It’s hard not to love a goodadventuremovie. Seeing a band of characters venture off to uncharted lands to fulfill some sort of quest or destiny makes for great content every time. Tales of adventure have captivated audiences for centuries; they’re simply just fun stories. From pirates to scientists and even animated heroes, there’s no shortage of adventure flicks out there, and there are always new ones being added to the list. The 1990s actually saw quite a few greats that are still well-loved and watched today — likeJumanji, to various animated classics from Disney and other studios.
If you’re looking to enjoy some of the best adventure movies from the ‘90s, this list has you covered with eight great options.
8The Mummy (1999)
The Mummyfollows adventurer Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser), a librarian (Rachel Weisz) and her brother (John Hannah) as they travel to Hamunapta, known as the City of the Dead, where they accidentally awaken the ancient high priest Imhotep, essentially a cursed mummy with strong supernatural powers. It’s a fun, action-packed adventure with anIndiana Jonesfeel, and is hands down one of Fraser’s best roles.The Mummyoriginally premiered in 1999 and later led to two sequels and a spin-off series titledThe Scorpion King. There was also a remake ofThe Mummyin 2017 starring Tom Cruise in the lead, but it’s no match for Fraser’s ’90s classic.
7The Mask of Zorro (1998)
Premiering in 1998,The Mask of Zorrofollows a young thief (Antonio Banderas) who is out to seek revenge for his brother’s death and is trained by the “old Zorro” Don Diego de la Vega, played by Anthony Hopkins. What results is an action-filled, highly entertaining, swashbuckling adventure. There are high-intensity, well-crafted fight scenes, drama, bravado and even romance between Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’s character Elena. The two are an incredible pair in this movie and their chemistry is a big part of what makes this adventure film so fun to watch over and over again.
Following the success ofThe Mask of Zorroin the ’90s, there was a sequel —The Legend of Zorro— in 2005, with Banderas and Zeta-Jones both reprising their roles. It’s hard to topThe Mask of Zorro, and this sequel certainly doesn’t do that, but it’s not a terrible watch. If you enjoyed the storyline, the pacing, and the characters from the first movie, you’ll likely enjoy seeing the story continue in the second movie. But if you simply want to kick back with a beautifully crafted adventure movie, you may always rely onThe Mask of Zorro.
6The Iron Giant (1999)
The Iron Giantis one of thoseanimated movies that somehow gets forgotten, but it’s hard to imagine why, considering how fantastic it is. Based on the 1968 novelThe Iron Manby Ted Hughes and premiering in 1999,The Iron Giantis about a young boy named Hogarth Hughes who discovers a giant alien robot (Vin Diesel). Hogarth and the robot become friends, and he sets out with the help of a local beatnik artist voiced by Harry Connick Jr. to prevent the U.S. military from destroying his newfound friend.
The Iron Giantis really an underappreciated masterpiece. The animation itself looks great, but it’s also such a well-rounded movie and doesn’t rely on musical numbers or other fanfare to further the plot like other animated movies often do. It’s funny and entertaining, but also emotional and heartwarming on such a deep level that you really don’t expect from an animated movie. It’s also one of those animated “family movies” that are genuinely enjoyable for both the adults and kids in the audience. You may have forgotten about the adventure and heartwarming friendship ofThe Iron Giant,and in that case it’s definitely time for a re-watch.
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5Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Parkis a well-loved classic that spawned both several sequels and the entireJurassic Worldfranchise. It’s a great blend of sci-fi, action and adventure with an equally great cast including names like Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Sam Neil and Samuel L. Jackson. It’s about a wildlife park full of de-extinct dinosaurs that escape when the park’s power shuts down. Directed by Stephen Spielberg and premiering in 1993,Jurassic Parkfeatures a captivating story and animatronics and effects that still look decently realistic today given the time the movie came out.
It was a groundbreaking genre blend when it premiered years ago and still holds a noteworthy place in pop culture today.Jurassic Parkwas truly the dawn of the dinosaur genre and even today, all these years later, there really aren’t any dinosaur movies that compare, even though theJurassic Worldmovies may come close depending on who you ask.
4The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (1997)
LikeThe Iron Giant,The Brave Little Toastermay be another animated film series that you could have forgotten about over time. It’s one of those great movies that doesn’t seem to get the love it deserves among similar animated flicks. The first movie —The Brave Little Toaster— premiered in 1987 and was followed byThe Brave Little Toaster to the Rescuein 1997 andThe Brave Little Toaster Goes to Marsin 1998. All three movies are great, but the two from the ’90s really stand out.
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescuespecifically follows — you guessed it — a little toaster and his home appliance friends as they set out on an adventure to rescue a bunch of animals at a veterinary clinic before they’re set to a testing facility. All theBrave Little Toastermovies are both fun and entertaining, but can also border on more serious themes — like this one, which touches on animal cruelty. It’s a different type of adventure movie on this list, but the series as a whole is worth the watch if it’s been a while for you.
3Hook (1991)
Hookis about an adult Peter Pan (Robin Williams) who has forgotten all about his magical childhood. In his adult life, he’s a general workaholic lawyer who spends more time on business than anything else, completely abandoning imagination and fun. He has a wife (who happens to be Wendy’s granddaughter, if you’re familiar with thePeter Panstory) and two kids. Life is generally normal until his old enemy Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps his kids. Peter then has to return to Neverland to save them and along the way he begins to remember his adventurous childhood and slowly becomes a better, more lively person as he regains a sense of who he is.
Hoffman and Williams are fantastic together inHook, and the story itself is one that’s perfect for both adults and children. It’s a very fun, fantasy-filled adventure that gives a different take on the traditionalPeter Panstory that most people are likely familiar with from the 1953 animated Disney movie. With a great cast and entertaining story, you should definitely revisitHookif you’re looking for a nostalgic, childlike adventure movie.
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2Toy Story (1995)
While there are plenty to choose from,Toy Storyis arguably one of the best Disney/Pixar movies. In a world where toys come to life — which is every kid’s dream —Toy Storyfocuses on Wood (Tom Hanks) the favorite toy of Andy, that is until Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) shows up and Woody gets jealous because Andy starts spending more time with Buzz than him. It’s a bright, fun, funny and heartwarming story about friendship and adventure.
Toy Storypremiered in 1995 and is still a stand-out Disney/Pixar movie today and is one of the studio’s best works to date. It’s well-written, features an incredible cast, and is enjoyable for both kids and adults no matter how many times you watch it.Toy Storywas so loved that it spawned three sequels, becoming a four-film franchise, withrumors of a fifth filmin the future. It also led to various specials, TV series, and spin-offs, most recently 2022’sLightyear.
1Jumanji (1995)
Premiering in 1995,Jumanjiis the ultimate adventure. How fun would it be to get to magically travel into a board game? With Robin Williams in the lead,Jumanjiis about a magical board game that a man (Williams) gets trapped in for years, surviving its dangerous jungle landscape and the only way to stop the dangers ofJumanjiand escape is to finish playing the game.Jumanjiis great family entertainment; it’s both heartwarming and fun, but also full of adventure at every turn.
The movie itself was so well-loved and such a hit that it was brought to life again years later with the new moviesJumanji: Welcome to the Junglein 2017 and the sequelJumanji: The Next Levelin 2019, which follow a similar story to the original, except instead of a board game that comes to life it’s a video game. And thepossibility of a fourthJumanjiis still looming, but it’s unclear whether it’ll become a reality.
