The 10 Best Jungle Warfare Movies, Ranked (2024)

The jungle: a region of thick forest typically found south of the Equator, usually accompanied by lots of wildlife and tall, towering trees. It's a pretty common setting in movies, especially action movies, because jungles have lots of places for animals and people to potentially hide and make for an interesting bit of terrain for the story to navigate through.

Most of these movies take place during the Vietnam War, but there are multiple other movies that take place during different settings, yet utilize the same basic terrain. As with any collection of films, some are going to be great, and others, not so much. But those that are great really stand out to viewers thanks to the carefully-selected jungle environments and stellar action.

10 'Avatar' (2009)

Directed by James Cameron

Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time, and surely needs no introduction. It takes place in the 22nd Century, after humans begin to colonize the distant world of Pandora. Inhabiting the planet are a slew of mysterious and dangerous creatures, including the humanoid race of the Na'vi. The Na'vi have inferior technology, still relying on bows and arrows for weapons and animals for transport, which doesn't bode well for them after the humans wage war on them to search for a rare earth element found on the planet.

Pandora is primarily a jungle planet, with lots of interesting plant life and huge trees unlike any found on Earth. This gives the Na'vi an advantage in the war--they know their territory and they know it well, but that isn't always enough to save them from bullets. While many feel that Avatar is extremely overrated story-wise, there is no denying that the visual effects are unbelievable, and are thus far unmatched by any other movie in the 15 years since its release save for its sequel.

Avatar

PG-13

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Release Date

December 18, 2009

Director

James Cameron

Cast

Sam Worthington , Zoe Saldana , Sigourney Weaver , Stephen Lang , Joel David Moore , Giovanni Ribisi

Runtime

162 minutes

9 'War Witch' (2012)

Directed by Kim Nguyen

War Witch is an underrated Canadian war drama starring Rachel Mwanza as Komona, a child swept up in a civil war in an unspecified Sub-Saharan African country. After she drinks tree sap for her own survival, she experiences the effects of its hallucinogenic properties, which causes people to brand her as a witch.

Even though many haven't heard of this movie, it proved to be a work of art, winning 10 awards at the Canadian Screen Awards and was nominated for two more. It also won awards internationally, at both the Cambridge and Berlin Film Festivals. It is a harrowing tale of a child's survival during wartime, and explores many hot-button issues in the world today, but beyond that, it is an excellent jungle warfare film.

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8 'Da 5 Bloods' (2020)

Directed by Spike Lee

Da 5 Bloods is a recently-released Vietnam War film that marks one of the final film appearances of beloved actor Chadwick Boseman. In this war drama flick, he plays "Stormin'" Norman, the squad leader of an all-Black unit called the Bloods. Their mission is to secure a plane crash site and make sure its cargo of gold doesn't fall into the hands of the enemy. Except, upon seeing the riches, they opt to take it for themselves.

Its soundtrack is really special, even earning an Oscar nomination, though it was robbed of the win. But that's okay because the movie in general won many different awards from several other organizations, many of which praised it for its acting and directing. If you're looking for an underrated Vietnam war movie, or an underrated jungle warfare movie for that matter, look no further than Da 5 Bloods.

Da 5 Bloods

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Release Date

June 12, 2020

Director

Spike Lee

Cast

Delroy Lindo , Jonathan Majors , Clarke Peters , Norm Lewis , Isiah Whitlock Jr.

Runtime

2 hr 36 min

7 'Predator' (1987)

Directed by John McTierman

Predator follows Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a war veteran who is dispatched to the jungles of an unspecified country in South America where he is tasked with rescuing a foreign goverment official. But what he finds there is far more threatening than guerilla forces. Along with the insurgents he was expecting, he finds the Predator, a highly-advanced, extra-terrestrial race that is out for blood. Slowly, all of Dutch's team begin to get picked off, one by one.

The movie kickstarted an entire action-horror franchise, one that's had its ups and downs, and the Predator itself has become a highly-recognizable icon of sci-fi cinema. There are also a lot of memorable quotes from this movie, including the internet meme "get to da choppa!" shouted by Arnie in desperation. It's a classic movie that will be remembered for generations to come.

Predator

R

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Release Date

June 12, 1987

Director

John McTiernan

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger , Carl Weathers , Elpidia Carrillo , Bill Duke , Jesse Ventura , Sonny Landham

Runtime

107 minutes

6 'Rambo: First Blood Part II' (1985)

Directed by George P. Cosmatos

After the demonstrating his skills on a bunch of unsuspecting police officers in 1982's First Blood, traumatized veteran John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), is scooped up by the military once again and sent to Vietnam to rescue American soldiers who have been held there since the end of the war. While this movie relies more on the typical in-your-face, explosive action that differs greatly from its predecessor, it's still a really fun ride.

Rambo: First Blood Part II proved to be revolutionary for its time, inspiring many 80s action movies to mimic its style, excessive violence and direction. Being set in Vietnam, like many other films, of course it involves a lot of jungle warfare, which makes for an interesting set piece for the action sequences.

