The Adventure Movie Countdown - Intermission: Impossible

[Kirin]

Oh huh, I wasn’t expecting Temple to show up given the competition from its siblings, but Indy basically *is* adventure movies for a generation, so I guess we probably get most of ‘em. I actually rewatched Temple relatively recently for podcast reasons, and yeah, most of the reasons it’s many peoples‘ least favorite are true, but like Johnny said it sure does have it some set pieces.

I absolutely loved EEAAO, but I don’t think I thought to put it on my list here.

 

[Bulgakov]

If you haven't seen Everything Everywhere All At Once for some reason, you should. Amazing journey, both for the action and emotional parts.

 

[Purple]

So I had Temple of Doom at #1 note because it's my favorite Indiana Jones movie or anything (I'm pretty sure it's directly to blame for the idea of Kali being like, the Hindu equivalent of Satan or whatever, which has really stuck around, so it loses points there), but I really can't think of a more "adventure"-y movie. The whole thing really is just a contiguous chain of action setpieces that just lead right into the next action set piece, with only a couple quick breaks to... torture the character who exists only to suffer in other ways (the dinner scene also has some Problems), and like... there is a minecart chase. In an active volcano. That's just like the platonic ideal for this stuff.

And you know as problematic as it is I DO appreciate on principle how every other Indy movie goes and shows another religion to be based in fact with undeniable magic stuff going on, rather than just leave it implied through Raiders and Grail that Christianity is the only source of true miraculous stuff or whatever.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

there is a minecart chase.

The minecart chase is perfect.

 

[jpfriction]

Neither made my list but I get why other folks consider them all time greats.

I need to watch EEAAO again only not on a plane this time. I liked it but a little too heavy on the hot dog fingers

 

[Rascally Badger]

Spoilers for my list: Temple of Doom is the only Indy movie that didn't make it, and it was a last minute cut.

And EEAAO was one of my favorite movies of the last year, but its another one that for whatever reason did not strike me as an adventure.

I also noticed that I didn't specify which King Kong was on my list when I submitted it. And I'm not sure which one I meant (1976 one with Jeff Bridges?).

 

[Adrenaline]

Certainly the horniest version

 

[Johnny Unusual]

29. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

All right, people, let's start at the beginning one last time.
86 Points, 4 Lists, #6 Olli
Directed by:
Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Starring
Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld​

Peter Parker is the one and only Spider-Man… in his universe. But that changes when Miles Morales is bitten by a mysterious spider and suddenly develops incredible spider powers. Not long after, Miles meets Spider-Man, who encourages him. But things take a turn thanks to the latest plan by the Kingpin, who wants access to the multiverse to get his greatest prize and will let no one stand in his way. But this new Spider-Man isn’t the only one. To stop the Kingpin, Spider-Man must team up with Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Spider-Man, SP//der and Spider-Ham.

While Marvel as a film studio was succeeding, Sony clearly struggled to figure out what to do with their claim to Marvel rights. Wisely, they eventually gave the steering wheel to Marvel for Spider-Man proper but they still seem insistent that they can make the Spider-Man extended universe work without Marvel’s help. But with this film, they FINALLY managed to trump Marvel. A loose re-imagining of the fan favourite comic arc, Into the Spider-Verse did Spider-Man right and fresh even in the face of Marvel well-regarded new Spider-Man movies and was one of the most visually dynamic and unique mainstream animated films in years. But it also works as a film that explores iconography. Spider-Man was supposed to be an everyman but in the 1960s it meant struggling middle class white dude. Back when Daniel Glover suggested Spider-Man could be black, the internet lit on fire because shitty white dudes but also the potential for that. This inspired Brian Michael Bendis to create a black Spider-Man in the Ultimate Marvel Universe (man, remember that?), who quickly became a fan favourite. But it also spoke to really living up to the ethos of what Spider-Man was supposed to be; anyone could be under that mask and we are all Spider-Man. And this film is about that Spider-Man can be so many things and still be intrinsically Spider-Man. But it also means that you’re story, despite similar generalities, has specifics that make you… you. It’s a great animated adventure that gets Spider-Man and that the specifics might be different, we are all trying to find ourselves in the world and be good, responsible people.

Hero’s Journey: Miles Morales finds his own Spider-Man.
Trivia
Art directors Dean Gordon and Patrick O'Keefe and their team turned to Cubism to help represent the dimensional quakes. Cubist art often presents a collection of different views all happening at the same time, so it was a natural metaphor for the multiple universes converging in "Spider-Verse."

