Best Adventure Movies of All Time

Last Updated on 12 June 2024

The following list is the Official Definitive List of the 500 best adventure movies of all time.

I found 18 different ranked lists online of “best adventure movies of all time” and pulled them all into Excel and merged them all to get this definitive compilation. See my Methodology page for the research process that was used, including links to all 18 lists that were averaged. Below is a checklist you can print to track which ones you’ve seen, followed by the ranked list with links to IMDb.

Greatest-Adventure-Movies-Viewing-Checklist Download

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Mummy (1999)
Back to the Future (1985)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
The Princess Bride (1987)
North by Northwest (1959)
The Goonies (1985)
Inception (2010)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Stand by Me (1986)
The Lion King (1994)
National Treasure (2004)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Jaws (1975)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Up (2009)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Interstellar (2014)
Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Avatar (2009)
Aliens (1986)
Spirited Away (2001)
King Kong (1933)
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Gladiator (2000)
Uncharted (2022)
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
Finding Nemo (2003)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Ben-Hur (1959)
Star Trek (2009)
The African Queen (1951)
Life of Pi (2012)
The Gold Rush (1925)
Inglorious Basterds (2009)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Cast Away (2000)
The Incredibles (2004)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Seven Samurai (1954)
E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982)
WALL·E (2008)
The Great Escape (1963)
Frozen II (2019)
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Stalker (1979)
Romancing the Stone (1984)
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
The Matrix (1999)
The Hunger Games (2012)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
The Bad Guys (2022)
Inside Out (2015)
Dune (2021)
Spartacus (1960)
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
King Kong (2005)
The Wages of Fear (1953)
Into the Wild (2007)
Lost Horizon (1937)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Fitzcarraldo (1982)
Stagecoach (1939)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
The Searchers (1956)
The Right Stuff (1983)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
Godzilla (1954)
Metropolis (1927)
The Martian (2015)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Solaris (1972)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Captain Blood (1935)
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
Zootopia (2016)
Independence Day (1996)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
Minions (2015)
Over the Garden Wall (2014)
The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Aladdin (1992)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Time Bandits (1981)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
Alien (1979)
Top Gun (1986)
Yojimbo (1961)
Dragon Inn (1967)
Hook (1991)
Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
The Lion King (2019)
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
The Fifth Element (1997)
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Labyrinth (1986)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Men in Black (1997)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Ready Player One (2018)
Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Deliverance (1972)
Coco (2017)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
The Revenant (2015)
The Lost City (2022)
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Goldfinger (1964)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Night at the Museum (2006)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
The Pagemaster (1994)
127 Hours (2010)
The Jungle Book (2016)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Fantastic Voyage (1966)
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Paddington 2 (2017)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
Old Yeller (1957)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Big Fish (2003)
Apocalypto (2006)
Incredibles 2 (2018)
Ratatouille (2007)
Iron Man (2008)
Skyfall (2012)
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
Children of Men (2006)
Wolfwalkers (2020)
The Abyss (1989)
L’Atalante (1934)
The Northman (2022)
Black Panther (2018)
Walkabout (1971)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
The Iron Giant (1999)
Aladdin (2019)
The Green Knight (2021)
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Doctor Strange (2016)
True Grit (1969)
Gravity (2013)
The Lego Movie (2014)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011)
Everest (2015)
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Madagascar (2005)
Dersu Uzala (1975)
Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Moonfall (2022)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Great Expectations (1946)
To Have and Have Not (1944)
Soul (2020)
Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
Papillon (1973)
Superman (1978)
Despicable Me 3 (2017)
The Adam Project (2022)
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
Puss in Boots (2011)
The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Annihilation (2018)
Wonder Woman (2017)
Stardust (2007)
From Russia with Love (1963)
The Dark Crystal (1982)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Morbius (2022)
The Holy Mountain (1973)
Shrek (2001)
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
Serenity (2005)
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Porco Rosso (1992)
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
Lonesome Dove (1989)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Gunga Din (1939)
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Copenhagen (2014)
Road to Morocco (1942)
Nebraska (2013)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Casino Royale (2006)
Jumanji (1995)
The Sea Hawk (1940)
First Blood (1982)
Sorcerer (1977)
