Photo Credit ( Pixels )

An important turning point in the evolution of what we now know as the action movie occurred in the 1980s. During this decade, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger solidified their positions as the muscular box office titans that devoured their rivals. Following the success of their highly regarded films Rocky and The Terminator, the actors refined their greasy-spoked on-screen personas to great advantage in the years that followed.

Muscle was important, but not the only factor. The 1980s also saw the rise of the everyman action star, as Bruce Willis in Die Hard and Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop chose intelligence above strength and profited greatly in theaters across the country. While John Woo was laying the foundation for John Wick with films like A Better Tomorrow and The Killer, Jackie Chan was in the Far East elevating the physicality of action movies to a whole new level with pictures like Police Story. Meanwhile, Hollywood was basking in the splendor of a new generation of leading males.

The 1981 film Southern Comfort

Beginning with this low-key action thriller, Walter Hill launched a formidable run of films in the 1980s. The story follows a group of Louisiana Army National Guard members who, after upsetting the Cajun community during a weekend of maneuvers in the Bayou, must fight to survive as the militia closes in.

Critics gave Southern Comfort high marks for its portrayal of ill-equipped U.S. forces being ambushed by a frequently unseen local force, and for being filmed in and around the swamps of Caddo Lake. Veteran Hill collaborator Ry Cooder provided the appropriately eerie soundtrack, and the film starred Keith Carradine and Powers Boothe as two of the more endearing guardsmen.

In spite of this, hardly many people saw the film. Some said this was because it reminded them of Deliverance. Others questioned if it was premature to make remarks regarding Vietnam. In any event, the film is still worth seeing and has had some resurgence on TV and VHS.

Blue Thunder (1983)

Although Blue Thunder was a hit when it was first released and featured some amazing aerial stunt flying and a consistently entertaining performance by Roy Schneider, it has largely been forgotten in the years since. Blue Thunder was ahead of its time in its portrayal of a gritty urban Los Angeles and the way it served as a warning about the dangers of police and military overreach.

The Jaws alumnus Murphy plays an air support division pilot for the Metropolitan Police Department and a Vietnam veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He has been recruited to fly Blue Thunder, a brand-new state-of-the-art helicopter outfitted with potent weaponry and sophisticated information systems, together with rookie pilot Richard Lymangood, played by a young Daniel Stern. There, he finally meets Malcolm McDowell, who is in peak performance as Colonel Cochrane, a former wartime foe of Murphy’s. Murphy eventually unearths a dark conspiracy involving Blue Thunder and the repression of political opposition.

Blue Thunder, which is helmed by the dependable John Badham and features a screenplay co-written by Alien writer Dan O’Bannon, may stretch the bounds of credibility, but it’s still an entertaining ride.

McQuade, Lone Wolf (1983)

Chuck Norris may have turned into a meme for younger people on the internet, but the martial arts star was making great action films in the 1980s that are now mostly forgotten. One could argue that Lone Wolf McQuade contributed to Norris’s remarkable lifespan and is a special high point for the high-kicking hero.

Written with Clint Eastwood in mind, Norris played against type in this tale of a lone Texas Ranger facing off against David Carradine’s drug kingpin and gun runner, Rawley Wilkes. Steve Carver, the director, encouraged Norris to grow out his beard and adopt a less polished, more scruffy appearance. This, together with the El Paso location of the movie, gave Carver the freedom to draw heavily from Sergio Leone’s kung fu western aesthetic. The combat scenes starring Norris and Carradine have an extra layer of authenticity because of their refusal to use stuntmen in the climactic confrontation. A huge smash, the movie gave the actor additional opportunities and eventually served as the model for Walker, Texas Ranger.

Buckaroo Banzai’s Adventures Across the Eighth Dimension (1984)

Buckaroo Banzai, one of novelist Earl Mac Rauch’s characters, served as the inspiration for the screenplay that screenwriter W. D. Richter created, and it shows. Science fiction, action, humor, romance, and even a musical are all mixed together in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, a richly envisioned and intricately plotted action comedy packed of amusing antics and vibrant characters.

