The Adventure Movie Countdown - Intermission: Impossible

[Lokii]

A+ popcorn flick. I cynically went into it expecting a trite summer blockbuster and instead found a trite summer blockbuster... but in a good way! I knew I liked the film when the books in the library fell over, I knew I loved it when Brendan said to Benji you're on the wrong side of the river. The feels like it fell out of an earlier era, like it could sit alongside the great Adventure movies of the 80s despite releasing in 1999. But it doesn't have the flavor of a nostalgic throwback. It's a film in the tradition of Indiana Jones rather than trying to be a film in the tradition of Indiana Jones, if that makes sense. Compare to the Star War sequels or even Indy 4 and you get my drift. The Mummy is just a really fun film that sincerely embraces its pulpy aspirations, tempering the accompanying cheesiness by focusing on its charming cast of characters and it totally works.

 

[Adrenaline]

I enjoy the first two Fraser Mummy movies. The rest of the franchise can be safely ignored.

 

[Issun]

I wrote the movie off back in the day and by the time I heard about its reputation I wasn't watching as many movies. I still intend to see it someday.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

16. The Wizard of Oz

We're off to see the Wizard
The wonderful Wizard of Oz
We hear he is a whiz of a wiz
If ever a Wiz there was
If ever, oh ever a wiz there was.
118 Points, 5 Lists, #6 4-So and Bulgakov
Directed by:
Victor Fleming
Starring:
Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger​

Dorothy Gale is a young girl living on her Kansas farm who’s dog is being threatened by a cruel, powerful neighbor. Dorothy runs away but after she’s convinced to return home, she ends up caught in a tornado and winds up in the Land of Oz, a wonderworld of Munchkins and witches. When Dorothy ends up with magic red ruby shoes, she becomes the target of a witch and must meet the Wizard of the Emerald City in order to learn how to escape back home. Along the way, she makes other friends who need help; a talking scarecrow, a man made of tin and a lion who is more fearful than frightful. Can the Wizard provide them with everything they need? Perhaps, if they can defeat the witch.

Frank L Baum spent a lot of time building up the mythos of Oz, a playful and clever wonderland. It was eventually realized in this warm, sweet film and though it takes some liberties with the source material, it definitely captures the heart of it’s characters, particularly it’s loveable band of heroes. It is also home to some of the all time great film songs like Somewhere Over the Rainbow and the Scarecrow/Tin Man/Lion songs, which are deserved classics. It also helps that the cast is completely killer and everyone is charming. The structure is pretty great, too and frankly I’m much more invested in the journeys of the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion who discover that time honoured message of “you had what you wanted from the things you want”, well put by the Wizard at the end of the film.

A genre-defining Isekai.
-Bulgakov

Hero’s Journey: The characters realize that the things they wanted they had all along and just need to realize their gifts.
Trivia
Judy Garland found it difficult to be afraid of Margaret Hamilton, because she was such a nice lady off-camera.
D’aww

Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Issun]

What else is there to say? One of the great classic films, which people around the world have enjoyed from cradle to grave for close to a century now.

 

[Daikaiju]

I've said my piece on this film in TT 2.0. I'll leave it at that.

 

[Purple]

I will perpetually be the one weird crank who every time the Wizard of Oz comes up starts going "the book was better" but it's still a classic, yeah. Also it's weird how long the scene of all these organizations in Munchkin Land feel the need to sing basically the same song, but I do take comfort in knowing that those making lollipops are guaranteed a fair wage and benefits.

Meanwhile The Mummy is just great. Also on the very short list of movies where they didn't freak out in the sequel because there was some sort of stable romantic relationship keeping them from going hero gets the girl and writing said girl out.

 

[Kirin]

Catching up, I had Bill and Ted on my list... really wanna see that one again to see how it holds up, plus then the sequel and the new one, some time. Many of the other recent picks were cuts from my long list.

 

[Daikaiju]

I will perpetually be the one weird crank who every time the Wizard of Oz comes up starts going "the book was better" but it's still a classic, yeah

You Are Not Alone.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

15. The Empire Strikes Back

The force is with you, young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet.
120 Points, 4 Lists, #1 Adrenaline
Directed by:
Irvin Kershner
Starring:
Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher​

After their great blow against the Empire, the Rebellion goes into hiding but it isn’t long before the Empire discovers their secret base. While Han, Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO hide from the Empire, Luke finds himself sent on a quest by Obi-Wan’s ghost, to find the mentor Yoda to teach him to be a Jedi. Luke succeeds and struggles to understand what the force is, only to find that he might be asked to make a sacrifice far greater than he can afford. Meanwhile, Han takes his friends to a floating city to hide out, run by an old friend, only to discover that they may have just walked into a deadly trap. Soon, our friends discover that the Empire is even more formidable than expected and our heroes won’t come out unscathed, both physically and spiritually.

