The Dungeons & Dragons movie is now available to stream – in the US, at least – which means more people have had to chance experience a funny, inventive family adventure movie that isn’t made by Disney/Marvel. One of the many great things about the movie is that it really doesn’t expect you to know your dungeons from your dragons – it’s just a good time all around. If you’ve already watched it, or just want something else to scratch that action romp itch, then we’ve rounded up a list for you.
We’ve got four stories where a group of schmucks are thrust onto an adventure that’s full of comedy and some good drama – they’re not all fantasy movies, they’ve just got the right vibe, and all are available on the best streaming services.
Don’t forget we have more of the best Netflix movies, best HBO Max movies and best Disney Plus movies in our guides!
Galaxy Quest
This riff on Star Trek is a truly fun and heartfelt take on sci-fi TV shows. It tells the story of a washed-up cast from an old show that find themselves abducted by aliens who have based their entire civilization on broadcasts of the sci-fi series.
Starring Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Sam Rockwell as out-of-their-depth actors, it’s a fun spin on an old formula, as these out-of-work actors try to actually save the galaxy. It’s incredibly funny, it’s satirical, it’s got some actually stirring action and stakes, and at 100 minutes long, it’s in and out before it overstays its premise.
Streaming on Netflix and Paramount Plus in the US, and available to rent or purchase from Prime Video and Apple TV in the UK.
Onward
This movie is as close to the Dungeons & Dragons movie you’ll get in this list. It’s a Pixar spin on a medieval fantasy world that still carries all the hallmarks of the American coming-of-age movie: road trips, brotherly strife, suburbia and unicorns rooting through your trash.
Starring Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home) and Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) as brothers off on an adventure to resurrect their father and possibly find themselves along the way, this is a family flick well worth watching.
Streaming on Disney Plus worldwide.
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle
Oh, Jumanji. While the 1995 classic is stands as its own great thing, Welcome To The Jungle offers a somewhat lighter take on the story, with its own great twists. This video game-inspired comedy follows a group of teenagers transported into a game cartridge during a stint of detention.
The teenagers are transformed into the game’s four main avatars – played by Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black and Kevin Hart. With plenty of body-swap humor (the game characters do not exactly match the real-world versions), gamified glitches and a Jonas brother trapped in the jungle, it’s a fun update to the classic Jumanji story with a couple of appreciative nods to its predecessor.
Streaming on Hulu in the US, and Prime Video in the UK.
The Goonies
This 1985 adventure film is a classic treasure hunt. It’s about a group of teens that come across an old treasure map in their parents’ attic, seemingly once belonging to a famous 17-century pirate, which they naturally set off to hunt down – in the hopes of sourcing the funds to save their homes from demolition. Expect pirate ships, secret passageways, biker gangs and gemstones galore.
It’s a wonderful showcase of the cast’s child actors, some of whom you’ll know from blockbuster franchises today: Josh Brolin (Thanos from the Marvel movies), Sean Astin (Samwise from Lord of the Rings) and Ke Huy Quan (Waymond Wang from Everything Everywhere All At Once).
Streaming on HBO Max in the US, and Prime Video in the UK.
