DILLON ON FILM

My Ten Favourite Adventure Films

My selections from a slippery genre that’s all but impossible to define

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Credit: Paramount/Lucasfilm

What constitutes an adventure film? That question is exceptionally difficult to pin down, as adventure co-exists with many other genres. For example, what is the difference between an adventure film and an action thriller? I believe a difference exists, but it is esoteric and tricky to put into words. Both are exciting, and feature thrilling, explosive set pieces. But they evoke rather different feelings.

For example, adventure films often involve quests, treasure hunts, survivalist journeys, or the thrills of exploration, discovery, and so forth. By contrast, action thrillers tend to be more about what happens when someone is in the wrong place at the wrong time (or the right time, depending on which way you look at it). For example, I’d argue The Fugitive (1993) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) are a genre apart, though both feature major action sequences (and Harrison Ford).

Adventure muddies the genre puddle on many occasions. For example, is Where Eagles Dare (1968) an adventure film or a war film? I’d say an adventure film that happens to be set in wartime. Many westerns, such as Stagecoach (1939) or The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), could also be described…