The Empire Strikes Back in many ways was an inevitability. Star Wars became too big a phenomenon not to have a sequel. And now it inspired movies that have hopes to becoming series, often laying track for the rest of the series in the first film (sometimes to it’s detriment). But The Empire Strikes Back did it perfectly. Yes, there’s a cliffhangers and huge reveals that need the next movie to deal with but on it’s own, it managed to expand upon the universe. I also feel like every second film in a hopeful series feels like it needs to treat it as the second act in a three act structure, as this film does. But this film must have shook people back then; the first film was a success because it was a romp and while our heroes are in peril after peril, the fun never ends. And the Empire Strikes Back is fun too but it also puts our heroes through the wringer much more harshly, as they are betrayed, shaken to their core, learn the harsh realities of having to fight an entire empire and at the end… not everything is OK. And that’s a big deal when a lot of the people who are into this series are kids and most kids entertainment took us back to a comfortable status quo (though we were heading into the 80s, a surprisingly daring time in kids entertainment when things got a little darker and scarier). But while I think people peg this as the one where things go bad for our heroes, it’s remained in contention for “the best one” because it is also witty, exciting and creative. Plus, Yoda.

Debated between this one and The Last Jedi to represent the Star Wars flicks. Close call but Harrison Ford pushes this one over. – JP Friction

Hero’s Journey: Luke begins to learn about the power of the force and is humbled as he struggles to grow as a Jedi.
Trivia
In order to avoid sharing creative rights, George Lucas decided to avoid using a major studio to finance this movie. Instead, he bankrolled the $18 million production himself, using a combination of his profits from Star Wars (1977) and a bank loan. Although the move was risky, it paid off several times over. Lucas recovered his investment within three months of the movie's release. He then showed gratitude far beyond the Hollywood norm by sharing the profits with his employees (nearly $5 million in bonuses).

Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Johnny Unusual]

14. The Neverending Story

Fantasia has no boundaries.
128 Points, 6 Lists, #6 Issun
Directed by:
Wolfgang Peterson
Starring:
Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach​

Bastian is suffering. Bullied at school and dealing with the loss of his mother, he is not sure where to turn. After escaping some bullies, he winds up in an old book store where a man reading a book tells him not to read it. Bastian cannot resist and unilaterally borrows the book. Taking it too the attic of his school he begins reading of the adventures of Atreyu as he quests through a dying fantasy world in need of salvation from the Nothing, a force actively erasing the world. But as the adventure through swamps and past terrifying obstacles continues, Bastian begins to notice something strange in the story. Characters seem to be reacting to him and acting like they can hear his interjections. He doesn’t want to admit it but it soon becomes clear the line between life and the book is becoming thin.

I rewatched this movie for my list and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. I assumed based on my memories it’s about the power of reading and escapism and that is in there but, like basically every horror movie in the 21st century, it’s about dealing with grief. The film begins with his ineffectual father giving some true but poorly handled advice; it’s time to move on from grief. But his father is also clearly not listening to his son. When we get to the story it is incredibly unsubtle about it’s metaphor; you need to wade through despair and sadness and be able to develop your own sense of self-esteem. Never give up sounds like a platitude but when dealing with emotional despair, it is hard. And in this, Bastian finds a book that literally speaks directly too him (though in real life, it’s rarely that literal). The film does risk being a rather grim affair, really going into some dark places but at the same time I think it really does work (the thing I caught this time that I missed before is the Childlike Empress also alludes to the audience watching a boy reading a book, spelling out it’s meta-adventure a bit more clearly). If I have any big complaint, it’s knowing this is actually only the half-way point in the original book really makes the ending a bit weaker in my eyes, and while the second film tried to conclude the novel’s plot, it’s generally considered to be a weak movie.

