The other day I was sharing comments with fellow blogger Hermione Flavia from Wildfiremovies . Now before I get into that, I first want to give a big shout out to her blog. If you love movies as much as I do, then one thing you should do is check out her blog and subscribe. She is an award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter, and her movie reviews are seriously topnotch. From classics movies, to action films and horrormovies, there is almost no end to the movies featured on her blog. Not only that, she is also one of the kindest persons you will ever talk to, so really what are you waiting for: press on the link provided above and subscribe.
Now we were talking about how lately we spent a lot of time in the past and feeling nostalgic, and how so many great action movies were made in the 80’s. This is pretty much how the idea for this post came about. Now I have focussed myself only on the non-science fiction action movies of that era. I might at sometime in the future do a follow up for those kind of films, but right now I am simply going to stick to the good old fashioned normal 80’s action flicks. So grab a seat, take a drink and some popcorn, and let us travel back in time to the wonderful 80’s.
Rambo: First Blood (1982)
I have seriously lost count on how many times I have seen this briljant action film. Starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam veteran John Rambo, this movie is simple in it’s story telling, but incredibly effective. When John returns home to visit an old friend, the local sheriff thinks off him as a drifter, and tries to force him to leave town. It is not long before things escalate into violence, and the small town becomes a warzone. Stallone is absolutely amazing in his role, and the movie eventually spawned three sequels. The original movie is still the best though, featuring terrific action sequences, a dark atmosphere and the brilliant score of Jerry Goldsmith.
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Beverly Hills Cop is one of the greatest action comedies ever made. Starring Eddie Murphy as the loudmouth cop Axel Foley, the numerous comedy scenes featured in this film, are even now still every bit as funny as back then. Axel is a cop in Detroit, but pursuing a murder case eventually ends up in Beverly Hills. Meeting two local cops, the three of them set out to find out the truth about the murder. Murphy steals the show in the leadrole, and could not have been cast any better. Featuring great action pieces mixed with perfectly timed comedy, this is also one of those movies that will never get old.
Missing in Action (1984)
Now for every good movie, there usually also is a bad one. Missing in action is an action movie that is so bad, that it is actually good and fun to watch. Ofcourse cashing in on the succes of Rambo, this movie starred Chuck Norris in the role of James Braddock. Believing that there are still POW’s being held in a prisoner camp in Vietnam, Braddock returns to the jungle to try and free them. The movie is filled with cliches, bad acting and cheesy oneliners. But honestly that is what makes this B-movie so much fun to watch. Chuck would reprise his role two more times in the sequels that followed this one, and those are every bit as bad. Seriously, what is not to love about that?
Commando (1985)
Now, not featuring any Schwarzenegger movies in this post would ofcourse be a big mistake. After the enormous succes of Conan and the Terminator, Arnold was definitely on a roll. In Commando he plays the role of John Matrix, a Black Ops Commando who is happily retired and now lives with his daughter (a very young Alyssa Milano). But when his daughter is kidnapped by criminals, John begins his personal war to bring his girl back safely. With an over the top bodycount, and such classic oneliners as ” Don’t disturb my friend, he is DEAD-tired” this is one of Arnold’s best. Yes, the action is completely crazy, and at times completely unrealistic, but man is this movie a lot of fun to watch.
Cobra (1986)
Back in the 80’s Schwarzenegger and Stallone were not exactly the best of friends, and both tried to outdo each other with bringing out numerous films. Cobra is a brutal Stallone movie, where he plays the role of the tough as nails cop Marion Cobretti. In this film he has become the protector of a witness, who is being chased by a murderous cult in order to prevent her from testifying. Crime is a disease, and he is the cure was this movie’s tagline, so you pretty much know what to expect. Lots of shooting, chases and fight scenes, make this film a wonderful addition to Stallone’s already impressive action resumé.
