Best Adventure Movies of the 1980s
The 1980s reshaped adventure cinema, and this is what survived the decade's own hype cycle — 20 films ranked purely by audience score, from 1980 to 1989. The Empire Strikes Back leads at 8.4. If you only work through the top ten, you will have covered the decade properly.
20 titles · average score 7.8 ·
The top 5 picks
- 1
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
★ 8.4 · 18,700 ratingsThe epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile,…
- 2
Back to the Future (1985)
★ 8.3 · 22,191 ratingsEighties teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents' first meeting and attracting his mother's romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by…
- 3
Castle in the Sky (1986)
★ 8.0 · 4,755 ratingsA young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.
- 4
Warriors of the Wind (1984)
★ 7.9 · 4,156 ratingsAfter a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess…
- 5
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
★ 7.9 · 13,867 ratingsWhen Dr. Indiana Jones – the tweed-suited professor who just happens to be a celebrated archaeologist – is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself up against the entire Nazi…
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How this list is ranked
Nothing on this page is hand-picked to hit a word count. We pull films matching this list's criteria from TMDB, require a real audience behind each score, and rank by that score — 20 titles averaging 7.8. The page rebuilds daily, so new releases appear here as soon as enough people have rated them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best adventure movie of the 1980s?
The Empire Strikes Back (1980) leads the decade with 8.4. The full list covers 1980–1989 and averages 7.8.
How many adventure movies from the 1980s are on this list?
20, each with at least 300 audience ratings behind its score. Anything with a thin vote count is excluded so the ranking reflects a real consensus.
Is this list updated?
Yes — it rebuilds every day from TMDB, so newly released movies appear as soon as enough people have rated them. You do not need an account to browse it, and there is no paywall on anything at MovieAI.