinquished its top spot.