Ready, Set, Piece

 

[jpfriction]

That’s the main one I slapped my head over after submitting, probably would have been #2, definitely would have outscored the one comic book movie I did arbitrarily allow myself. Oops.

 

[Kirin]

Ah, yeah, I was mostly staying away from superhero flicks, but I do love ITSV, and it is pretty adventure.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

28. Mad Max: Fury Road

Out here, everything hurts. You wanna get through this? Do as I say. Now pick up what you can and run.
87 Points, 4 Lists, #10 Kirin
Directed by:
George Miller
Starring:
Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult​

Max Rockatansky has been captured by the forces of the tyrant Immortan Joe and made to act as a living bloodbag for one of his more sickly “War Boys”, Nux. Max is trapped but this is the best and worst day for Max in this regard. Turns out Joe’s most accomplished soldier, Imperator Furiosa, has just betrayed Joe and helped his wives escape. Joe sends his War Boys out, including Nux, who sticks Max with him to give him a steady supply of blood. After a storm, Nux, Max and Furiosa end up in the same situation and end up forming an uneasy alliance to get to the Green Place, a journey with multiple armies on their trail. And what is at the end of their journey might just force them to re-think the entire plan.

I don’t think anyone was ready for Fury Road. George Miller had mostly been doing the Happy Feet films, which were well-received but is a poppy family friendly dance movie that people just weren’t talking about (especially in the face of the Pixar movies). The Mad Max franchise seemed like a relic of the past and bringing it back with the original creator probably meant more personality than the average reboot/legacy series. George Miller is getting up there, does he even have the drive to make something as brutal and fierce as the 80s Max movies? Even beyond this, Fury Road zoomed past everything people expected. And it’s not just that it is an actual kick-ass action movie, one of the most intense in years, but it’s also barely Max’s story. It’s a not-so-subtle feminist statement about the gross tyrants that try to lay claim over the autonomy of women and society of a whole as a mad fascist who built a cult around him makes the world worse. Basically, it was a film that was sadly, right on time. Putting Max in the backseat might seem daring but Charlize Theron and George Miller created a character who was Max’s equal to the point we are seeing a Furiosa movie (according to IMDB, in post-production). But the entire cast is great and it’s engaging to see a broken loner, a former soldier for an evil cause and a disillusioned fanatic stumble and reach out for something resembling redemption.

Hero’s Journey: Max, Furiosa and Nux, in their own ways, find some redemption and humanity in a world that rewards cruelty.

Trivia
Over eighty percent of the effects seen in the film are practical effects, including stunts, make-up, and sets. CGI was used sparingly, mainly to enhance the Namibian landscape, remove stunt rigging, and for Imperator Furiosa's (Charlize Theron) left arm, which is a prosthetic limb.

Ready, Set, Piece

 

[WildcatJF]

I forgot about Fury Road, ugh lol

 

[Issun]

It's interesting seeing how other people define the genre. Some of these movies are not ones I would have labeled as such, but I can see how they fit in to the list.

I also only allowed one superhero movie on my list, and it was the one I felt was most "adventury" (it might show up).

 

[Johnny Unusual]

27. Up

That might sound boring, but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most.
87 Points, 4 Lists, #9 Alex
Directed by:
Pete Docter
Starring:
Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai​

Carl and Ellie Frederickson had big plans to become adventurers but life got in the way. When Carl lost Ellie, he also lost his zest for life and finds himself fighting to keep his house. When Carl’s action threaten to send him to a retirement home, he does the only thing he can think to do… attach hundreds of balloons to his house and float away, turning it into an airship. His destination; the one place he and his wife always planned on seeing; Paradise Falls. But the journey ends up with an accidental stowaway in the form of hapless boy scout Russell. The two make their way to the falls only to learn they aren’t the only adventurers out there.

The most striking thing in the movie is its devastating opening montage. Heck, I feel like people mostly stick with that. Some think after that brilliance, the subsequent movie with airplane dogs and giant birds is a letdown. Not me. Yeah, that first bit is supremely hard to top but the rest of the movie is a wonderful adventure story about what adventure is. Even just living your life well is an adventure and like Everything Everywhere All at Once, it reminds us even the more mundane parts of life have beauty and joy. It’s also amazing to see Ed Asner as the lead in an adventure movie and he is perfect as the curmudgeon with a hunger for adventure but little patience for others. But others really is what it is all about, otherwise you might become twisted and forget that each other is what makes the adventure worth having.

