The 80’s are known for delivering some of the best movies ever! Not only were romantic movies romantic, but action movies were action packed with good stunts and exhilarating effects. Part of what made watching movies in the 80’s so great was the re-watchability factor. How many times have you watched your favorite 80’s flicks? Dozens, right?! There are many great action movies from this era that are still worth watching over and over again today. Here is a short list of some of the top action movies of the 80’s. No plans this weekend? Search Netflix and some of these oldies but goodies are sure to pop-up. So, grab some popcorn, here we go…

Die Hard

Die Hard came out in 1988 and is known for being not only one of the best action movies of all time but also a great Christmas movie! You probably remember the film for the off-duty New York City Police Department officer John McClane, played by Bruce Willis, who is caught in a Los Angeles skyscraper during a Christmas party heist led by Hans Gruber, played by Alan Rickman. This movie made Bruce Willis an action star hero. As a result, the movie produced four sequels, video games, and a comic book. 

First Blood

This action thriller came out in 1982. Sylvester Stallone played John Rambo, a recently returned Vietnam War veteran. In the movie, Rambo was a misunderstood veteran who relied on his survival and combat senses to fight against the abusive law enforcement in the small town of Hope, Washington. Did you know the film was based on a 1972 novel called First Blood by David Morrell? The movie grossed $125.2 million at the box office. The film’s success spawned a franchise, consisting of four sequels all of which were co-written by and starred Stallone, an animated television series, and a series of comic books, novels, and video games.

The Terminator

This movie came out in 1984. The star of the movie was Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamillton. This movie topped the box office for a couple of weeks and not only solidified Schwarzenegger’s career but also helped launch the career of James Cameron, the film’s director. Terminator also lent itself to several successful sequels, a television series, comic books, novels, and video games.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

This action-adventure film came out in 1989 and is the third in the Indiana Jones series. Indian Jones was played by Harrison Ford and his father portrayed by Sean Connery. The film takes place in 1938 as Indiana searches for his father, a Holy Grail scholar who had been kidnapped by Nazis. The film grossed $474.2 million at the box office worldwide. While arguably not the best of the entire Indiana Jones series, this is a fun one that you can watch over and over again. 

RoboCop

RoboCop was an all-American cyberpunk action film that came out in 1987. The film starred Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O’Herlihy, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferrer. The movie took place in crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan. The story was entertaining and pretty violent for the time showing a cop whose body becomes the property of a corporation. They erase his identity and turn him into a law-and-order cyborg. His bloody adventures take him from being a soulless cyborg to a feeling hero.