Ruthless Guide to 80s Action
by buches-bernal | created - 26 Feb 2014 | updated - 26 Feb 2014 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Above the Law (1988)
R | 99 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A former Special Operations Vietnam vet works as a Chicago cop, and uncovers C.I.A. wrongdoing.
Director: Andrew Davis | Stars: Steven Seagal, Pam Grier, Henry Silva, Ron Dean
Votes: 34,588 | Gross: $18.87M
2. American Ninja (1985)
R | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Romance
American soldier, obviously very skilled in martial arts, single-handedly takes on mercenaries in the Philippines.
Director: Sam Firstenberg | Stars: Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, Judie Aronson, Guich Koock
Votes: 16,706 | Gross: $10.50M
3. Best of the Best (1989)
PG-13 | 97 min | Action, Drama, Sport
A team from the United States is going to compete against Korea in a Tae Kwon Do tournament. The team consists of fighters from all over the country - can they overcome their rivalry and work together to win?
Director: Robert Radler | Stars: Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, Sally Kirkland, Phillip Rhee
Votes: 15,243 | Gross: $1.70M
4. Black Rain (1989)
R | 125 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Two NYC cops arrest a Yakuza member and must escort him when he's extradited to Japan.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw
Votes: 59,643 | Gross: $46.21M
5. Bloodsport (1988)
R | 92 min | Action, Biography, Drama
"Bloodsport" follows Frank Dux, an American martial artist serving in the military, who decides to leave the army to compete in a martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where fights to the death can occur.
Director: Newt Arnold | Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Donald Gibb, Leah Ayres, Norman Burton
Votes: 93,885 | Gross: $11.81M
6. Cobra (1986)
R | 87 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A tough-on-crime street cop must protect the only surviving witness to a strange murderous cult with far-reaching plans.
Director: George P. Cosmatos | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Brigitte Nielsen, Reni Santoni, Andrew Robinson
Votes: 79,542 | Gross: $49.04M
7. Commando (1985)
R | 90 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A retired Special Forces colonel tries to save his daughter, who was abducted by his former subordinate.
Director: Mark L. Lester | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells
Votes: 174,712 | Gross: $35.10M
8. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
R | 129 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A powerful warrior seeks to avenge the genocide of his people and the murder of his parents at the hands of a snake cult.
Director: John Milius | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman
Votes: 162,367 | Gross: $39.57M
9. Conan the Destroyer (1984)
PG | 103 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Conan leads a ragtag group of adventurers on a quest for a princess.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, Olivia d'Abo, Wilt Chamberlain
Votes: 85,290 | Gross: $31.04M
10. First Blood (1982)
R | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A veteran Green Beret is forced by a cruel Sheriff and his deputies to flee into the mountains and wage an escalating one-man war against his pursuers.
Director: Ted Kotcheff | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna, Bill McKinney
Votes: 275,235 | Gross: $47.21M
11. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
R | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
Rambo returns to the jungles of Vietnam on a mission to infiltrate an enemy base-camp and rescue the American POWs still held captive there.
Director: George P. Cosmatos | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, Steven Berkoff
Votes: 182,324 | Gross: $150.42M
12. Rambo III (1988)
R | 102 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
Rambo mounts a one-man mission to rescue his friend Colonel Trautman from the clutches of the formidable invading Soviet forces in Afghanistan.
Director: Peter MacDonald | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Marc de Jonge, Kurtwood Smith
Votes: 140,091 | Gross: $53.72M
13. Hard to Kill (1990)
R | 96 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Targeted by the mob and its political supporters, hired assassins leave LAPD Detective Mason Storm for dead. Seven years later, he recovers from a deep coma, demanding justice and the opportunity to get even.
Director: Bruce Malmuth | Stars: Steven Seagal, Kelly LeBrock, William Sadler, Frederick Coffin
Votes: 32,334 | Gross: $47.41M
14. Iron Eagle (1986)
PG-13 | 117 min | Action, Thriller, War
A young pilot plans a rescue mission when his father, an Air Force Colonel, is shot down over enemy territory and captured.
Director: Sidney J. Furie | Stars: Louis Gossett Jr., Jason Gedrick, David Suchet, Tim Thomerson
Votes: 15,990 | Gross: $24.16M
15. Kickboxer (1989)
R | 97 min | Action, Sport, Thriller
Kurt Sloane must learn the ancient kick boxing art of Muay Thai in order to avenge his brother.
Directors: Mark DiSalle, David Worth | Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Alexio, Dennis Chan, Michel Qissi
Votes: 60,798 | Gross: $14.70M
16. Lethal Weapon (1987)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan
Votes: 276,148 | Gross: $65.21M
17. Lethal Weapon (1987)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan
Votes: 276,148 | Gross: $65.21M
18. Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
R | 118 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh pursue a former LAPD officer who uses his knowledge of police procedure and policies to steal and sell confiscated guns and ammunition to local street gangs.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo
Votes: 178,390 | Gross: $144.73M
19. Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
R | 127 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
With personal crises and age weighing in on them, LAPD officers Riggs and Murtaugh must contend with deadly Chinese triads that are trying to free their former leaders out of prison and onto American soil.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo
Votes: 172,136 | Gross: $130.44M
20. Marked for Death (1990)
R | 93 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A retired DEA agent is out to hunt down and take out a Jamaican drug posse that has targeted he and his family for murder.