Hugo (2011)
Isle of Dogs (2018)
The Fall (2006)
Mary Poppins (1964)
Logan (2017)
The Mark of Zorro (1940)
Despicable Me 2 (2013)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Sing 2 (2021)
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Blood Diamond (2006)
Tarzan: The Ape Man (1932)
The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
Embrace of the Serpent (2015)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
Superman II (1980)
Total Recall (1990)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Midnight Run (1988)
Spider-Man (2002)
Despicable Me (2010)
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
David Copperfield (1935)
No Time to Die (2021)
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Three Kings (1999)
The Pacific (2010)
The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Speed (1994)
The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Spy (2015)
The Meg (2018)
Prometheus (2012)
Finding Dory (2016)
Moana (2016)
Okja (2017)
The Muppet Movie (1979)
Kelly’s Heroes (1970)
Captain Phillips (2013)
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Shrek 2 (2004)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
The Mitchells vs the Machines (2021)
The Guns of Navarone (1961)
Battle Royale (2000)
Die Hard (1988)
First Man (2018)
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
The Jungle Book (1967)
Braveheart (1995)
Coraline (2009)
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
The Secret of Kells (2009)
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Sanjuro (1962)
Son of the White Mare (1981)
Robin Hood (1973)
Dogma (1999)
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
Klaus (2019)
The River and the Wall (2019)
Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
House of Flying Daggers (2004)
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
Easy Rider (1969)
Treasure Island (1950)
The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
The Time Machine (1960)
Starship Troopers (1997)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
The Avengers (2012)
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
The Rider (2017)
Yellow Submarine (1968)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Excalibur (1981)
Casablanca (1942)
The King’s Man (2021)
Jungle Cruise (2021)
Pete’s Dragon (2016)
Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (1924)
Tarzan (1999)
Children of Heaven (1997)
Inside Man (2022)
Stripes (1981)
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
John Carter (2012)
Sweet Country (2017)
Flight of the Navigator (1986)
True Grit (2010)
Safety Last! (1923)
Shrek the Third (2007)
The Last Samurai (2003)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
The Mask of Zorro (1998)
Highlander (1986)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Red River (1948)
Maleficent (2014)
The 13th Warrior (1999)
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Hidalgo (2004)
Shrek Forever After (2010)
The General (1926)
Clash of the Titans (2010)
All Is Lost (2013)
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)
The Incredible Journey (1963)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Monsters University (2013)
Queen (2013)
Ne Zha (2019)
Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
The Shape of Water (2017)
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
The Straight Story (1999)
Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
Cliffhanger (1993)
Men in Black 3 (2012)
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
The Circus (1928)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Dances with Wolves (1990)
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
The Perfect Storm (2000)
Ponyo (2008)
Ladyhawke (1985)
Three Musketeers (1921)
The Last Starfighter (1984)
Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Sahara (2005)
Free Guy (2021)
Sing (2016)
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)
King Arthur (2004)
Song of the Sea (2014)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
The Ornithologist (2016)
April and the Extraordinary World (2015)
G.O.R.A. (2004)
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Hero (2002)
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
War of the Worlds (2005)
Alcarràs (2022)
Lifeboat (1944)
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)
Shin Ultraman (2022)
The Croods (2013)
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
The Smurfs (2011)
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
Dr. No (1962)
The Black Stallion (1979)
Aferim! (2015)
Almost Famous (2000)
Cars 2 (2011)
The Edge (1997)
The French Connection (1971)
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
World War Z (2013)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Brave (2012)
The Jungle Book (1994)
Armageddon (1998)
The City of Lost Children (1995)
Lassie (2005)
Nimona (2023)
The Blues Brothers (1980)
The Maze Runner (2014)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Tomb Raider (2018)
Pacific Rim (2013)
Turning Red (2022)
Das Boot (1981)
The Three Musketeers (2011)
Togo (2019)
Titanic (1997)
Belle (2021)
My Name Is Khan (2010)
Babe (1995)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Predator (1987)
El Topo (1970)
Shanghai Express (1932)
The White Diamond (2004)
Suzume (2022)
Duma (2005)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Paprika (2006)
El Dorado (1966)
Touching the Void (2003)
The Sundowners (1960)
Thirteen Lives (2022)
The Court Jester (1955)
Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
Penguin Highway (2018)
Ten Canoes (2006)
The Caine Mutiny (1954)
Bacurau (2019)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
Captains Courageous (1937)
Ernest & Celestine (2012)
Django Unchained (2012)
Tropic Thunder (2008)
The Dawn Wall (2017)
Duck, You Sucker! (1971)
White Sun (2016)
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
The Sword of Doom (1966)
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Zulu (1964)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Mirai (2018)
Racing Extinction (2015)
Tangled (2010)
Woman at War (2018)
The King of Escape (2009)
GoldenEye (1995)
The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)