Hero’s Journey: Bastian is given the tools to overcome his grief, move on and in doing so save a world of hope and imagination.
Trivia
Noah Hathaway was hurt twice during the making of the movie. While learning to ride a horse, his horse threw him off, then stepped on him. While shooting the drowning sequence in the "swamp of sadness," his leg got caught on the elevator and he was pulled under water. He was unconscious by the time he was brought to the surface.

Jeez.

Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Issun]

Tuuurn around
Look at what you see-eee-e-eee-ee
In her face
The mirror of your dreeea eee ee eee eams

Make believe I'm everywhere
Given in the light
Written on the pages
Is the answer to a Ne-ver-ending stooo-oryyyyy
Aha aha hahahaha...

We all have that one piece of media that transports us back to childhood the minute it comes up. The Neverending Story is what does it for me.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

13. Castle in the Sky

The earth speaks to all of us, and if we listen, we can understand.
150 Points, 5 Lists, #1 JP Friction
Directed by:
Hayao Miyazaki
Starring:
Mayumi Tanaka, Keiko Yokozawa, Kotoe Hatsui​

Pazu is a boy living in a mining town when he discovers a young girl Sheeta, floating in mid-air. It turns out Sheeta is being pursued both by a tough gang of air pirates and government agents and Pazu wants to protect her. It turns out Sheeta is in fact connect to a royal bloodline of Laputa, a mythical city that floats in the sky and she might be the only one who can lead them there. The pirates are hoping for treasure and the government wants to obtain Laputa’s advanced technology. When Sheeta is kidnapped by the government, he’s left with no recourse but to team up with the pirates and the race for Laputa is on.

Hayao Miyazaki has a big showing on this list but Castle in the Sky is definitely among the favourites. While it certainly is very influential on the JRPG genre, on it’s own merits, it’s a great adventure films building on Miyazaki’s own pet themes about our own relationship to the Earth as we visit a technological wonderland of miracles built on the folly of leaving behind and ignoring the needs of our home. And once again, the villains look to pervert the miracles for their own ends (Muska is definitely one of Miyazaki’s more overtly completely villainous villains). I think the film’s success also owes a lot to Dola, who is a really cool antihero in film. Really, I could see a whole film series of Dola and her crew as tertiary but key characters in fantasy adventure.

There is reason every jrpg is just this movie. Love everything about it. – JP Friction

Hero’s Journey: Pazu and Sheeta find the real friends were the pirates they made along the way.
Trivia
Laputa the flying island was a setting in Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels, published in 1726. Hayao Miyazaki says in interviews that he was unaware that "la puta" means "the whore" in Spanish. If he had been aware of the translation, he would not have used it as a title. Swift, incidentally, is considered the inventor of "black comedy", and as a well-educated man and satirist, very likely knew the meaning of the Spanish term (in the novel, the Gulliver character lists Spanish as one of the many languages he's fluent in).

Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Purple]

Laputa is an excellent choice and I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it. Like damn, what would RPGs in the 90s even have done without this as a template?

And I have to ask two questions every time The Neverending Story comes up.

1- Why the hell was that horse so depressed anyway?

2- OK i get why the guardians of the Southern Oracle are these two sphinx statues with really prominent boobs and eye lasers (so you stop and go wow look at the rack on this statue and don't notice the eye lasers) but why the hell is the actual Southern Oracle... that exact same pair of sphinx statues but blue? That's weird. That's not what an oracle is. Like was it the last thing they shot and they suddenly ran out of money or what?

 

[Adrenaline]

The Empire Strikes Back is a good example of why logical plotting has nothing to do with making a good movie. What exactly is the timeline in this one?

 

[jpfriction]

That’s a good batch, nice job talking time. Never ending story is a great pick that slipped my mind, although the local movie place only had the sequel so I’ve see that a billion times to the original’s one or two, I should revisit it.

Castle in the sky is pure comfort food for me, condenses the feeling of playing through a good final fantasy game into an hour and half.

 

[Daikaiju]

Luputa did so much for JRPGs.

 

[Lokii]

1- Why the hell was that horse so depressed anyway?

2- OK i get why the guardians of the Southern Oracle are these two sphinx statues with really prominent boobs and eye lasers (so you stop and go wow look at the rack on this statue and don't notice the eye lasers) but why the hell is the actual Southern Oracle... that exact same pair of sphinx statues but blue? That's weird. That's not what an oracle is. Like was it the last thing they shot and they suddenly ran out of money or what?

