The Top 20 Greatest Action Movies of the 1980s -- My Picks

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[@sfermigier]

I remember Lethal Weapon (1987) as a great action / cop buddies movie.

[@eoghandonnelly8334]

Would love to see more top 20s, love the recommendations!

[@LearningaboutMovies]

I just shot a video for my top A24 videos today. That will come out later this year, although if you are a channel subscriber, you can get the video when I complete it, which will be no later than July.

[@thetalentof]

Great list, certainly hard to disagree with any of those, I would also mention 'Romancing the Stone,' 'Shoot to Kill,' 'Black Rain,' 'Red Scorpion,' 'Beverley Hills Cop 2' and 'Road House.'

[@toycamera6112]

As a filmmaker, one of my favorite 80s films is 'The Hitcher'. Tilting towards Lynchian, it's like a synthesis of 'The Trial', 'Cape Fear', and 'Little Red Riding Hood'. The last of which highlights the film's fairy tale logic as it embraces the mythic nature of invincible killers like Michael Myers and makes Ryder a trickster God of sorts. Like '13 Tzameti', it's a pulp piece where context is spare and the myth is recognizable as soon as it's encountered. It's also a gorgeous panoramic film that embraces the desert as a beautifully brutal surreal landscape for Jim to ascend. A little like 'Near Dark' a year later.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thanks! I'm going to check that out. It should up on no list I consulted for my 80s watch.

[@CcJjGg_]

The Hitcher is great , another nice one but extremely cheesy with Rutger Hauer is Blind Fury

[@sfermigier]

The Hitcher is great! But is it an action movie ? I'd classify it as a thriller, a modern (for the time) version of Night of the Hunter.

[@toycamera6112]

@@sfermigier When I googled, it gave the labels of horror/action. So yes.

[@darthelooi8021]

Rutger Hauer is just the best

[@NelsonAT9]

I love that you included Midnight Run! Such a fun movie.

[@EddieHenderson92]

Great picks, some of those I don't consider action movies but to each their own. My list, Top 5 in order but the others are in no order. 1. Die Hard 2. Lethal Weapon 3. Aliens 4. Robocop 5. Beverly Hills Cop 2 Lethal Weapon 2 Predator Beverly Hills Cop Commando Cobra First Blood Rambo 2 48 Hours Delta Force Above the Law Black Rain Road Warrior / Mad Max 2 Invasion USA Escape from NY Terminator

[@dheeraj5564]

I recently watched Michael Mann's Thief, and I would definitely have that high up on my top 10 action movies list for the 80s.

[@EddieHenderson92]

Classic movie but is that really an action movie? I think it's more of a crime drama.

[@BarbaOlof]

I think I would have had Lethal Weapon and possibly Romancing the stone on my list. Really like Midnight Run and Escape from New York, but haven’t seen them in a long time. I think it’s time for them soon, so thanks for the reminder. 😊

[@ivanhoe23be]

1. When it comes to pure action, nothing beats Commando. On top of that all these great oneliners ("let of some steam Bennett", "What did you do with Sully?" "I let him go", "A guy i've known for years wants me dead." "That's understandable, I only know you for five minutes and I want you dead too"). It's lean, it's mean, it's fun and it's short. Everything what an action movie should be. But of course technically it's a mess. 2. Terminator is high on my list, for a few reasons. It is a low budget movie that looks like a blockbuster, it moves forward with immense speed (at one time Kyle Reece has to explain to plot during a chase scene), it has some of the most memorable scenes ever in an action movie (the shoot-out at the Tech Noir, the creepy scenes were Arnie repairs himself...) and last but not least the ending where Cameron goes from climax to climax (poor Arnie is run over by a truck, burned up, blow to pieces and than finally finished off by being crushed). Terminator set a new standard here which few other action movies (or directors rather) were able to emulate (Aliens, Terminator 2...). 3. For me the best action movie (by a mile) remains Die Hard. Great setup, best villain ever (thank you Alan Rickman), perfect casting, great action, memorable oneliners ("we need some more FBI guys I guess"). And of course it's a Christmas movie.

[@Optophobic]

My list might slightly reorder your list, but I think you got the big ones. I do love how Commando is so ridiculous it is also a satire of 80s action films. I could imagine a shot-for-shot remake of it with some Airplane-esque jokes scattered throughout and it would still work. Also, I appreciate you having Thunderdome on the list. I love the Mad Max series. That one drags in the 2nd act, but he first and third acts have phenomenal action and world-building.

[@n_n_n_n_n_n]

A few of my favorites that didn't make your list. To Live and Die in L.A. Extreme Prejudice Shoot to Kill Fighting Back 48 Hrs. I guess I'll refrain from listing all the schlock I enjoy from the period.

