Josh Falcone – General Assignment Reporter –
With the weather turning and old man winter blowing a cold chill through the air, it’s a joyous time for those that love the cold weather and all the activities that come when the Fahrenheit drops.
For others though, the cold turns them into hermits. They don’t care to go spend time outside until the blue birds are chirping and the tulips are blooming. So for them I have completed a list of adventure films to pass the time until Persephone returns to earth.
Kickin’ It Old School: A great Golden Age adventure film is “The African Queen.” A boozy boat captain played by Humphrey Bogart is asked by a fair missionary played by Katherine Hepburn to use his boat to attack a German warship in Africa during the opening of World War I. The perils faced by these two on their journey are the definition of excitement.
Goonies never say die: “The Goonies” is another fantastic adventurous movie that is always quite enjoyable. The movie is a story of seven friends whose Oregon neighborhood is in danger of being turned into a golf course unless enough money can be raised to stop construction. Mikey Walsh finds a treasure map in his attic and the group sets out to find the lost treasure of pirate One-Eyed Willy. Adventure, danger, friendship ensues. This films characters are classic, from the oafish Chunk, the lovable Data, the scary, mean Ma Fratelli, to the deformed yet heroic Sloth, this movie is a classic.
A shark will swallow you whole. Little shakin’, little tenderizin’, an’ down you go: From the opening scene in “Jaws” of a girl skinny dipping who suddenly screams and is dragged around thrashing until she disappears under the Atlantic Ocean, you know you’re in for a suspenseful, tense, exciting ride. A man-eating shark is terrorizing a New England island vacation hot-spot during the Fourth of July and it’s up to Sheriff Martin Brody, shark expert Matt Hooper, and shark hunter Quint to eradicate the great white and return calm to Amity Island. Watching this movie is yearly July 4th tradition for me, and when I was younger caused me to be scared to take a bath, let alone step into the ocean.
You’re a wizard, Harry: You cannot go wrong with any of the eight Harry Potter films; personally I enjoyed “The Deathly Hallows” the most. It’s up to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger to learn the ins and outs of their Hogwarts education and stop “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” To watch the whole film series you will need a whole weekend, but it is well worth it.
You shall not pass!: The Lord of the Rings trilogy is another series that serves up immense adventure, and boy is it a good time. Frodo’s journey from the shire across Middle Earth to Mount Doom is exciting enough but the adventures of the rest of the fellowship is equally enthralling. Spectacular battles, deception, and heart-break make “The Fellowship the Ring,” “The Two Towers,” and “The Return of the King” a can’t miss for adventure film enthusiasts.
Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes?: Any archeologist who has a whip and a fedora is an instant badass. “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” are adventure through and through. The last one “Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull” is not part of this list due to Louis Stevens coming along and sullying an amazing film series. Seriously dude, go play with your robots, and leave the globe trotting adventures to Indy, ok? Be it stopping the Thuggee high priest Mola Ram in “The Temple of Doom” or the damn evil Nazi’s in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The Last Crusade,” Indiana Jones and his allies’ adventures are breathtaking high-octane fun for anyone.
These aren’t the droids you’re looking for: “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” appears on the screen before “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,” and sets the stage for a space opera that has blown audiences away since 1977. “A New Hope,” “Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back,” and “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi,” the original trilogy are untouchable when it comes to adventure films and perhaps films in general. The saga of farm boy Luke Skywalker, the devilish Han Solo, Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewbacca, oh Chewy, you amazing wookie you, will have anybody cheering the Rebel Alliance in no time. Of course, the dark lord, Darth Vader is an antagonist you love to hate. Hands down, my favorite scene in any of the films is when the door opens, the smoke dissipates, and you see this big hulking menace, Darth Vader, it’s jaw-dropping. As for episodes I through II, eh, they cannot all be winners.
Watching the select films I have mentioned will definitely make time fly by, and before you know it, spring will have sprung. Also, Han shot first.
