1. Adventure
Jack Routledge
Adventure films are very similar to action films in term of content. The hero(ine) is often sent on a quest/mission in order to retrieve something. Like action
films they face overwhelming odds, however, they always come out successful and victorious by the conclusion. The adventure genre has minimal violence, as
the main plot usually develops around the character travelling through different locations, and overcoming obstacles. If violence is shown it is often less
graphic - to cater for the younger audience, who have become the main target audience. Initially the target audience of adventure films was men (13-30) due
to the male antagonist, female love interest and structure of the plot. However, it has a much wider target audience nowadays, including children and
women. For example, Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End (2007), is an adventure film that caters for a wide target audience, and has become known as a
family film. Adventure films usually have a wider viewing audience than other genres as the content is less graphic, adventure films can be under the
classifications of U and PG. But, most commonly they tend to be 12(A)'s. However, it some cases they may be classified as 15, depending on the levels of
graphic content.
2. About Adventure
• Adventure, unlike action films, they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore
exotic locations in an energetic way.
• The sub-genres of adventure films include, swashbuckler film, Survival film, Western film, pirate
film, disaster film, and historical drama—which is similar to the epic film genre. Main plot elements
include quests for lost continents, a jungle, mountain, island, ocean, city or desert settings,
characters going on treasure hunts and heroic journeys for the unknown. Adventure films are
mostly set in a period background and may include adapted stories of historical or fictional
adventure heroes within the historical context. Kings, monarchies, battles, rebellion or piracy are
commonly seen in adventure films.[3] Adventure films may also be combined with other movie
genres such as, science fiction, fantasy, horror and sometimes war films or explorer films.
3. History of the genre
• The adventure film reached its peak of popularity in 1930s and 1940s Hollywood, when films such
as Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Mark of Zorro were regularly made with
major stars, Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power, who were closely associated with the genre. At the same
time, Saturday morning serials were often using many of the same thematic elements as high-budget
adventure films. In the early days of adventure films, the protagonists were mainly male. These
heroes were courageous, often fighting suppression and facing tyrants. Recently these male heroic
protagonists have occasionally been replaced by heroines, Lara Croft being an example.
4. Popular Concepts
• Superheroes (e.g., Spider-Man, The Avengers or Justice League)
• Survival films (e.g., The Hunger Games, Gravity or The Revenant)
• Animal and dinosaur films (e.g., Jurassic Park, Jaws or Godzilla)
• Road films (e.g., Dirty Girl, Little Miss Sunshine, On the Road or Mad Max (series))
• Medieval or fantasy settings, mythical lands, creatures and magic (e.g., The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Chronicles of Narnia, or Harry Potter)
• Espionage (e.g., James Bond, Jason Bourne, or Mission Impossible)
• Crossing across a city or a mountain (e.g., North By Northwest, Wild)
• Skill-required stunts (e.g., E.T. The Extraterrestrial, Mission Impossible)
• Skill-requiring or radical sports such as bungee-jumping, ice-climbing, rafting, snowboarding, surfing (e.g., Everest)
• Expeditions (e.g., Aliens, Everest or The Descent)
• Travels through time (e.g., Back to the Future or Interstellar)
• Exploration of space and ocean (e.g., Gravity, The Abyss, The Martian or Interstellar)
• Travels to distant planets (e.g., Star Wars, The Martian or Star Trek)
• Travels to foreign countries and cities (destinations) (e.g., James Bond, Mission Impossible or Indiana Jones)
• Travels through time (e.g., Back to the Future or Interstellar)
5. Most popular adventure feature films (imDb)
Directors – Scott Derrickson, Luc Besson,
Walt Dohrn, David Yates, Patty Jenkins
From my research, movies in the adventure genre are
normally directed by Male’s – this might rub off on the
nature of the films leading to the fact the genre is liked
more by males than females. Also the genre is widely
appreciated by young adults that are aged 17+, this is
supported by the research carried on
http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/sfischo/media3.html
.
![About Adventure
• Adventure, unlike action films, they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore
exotic locations in an energetic way.
• The sub-genres of adventure films include, swashbuckler film, Survival film, Western film, pirate
film, disaster film, and historical drama—which is similar to the epic film genre. Main plot elements
include quests for lost continents, a jungle, mountain, island, ocean, city or desert settings,
characters going on treasure hunts and heroic journeys for the unknown. Adventure films are
mostly set in a period background and may include adapted stories of historical or fictional
adventure heroes within the historical context. Kings, monarchies, battles, rebellion or piracy are
commonly seen in adventure films.[3] Adventure films may also be combined with other movie
genres such as, science fiction, fantasy, horror and sometimes war films or explorer films.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)