Top 10 Adventure Movies on Disney+

Action and adventure is where Disney+ truly delivers scale. Beyond the obvious blockbusters, it's sitting on Mulan, The Jungle Book, the entire Pirates of the Caribbean saga, and decades of adventure buried in the catalogue. I had to leave out Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which has the best action sequence in the franchise but completely loses the plot in the third act, and Mulan (2020), which is gorgeous but emotionally cold. These 10 made the cut. 🎬

Here we go:

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark

   1981

   An archaeologist hired by the U.S. government races to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do. The best action-adventure film ever made — full stop. Spielberg and Harrison Ford set the standard every blockbuster has been chasing ever since. Every sequence solves a problem the script just created. It doesn't age because it doesn't rely on special effects: it relies on pace, charisma, and intelligence.

2. The Princess Bride

   1987

   A young man sets out to rescue the woman he loves from a corrupt prince, crossing forests, dungeons, and sword fights along the way. Technically a romantic adventure comedy, but the action is genuine — the swordfight at the top of the Cliffs of Insanity is still a reference point. Witty, absurd, and completely irresistible. One of the most quotable films ever made.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

   2003

   An eccentric pirate captain teams up with a blacksmith to rescue a young woman kidnapped by a ghost ship. The only good argument for making a film based on a theme park ride. Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow is one of the most creative action character performances of the 2000s. Hans Zimmer's score is perfect. The fight inside the flooding armory still impresses.

4. The Jungle Book

   2016

   Mowgli, raised by wolves in the Indian jungle, is forced to return to the human world when the tiger Shere Khan threatens the pack. Jon Favreau took an animated classic and did something that seems impossible: he improved the scale without losing the soul. The CGI still looks real because the filmmakers understood that visuals serve the story — not the other way around. Idris Elba as Shere Khan is pure menace.

5. National Treasure

   2004

   A historian and treasure hunter steals the Declaration of Independence to find a fortune hidden by the Founding Fathers. Ridiculous from start to finish — and completely addictive. Nicolas Cage at peak Nicolas Cage. A film that understands adventure needs energy, not plausibility. Completely dismissed by critics at the time, and completely adored by everyone who watched it.

6. Atlantis: The Lost Empire

   2001

   A shy linguist joins an underwater expedition to find the lost civilization of Atlantis. Chronically underrated — this is the most ambitious adventure film Disney has ever made outside of Pixar. Visually influenced by Moebius and Jack Kirby, with a team of supporting characters who steal every scene. It deserved an entire franchise. Instead, it became a cult film.

7. Mulan

   1998

   A young Chinese woman takes her father's place in the imperial army and becomes one of China's greatest warriors. Animated Disney at peak ambition — large-scale battles, a protagonist who solves problems with intelligence rather than a prince, and "I'll Make a Man Out of You," which may be the most energizing song Disney has ever produced. Still holds up completely.

8. The Muppet Movie

   1979

   Kermit the Frog leaves a Florida swamp for Hollywood to become a star, collecting strange friends along the way while being chased by a frog-leg restaurant executive. A road movie adventure disguised as a children's comedy. It has more heart than most "serious" adventure films. The final sequence in the theater is still moving for reasons that are hard to explain rationally.

9. Tomorrowland

   2015

   An optimistic teenage girl and a bitter inventor discover a pin that reveals a parallel utopian dimension. Flopped at the box office and has been ignored ever since — unfairly. Brad Bird making sci-fi adventure with a genuinely rare message: optimism as an act of resistance. The jetpack opening sequence is still breathtaking. Worth far more than its reputation suggests.

10. The Rocketeer

    1991

    A young pilot finds an experimental jetpack and becomes an accidental hero fighting Nazi spies in 1930s Hollywood. One of the most underrated adventure films in the Disney catalogue. It has the aesthetic of a pulp magazine in motion — stunning visuals, consistent pace, and a deliciously theatrical villain. Didn't perform well at the time. Became a genre classic with age.

Also worth mentioning:

Four that hurt to cut. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) — has the best action sequence in the franchise (the barrel chase through the jungle) but the third act completely loses the thread. Mulan (2020) — photographically stunning and technically impressive, but emotionally inert: it's missing the warmth of the animated version. Treasure Planet (2002) — "Treasure Island" in space, too ambitious for Disney at the time and a commercial disaster; it has devoted fans for good reason. And Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) — darker, more aggressive, with the best opening of the franchise; left out because the second act is too slow for what everything else promises.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best action and adventure film on Disney+ right now?

If you want the perfect thing, watch Raiders of the Lost Ark — it's the standard for the genre and still works completely. If you want something lighter and funnier, the first Pirates of the Caribbean is the one. For families with kids, Mulan (1998) or The Jungle Book (2016) hold up at any age.

Does Disney+ have good adventure films beyond the obvious blockbusters?

Far more than most people expect. Atlantis, Tomorrowland, and The Rocketeer are three films that failed commercially and have aged exceptionally well — all available in the catalogue and all completely forgotten by most subscribers. They are the best hidden gems on the platform in the genre.

What is the most underrated adventure film on Disney+?

Atlantis: The Lost Empire. It is the most visually original film Disney has ever made in the genre, influenced by 1970s comics and science fiction, with a cast of memorable supporting characters. It deserved an entire franchise and became a cult film by accident. If you've never watched it, fix that.