By definition, an adventure film takes the audience on a ride of exciting action, journeys, and daring quests. It’s a fun trip. Thanks to computer-generated effects, the modern adventure film carries moviegoers on even more fantastical adventures, these journeys are paying off at the box office.
Here are the top-grossing adventure films since 2000, based on United States box office ticket sales, according to IMDb, the Internet Movie Database:
1. "Avatar" (2009)
$761 million
Talk about adventures to exotic lands. Avatar takes place on another planet suffering from Earth-like environmental problems. People are blue, and the hero is a paraplegic Marine who finds himself in the journey of adventure.
2. "The Avengers" (2012)
$623 million
By combining box office blockbusters into one adventure epic, "The Avengers" easily became one of the most popular films of all time. Robert Downey Jr. steps up as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, and Chris Hemsworth as Thor, to name a few.
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3. "Shrek 2" (2004)
$436 million
Another animated film that appealed to adults as well as children, a box office-boosting demographic. Comedic giants Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy provided their voices for the ogre, Shrek, and the donkey, Donkey.
4. "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (2013)
$425 million
The sequel to "The Hunger Games," released one year after the original film, netted another box office record for modern adventure films. The story leaves audiences waiting for answers that will come in two additional sequels.
5. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest" (2006)
$423 million
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley co-star in this seagoing adventure fantasy film. Critics gave lukewarm reviews, but
audiences overwhelmingly enjoyed the ride, according to Rotten Tomatoes, an online wrap-up of film critics nationwide.
6. "Toy Story 3" (2010)
$415 million
Pixar, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and toys make for a winning box office combination that began 20 years ago. The film’s domestic gross is only part of the story. Disney scored
$28.6 billion from merchandise sales in 2010 following the sequel’s release, according to The Wrap Covering Hollywood.
7. "Iron Man 3" (2013)
$409 million
Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of billionaire Tony Stark who can turn into a metal human weapon at will is another comic book come to modern film life. The film also stars Gwyneth Paltrow.
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8. "The Hunger Games" (2012)
$408 million
Featuring a female lead as the heroic adventurer, "The Hunger Games" was an instant hit at the box office. The sci-fi adventure film’s opening weekend grossed $152 million in ticket sales from 4,137 theaters. The film’s popularity springs from a modern approach to gender roles along with a novel plot line pitting teen-agers in death duels for television entertainment, according to critics.
9. "Spider-Man" (2002)
$404 million
Tobey Maguire stars as the geeky, shy teenager turned superhero thanks to a spider bite. The comic book brought to real-life film was directed by Sam Raimi, who also directed the less-profitable sequels "Spider-Man 2" released in 2004 and "Spider-Man 3" released in 2007.
10. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009)
$402 million
The second of four "Transformer" movies, this 2009 sequel earned the most money at the box office. The animated robot action adventure cost $210 million to make.