1. It’s a magic swamp that makes you sad.

2. Probably a budget thing, the southern oracle is v different in the book, but it is pretty striking to go from the gold sphinxes to the blue. I think it’s an effective choice.

 

[Issun]

The first time I saw Castle in the Sky a whole lot of things slotted into place with a loud  click.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

12. The Dark Crystal

End, begin, all the same. Big change. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad.
152 Points, 5 Lists, #1 Dr. Nerd
Directed by:
Jim Henson, Frank Oz
Starring:
Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw​

There is a taint put upon the world by the Skeksis, small but powerful cadre of creatures who wield the Dark Crystal to prolong their life. A conjunction is coming that promises to bring a big change to the world. And a young gelfling named Jen, is tasked with a dangerous mission to take a crystal shard to the crystal to heal it. Jen is the last of his kind… or so he thinks, until he meets another one named Kira. Kira joins him on his quest into the heart of darkness as his aging and peaceful mentors slowly march toward the fated place. In a world where hope is in short supply, can Jen and Kira stop the Skeksis hold over the land?

Jim Henson ruled the 70s but the 80s was both a time of prosperity and hardship for him. The Muppets went and had babies and his Muppet movies and Sesame Street series still were warmly received. Then there was Fraggle Rock, which continued his success. But it was also a time of experimentation for Henson, not all of which was as warmly received. Storyteller was a series well-received by critics but I feel like it didn’t have staying power in the culture’s consciousness. The Jim Henson Hour tried different things but for whatever reason it didn’t connect with audiences. But film was the most interesting, with Henson making two major fantasy movies that were met lukewarmly by audiences and critics initially but becoming cult successes on home video. The Dark Crystal was one of these.

I can see why people were hesitant to see it, with some of the most truly horrific monsters ever in a kids film. But it’s also one of the most gorgeous looking fantasy films of any era, thanks to Henson and Froud’s craft in creating a visually eye-popping fantasy world. The 80s were a prime time for dark fantasy, especially for kids. I’m not surprised; the height of the cold war, the promise of your very small life snuffed out by the bomb. It’s a scary world of small people and big horrors. But generally, these movies were also very hopeful, as is the Dark Crystal. It has two sweet, innocent children rushing into the heart of darkness and through bravery overcoming evil oligrachs who vie for power and feast on the innocent while the world burns. So it’s no surprise that they made another Dark Crystal as a TV series. Because sadly, some themes are evergreen.

Hero’s Journey: Jen and Kira find that many things are can come together to make something greater, be it themselves or their friends and foes.
Trivia
Jim Henson's plan with this movie was to get back to the darkness of original Brothers Grimm fairy tales. He felt that children liked the idea of being scared and that this was a healthy emotion for them with which to deal.
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Daikaiju]

One pick on the last page and two on this one! Huzzah! I'm not completely out of touch!

Also, the Garthrim are pure nightmare fuel.

 

[Kirin]

So much good stuff to catch up on!

I didn't put Empire on my list only because even though it's definitely one of my fave Star Wars, it wasn't the one that most screamed "adventure!" to me. But obviously it's an amazing film.

Neverending Story was on my list, but on the basis of distant memory; it's one I'd be interested in watching again for sure. Lots of cool creature and world design going on.

Laputa is of course just fantastic and I probably should have put it higher than I did.

Dark Crystal I had up at #6; also just fantastic. I recently finished watching the ill-fated TV prequel; it was a bit rough at first but really grew into itself; did a lot of cool things that fleshed out the world in interesting ways. The creature and costume design is of course wonderful as always and the voice cast is just amazing. Real pity it got cancelled, though it had a few big things going against it, like the fact that you know all these great characters ultimately have to fail (At least literally if not figuratively), plus it's a bit hard to swallow the initial conceit that most of Gelfling society accepts the Skeksis as good and wise rulers even though they're the same obviously-dripping-evil creatures from the movie. I mean, yes, people kow-towing to horrid leaders happens all the time in real life, but still...

 

[Issun]

I had Dark Crystal over the other Henson film which I'm sure will show up. The darker tone of 80s kids fare is something I think about quite often. I think your Cold War theory has legs, Johnny, but I also think that, like Henson, other directors of the era like Wolfgang Peterson and Steven Spielberg had a respect for children and what they are able to process that never really caught on in later decades.

 

[Purple]

One pick on the last page and two on this one! Huzzah! I'm not completely out of touch!