Director: Dwight H. Little | Stars: Steven Seagal, Joanna Pacula, Basil Wallace, Keith David
Votes: 24,298 | Gross: $46.04M
21. Out for Justice (1991)
R | 91 min | Action, Crime, Drama
With his partner executed in broad daylight by a psychotic mafia enforcer, a veteran Brooklyn officer vows revenge. But is the unstoppable detective prepared to face the truth and pay the price of blood?
Director: John Flynn | Stars: Steven Seagal, William Forsythe, Jerry Orbach, Jo Champa
Votes: 25,757 | Gross: $39.67M
22. Predator (1987)
R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.
Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall, Elpidia Carrillo
Votes: 454,273 | Gross: $59.74M
23. Predator 2 (1990)
R | 108 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
The Predator returns to Earth, this time to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.
Director: Stephen Hopkins | Stars: Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Kevin Peter Hall, Rubén Blades
Votes: 182,326 | Gross: $30.67M
24. Red Dawn (1984)
PG-13 | 114 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
It is the dawn of World War III. In the west mountains of America, a group of teenagers band together to defend their town, and their country, from invading Soviet forces.
Director: John Milius | Stars: Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen
Votes: 62,991 | Gross: $38.38M
25. Red Heat (1988)
R | 104 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is sent to Chicago to apprehend a Georgian drug lord who killed his partner and fled the country.
Director: Walter Hill | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Belushi, Peter Boyle, Ed O'Ross
Votes: 75,967 | Gross: $34.99M
26. Red Sonja (1985)
PG-13 | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The fearless warrior Red Sonja sets out to avenge her family's murder and rid her kingdom from the tyrannical rule of evil Queen Gedren.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brigitte Nielsen, Sandahl Bergman, Paul L. Smith
Votes: 44,846 | Gross: $6.95M
27. Road House (1989)
R | 114 min | Action, Thriller
A bouncer hired to clean up the baddest honkytonk in a Missouri town. Armed with a black belt in karate and a degree in philosophy, Patrick Swayze sets out to tame the Double Deuce for its owner.
Director: Rowdy Herrington | Stars: Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott, Ben Gazzara
Votes: 99,556 | Gross: $30.05M
28. RoboCop (1987)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.
Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox
Votes: 282,787 | Gross: $53.42M
29. Rocky (1976)
PG | 120 min | Drama, Sport
A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Votes: 627,833 | Gross: $117.24M
30. Rocky II (1979)
PG | 119 min | Drama, Sport
Rocky struggles in family life after his bout with Apollo Creed, while the embarrassed champ insistently goads him to accept a challenge for a rematch.
Director: Sylvester Stallone | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Votes: 231,054
31. Rocky III (1982)
PG | 99 min | Drama, Sport
Rocky faces the ultimate challenge from a powerful new contender, and must turn to a former rival to help regain his throne as the undisputed fighting champion.
Director: Sylvester Stallone | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Votes: 211,031 | Gross: $125.05M
32. Rocky IV (1985)
PG | 91 min | Drama, Sport
Rocky Balboa proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union.
Director: Sylvester Stallone | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Votes: 226,212 | Gross: $127.87M
33. Rocky V (1990)
PG-13 | 104 min | Drama, Sport
Reluctantly retired from fighting, Rocky takes charge of Mickey's gym and agrees to train a young protégé who's hungry for success.
Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Sage Stallone
Votes: 150,495 | Gross: $40.95M
34. Rocky Balboa (2006)
PG | 102 min | Action, Drama, Sport
Thirty years after the ring of the first bell, Rocky Balboa comes out of retirement and dons his gloves for his final fight against the reigning heavyweight champ Mason 'The Line' Dixon.
Director: Sylvester Stallone | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Tarver, Milo Ventimiglia, Burt Young
Votes: 231,337 | Gross: $70.27M
35. Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)
R | 79 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Two L.A. cops with opposing views on what is the best way to uphold the law have to work together to bring down the Yakuza, while trying to protect a beautiful woman.
Director: Mark L. Lester | Stars: Dolph Lundgren, Brandon Lee, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Tia Carrere
Votes: 20,689 | Gross: $2.28M
36. The Delta Force (1986)
R | 125 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
After a plane is hijacked by terrorists, The Delta Force is sent in to resolve the crisis.
Director: Menahem Golan | Stars: Chuck Norris, Lee Marvin, Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop
Votes: 21,896 | Gross: $17.77M
37. The Last Boy Scout (1991)
R | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A private detective's protected female witness is murdered, prompting him and the victim's boyfriend to investigate the crime that leads to a corrupt politician and a crooked football team owner.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field, Noble Willingham
Votes: 111,963 | Gross: $59.51M
38. The Perfect Weapon (1991)
R | 83 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An expert in "kenpo" karate avenges his Koreatown friend, slain by a mobster in Los Angeles.
Director: Mark DiSalle | Stars: Jeff Speakman, John Dye, Mako, James Hong
Votes: 4,845 | Gross: $14.06M
39. Toy Soldiers (1991)
R | 111 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A group of troublemaking boys decide to take a stand when terrorists seize control of their boarding school.
Director: Daniel Petrie Jr. | Stars: Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, Keith Coogan, Andrew Divoff
Votes: 24,976 | Gross: $15.07M
40. Under Siege (1992)
R | 103 min | Action, Thriller
An ex-Navy Seal turned cook is the only person who can stop a group of terrorists when they seize control of a U.S. battleship.
Director: Andrew Davis | Stars: Steven Seagal, Gary Busey, Tommy Lee Jones, Erika Eleniak
Votes: 95,411 | Gross: $83.36M
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