AllMovie

A hybrid of the adventure and comedy genres, blending action, suspense, exotic locales and the heroic journey of the adventure genre with comedic elements. The result is often a lighthearted, entertaining film that contains excitement but is never afraid to laugh at itself, its characters, and their often-absurd obstacles. Traditionally a Hollywood favorite, the adventure comedy represents the chance to get big-name actors together with very little possibility of anything less than a happy outcome -- traits that draw large mass audiences looking for escapist, humorous fantasies. The Hope-Crosby films of the '40s set the tone for years to come, from Hatari! to The Great Race and on through Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Adventure comedies became especially popular in the '80s after Spielberg and Lucas revived the genre with the Indiana Jones series; films like Romancing the Stone, the Back to the Future series, and the Ghostbusters series soon followed.