The '80s were chock full of brilliant adventure films, thanks in large part to directors like Steven Spielberg and franchises like Indiana Jones. Hollywood tried extending this wave into the '90s - to greatly mixed results.
The '90s isn't exactly known for its adventure films, but that's not to say that the decade didn't see its fair share. Some have aged exceptionally well and remain intriguing and exciting to this day. Others haven't aged well at all owing to numerous factors, including (but certainly not limited to) poor visual effects.
These are five '90s adventure movies that didn't age well, and five that are timeless.
Didn't Age Well: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Hype was unbelievably high for The Phantom Menace and it performed exceptionally well, grossing $1.02 billion - the second-highest of all time (at the time), behind only Titanic. But no one really liked it. The prequel series certainly has its fans, but for the most part, no one particularly cared for The Phantom Menace. To make matters worse, the movie is borderline unwatchable today thanks to some questionable and dated visual effects.
Timeless: Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Park is one of the quintessential Spielberg films, and it continued his adventure reign into the '90s. This is a seminal adventure film, even though it takes place in one enclosed location. Yes, some of the CGI is a little questionable today thanks to some wonky lighting and lack of detail, but most of the visual effects remain spectacular. Spielberg created movie magic with Jurassic Park, and its legacy may never die.
Didn't Age Well: Batman Returns (1992)
Unfortunately, Christopher Nolan and his exceptional team of filmmakers killed the Batman franchise forever. Batman Returns certainly has personality to spare, complete with Tim Burton's signature "darkness" and the performances of Christopher Walken and Michelle Pfeiffer. But Danny DeVito's Penguin is a little campy, and the action sequences look dated when compared to Nolan's accomplishments. Still a decent film, but certainly not as effective as it was in 1992.
Timeless: Back To The Future Part III (1990)
Back to the Future Part III is a grossly underrated movie. It never received much attention and is by far the lowest-grossing entry in the series.
An enormous barrier for entry is undoubtedly the Western setting, which is a far cry from the second movie's futuristic trappings. But it's a far better movie than Part II, and it remains an exceptional piece of escapist entertainment.
Didn't Age Well: The Fifth Element (1997)
The Fifth Element was one of the biggest sci-fi films of the '90s. Released in May 1997, the movie starred an all-star cast including Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker, and Milla Jovovich, and it grossed $264 million - about $420 million today. But it hasn't stacked up with the greatest sci-fi movies of our time, and some of the visual effects look particularly dated today. That's always the risk with science fiction.
Timeless: The Mummy (1999)
Forget that abysmal 2017 reboot with Tom Cruise. There is one and only The Mummy, and it was released in 1999. Many people have fond memories of this movie, particularly in regards to its cast. Brendan Fraser makes a fantastic reluctant, wise-cracking hero, and Rachel Weisz is great in her role as the clumsy and nerdy Evelyn. Surprisingly, most of the visual effects also hold up particularly well, making The Mummy just as much fun today as it was in 1999.
Didn't Age Well: Waterworld (1995)
When it comes to cinematic failures, few are as bumbling as Waterworld. Waterworld was the most expensive movie ever made at the time, with the budget coming in at $175 million - roughly $300 million today!
Unfortunately, the movie totally squandered its intriguing premise and talented cast. Some unappreciated movies like this have enjoyed a critical resurgence in recent years, but not Waterworld. It's even worse today than it was in 1995.
Timeless: Jumanji (1995)
Robin Williams was so incredibly talented that he essentially future-proofed every single movie that he was in. This certainly applies to Jumanji. Unlike The Mummy, the recent Jumanji reboot was actually very good - but it was smart enough to twist the proceedings and do its own thing. The original, board game-centric Jumanji is still exciting and magical, and the visual effects remain exceptional - with a few glaring exceptions.
Didn't Age Well: Alien 3 (1992)
Alien 3 was not well received when it came out, for a variety of reasons. However, movies of this kind often received retroactive recognition following some time and contemplation. Just because it was different from the preceding films doesn't necessarily make it bad. Unfortunately, Alien 3 is just a poorly made movie, complete with bland characterizations and some wicked bad visual effects. It's not the trainwreck that some make it out to be, but the franchise should have ended with Aliens.
Timeless: Army Of Darkness (1992)
Army of Darkness is like Alien 3 if it had aged well. Like Alien 3, Army of Darkness was criticized at the time for being different. Whereas the first two Evil Dead films were goofy zombie flicks, Army of Darkness saw Ash in the Middle Ages. Unlike Alien 3, Army of Darkness is a well made movie, and its reception has considerably grown with distance and time. Taken on its own terms, it's a great adventure flick.