Lethal Weapon (1987)
This movie is one of my own personal favorites. This fantastic buddy cop movie, eventually resulted in three sequels which were every bit as fun as the original. Mel Gibson plays the role of the completely crazy cop Martin Riggs, who has to partner up with the close to retirement Roger Murtaugh played by Danny Glover. At first they hate each other’s guts, but eventually a close friendship develops, while they are on the hunt for a brutal gang of drug smugglers. With seriously fantastic action sequences combined with great humor, this movie is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. An absolute must see for every action junkie out there.
Bloodsport (1988)
This movie pretty much introduced the world to the “Muscles from Brussels”, mister Jean Claude van Damme. This movie has a very simple storyline, where van Damme plays Frank Dux, a martial artist who has set off to compete in a lethal tournament in Hong Kong. The acting is terrible, but you take that for granted as the action choreagraphy for this film’s incredible fight sequences, is the reason why you need to watch this movie. Brutal martial arts fights, with deadly consequences result in a movie that is not for the faint of heart. One of Van Damme’s oldest, but also one of his best movies.
Above the Law (1988)
In Above the Law another martial artist is introduced to the world, the man called Steven Seagal. Above the Law (also known as Nico), sees Seagal playing the role of a Vietnam veteran turned cop, that uncovers a sinister CIA conspiracy. Seagal is not known for his acting skills (I at times seriously wondered if this man had any facial expressions, no offense), but his martial arts skills were formidable. Sadly, these days Seagal is but a shadow of his former self, and plays mainly in (very bad) B-movies. Luckily we will always have his classic movies to look back on, and for an introductory film, this one was highly enjoyable.
Die Hard (1988)
To not include this movie, would seriously be a sin. One of the best action movies ever made, it made Bruce Willis an action star overnight. In Die Hard he plays police officer John McClane, who accidentally is caught up in a hostage situation during a Christmas party in a huge skyscraper building called Nakatomi Plaza. His wife is amongst the hostages, and McClane take the fight single handedly to the terrorists. Not a good way to spend the holidays. This movie is simply put: brilliant. Great acting, wonderful oneliners, and very imaginative action sequences make this movie a must watch for any movie lover. The sequels that followed were also very enjoyable, except for part 5 which was absolute garbage.
Black Rain (1989)
Black Rain is a movie that might not be known by everyone, but is definitely worth checking out. Directed by Ridley Scott (yes, that guy), it stars Michael Douglas in the role of New York City cop Nick Conlin. When he and his partner arrest a Yakuza member, they eventually end up in Japan. It is not long before they get caught up in the dark and criminal underworld of this unfamiliair country. Black Rain is a very dark but fantastic movie, and features a great storyline and incredible tension that is combined with spectacular action sequences. Michael Douglas pretty much never disappoints and also does a more than decent job in this movie.
Final Thoughts
And that brings us to the end of this post, which I now realise has become my longest one to date. I know that this list is by no means complete. A lot of other great action movies were made back in the 80’s and maybe one day I will do a follow up to this post. I had a lot of fun writing this, and it was great to revisit a few of these classic films.
And now it is over to you guys and girls. Did any of your favorites make the list? Were any of them missing? Let me know in the comments section below. As always thank you very much for reading, and see you on the next post!
That’s a lot of 80’s. Though I do have a fondness for films from then, despite not being born until the 90’s. I’m always open to discovering films from different eras.
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I think action movies kind of hit their stride in the 80’s. Nowadays, aciton movies rely to much on effects and sensationalism rather than memorable characters and just good (or at least fun) writing.
Thanks for sharing.
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Could not agree with you more. Sometimes there is an exception to the rule, but lately all big action movies rely way too much on special effects. Even though they can be enjoyable at times, they don’t recapture the old 80’s feeling at all.
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That’s fine in its own way but every now and then I remember how much fun action movies used ot be and now they are more just exercises in visual spectacle.
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Ah, this post! I love when you do the throwback posts. They’re so great! 😀 Nostalgia at it’s finest. I’m with Karandi – 80’s to the 90’s had the best action films before all the CG aspect came!
