80's Action Movies: Best and Worst
Action movies from 1980 - 1989 arranged by year. Buddy cops, one man armies, vigilantes, sci-fi/action, rescue missions to Vietnam, and old fashioned adventures.
Schwarzenegger and Stallone enter the picture.
70's Action Movies
80's Action Movies
90's Action Movies
2000's Action Movies
2010's Action Movies
Schwarzenegger and Stallone enter the picture.
70's Action Movies
80's Action Movies
90's Action Movies
2000's Action Movies
2010's Action Movies
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236 titles
- DirectorRobert ClouseStarsJackie ChanKristine DeBellJosé FerrerA young Asian-American martial artist is forced to participate in a brutal formal street-fighting competition.
- DirectorChristopher LeitchStarsTelly SavalasDanny De La PazEddie AlbertUS Border Patrol agent Frank Cooper is keeping a fine balance between doing his duty and empathizing with illegal Mexican border jumpers in 1970s California.
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsFabio TestiIvana MontiMarcel BozzuffiSomeone is muscling in on the two brothers' cigarette smuggling into Italy at Naples. The police is tipped off, then Mickey's stable burns down, then the killing etc. starts. Luca responds.
- DirectorJohn FlynnStarsJan-Michael VincentTheresa SaldanaDanny AielloAn out-of work merchant seaman single-handedly tames a powerful street gang "The Souls" that has been terrorizing his neighborhood on New York City's Lower East Side.
- DirectorJohn IrvinStarsChristopher WalkenTom BerengerColin BlakelyMercenary James Shannon, on a reconnaissance job to the African nation of Zangaro, is tortured and deported. He returns to lead a coup.
- DirectorJames GlickenhausStarsRobert GintySamantha EggarChristopher GeorgeA man's best friend is killed on the streets of New York City. The man (Robert Ginty) then transforms into a violent killer, turning New York City into a great war zone, and Christopher George is the only one to stop him.
- DirectorBuzz KulikStarsSteve McQueenEli WallachKathryn HarroldBounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson is receiving death threats from a criminal he helped put away. This while his girlfriend is about to give birth, an event he isn't looking forward to.
- DirectorRobert ButlerSidney J. FurieStarsJames BrolinCliff GormanRichard S. CastellanoA tough, New York City ex-cop relentlessly searches for his kidnapped teenage daughter whom is held by a twisted psycho after mistaking her for the daughter of a wealthy businessman.
- DirectorEric KarsonStarsChuck NorrisKaren CarlsonLee Van CleefA martial artist must defeat a plan by ninjas to create a worldwide training camp for terrorists.
- DirectorMax KlevenStarsDirk BenedictLinda BlairRichard FarnsworthA Vietnam veteran passing through a small town is harassed by local bullies but he fights back, using his wartime skills, and triggers a full-scale police manhunt.
- DirectorJackie ChanStarsJackie ChanPai WeiBiao YuenA talented martial arts student goes after his expelled brother, who get into bad company.
- DirectorPeter R. HuntStarsCharles BronsonLee MarvinAndrew StevensIn 1931 Canada, Yukon trapper Johnson has a feud with a dog owner who later retaliates by publicly accusing Johnson of murder and thus triggering a police manhunt in the wilderness.
- DirectorMenahem GolanStarsFranco NeroSusan GeorgeShô KosugiAfter passing a ninja master test in Japan, Cole visits a war buddy in the Philippines. He helps him fight men, who want his buddy's plantation.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellLee Van CleefErnest BorgnineIn 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in to rescue him.I included a handful of sci-fi movies
- DirectorSteve CarverStarsChuck NorrisChristopher LeeRichard RoundtreeA SFPD undercover narcotics cop aims to avenge his partner's death and destroy a drug-smuggling ring operated by the Chinese Triads.
- DirectorCirio H. SantiagoStarsJillian KesnerDarby HintonRey MalonzoFemme fatale martial arts expert teaches the mafia a lesson.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreCarole BouquetTopolSecret service agent James Bond is assigned to find a missing British vessel equipped with a weapons encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonBruce SpenceMichael PrestonIn the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community escape a horde of bandits.Sci-Fi/Action.
- DirectorBruce MalmuthGary NelsonStarsSylvester StalloneRutger HauerBilly Dee WilliamsWhen one of Europe's most lethal terrorists shows up in New York, an elite undercover cop is assigned to take him down by any means necessary.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKaren AllenPaul FreemanIn 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
- DirectorBurt ReynoldsStarsBurt ReynoldsRachel WardVittorio GassmanTom Sharky is demoted to vice after a bust goes terribly wrong. He and his team stumble across a mob murder tied to prostitution and government.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsKeith CarradinePowers BootheFred WardDuring a routine exercise, a team of National Guardsmen are threatened by angry and violent locals.