[@darthelooi8021]

Timely video as I just rewatched Aliens (Special Edition for the 1st time), and I think it's a decent flick with some great action scenes, but when you compare it to Empire Strikes Back as a sequel, that film does everything a sequel should do, expand the world, the characters, the environments while Aliens I think takes away a lot of what made Alien special. I just want to say that it's always so much fun hearing your recommendations, I just realized that there are a lot of famous movies here I haven't seen yet.

[@noname-bk7bc]

duuude, I love Das Boot, but an action movie? I mean I really love the movie and the seens with action are amazing...but to me its a stretch to call it an action movie. *EDIT* Love your list, I like all the movies on it. A few I might add but I don't know what I would take out: The Princess Bride Big Trouble in Little China Lethal Weapon The Running Man Batman Tango and Cash The Living Daylights

[@AgencyScum]

Fun fact. Outland was the first ever use of a Steadicam in a feature film, hence the amazing chase sequences.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

good one!

[@markpawziuk1449]

It was used in Bound for Glory, Marathon Man, and Rocky in 1976

[@drdavid1963]

Actually, there are some precursors - Bound For Glory (1976), Halloween (1978) - (that was a Pan-a-glide but a version of Steadicam) and The Shining (1980)

[@krosewall]

You should check out The Hidden (1987). One of those sleepers that gained a following on VHS and HBO. Ebert gave it 3 stars. I've seen it in revival theaters in LA, the crowd went nuts over it. Also, Stakeout, a good buddy cop flick.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thank you very much. I'll check them out.

[@austinuhr8459]

I'm a little surprised not to see any of Akira, Castle in the Sky, or Nausicaä, though the last one could be argued as not an action movie

[@drdavid1963]

My 20 Action movies of the 1980s Not my favourite genre and, although, there is much viewing pleasure to be had from destructive mayhem, I based my list on the quality of the films overall rather than simply the action sequences. For me, Thunderdome is awful and Tina Turner can't act and though Road Warrior has some great action sequences, there is nothing resembling a script at all. I think if I were to rate the movies solely on action, I would prefer The Killer which is one long chase and action movie with jaw-dropping stunts, action moments and sheer style. John Woo really helped to reinvent the action movie in Hollywood for the 1990s. 20. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade 19. Dead Calm 18. Henry V 17. Glory 16. Bad Taste (Peter Jackson's classic no-budget sci-fi-action comedy) 15. The Untouchables 14. Blue Thunder (not a very good film but great helicopter sequences) 13. Under Fire 12. First Blood 11. Witness 10. Outland 9. Full Metal Jacket (not strictly an action film but going on the quality of the action sequences) 8. Blade Runner (not strictly an action film but going on the quality of the action sequences) 7. The Killer 6. Das Boot 5. Die Hard 4. Midnight Run 3. Raiders of The Lost Ark 2. The Terminator 1. Aliens Want to give a special mention to some other movies with great action sequences that aren't action movies from the 1980s *Platoon* - some of the best war action sequences *Ran* - some truly inspiring, beautiful and co-ordinated battle sequences *Raging Bull* - amazing, kinetic boxing sequences with groundbreaking editing and sound *Heaven's Gate* - the climactic battle sequence is a tour-de-force *The Blues Brothers* - the climactic chase sequence as an action comedy setpiece *Diva* - the central chase sequence through the Champs-Élysées and Paris metro. *Evil Dead 2* - again, truly inspired comedy/horror action sequences with inventive camera angles and special effects

[@increible8822]

Good list 😎

[@LearningaboutMovies]

excellent, thank you!

[@thetalentof]

Love seeing 'Dead Calm' there, great pick.

[@maynardwayward12]

To Live and Die in LA has a climactic action scene I've never seen repeated. Trancers is grade a cheese And Death Wish 3 is gleefully dumb, the only one in the series that's a must-watch

[@rustykuntz94]

I would def flip out Conan The Barbarian for Terminator 1984 but almost all others I would also have in top 20 list, great job

[@user-ju7nu6mq5x]

To live and die in LA is a great movie also

[@lolizorz]

Pretty good list. Being from Eastern Europe, I was never too crazy about the star wars movies. I would just mention Southern Comfort as one of the best action movies from the 80s, for me

[@kitkatzyy]

Oh goodie! The professor is giving us homework again?

[@LearningaboutMovies]

This is the greatest homework that anyone has ever received!

[@kitkatzyy]

@@LearningaboutMovies Funny story, back in high school a teacher literally did give us a homework assignment to watch a cheesy 80s Kung fu movie. It was called “Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon” and it was indeed the best homework I ever received.

