With the rise of stars like Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 1980s were a great time to be a fan of action movies. From the introduction of such fictional icons as John McClane, Indiana Jones, and Sarah Connor to the invention of subgenres like “buddy cop film,” the decade marked an important chapter in the storied history of action cinema.
Every year in the 1980s brought at least one great action movie, but some years had tougher competition than others. Sometimes, the best action movie from one year in the ‘80s wouldn’t hold a candle to the entire top 10 list from another year.
Sudden Impact (1983)
The pickings were slim in 1983, with a lot of cinematic action appearing in listless science fiction movies still trying to cash in on the Star Wars boom. But Clint Eastwood did provide fans with another offering in the reliable Dirty Harry series.
Sudden Impact is far from the best Dirty Harry sequel, but it coined the character’s iconic “Make my day” catchphrase and puts an interesting spin on the cliched revenge formula.
RoboCop (1987)
1987 brought some really great action movies– from Lethal Weapon, the definitive “buddy cop” movie, to Predator, 107 minutes of gory Arnie-versus-E.T. fun– but the pinnacle of the year’s action cinema is arguably RoboCop.
Paul Verhoeven’s satirical masterpiece has all the large-scale action and brutal violence that one would expect from a movie about a semi-robotic cop, but it also has incisive commentary on capitalism and authoritarianism.
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
Mel Gibson and Danny Glover made four Lethal Weapon movies, and their palpable on-screen chemistry is enough to make all of them at least enjoyable, but the pinnacle of the franchise is the second movie, released in 1989.
Lethal Weapon 2 has the franchise’s most inventive set pieces, from the bomb in Murtaugh’s toilet to the stilts that Riggs pulls out from under a hillside house, and it also has the series’ best villain: a South African diplomat who starts taking out cops and uses his immunity to evade the law.
Aliens (1986)
When James Cameron was hired to write a sequel to Ridley Scott’s terrifying sci-fi masterpiece Alien, he knew he couldn’t write a follow-up that would stand alongside its predecessor as one of the greatest horror movies ever made.
So, he decided to just switch genres and craft one of the greatest action movies ever made instead. Swapping out one xenomorph for dozens, Cameron upped the stakes, while keeping the story focused on Ripley’s maternal journey.
First Blood (1982)
With five movies in four decades, the Rambo franchise has morphed into grisly one-upsmanship as Sylvester Stallone’s grizzled anti-hero leaves more and more bodies in his wake, but the violence was surprisingly sparse in the 1982 thriller that started it all, First Blood.
There’s a poignant critique of the treatment of Vietnam War veterans lying under the story of a battle-hardened killing machine being arrested by small-town cops for minding his own business, reaching his breaking point after a PTSD attack in the jailhouse and then escaping into the woods. As the manhunt begins, the cops are hellbent on killing Rambo, even though he is trying his best to avoid taking any lives.
Police Story (1985)
Jackie Chan is a great director of action movies. A well-known perfectionist, he demands dozens of takes until they get the perfect shot— but he’s also right there in front of the camera, doing his own stunts over and over again. If he can keep up that pace, it’s not unreasonable of him to expect the same from his cast and crew.
And the result of this perfectionism is pitch-perfect action movies like Police Story, filled with daring stunt work, inventive staging, and wall-to-wall explosive action.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Although the ‘80s would go on to bring some of the greatest movies the action genre has ever seen, it started off pretty slow in 1980, with cash-in sequels like Smokey and the Bandit II and Any Which Way You Can dominating the year’s action-packed offerings.
The best action of the year was appearing in high-concept blockbusters like Superman II and The Empire Strikes Back. As both the darkest chapter in the Star Wars saga and its crowning jewel, Empire is easily 1980’s best action movie and is many Star Wars fans’ favorite entry in the franchise.
The Terminator (1984)
There have been a lot of jokes about how James Cameron gave Schwarzenegger the perfect role for his acting abilities because it’s an emotionless cyborg, but it’s undeniable that Arnie played this role perfectly, bringing to life one of action cinema’s most iconic villains.
The aesthetic of The Terminator falls into the “tech noir” category (telegraphed by the name of the nightclub), taking the hard-boiled grit of film noir and giving it a sci-fi makeover with an ominous message about the dangers of artificial intelligence.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
Naming the best action movie from 1981 is tough, because it gave fans two of the greatest action movies ever made: Raiders of the Lost Ark, the pulpy adventure that introduced the world to Indiana Jones, and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, the post-apocalyptic masterpiece that set the benchmark for the franchise before Fury Road came along.
While George Miller’s movie features some of the most breathtaking car stunts ever captured on film, Steven Spielberg’s movie clinches the top spot with its iconic hero, perfectly crafted action sequences, and nostalgic callbacks to old adventure serials.
Die Hard (1988)
John McTiernan’s Die Hard is a perfect action movie. Reluctant hero John McClane is the quintessential action movie protagonist, with relatable flaws that are brought to life with hilarious self-deprecation and working-class grit by a young Bruce Willis.
The premise of a put-upon everyman thinking quick on his feet during a hostile takeover has practically become a genre of its own since Die Hard first hit theaters, and the 1988 original still has yet to be topped.