Also, the Garthrim are pure nightmare fuel.

I seem to recall reading that because of the weight and difficulty getting in and out of those costumes they just like hung'em on hooks between takes with the people still inside.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

One zeppelin ride later, Abby and I find ourselves in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, looking for signs of the theatre. Though we follow the signs left for us, it seems like we are going in circles. At first I assume we are hopelessly lost by Abby Singer has another idea. Marking a tree, she leads us and we find ourselves at another tree, identical to the other with a mark made on it identical to hers. I lament we are lost until she says "smell it." Confused, I do. It smells like a tree. "On the last tree, I left a very detectable amount of thiol, the chemicals skunks spray. I left it in an amount that won't dissipate quickly or spread far but can easily be smelled close up."
"And?"
"I think this area of the forest isn't wild untamed land. I think it has been specifically farmed to contain identical patches to make people confused. The mark means that someone... or something is trying to get us to think we are lost. In fact, I think we are close."

We end up ascending a small mountain. Strangely, we also notice one huge long track that also travelled up, a rough makeshift road made of wood. Someone had cut down trees to push or pull something very large up the mountain. Halfway up, Abby yells "Look out!" Shockingly, a large boat is rushing on the mountain towards us. I can barely process it but I recognize it. I've seen this boat before. On my lips is a word. "Fitzcarraldo!"

 

[Torzelbaum]

[Dr. Nerd]

Dr. Nerd - This is from the 1959 sci-fi movie Invisible Invaders. (Also, not quite sure what that has to do with Dr. Nerd.)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c4/Invisible_Invaders_poster.jpg

Unfortunately I fear this might be the end of my adventure. I have not been able to find the source for the following images/avatars. Do I dare use the forbidden technique to gain the hidden knowledge that I need to finish this adventure? And whose ire will I draw if I take that step?

[Johnny Unusual]

[Adrenaline]

[JBear]

[WildcatJF]

 

[Johnny Unusual]

11. The Goonies

Goonies never say die!
164 Points, 7 Lists, #2 Olli and Positronic Brain
Directed by:
Richard Donner
Starring:
Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen​

A group of small town kids find that they and their families will be run out of their homes soon by the rich families. When Mikey stumbles across a treasure map in his family’s attic, he takes his friends and big brother on what appears to be a desperate wild goose chase. But soon it turns out that the secret of the treasure of pirate captain One-Eye Willy is in town and within reach. But to get it, it will mean going through a gauntlet of lethal traps Willy left behind. And if that wasn’t enough, they find themselves being hunted by the Fratelli’s, a family of murderous criminal who would just as happily take the treasure for themselves. Caught between their dangerous pursuers and Willy’s tricky trail, can the Goonies stay one step ahead? Oh, they call themselves the Goonies by the way. I still haven’t figured out why.

One of the most iconic movies of the 80s, it shows what the difference is between the family films of the 80s and those that follow. It’s an Indiana Jones for kids, which is a good sell (with a Jones actor and producer no less) but beyond that, it really feels a bit closer to what a kids adventure written by kids might look like. There is actual stakes and danger (everything in the 90s era adventure post-Home Alone feels a bit too easy for me) and while the way the kids talk doesn’t “sound like how kids talk”, I think it is closer to a reality that we don’t see often for the age group targeted. They are vulgar and they swear and sometimes their vocabulary is lacking (they are on a quest to find “rich stuff”). It also helps this film really did find a charismatic group of kids and teens to be in this film. An underground waterslide might not make literal sense but it makes sense in the mentality that this is what kids want to see.

Hero’s Journey: The kids on the low rung of society (LOWER MIDDLE CLASS AND ALSO ABLE TO AFFORD A MAID!) manage to discover a pirates treasure and get out of the heel of the riches.
Trivia
According to Sean Astin, he was allowed to keep the treasure map used in the film. Several years later his mother Patty Duke discovered it, thought it was just a crinkled piece of paper, and threw it in the bin.
Ready, Set, Piece

 

[Lokii]

Huh, figured it’d slot in at 1 or close to. Platonic form of the Adventure flick imo

 

[jpfriction]

It’s a fun story, but I don’t actually like watching the movie that much.

 

[Issun]

Huh, figured it’d slot in at 1 or close to. Platonic form of the Adventure flick imo

Yeah, given the demographics here I had it top 10 for sure.