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Thank you very much. I love writing them too. These days, most action films are completely full of CG, but there are still exceptions. The Mad Max Fury Road movie for instance, used mostly practical effects,and was still amazing. But they don’t do it as well anymore as the 80’s.
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It’s great to see we’ve both time travelled to the 80’s. 😊 I actually haven’t seen most of these movies and action movies vary with me depending on how good the story is but I agree, it’s hard to replicate what the 80s had for it’s time with the special effects being done dangerously by real stunt men or the actors themselves. I feel they were more dedicated in terms of creating a great story rather than just visual effects.
I’m likely to add a few more to my own posts but action wise my favourites would be the classics like Terminator one and two, Predator, Aliens, Mad max series, Robocop, The Running Man and many more. 😊
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P.s I realised they were more sci- fi than your post intended to talk about so I’ll rephrase and say my non science action movies are Scarface and The Karate Kid. ☺
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Haha, no worries 😊 Both are great in their own way. Karate Kid will always be one of my favorites, a great feel good movie of the underdog coming out on top. I also liked the sequel if I am being honest, with all the great traditions of Japan 😊
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Oh of course! How could I forget the sequel, I almost like it even more because it expands Mr Miyagis relationship with Daniel and a lot of great scenes in it. I also want a Bonsai tree heh. ☺
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I totally agree with you. The movies nowadays are great, but rely to much on special effects. Not that there is anything wrong with that per se, but I honestly have to say that these movies were just much more fun. The list of movies you are naming are all favorites of mine as well 😊 I might do a follow up for scifi movies of the 80’s somewhere in the future (keeping with the timetravelling theme 😂)m
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That would be a great read if you make a post about it. (Gets a mental reading)..The future tells me that I will really like the post and it’ll be very entertaining. ☺
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Haha lol…I will do my best to make that mental reading come true 😊😊
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No pressure ofccourse. Just if you’d like to make a post on it as you were thinking. You entertain us enough with your diverse taste in things so it’s always great to read. ☺
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Aww, thank you so much for these very kind words. That is so nice to hear: appreciate it. As for the post, yes I definitely would enjoy making a post for that. So many cool 80’s sci-fi action films….hard to resist not making a post for that 😊😊
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Blood sport looks pretty good. Somehow it has eluded me over the years, I appreciate you bringing it to my attention.
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It is a fun movie, as long as you keep your expectations down. It is pretty cheesy at times, but that I guess is also part of it’s charm. Hope you will enjoy it 😀
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I can live with cheesy if it’s entertaining. Appreciate the heads up.
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Yes yes yes! I love this list. I’m going to have to rewatch these! And thanks for the shout out, my lovely friend. ❤️
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I actually was not a fan of Missing in Action. I get the so bad its good appeal, but it just didn’t have anything I particularly enjoyed. So, in its place I would recommend Delta Force. Also really bad, but a cracking musical core, bikes with machine guns and rockets and one of the best lines about Jesus in movie history. The rest were good choices, though admittedly not seen Bloodsport, Nico or Blackrain. For Seagal, I liked Had to Kill.
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Delta Force was awesome. I agree with you that it is even the better movie. There are a lot of movies I have not included, but stil think are awesome (but the post was already very long lol 😂). I might do a follow up post for this one in the future, to include some other films that I have missed. From the three movies you have not yet seen, I highly recommend Black Rain. It is an absolutely superb film, and one I highly enjoyed. As for Hard To Kill, classic! Fantastic movie, and one of Seagal’s best 😊
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Good to see cobra on here, definitely underrated, good memories of watching these films, classics, don’t make them like that anymore
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Totally agree with you, even though the action movies nowadays are enjoyable in their own ways, these are just a whole lot better. Wish sometimes we could go back to those days 😊
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I confess I haven’t seen a single one of these. My experience with older Western stuff is limited. All the same, this was a very enjoyable post. This ‘Not a good way to spend the holidays’ cracked me up.
