Since the earliest days of Hollywood, action and adventure have given audiences some of the greatest movies ever made, from classic Zorro movies to the likes of Uncharted. Focusing on everything from treasure hunts to quests to vanquish evil, these films often represent the very best that the film industry has to offer. While some can be slow-moving or flawed, others are nothing short of perfect in their use of adventure.

Action and adventure naturally go hand in hand, pitting a variety of protagonists against everything from Nazis to mercenaries and sorcerers. Typically delivering some of the most immersive world-building and alternate history in film, these stories rarely fail to disappoint. From 1960s classics to modern-day reboots, these films are sure to inspire viewers' sense of adventure.

The Princess Bride tells the story of two lovers, Princess Buttercup and her farmhand, Westley, as they're separated when the latter departs for a voyage at sea. When word spreads of his death at the hands of the Dread Pirate Roberts, Buttercup falls into a depression, reluctantly agreeing to marry Prince Humperdink. However, when she's kidnapped by a band of mercenaries, she and her captors are pursued by the pirate -- later revealed to be Westley himself.

The Princess Bride stands out as one of the most tender, comedic and quotable adventure movies ever made, owning its low budget and embracing a campy homage of classic Hollywood. Boasting some of the best swordplay of the genre, the film is nothing short of a movie fairytale, doing justice to William Goldman's original novel. The heroes are endlessly lovable and the action is engaging, ensuring all the best ingredients for a great adventure.

Jason and the Argonauts adapts the classic Greek myth of Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece, and the voyage of his crew to pass through the perils of Ancient Greece. Under the guidance of Hera, the captain leads his men against an array of foes, from the giant living statue Talos to a battle with skeletons.

For its time, Ray Harryhausen's effects for Jason and the Argonauts were nothing short of revolutionary, from the stop-motion monsters to the voyage at sea. When it comes to Greek mythology, the film stands out in spite of its age and dated visuals -- proving a great story can overcome the limitations of technology.

After dominating the Golden Age of Hollywood adventure, Johnston McCulley's iconic hero Zorro faded into obscurity, only to be revived in 1998's Mask of Zorro. Serving as both reboot and legacy sequel in one, the film followed the conclusion to Don Diego de la Vega's time in the mask as he trains a successor, Alejandro Murietta. Driven by his own quest for revenge, Diego is forced to balance the training of his new student, the welfare of California and avenging his murdered wife.

The Mask of Zorro blends all the best ingredients of a good adventure movie, from Western and action to romance and a touching family drama. Handing a mantle off from one generation to the next is something Hollywood often struggles to do justice, but Martin Campbell's film achieved it effortlessly. One of the best aspects of the film is its practical effects, from well-choreographed sword fights to fun horse-riding sequences. Compared to modern CGI-heavy adventure, the '98 reboot just gets more impressive by the day.

Stardust focuses on the story of a young man, Tristan Thorne, as he sets off on a quest to recover a fallen star to appease his crush, Victoria. When he crosses over into a land of magic, he discovers the star in the form of a beautiful woman, Yvaine. As the pair make their way across the land, they're hunted by a slew of threats, from malevolent witches to rival princes seeking a gem that guarantees them the throne.

Stardust is effectively a blend of some of the best tropes in fantasy, bringing audiences everything from skybound pirates to magical kingdoms. After the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Hollywood struggled to stick the landing with new fantasy-adventure stories, and Matthew Vaughn proved an eye-watering budget wasn't required to do the genre justice.

As one of the most beloved classic Universal Monster movies, The Mummy was among several reboots of old-school Hollywood horror in the 1990s. Rather than simply explore the same story, Stephen Sommers' reboot was given a sense of Indiana Jones-inspired action, casting Brendan Fraser as treasure-hunting mercenary Rick O'Connell. Aiding an aspiring young scholar, Evelyn, and her brother, they set off for the lost city of Hamunaptra, where they unwittingly resurrect the cursed mummy Imhotep.

The Mummy gave audiences all the action of an Indiana Jones movie plus the suspense of horror, delving into the scariest aspects of Egyptian mythology. In Brendan Fraser, the movie gave audiences one of the best action heroes of the '90s, and was a true summer blockbuster in just how wide an appeal it had with mainstream audiences.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly focuses on the race to find a buried stash of Confederate gold, pitting a tough bounty hunter against a rogue outlaw and hardened mercenary. As the trio make their way through the heart of the American Civil War, treachery and violence run rife. True to the Old West, the story is a tale of constantly changing allegiances, brutality and violence, focusing on the age-old quest of its characters to enrich themselves.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly combines a sense of buddy adventure in The Man With No Name and Tuco, while also showing just how dastardly even the best in the West could be. Adventure is something that makes the Western genre great, and no film has mastered it as well as Sergio Leone's epic. The film is a masterpiece on every level possible, from its beautiful visuals and epic score by Ennio Morricone to the shootouts and non-stop sense of adventure.

In 2003, Disney gave their famed theme park ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, a big screen adaptation in Curse of the Black Pearl. Focusing on Captain Jack Sparrow and a blacksmith, Will Turner, setting out to rescue Elizabeth Swan from pirates, the film reignited audience interest in swashbuckling adventure. Delivering everything from cursed supernatural pirates to an immersive look at the Golden Age of Piracy, the film proved to be one of the best surprise hits of the last thirty years.

While the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has continued apace, Curse of the Black Pearl remains the peak of the series, thanks to its character development, expert direction and effects. Building on the work of Mask of Zorro, the film brought swashbuckling adventure to its peak, both visually and in story quality -- still unrivaled today.

Based on Robert E. Howard's iconic character, 1982's Conan the Barbarian follows the story of the titular hero as his tribe is massacred as a young boy, and grows into a fearsome warrior seeking revenge. Along with his band of companions, he searches for the sorcerer cult leader Thulsa Doom. When a king tasks them with saving his daughter from Doom, Conan seizes the opportunity to finally vanquish his enemy and make out like a king.

Conan the Barbarian has remained the high point of the dark fantasy genre since its release, thanks to its stunning cinematography and thrilling action sequences. As the role that turned Arnold Schwarzenegger into one of the greatest action heroes in Hollywood, the film still holds a special place in the hearts of countless adventure and fantasy fans.

J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels introduced readers to Middle-Earth, a land populated by a variety of races, such as men, orcs, elves and dwarves. Fearing the return of the dark lord Sauron, a fellowship of nine heroes are assembled to take the One Ring of Power to Mount Doom for destruction, preventing Sauron's return. While the trilogy should be experienced as its own epic saga, the second part is the high point of the story, featuring the best battles, some of the most memorable dialogue and emotional highs.

As great as The Fellowship of the Ring and Return of the King are, The Two Towers stands out as the most captivating in the trilogy. From the iconic Battle of Helm's Deep to Frodo and Sam trying to control Gollum, the film gave the trilogy some of its greatest moments. The entire trilogy is nothing short of a feat of expert practical and special effects, but the second movie nailed everything best about Tolkien's works.

In 1981, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan united to bring the world a brand-new adventurer ripped from the golden age of Hollywood: Indiana Jones. Setting off on a quest to recover the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can find it first, Jones turns to an old flame, Marion, to assist him in locating the Ark. From the jump, Harrison Ford's performance as the heroic archaeologist gave the world a true icon of both the adventure genre and cinema overall.

Raiders of the Lost Ark took the adventure genre out of a slump, reinventing and rejuvenating it in one fell swoop, crafting an enduring franchise in the process. From its triumphant score and non-stop sequences of Jones fighting Nazis, the movie earned its spot as the face of its genre -- and audiences have been searching for its equal ever since.