Heartpunch of a beginning aside, this a good old fashioned adventure. Probably my favorite of the pixar flicks. - JP Fiction

Hero’s Journey: Carl is reminded adventures are to be shared and focusing on the result without enjoying the journey can put you in a really toxic headspace. But one that comes with talking dogs.
Trivia
Before the film's worldwide release date, Pixar granted a wish from 10-year-old Colby Curtin to see the film before she died. Colby had been diagnosed with cancer and was too sick to go to a theater. A Pixar employee flew to the Curtins' house with a DVD of the finished film and screened it for her and her family. Curtin died seven hours later at 9:20 pm, shortly after seeing the film.

Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Johnny Unusual]

26. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure

I bought this pen exactly one hour before my bike was stolen. Why? What's the significance? I DON'T KNOW![/SIZE
91 Points, 3 Lists, #3 Torzelbaum
Directed by:
Tim Burton
Starring:
Paul Reubens, E.G. Daily, Mark Holton ​

Pee-Wee Herman is a happy guy. He has his systems, his job and, most importantly of all, his bike. But when his bike is stolen, Pee Wee is about to snap and ends up going on a road trip to find it. Along the way he has many misadventures but it will all be worth it when he can reach the bikes location; the basement of the Alamo. But there’s just one problem with that. Can Pee-Wee overcome the odds, find his bike and score a cameo in his own movie?

Paul Reuben’s Pee-Wee character is a real call-back to childhood, the idea of what an adult could be if they were just a kid but bigger. Man-child is rarely a positive thing but this character is really a joyful take on that idea, following it’s own kid logic. And perfect to direct was Tim Burton, someone who also followed the beat of his own drum before settling into a far too-comfortable groove. Like many adventure comedies, it’s a picaresque journey of gags and set pieces and it’s also just in general very playful. I feel like there are certain great characters that are remembered as an icon but it is easy to forget WHY they have that status until you can see them with fresh eyes again and Pee-Wee Herman is one of those characters. Also, I think that though not a lot of people talk about it, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday is also a decent follow up; though it follows the same formula, it really feels like the 60-something Reubens hasn’t missed a beat (and hammering home the wholesomeness, there’s a family friendly segment parodying the old ‘farmer’s daughter’ cycle of dirty jokes).

Hero’s Journey: Pee-Wee learns not to give up even when things get hard and also there is no basement in the Alamo. I have no idea where Davy Crockett kept his blackberry preserves.
Trivia
Jan Hooks improvised the dialogue for her scenes as the Alamo tour guide.
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Issun]

I considered Up as my Pixar representative, but ultimately went with a different choice. It's a good choice, though.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure was #8 on my list. It's one of those movies that, if you're feeling down, you can put it on and it'll make you feel better. It's joyful and clever and it's one of my favorite entries in Burton's ouvre.

"Everybody I know has a big but. C'mon, Simone. Let's talk about your big but."

 

[Rascally Badger]

Pee Wee's Big Adventure was not on my list, but any movie that put Adventure in the title got a pass from my consideration of whether it was considered an adventure movie or not.

 

[Issun]

Also gotta pour one out for Large Marge.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

25. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

A wise man once said: "There are no perfect men in the world; only perfect intentions."
91 Points, 4 Lists, #13 4-So, Olli, and Torzelbaum
Directed by:
Kevin Reynolds
Starring:
Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater​

Robin of Locksley has returned home after being a prisoner during the third crusades. However, he’s discovered his family dead, wrongly accused of devil worship. He ends up fleeing the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham and ends up falling in with a group of outlaws. Soon Robin uses his experience as a soldier to create a force for good out of the outlaws, taking from the corrupt rich and giving to those in need. Can Robin save the kingdom as a criminal?

This one… wow, I haven’t seen it since it came out. And even though I saw this and not Stardust, I somehow feel LESS qualified to talk about this. I remember as a kid thinking it a darker story but kid me isn’t the same person. I would be interested to see it, especially since apparently I’m told Alan Rickman devouring every bit of scenery in sight is worth the price of admission alone.