[@alfwok]

Cobra, The Running Man, Akira, and A Better Tomorrow would be on my list. Maybe throw in a weird one like The Seventh Curse. Gotta give Chuck some love too, Lone Wolf McQuade. I think it might be easier to list the worst 80's action movies because they are all pretty great.

[@sfermigier]

A Better Tomorrow certainly has more action than The Killer (which is probably a better movie). Some people counted the fatalities in both Commando and ABT, and in both cases there were more than 200, though I don't remember which one "won".

[@markkodama6910]

Das Boot is one of my favorites.

[@jasonburkart3825]

As we got down the list, I was getting more surprised how high you had Platoon until you said #1. It's probably outside of my top 10 but wondering if you even considered it for your honorable mentions.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

Yeah, I thought of that one as a higher order film. But then Das Boot is, so I broke my own standards I suppose.

[@markkodama6910]

Try Runaway Train. Amazing action movie that is deeply philosophical. Screenplay was written by Kurosawa. Stars Jon Voight and Eric Roberts.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

while I didn't care for that one, it's worth mentioning here. Thanks for doing so.

[@markkodama6910]

@@LearningaboutMovies My deepest take away from that movie was if you are going to argue with an angry prison warden do not go to the restroom afterward.

[@bradleymcavoy3432]

Well if you’re going to add Sci-Fi or Space Fantasy movies ( Two Star Wars titles!) then I will include one of my CyberPunk Fantasy favorites…. 1982’s TRON! 🤩 Yeah Conan the Barbarian has “Action” but it seems bizarre to put such a VIOLENT Dark Fantasy film in that category. 🙄 The Thing as a choice is bizarre to me as opposed to the Terminator but the Terminator could also be described as Sci-Fi Terror ( The last 15 to 20 minutes is a Slasher film sequence!) If we’re going to do Fantasy I would add ‘81’s DRAGONSLAYER and another Sci-Fi Adventure film called ENEMY MINE with a young Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Junior! 😎 Praise your inclusion of Mad Max 2 The Road Warrior but I put it at 3! 😎 Die Hard at 1 and ‘89 BATMAN at 3! 😉

[@LearningaboutMovies]

Thanks. Everything on this list is standard categorizing everywhere.

[@bradleymcavoy3432]

@LearningAboutMovies I suppose so, I wasn’t trying to be Rude. I apologize if I sounded that way. It was my lame half-hearted or half-Assed attempt at or for “Constructive Criticism”. 🙄 Were all Adults at the same time I hope I didn’t sound too Mean that wasn’t my Intent! 😎

[@tom_abbott]

It is debatable if you can call it an action movie, however it is listed as an animation/action movie on Letterboxd, my #1 would be Akira. If not, then itd be Raiders of the lost ark

[@LearningaboutMovies]

I think Akira counts for sure!

[@sfermigier]

As much as I like The Thing, I wouldn't classify it as an action movie. It's a scifi/horror movie.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

yeah, I included that one because so many lists I consulted did.

[@TheRealJoseramirez]

As you say, they're your choice but whenever I hear the phrase "Action movie", I always think "No!" Each to his own.😂😅

[@LearningaboutMovies]

Too bad -- some of the greatest movies ever are action movies, i.e., have a lot of "action" in them. No type of movie is necessarily a worse or bad movie.

[@JCT1926]

Das Boot is more the anti-action movie

[@SWATTECHNOLOGIES]

Never could get into Die Hard. I just never believed Bruce Willis was an action hero. He was so much better in Sixth Sense and Unbreakable.

[@EddieHenderson92]

What is great about Die Hard, John McClane is the anti-action hero, Stallone turned it down because he thought the character was wimpy with running away and showing fear. Bruce not looking like a big buff action hero was the point and most real-life cops don't look like body builders. I think Die Hard 3 really started to lose what made McClane great but I think the first 2 movies got it right.

[@bradleymcavoy3432]

@EddieHenderson92 It wasn’t just Stallone that turned the Role down! At one point in time Clint Eastwood was up for it but he said “Sounds like too much Fucking running and jumping around and I’m getting too Old for that Shit!” 🙄 One of the Toughest guys in Hollywood said That! 🤣

[@bradleymcavoy3432]

@SWATTTECHNOLOGIES Really?!! I don’t think Die Hard works without him ( Willis) but that was mostly the chemistry he had with Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber who was a great movie Villain! I actually didn’t care for Sixth Sense but I LOVED UnBreakable! I also Loves the 1995 Sci-Fi cult classic 12 Monkeys with Willis! 😎