Rambo: First Blood Part II

R

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Release Date

May 21, 1985

Director

George P. Cosmatos

Cast

Sylvester Stallone , Richard Crenna , Charles Napier , Steven Berkoff , Julia Nickson , Martin Kove

Runtime

94

5 'Platoon' (1986)

Directed by Oliver Stone

Platoon, once again, takes place during the Vietnam War, this time starring Charlie Sheen as a volunteer soldier who is way out of his league. He came to Vietnam to make something out of his life and accomplish something, but is met only with the horrors of war, along with abusive officers and danger at every corner. He spends most of his time in the jungle, but is ambushed many times by enemy forces.

The movie is famous for one of its dramatic death scenes, and was commended for portraying atrocities committed by American soldiers during the war, which was extremely taboo for its time. Above all though, it's a fantastic movie, not only in terms of action, but also in terms of its subtexts and timeless anti-war message.

Platoon

R

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Release Date

December 19, 1986

Director

Oliver Stone

Cast

Keith David , Forest Whitaker , Francesco Quinn , Kevin Dillon , John C. McGinley , Reggie Johnson

Runtime

120 minutes

4 'Beasts of No Nation' (2015)

Directed by Cary Joji f*ckunaga

Beasts of No Nation features actor Idris Elba as the Commandant, an overseer of a unit of child soldiers, among which is Agu (Abraham Attah), the film's young protagonist. The movie takes place in an unspecificied West African country covered in thick jungle, and is based on a 2005 novel of the same name by Uzodinma Iweala.

Even though this movie didn't win an Oscar, it really should have, because it's one of the most brutally realistic and disturbing movies ever made, taking a long, hard look at a prevalent issue in the world that is seldom talked about. As always, Idris Elba brings an exceptional performance, and plays a pretty intimidating role, but the new, young actors featured in the movie are just as good, making it a great movie all-around.

Beasts of No Nation

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Release Date

September 11, 2015

Director

Cary f*ckunaga

Cast

Abraham Attah , Emmanuel Affadzi , Ricky Adelayitor , Andrew Adote , Vera Nyarkoah Antwi , Ama Abebrese

Runtime

133

Main Genre

Drama

3 'Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi' (1983)

Directed by Richard Marquand

The finale of the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi, takes place primarily on the moon of Endor, which is covered by dense vegetation and inhabited by adorable teddy bear-like beings called Ewoks. This moon proves to be a pivotal location for the war between the Rebels and the Empire, because this is where the shield generator is for the newly-constructed Death Star. In an effort to destroy the shields, Luke (Mark Hamill), Han (Harrison Ford), Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) head to Endor so that the Rebels in the sky can begin the mission to take down the space station.

This movie is peak Star Wars, with the Ewoks taking part in the Battle of Endor. Not only are Imperial war machines present such as walkers and laser gun emplacements, but the Ewoks also provide support using gliders, catapults, and slingshots. It's a really interesting dynamic to watch unfold, and it proves to be a near-perfect conclusion for the original trilogy.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

PG

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Release Date

May 25, 1983

Director

Richard Marquand

Cast

Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Billy Dee Williams , Anthony Daniels , Peter Mayhew

Runtime

131 minutes

2 'Hamburger Hill' (1987)

Directed by John Irvin

Hamburger Hill follows the titular battle during the Vietnam War, along with the group of rookie soldiers that find themselves caught in the middle of it. It depicts a harrowing account of just a small part of the battle, during which 700 people were killed on all sides, leaving both opponents down and limping, despite both claiming victory in the end. This is one of those war movies that shows a desperate struggle and a doomed offensive that reveals the ending from the start, but makes it a slow burn to get there.

Many praised it for not portraying the event on as large as scale as it actually was, which is actually an advantage, because it gives the audience time to care more about the main cast rather than groups of many main characters. It makes effective use of a tight budget, and is a superb jungle-based war movie to boot.

Hamburger Hill

18

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Release Date

August 28, 1987

Director

John Irvin

Cast

Don Cheadle , Michael Boatman , Courtney B. Vance , Steven Weber , Dylan McDermott , Tim Quill

Runtime

1h 50m

1 'Apocalypse Now' (1979)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Based on the novella Heart of Darkness (1899) by Joseph Conrad, Apocalypse Now takes place during the Vietnam War, which is a drastically different setting and era from the book. It stars Martin Sheen as Benjamin Willard, a soldier who is assigned to locate and eliminate an American military official who has gone AWOL and joined the Vietnamese forces. The movie is famous for having many memorable quotes along with multiple cuts of varying lengths, all of which are good in their own way.

The movie is one of the best Vietnam War movies, and is a visceral and brutally violent depiction of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of wartime combat. The jungles of Cambodia and Vietnam prove to be a hostile environment for Willard and his fellow crew members on the tiny patrol boat, but it's what's in their heads that proves to be the biggest threat of all.

Apocalypse Now

R

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Release Date

August 15, 1979

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

Cast

Marlon Brando , Martin Sheen , Robert Duvall , Frederic Forrest , Sam Bottoms , Laurence Fishburne

Runtime

153 minutes

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