Starring as Dr. Buckaroo Banzai, Peter Weller is a polymath, physicist, neurosurgeon, test pilot, and rock star who teams up with his friends and entourage to fight intergalactic aliens and save the planet. In addition to having an amazing amount of charisma, Weller is well-supported by a group of characters that includes young Jeff Goldblum and Ellen Barkin. In addition, John Lithgow plays Lord John Whorfin, the main antagonist of the movie, in a deranged manner.

Undoubtedly, a lot is going on, which may account for why it only managed to recoup less than half of its production budget. However, if you stick with it, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is a memorable film that is worthy of multiple viewings and has the greatest end credits ever seen in a motion picture.

To Die and Live in L.A. (1985)

To Die and Live in L.A. was most likely William Friedkin’s final truly outstanding movie, unless you were a fan of Killer Joe’s insane antics with fried chicken, of course. Given the quality of Friedkin’s earlier work, it’s not surprising that the film is forgotten, yet To Live and Die in L.A. features stellar performances from William Petersen and Willem Dafoe, as well as a vehicle chase that rivals The French Connection, making it stand out among the greatest.

Petersen plays Richard Chance, a Secret Service agent willing to breach the law in order to find Dafoe’s evil counterfeiter criminal Eric Masters, who killed his partner. The film is based on a novel written by former agent Gerald Petievich, who also co-wrote the screenplay. To Live and Die in Los Angeles is grim, calm, and completely unpredictable. may have split critics when it was first released, but its reputation has only risen with time.

The 1985 film Silverado

Silverado was only a moderate hit in 1985, despite receiving positive reviews; however, some of that may have been due to the film’s release coincidentally with Back to the Future, which dominated the summer box office. These days, most people think of Tombstone when you mention the word Western ensemble, but Silverado is still a fun Western revival. A large portion of the credit is due to director and writer Lawrence Kasdan, who earlier performed the same magic as the screenwriter for Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Empire Strikes Back.

He is, however, ably assisted by a superb ensemble that stars a young Jeff Goldblum, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, and a youthful Kevin Costner as a quartet of misfit heroes facing off against the dishonest Sheriff Cobb, played by the incomparable Brian Dennehy. While Silverado may not be as polished or hip as Tombstone, it nevertheless has heart and a genuine spirit of adventure. It follows the tried-and-true Western pattern, but along the way, there are enough surprising turns to make it a very entertaining watch, with Glover and Kline standing out in especially.

Escape Train (1985)

Runaway Train was an action movie that broke the mold of the B-movies and action films that Cannon Films had been known for back in the 1980s. Based on a story by Akira Kurosawa, who attempted to adapt it for the big screen in the 1960s but was unsuccessful due to financial issues, the story revolves around two escaped prisoners who end up stranded on a runaway train speeding through snowy Alaska at an extremely high speed, with only a female assistant locomotive driver for company.

Runaway Train was directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, who would later direct Tango & Cash. The film’s two prisoner stars, Jon Voight and Eric Roberts, both of whom received Oscar nods, were known for their captivating performances, which contributed significantly to the film’s success. Together with a narrative that delves deeply into the human condition in a way that is rarely seen in an action movie, both actors give convincingly manic performances that assist the film through its few quiet moments. A special mention should also go to John P. Ryan for his portrayal of the vicious prison warden Ranken, who is pursuing them, and Rebecca DeMornay for her role as the unfortunate rail worker who finds herself stuck with them on the out-of-control train.

Remo Williams: The Beginning of the Adventure (1985)

You would think that this big screen version of Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir’s The Destroyer series of novels, with a title like Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, would be the first of many. However, despite Fred Ward’s outstanding performance as Williams in the lead role, the show ultimately failed to impress both reviewers and fans, and plans for a sequel were abandoned. That’s unfortunate because, despite a few issues, this entertaining action film is positioned halfway between The Karate Kid and James Bond.

Sam Makin, played by Wilford Brimley as Harold W. Smith, is a Brooklyn police officer and Vietnam veteran who Ward recruits to work as an assassin for CURE, a covert government agency. After pretending to be dead, Makin takes on the persona of Williams and undergoes an odd training program taught by a martial arts expert. Through this program, Makin learns how to fight with his hands and feet as well as how to walk on wet cement and water. While the journey is entertaining, it doesn’t give much room for the primary plot, which involves overturning a dubious weapons procurement scheme. Nonetheless, there are several fantastic action scenes, such as a brawl on the Statue of Liberty and a run-in with three extremely intelligent Dobermans. It’s unfortunate that American actor Joel Grey, who epitomizes “yellowface,” was cast as elderly Korean martial arts expert Sinanju Chian.

