Adventure movies make an enormous splash across the big screen at the cinema with special effects and spine-tingling action sequences that keep audiences on the edges of their seats. Some adventure stories have a romantic subplot, such as the original Star Wars trilogy, and some have a romantic core story that the adventure subplot serves. In the 1987 Rob Reiner classic "The Princess Bride," the love story between Buttercup and Westley drove the adventure in humorous and exciting ways. Other romantic adventures take a more dramatic turn, such as the 1951 John Huston classic, "The African Queen," starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn.
The smaller screen has also benefited from the blend of romance and adventure, even courtesy of daytime serial dramas. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, "General Hospital" became wildly popular as super couple Luke and Laura embarked on a series of adventures revolving around their tumultuous love life. In the 1980s, prime time TV introduced fans of the genre to couples like David and Maddie in "Moonlighting," a cross-blend of humor, adventure and sizzling romantic chemistry. This and shows like "Remington Steele" became precursors to such 21st century shows as "Chuck" and "Castle."
Romantic fiction is driven by certain sub-genres that introduce swash-buckling pirates, spies, intrigue and suspense in various romantic adventure stories. It even dips its toe in the paranormal genre with young adult books, such as the wildly successful "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer. Romance publishers such as Harlequin and Silhouette provide books under the heading of this sub-genre for those who like their romances a little more turbocharged.
Romantic adventure stories blend enough action and romance to appeal to a broad audience of men and women. This is especially true for stories that make it to the big screen, such as James Cameron blockbuster film, "Titanic.". Stories that blend adventure and fantasy around a romantic subplot are a Hollywood staple.