What 'started off as a Cameron kick, with Aliens, followed  by the Abyss has led to a full on review of action movies made in the late 80's and early 90's. You know, the kind that usually have either Bruce Willis or Arnold in them. I liked some of these as they came out, but I remember being lukewarm towards many of the rest.
So far I've seen:
Terminator 2
The Abyss
Aliens
and this weekend I watched the crown jewel of these movies the 1988 classic Die Hard .

The following on are on deck:
Terminator
True Lies
Diehard 2

There is something comforting about these movies. Stuff blows up, and, for the most part the explosions are real. Cars crash, guns go off, people talk in one liners. It's awesome- everything looks real, but nobody expects me to believe any of it. CGI is used occasionally,(especially in the Cameron movies) but it is extremely limited- completely unlike movies made just five- six years later. Things are just not as slick as modern Hollywood movies in general  (although Diehard and Terminator 2 have moments of slickness that are very much like movies today)- and the movies take themselves seriously, but it is obvious that the audience isn't expected to.
Anyway, does anybody else groove on this type of film?
And- What am I missing from my list?

action movies and 80's are pretty synonymous in my mind.  definitely a product of the times--the genre really kind of peaked then, IMO.  

missing from the list:

commando
the 2nd & 3rd rambo movies
invasion USA

i'm sure there are plenty more, but that's all off the top of my head

Holy shit- Commando! "Solly, I kill you last!" Added to the list.

For a fun list of movies to look for, check out the Ruthless Guide to 80s Action.

80s action rocks. I especially dig Arnie - with its comedic instances it comes close to the action in my own contemporary and near-future games.
But then again, you can hardly pick wrong with action from this era, and Jean-Claude van Damme would kick Jackie Chans and Will Smiths ass simultaneous.

However, I'm generally a retro guy who would every day choose a NES over a Playstation and classic Battlestar Galactica over the new one.


And don't forget the action series from this era. Stuff as McGyver, Knight Rider and A-Team is still beyond much of todays stuff, and even outright bad series like "Thunder in Paradise" have their qualities compared to nowaday.

Quote from: jrientsFor a fun list of movies to look for, check out the Ruthless Guide to 80s Action.

Yup, thats a pretty good list. I my self dig 80's action movies too. I never seem to be able to change the channel when I come across "Lone Wolf McQuaid". A little known movie you should check out is "Dogs of War". For the times and budget. Its a pretty good movie. Besides how can you go wrong with Christopher Walken?
 
A quick plot summary
An American mercenary executes a coup in a small African country designed to bring to power another dictator friendlier to a British multinational company. Not a remake of _The Wild Geese_ but another and more faithful adaptation of the novel 'The Dogs of War'.

Quote from: jrientsFor a fun list of movies to look for, check out the Ruthless Guide to 80s Action.

Thanks man! That's a great list. The "humor" in the reviews gets old really fast though.

I prefer excessive violence to be even more mindless, so if you can deal with zero CGI let me suggest Assault on Precinct 13 and They Live.

Assault on precint 13 is a fine film, I'll add it to my list.
However, I don't think I can sit through They Live again.

Don't forget Chuck Norris, he roundhouse kicked the communism out of Vietnam

Quote from: AosAssault on precint 13 is a fine film, I'll add it to my list.
However, I don't think I can sit through They Live again.

But it's got Rowdy Roddy in it having a pro wrestling fight with Keith David over whether or not to put on some ray-bans.  Plus those classic bits of award-losing dialog like "I ain't daddy's little boy no more.  There's gonna be hell to pay." and "I'm here to chew bubblegum and kick ass.  And I'm all outta bubblegum."

What's not to love?  

Quote from: AosHoly shit- Commando! "Solly, I kill you last!" Added to the list.

"Blow off some steam, Bennett."

Oh, and, hey!  Where the hell's Predator on your list?  No one's mentioned it yet.  Governor Ventura's in that one.  Back in the day, we dragged our most cynical, cerebral, high-brow friend to see Predator with us, practically kicking and screaming.  As we left the theater after the movie, he was strangely quiet.  Expecting him to eviscerate the experience, we asked him, "So, what did you think?"  He paused for a moment, then said, "You know...it was a pretty good movie."

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaWhere the hell's Predator on your list?  

!i!

added- thanks! There are many of these that I have totally forgotten.

it was the end of the period (1990) but you need predator 2 as well.  no arnie, but a different, "urban" action film.  plus you can't beat maria conchita alonso, and morton downey jr. screaming about the "jamaican voodoo posse!"  the beginning battles are stupendous

oop, she was in "running man" too!  add that one to the list as well.  campy!

Quote from: beeberit was the end of the period (1990) but you need predator 2 as well.  no arnie, but a different, "urban" action film.

And keep your eyes peeled for the skull of the Reticulan parasite (the "Alien") during the very brief shot of the inside of the space ship.

Hey, Danny Glover was in that one, right?  I recall that watching it was a bit like Lethal Weapon meets Predator -- I kept expecting Mel Gibson to storm onto the scene at any moment.

Oh'p!  There's another one.  The whole Lethal Weapon series.  Well, okay, maybe just the first couple.

!i!