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Haha, glad you enjoyed reading this one. As for not having seen these movies, no problem. I am so far behind on stuff (including movies, books, tv series abd anime), that it will take me countless years to catch up. If I had to choose two movies from this list: I would say, watch Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Both are great and fantastic films to watch 😊
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Great list of classic 80’s action films 🙂
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This list and post is absolutely fantastic.
You did an excellent job of capturing so many fantastic films from the 80’s era.
I’ve seen a good chunk of these, but there’s also many I haven’t seen, so I’ll need to be sure to give them a watch at some point.
Awesome post!
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Thank you so much for these very kind words, really appreciate them 😀 I had a lot of fun writing this post, but the list is not even close to complete. Will probably write a follow up to this one some time in the future. Thank you again 😊
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No problem!
I had a great time reading it.
Looking forward to the potential follow up 🙂
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Reblogged this on WILDsound Writing and Film Festival Review.
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Thank you very much 😊 Really appreciate this 😊
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I enjoyed the Beverly Hills cops movies, but hated everything to do with Rambo. Wish Stallone had stuck with making better Rocky movies than spreading himself even thinner with Rambo
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Haha, yeah that’s the fun thing with movies. Everybody experiences it differently. I love the Rambo movies for what they are (although I do have to admit that that the first one is and always will be the best 😊). But I can understand how the films are not for everyone. I love Beverly Hills Cop a lot as well. There have been rumors about a fourth one for quite a while now, but I don’t see it happening. Thank you for your comment 😊
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Just started my own movie blog yesterday and am new to word press and blogging. Love this post and love all these films. I just watched Rambo First Blood yesterday. Love the movie and the whole cast. Some I have not seen yet but def will be checking out after your preview of what there about. Gonna give your page a follow and say that I enjoyed the read.
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Well, first off: welcome to WordPress. I have been blogging for a little over a year now, and have been seriously enjoying myself. It’s great to hear that you have started your own blog, and after I’m through typing this response, I will check it out. But seeing it is a movie blog, you can expect a follow from me 😀 The 80’s have given us a lot of cool action movies. Rambo is certainly one of my favorites, and I pretty much forgot how many times I have seen it (lol). Hope you will get around to seeing a few of the other films. Thanks for the kind words abd the follow: appreciate it 😊 And ofcourse before I forget: good luck with your own blog 😀
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Thanks alot and Im looking forward to connecting with fellow movie lovers.
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Good stuff, I’m glad you mentioned Black Rain. Loved that movie.
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Thanks so much😊 I agree totally: in my opinion it’s a highly underrated movie: a true classic😊
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Great list. Cobra is the only one I found lacking in some areas. I will replace it with Sharky’s Machine (1981) or Runaway Train (1985). Anyhow, people make fun of the 80s but it is the era of the best action movies, best teen films and best slashers!
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Thank you! I love the 80’s, probably because I grew up in the 80’s as well😀
Cobra certainly wasn’t the best movie, and honestly one of my least favorite Stallone flicks from the 80’s but it has it’s moments. I am a huuuge fan of Runaway Train! It’s an absolutely amazing movie, with some terrific performaces especially by Jon Voight.
As for what you said about the 80’s: couldn’t agree more! 😀
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Gen X… best generation ever! 😉
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Lol, so true! 😀
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Did any of my favourites make the list? Well, Conan and Terminator were mentioned, at least. And Rambo First Blood was there. So was die hard. I was about to complain that Total Recall wasn’t there, but realised it came too late.
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Haha, well the only reason both Terminator and Conan aren’t on the list is that I tried to keep these to non-sci-fi/action movies. Maybe I should make a new list for best 80’s sci-fi/fantasy movies. Then again, I have already reviewed quite a few of these😂😂
Total Recall is great. By pure coincidence I saw someone on YouTube reacting to it yesterday who saw it for the first time😊
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