Little China’s Big Trouble (1986)

Four years later, Big Trouble in Little China proved to be the last straw for John Carpenter, who had already been devastated by the critical and commercial response to what was arguably his best film, The Thing (1982). As a result, he abandoned big-budget moviemaking in favor of more indie projects. For that, Hollywood was a much worse place. Big Trouble in Little China may not have had much success at first, but in the years following its release, it has become something of a cult classic, and it’s easy to understand why.

First conceived as a Western with mystical orientalism overtones, the script underwent extensive revisions to shift the action to contemporary San Francisco. The end product is a unique mash-up of Western and kung fu flick, with an extra Indiana Jones adventure tossed in for good measure. Kurt Russell and Carpenter got back together to play truck driver Jack Burton, who helps his pal Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) when his fiancée vanishes into the enigmatic Chinatown neighborhood of the city. They quickly run into mysterious sorcerer imprisoned by an old spell and ancient Chinese troops. Vibrant, disorganized, and a ton of fun, it’s still a remarkable example of action movie making.

The Iron Eagle (1986)

Iron Eagle arrived a few months ahead of schedule, but at the box office it was overshadowed by the indisputable Top Gun. It’s still a fun, hilarious companion piece, though, for those who are in a hurry. Doug Masters, a confident and accomplished civilian pilot who aspires to enlist in the Air Force like his father, is introduced by a young Jason Gedrick.

However, when his father is shot down and taken prisoner in enemy territory, things take an unexpected turn. He is given a three-day hanging sentence after being found guilty of trespassing. Master devises a plan to rescue his father after the U.S. government refuses to step in. He enlists the aid of Colonel Charles “Chappy” Sinclair, a Vietnam veteran pilot portrayed by Lou Gossett Jr., who is reliving part of his Oscar-winning performance in An Officer and a Gentleman.

Iron Eagle is undoubtedly large and stupid, but it’s also a lot of fun. While Gossett Jr. and Gedrick give us all the emotions as an unexpected de facto father-son duo, the aerial combat scenes are expertly crafted.

The Wraith (1986)

You may approximate the peculiar charm of The Wraith by picturing a hybrid of The Crow and a full-on Fast and Furious movie. Charlie Sheen spent a few days on set before making his breakthrough performance in Platoon. Despite having the lead role, he only received 30 minutes of screen time, with safety helmets and stunt doubles making up the difference. However, he is well-supported by a talented group of up-and-coming actors, such as Nick Cassavetes as the film’s main antagonist Packard Walsh, Sherilyn Fenn as love interest Keri, and Randy Quaid as the naive local sheriff.

Sheen, primarily Sheen, plays Jake Kesey, an enigmatic recluse who comes to town seeking retribution. It turns out that he is the reincarnated soul of Jamie Hankins, a local teenager who was killed for unclear reasons by Walsh and his car-loving friends. He has returned as “The Wraith,” an enigmatic, faceless racer hired to eliminate every member of Walsh’s group through a string of street races and some vehicular-based homicide. With an amazing soundtrack and some excellent driving work, the film’s comic book vibe lends it a certain allure that will make you forget about its other flaws.

F/X (1986)

In the 1980s, Bryan Brown, an actor from the opposite side of the Pacific, also made waves at the box office and garnered attention from critics. Paul Hogan, an Australian actor, was also a major star of the decade. After gaining recognition for himself in a number of TV shows and supporting roles in films, Brown’s breakthrough big-screen Hollywood project, F/X, saw him play the lead.

As Rollie Tyler, Brown portrays a special effects specialist recruited by the U.S. A gangster who is about to enroll in the Witness Protection Program will be killed, according to the Department of Justice. But things quickly go wrong when the gangster turns out to be genuinely murdered, and Tyler is held accountable as well as becoming a target for the people who are planning the murder. With nothing except his arsenal of special effects talents to aid him, he is forced to flee. Some creative action scenes follow, and the icing on the cake is Brian Dennehy’s portrayal of NYPD officer Leo McCarthy, who has suspicious feelings about the case.

