The 80s were an...interesting time for action movies. The decade is largely remembered for its bombast and spectacle, with macho action heroes like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger hitting it big. In other words, abnormally large muscles and Earth-shattering explosions were in. The buddy cop genre was also very big, and it's something you just don't see much of nowadays. However, Die Hard also changed the way action movies were made in 1988 with its everyday hero and (relatively) realistic action. Following that, Die Hard on an (x) movies were in style.
But those are the classics. Let's talk about the not-so-classics. These are ten forgotten 80s action movies that are excellent.
Midnight Run (1988)
When it comes to Robert De Niro films, Midnight Run is almost never mentioned among the likes of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, and The Godfather Part II. Then again, we don't expect it to be!
With that said, Midnight Run is still a very good buddy cop action film starring Robert De Niro as Jack Walsh, a bounty hunter hired to bring a bail bondsman back to Los Angeles. It's funny, it's thrilling, it's surprisingly touching, and it works thanks in large part to the electric chemistry between De Niro and Charles Grodin.
Police Story (1985)
Police Story is a largely respected action film. In fact, it was voted the fourth-best action film ever made in a Time Out poll of critics, directors, and stuntmen. It also saw enormous success in its native Asia thanks primarily to the wonderful work of Jackie Chan and the elaborate action sequences that were unlike anything else at the time.
However, it was never really a smash hit in North America and it is vastly overshadowed by some of his mainstream Western work. It's not Chan's most popular film, but it is probably his best.
Licence To Kill (1989)
The James Bond series saw an unfortunate downward trajectory throughout much of the 80s (at least in terms of quality). The reasons for this are many, but most critics blame the series' increasingly wacky and lighthearted tone and Roger Moore's portrayal of James Bond.
However, Timothy Dalton and Licence to Kill revived Bond and returned the series to its darker, more grounded, and more mature roots. Unfortunately, it has been vastly overlooked within the larger Bond pantheon. We think it deserves more respect than it receives.
Tango & Cash (1989)
Tango & Cash is a buddy cop movie starring two action heroes (Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell) at the height of their fame. Russell plays Cash, the traditional "bad boy" loose-cannon cop, and Stallone plays against type as Tango, the more uppity, mature, and by-the-book half.
It's pretty standard buddy cop fare, but the material is largely elevated by the performances and the humor. It didn't receive good reviews and it was largely forgotten upon release, but we think it deserves a critical reevaluation. It wasn't that bad!
The Last Dragon (1985)
Martial arts movies were quite big in the 80s, especially after The Karate Kid was released in the summer of 1984. The success of that movie helped revitalize interest in the genre and led to many notable films, including Jean-Claude Van Damme's Bloodsport. But one martial arts movie that time has seemingly forgotten in The Last Dragon.
It's a wonderful little movie starring Taimak as Leroy Green, a martial artist who dreams of being the next Bruce Lee. Don't let the middling $30 million box office take fool you. This is a good one.
Nighthawks (1981)
Nighthawks is another long-forgotten Sylvester Stallone vehicle. And it is much better than most of his cheesy 80s output. Fresh off the success of Rocky and Rocky II, Stallone stars as Deke DaSilva, a cop who is tasked with taking down international terrorist Heymar "Wulfgar" Reinhardt.
It only grossed $19 million at the box office and was quickly forgotten amidst Stallone's more bombastic creative decisions, but Nighthawks is a cop thriller well worth watching.
Red Heat (1988)
Speaking of long-forgotten movies of blockbuster action stars, let's talk about Red Heat! Red Heat is a little-known action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a Moscow militia captain named Ivan Danko. Danko is partnered up with Jim Belushi's cocky and sloppy Art Ridzik to hunt and capture a drug lord.
This is yet another product of the late 1980s buddy cop craze, but its star power and dedicated performances help make the film way better than it has any right to be. You can't go wrong with Schwarzenegger and Belushi!
Vigilante (1983)
Vigilante is certainly a product of its time. Released in the early 1980s, Vigilante was released between the grindhouse boom of the late 70s and the bombastic action films of the mid and late 80s. It imbibes the tone of both styles, although it largely veers towards the grindhouse seediness of the 70s.
Robert Forster stars as Eddie Marino, an everyday factory worker who goes on a rampage after his eight-year-old son is murdered. It's basically a ripoff of Death Wish, but it's a darned good ripoff! Doesn't exactly make for the easiest of viewings, though...
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
When it comes to the Mad Max series, Beyond Thunderdome is the kooky aunt who lives in the attic - no one really pays it any attention, they want to forget that it exists, and they don't tell their friends about it. And it's a shame because Beyond Thunderdome is actually very good.
Despite being largely ignored (thanks mainly to its lighthearted tone, the controversial children, and the lack of open road action), Ebert loved the movie and called it one of the best of 1985. And if you can't trust Ebert, then who can you trust?
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Can a war film be considered an action movie? We say yes, and because we say yes, we are including Clint Eastwood's Heartbreak Ridge. Eastwood is a legendary actor and director, but his 1986 war film about the American invasion of Grenada has long been ignored.
It's an unfortunate black hole among Eastwood's otherwise stellar filmography, but we think it deserves more recognition and respect. It's one of Eastwood's greatest performances (and that's saying a lot), and the film is surprisingly funny and entertaining as well. Check it out if you need more Clint Eastwood in your life. And who doesn't?