This document discusses different genres and subgenres of action and adventure films. It defines action films as focusing on physical action over dialogue, while adventure films involve exciting stories in exotic locations with less emphasis on violence. Action adventure films combine elements of both genres, featuring travels, struggles, and situations confronting main characters. The document then identifies several subgenres of action adventure films like buddy, team, superhero, historical, and romantic comedy hybrids. It provides examples and defines the common narrative conventions and codes of fantasy, disaster, historical, quest, thriller, and swashbuckler subgenres.

2. 
Which of the following films are action
adventure films?
Pirates of the Caribbean
Bridget Jones Diary
Superman Returns
Rambo
Platoon
Jaws
Die Hard
Pretty Woman
Troy
Harry Potter

3.  To
understand what is meant by ‘action
adventure’ and identify sub-genres
 To begin identifying the codes and
conventions of the different sub-genres

4. What do you associate with Action film? List all the things
you have come to expect in Action films.






A hero
Chases
Fighting/combat
Explosions
Weapons – guns
Lots of killing
Now list all the things for Adventure genre films




Exotic locations
Treasure
Humour
An element of danger – but not as violent or threatening
as Action films
THESE ARE KNOWN AS THE GENRE
CODES OR ICONOGRAPHY

5. Action Films - the story is largely told through
physical action rather than dialogue.
 The action typically involves individual efforts on
the part of the hero.
Adventure Films - are exciting stories, with new
experiences or exotic locations. They are similar
to the action genre as they provide an actionfilled, energetic experience for the film viewer.
 However there is less emphasis on violence and
fighting

6. 
Action Adventure Films are a combination of
the two genres
◦ emphasis on travels,
◦ conquests,
◦ explorations,
◦ struggles and
◦ situations that confront the main
characters or actual historical figures

7. 




Buddy – Men in Black
Team - Red
Superhero – Spiderman/Superman/Thor, etc
Historical - Gladiator
Rom/Com and action adventure – Romancing
the Stone

8. A specific type of genre that has very distinct codes
and conventions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fantasy
Disaster
Historical
Quest
Thriller
Swashbuckler

9. FANTASY
DISASTER
HISTORICAL
QUEST
THRILLER
SWASHBUCKLER

10. FANTASY
DISASTER
HISTORICAL
The setting is usually a
world which bares little
reality to our own, very
imaginative containing
strange creatures and
landscapes.
Society is faced with a
large scale disaster that
looks like the end of
mankind such as a
plague or hurricane.
May be based on a real
story or legend, but is
usually based in a real
historical time period and
place.
QUEST
THRILLER
SWASHBUCKLER
An expedition or trip
undertaken by one or
more characters in order
to achieve a particular
goal.
A tense film which is full
of suspense. It is often
based around a crime or
deception.
Will involve swordfighting and usually set
in the past (though won’t
have any basis in
reality).

11. NARRATIVE CONVENTION –
 The type of storyline we would expect.
 Characterised by sword-fighting and
adventurous heroic characters, often set in
Renaissance Western Europe
EXAMPLES
• The Mask of Zorro
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• The Three Musketeers
COMMON CODES AND CONVENTIONS
 Male hero, damsel in distress, romantic
interest, clear morality (hero = good,
villain = evil) code of honor, pirates, swords
and swordfights, bows and arrows, lavish
costumes

12. NARRATIVE CONVENTION
 The characters deal with an impending or
ongoing disaster and its aftermath – this
can be man made or natural
EXAMPLES
• Armageddon
• Twister
• Independence Day
COMMON CODES
 ‘The world is going to end’ message.
Meteors, volcanoes, earthquakes, tidal
waves, tornados, fire, alien invasion, war,
crashes, sinking ships, large cast of
characters, multiple plot lines, usually a
happy ending

13. NARRATIVE COONVENTIONS

Heroic story set in an invented
world which is a more fanciful
version of our world or a
legendary, mythic past
EXAMPLES

Clash of the Titans

Star Wars

Avatar
COMMON CODES

Very varied but could include:
aliens, spaceships, wizards,
witches, ghosts, imaginary places,
fanciful plots, good versus evil,
happy endings

14. NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS
 The protagonist goes on an epic search
for an object of value or someone of
personal importance
EXAMPLES
• Indiana Jones films
• National Treasure
• Romancing the Stone
COMMON CODES
 Male hero, multi skilled, romantic interest,
sidekick, exotic locations, travel, villain
with same quest, danger, guns, grand
finale with moral – hero learns something
profound about themselves

15. NARRATIVE CONVENTION
 An exciting, suspenseful and tense plot
in which the hero usually overcomes a
series of distractions set by the villain
EXAMPLES
•
The Fugitive
•
Cliffhanger
•
Die Hard
COMMON CODES
 Male hero, villain/criminal with a
master plan, fight and chase scenes,
weapons, gunfights, information kept
from audience, mystery, police, hero
versus villain finale

16. NARRATIVE CONVENTION
 An epic story set in a recognisable
historical period or against the backdrop
of a famous historical event
EXAMPLES
• Gladiator
• King Arthur
• Braveheart
COMMON CODES
 Famous events, story based on fact or
real people, historical settings,
costumes, personal struggle, romantic
interest, battles, huge number of extras

17. Due this time next week:
 Write a 250 word analysis on any
action/adventure film of your choice. You
must explain what sub genre it belongs to
and the codes and conventions it uses