Although F/X was only a middling hit, others questioned whether the term confused potential viewers. Nevertheless, it inspired a TV series and a sequel even if it was mostly forgotten.

Rolling Forth (1987)

Rolling Vengeance, a greatly unappreciated action film as well as one of the best things to come out of Canada in the 1980s, is the epitome of B-movie exploitation cinema at its best. Starring with Ned Beatty as Tiny Doyle, Don Michael Paul plays Joey Rosso, a guy driven to the breaking point by a family of beer-drinking rednecks who killed his family.

When the authorities are unable to put an end to the powerful Tiny Doyle and his family’s ongoing rampages, Rosso makes the decision to build an enormous eight-ton vehicle that is equipped with a massive retractable drill and metal cutter. From then on, it’s all anarchy as Rosso and his truck, to eye-catching effect, play one man wrecking balls.
Even though the plot revolves on a straightforward vengeance tale, the inclusion of a massive monster truck gives the proceedings a unique flavor, making the final product an easy and delightful film to watch.

Jackson Action (1988)

While the late, great Carl Weathers was most renowned for his superb supporting roles in classic action films such as Rocky and Predator, Action Jackson demonstrated that he was more than capable of taking the lead in the proceedings. Action Jackson, which is directed by Craig R. Baxley, a well-known stunt coordinator, is a powerful film with numerous large explosions, amazing stunts, and firearms. Many firearms.

In Craig T. Nelson’s film, Weathers portrays the title character, a Detroit police investigator investigating the murderous martial arts expert Peter Dellaplane, a deranged auto magnate. The film features many well-known characters from Die Hard and Predator, produced by Joel Silver. Prince protégé Vanity plays Dellaplane’s drug addict mistress who later becomes Jackson’s romantic interest.

featuring the iconic phrase “how do you like your ribs?,” Weathers driving a car up a set of stairs, and testicles in a jar.” With Nelson executing impossible-to-do high kicks, Action Jackson is completely insane yet a blast from beginning to end. Regrettably, legal disputes around the character’s rights prevented the potential franchise from being realized.

Shakedown (1988)

After startling action movie audiences eight years earlier with The Exterminator, which substituted brutal, all-out violence for conversation and acting, director James Glickenhaus offered a far more controlled effort with Shakedown, starring Peter Weller and Sam Elliott in a dream team-up.

In the film, Weller plays Roland Dalton, a disillusioned public defender who is working on his final case before resigning. Michael Jones, a crack dealer accused of killing a police officer, is at the core of that case. Jones said the policeman was dishonest and it was self-defense. Dalton makes the decision to look into it and enlists the assistance of renegade drug detective Richie Marks (Elliott).

Beginning as an apparently grim courtroom drama that delves into the shadowy side of New York City, the plot quickly twists into outrageously funny antics involving motorbike shootouts and airport confrontations between the two characters. Shakedown, which was released with a budget that was fully recovered thanks to some real belly laughs and amazing stunts, is now largely forgotten. It’s about time for that to alter.

1988’s Red Heat

Although he wasn’t usually known for portraying subdued roles, Arnold Schwarzenegger gives his most composed performance in Red Heat since the first Conan the Barbarian film. The Austrian Oak plays Soviet policeman Ivan Danko, a fish out of water in Chicago who is after the Georgian drug lord responsible for his partner’s killing in this buddy cop action film from Walter Hill’s inventive mind. He ultimately teamed up with Art Ridzik, the streetwise investigator employed by Jim Belushi, who is also pursuing Rostavili, despite his better judgment.

Schwarzenegger was the inspiration for the film’s script, which Hill skillfully directs to give it a gritty realism. The overt violence in the film is skillfully intercut with humorous moments, most of which feature Belushi. Despite this, the film was not Schwarzenegger’s highest grossing picture of the year; instead, viewers chose to see Twins, which featured a different kind of pairing. Though it never gained any traction, Red Heat is nevertheless regarded as one of Schwarzenegger’s overlooked treasures from his back repertoire.