You know it's true, Everything I do, I do it for Kevin Costner in a Leading Role with Alan Rickman as the supporting villain - Bulgakov

Hero’s Journey: Soldier becomes an outlaw, fighting for the people.
Trivia
Alan Rickman turned down the role of the Sheriff twice before he was told he could more or less have carte blanche with his interpretation of the character.
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Olli]

It's super weird to think about it these days, but Kevin Costner really used to be one of the (if not the) biggest stars in Hollywood. Prince of Thieves is him at the height of his power. I saw it when it was new and it has been _the_ definitive version of Robin Hood for me since, and nothing aside from maybe the Disney movie comes close.

 

[Adrenaline]

What are we doing here, guys

 

[Issun]

What are we doing here, guys

I considered putting it on my list, too. Sure, it's pretty pedestrian overall, but man does Rickman make this film.

 

[Bulgakov]

I considered putting it on my list, too. Sure, it's pretty pedestrian overall, but man does Rickman make this film.

Yay I'm a pedestrian!

 

[Daikaiju]

Fun Fact: Kenner reused the Ewok Village mold for the Sherwood Forest Hideout playset. They just added some foliage.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

24. Princess Mononoke

These days, there are angry ghosts all around us - dead from wars, sickness, starvation - and nobody cares. So you say you're under a curse? So what? So's the whole damn world.
92 Points, 3 Lists, #1 Wildcat JF
Directed by:
Hayao Miyazaki
Starring:
Yōji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yūko Tanaka​

The last village of the Emishi people are attacked by a terrifying monster and the prince of the tribe, Ashitaka manages to kill it at a terrible price. His arm possessed by a great spiritual malevolence, he realizes the monster was a corrupted boar god infested by hatred. Ashitaka decides to leave his home to find the source, only to come across a small war between the forest spirits protecting their home and a group of disenfranchised outsiders trying to carve out a life for themselves. Ashitaka finds merits and humanity (so to speak) within both sides and hopes to end their war but both sides are relentless in protecting their own. Can Ashitaka find a way to bring peace between the world of the spiritual and the world of humans? San, a human raised by Mononoke, might be the key.

Princess Mononoke isn’t a subtle work but it is a nuanced one. It’s very clear and upfront about it’s themes of environmentalism, the corrosive power of hate and our place in the world but it is also a film with very few clear villains. Even Jigo, the opportunistic monk who basically makes things worse for everyone in the third act is a somewhat likeable character, scummy as he is. But really, Lady Eboshi, despite threatening the entire forest, is a very sympathetic character, creating a society made entirely of outsiders like lepers and former sex workers who want to live a real life. It can really be hard to hear “you are hurting the forest” when the forest tries to eat you while you are desperately trying to make ends meet. But even though it is hard, it’s also the right thing and the characters realize they need to learn to live with each other because attacking each other is hurting ourselves. The film has a rich cast of characters and it is gorgeously animated. It’s not just an adventure to another place, it’s an adventure into a real human concern and one that 25 years later is more prescient than ever.

Hero’s Journey: Ashitaka travels to meet new people and discovers the complexity of their plight, never forgetting the solution comes from understanding and love, overcoming the hate infesting his body.
Trivia
Director Hayao Miyazaki personally corrected or redrew more than 80,000 of the film's 144,000 animation cells.
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Torzelbaum]

Yay I'm a pedestrian!

So am I! You, Olli, 4-So and I can all go on a walking adventure together. You can go at your own pace and location along the road but the three of us will be walking down the middle of the road at a moderate pace.

 

[4-So]

Sure, it's pretty pedestrian overall

Fucking el-oh-el. Come off it.

 

[Bulgakov]

Mononoke is an excellent film that I did not put on this list. I should watch it again soon!

 

[Kirin]

I had Mononoke on mine as well; Miyazaki's output is so dang adventure-y it was hard keeping the Ghibli count down to three or four.

 

[Issun]

Fucking el-oh-el. Come off it.

Okay, so pedestrian isn't the right word (it didn't mean exactly what I was going for, which is my shame, since I usually try to be exact with my words). Its script is not great though (when you make Morgan Freeman boring you're doing something wrong), and Kevin Costner has, for me, always had the charisma of a lukewarm bowl of oatmeal. HOWEVER: It also has some banger action scenes and a fantastic score and besides Rickman, there's also Nick Brimble, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Michael McShane who help elevate the overall cast. I love it myself, but I also realize that it's a few casting decisions away from being forgettable.