1989’s Blind Fury

Rutger Hauer added another skill to his acting repertoire as a surprisingly skilled comedic actor in this rough U.S. version of the Japanese film series Zatoichi, which is about a blind swordsman in Japan during the Edo period. He portrays Vietnam veteran Nick Parker, who is blinded during action by a mortar and is saved by the people of a nearby hamlet. They take care of him and teach him how to become a skilled swordsman with the use of his remaining senses.

When Parker returns to the United States and pays a visit to his old buddy Frank Deveraux (Terry O’Quinn), he finds out that a large-scale criminal organization is holding him captive. In a further twist, Parker becomes responsible for their small kid and is determined to do everything it takes to reconcile him with his father after Deveraux’s wife is slain during the visit. After months of preparation, Hauer portrays a credible blind man and, more importantly, carries off the humorous action scenes that highlight his blindness with skill. A lighthearted cinematic adventure.

Renegades (1989)

For this crime actioner, Kiefer Sutherland ventured into buddy cop territory as an undercover police officer teamed up with a Native American (Lou Diamond Philips) to apprehend the criminal group that ended up snatching a historic ceremonial spear during a violent diamond heist.

Renegades is an action film that is still quite good, despite being overshadowed by the much better Thunderheart. It features some amazing car chases, battle scenes, and gunplay. Even if Sutherland and Philips aren’t the most obvious on-screen duo, their chemistry manages to work and even injects a few laughs into an unexpectedly graphic film. Though it’s unlikely to win any awards for creativity, the tale progresses nicely, and having Robert Knepper from Prison Break as the major antagonist makes the whole thing funnier.

1989’s The Best of the Best

Given how many boxing and karate movies were released in the 1980s, it makes sense that a film like Best of the Best may have fallen through the cracks. The several straight-to-video sequels that came out in the years after the original movie’s release did little to improve the movie’s reputation either. However, Best of the Best stands up to its title as a stand-alone action film that can hold its own against beloved martial arts films like Bloodsport and The Karate Kid in terms of serious action entertainment.

The story revolves around an oddball American martial arts team that is sent to Korea to compete in a Tae Kwon Do competition. Best of the Best may capitalize on all the well-worn sports movie clichés, but a few standout performances really make the film stand out. As Coach Frank Couzo, the man in charge of getting the team in fighting shape, James Earl Jones is as amazing as ever, while Tommy Lee, played by Phillip Rhee, drives the plot as he fights to exact revenge for his brother’s death. The main attraction, though, is Eric Roberts in the role of widowed father Alexander Grady, who was formerly seen as a rising star in the martial arts community until a shoulder injury destroyed his dreams of being a successful martial artist. Even though it follows a pattern, Best of the Best is nevertheless powerful.

Cash & Tango (1989)

Tango & Cash, which should have been the ideal collaboration between the two action movie superstars of the day, marked the end of the decade. Kurt Russell as Gabriel Cash playing, well, the kind of role he usually does, and Sylvester Stallone portraying the anti-type character Raymond Tango, a suave, educated Los Angeles detective, were in one corner. Street rivals, the two are pulled together after Yves Perret, played by Jack Palance, frames them for murder. Add Teri Hatcher, who plays steel drums and might be Cash’s love interest, and you have all the makings of a fantastic action film.

However, it’s evident that things weren’t running smoothly behind the scenes. Producer Jon Peters and original director Andrei Konchalovsky were at odds over the script’s several revisions, and after Andrei Konchalovsky left, the production was finished by Stuart Baird, Peter MacDonald, and Albert Magnoli. An old story about too many cooks in the kitchen, the movie seems to be a jumble of bizarre concepts. Magnoli, who worked on the Prince film Purple Rain, wanted the picture to be more vibrant and comic book-like, but Konchalovsky was keen to set it in a more realistic atmosphere.

The final outcome is in the middle; although Tango & Cash was a moderate hit, it did not have the long-lasting effect that many had anticipated, and there was no follow-up. In spite of this, the movie has become a beloved, irony-free buddy police comedy thanks to reruns on television and the rise of home media. It features many of the greatest aspects of action movies from the 1980s and has many memorable set pieces.