- DirectorDavid HemmingsStarsKen WahlLesley Ann WarrenDonald PleasenceA drunken deer hunter, his pilot colleague and his daughter compete with a treasure hunter to reach a lake in New Zealand and uncover a WWII-era plane wreck carrying a fortune in gold.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsNick NolteEddie MurphyAnnette O'TooleA hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him in order to track down a killer.
- DirectorJohn FrankenheimerStarsScott GlennToshirô MifuneDonna Kei BenzA down-and-out American boxer becomes involved in a feud between two Japanese brothers.
- DirectorMichael WinnerStarsCharles BronsonJill IrelandVincent GardeniaArchitect Paul Kersey once again becomes a vigilante when he tries to find the five street punks who murdered his daughter and housekeeper, this time on the dark streets of Los Angeles.
- DirectorJackie ChanStarsJackie ChanMarsMichael Wai-Man ChanThe adventures of a restless martial arts student called Dragon, who, while constantly pursuing a girl, gets involved in the affairs of a gang of thieves.
- DirectorLewis TeagueStarsTom SkerrittPatti LuPoneMichael SarrazinA Philadelphia shop owner forms a civilian patrol to stop neighborhood crime. The patrol's actions are seen as racially discriminatory, leading to escalating conflict.
- DirectorIan SharpStarsLewis CollinsJudy DavisRichard WidmarkIt's suspected that a peace/anti-nuke organization in UK has some extremists willing to use terrorism. The action will probably be against an embassy in London. The SAS/Special Air Service try to get the organization infiltrated.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodFreddie JonesDavid HuffmanA pilot is sent into the Soviet Union on a mission to steal a prototype jet fighter that can be partially controlled by a neuralink.
- DirectorTed KotcheffStarsSylvester StalloneBrian DennehyRichard CrennaA 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.
- DirectorJames FargoStarsChuck NorrisMary Louise WellerCamila GriggsA casino security guard is forced into violence from when the Hong Kong mob threatens his friends.
- DirectorJosé Antonio de la LomaStarsJorge RiveroMaud AdamsMax von SydowA Spanish police chief hires an undercover agent (a Jewish mercenary(?)) to infiltrate a gang of heroin smugglers. The mercenary is code-named Eagle because of a tattoo. Infiltrating the gang, he uses a female agent as a point of contact. However, as he gets deeper into the gang, he discovers that there bigger goings-on than dope. The gang is involved in the transportation of smuggled uranium for the manufacture of nuclear arms for sale to Libya and other aspiring third world countries. Things get even stickier when a ruthless bad guy shows up and he turns out to be one of Eagle's former cohorts in the Foreign Legion.
- DirectorRichard T. HeffronStarsArmand AssanteBarbara CarreraLaurene LandonA PI investigates the murder of his one-armed friend, a PI working on a case. Clues lead to a sex clinic. Bodies pile up.
- DirectorFred WilliamsonStarsFred WilliamsonJim BrownJim KellyA pair of tough cops go after the mob who rigged the martial arts tournament and injured their buddy.1982, Not 1976.
- DirectorMichael MillerStarsChuck NorrisRon SilverSteven KeatsA sheriff tries to stop the killing spree of a silent maniacal murderer who, as the result of secret genetic experimentation by an unethical scientist, has the ability to self-heal.
- DirectorJames GlickenhausStarsKen WahlAlberta WatsonJeremiah SullivanTerrorists take over a plutonium bomb and threaten to detonate it in a Saudi Arabian oil field. A special anti-terrorist unit is sent in to stop them.
- DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsCharles BronsonLisa EilbacherAndrew StevensAn LAPD detective and his rookie partner are on the trail of a psychopathic young man who is murdering young women.
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsRoy ScheiderWarren OatesCandy ClarkThe cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.
- DirectorPaul AaronStarsWings HauserJoyce IngallsPaul ShenarA disgraced former police officer returns to Los Angeles as a private detective and vigilante to catch a mass murderer. When he crosses paths with his estranged wife, he tries to rekindle their relationship.
- DirectorJeff KanewStarsKirk DouglasJohn SchneiderLee PurcellA young man, harshly sentenced for a few minor infractions, escapes from a prison in Huntsville Texas and flees to Laredo, Texas, where he hopes to cross into Mexico for a reunion with his wife and small son.
- DirectorSteve CarverStarsChuck NorrisDavid CarradineBarbara CarreraAfter helping the local police with some horse thieves, a Texas Ranger aims at a drug lord with arms trade as well. They're interested in the same woman and they're both into martial arts.
- DirectorIrvin KershnerStarsSean ConneryKim BasingerKlaus Maria BrandauerA S.P.E.C.T.R.E. agent has stolen two American nuclear warheads, and James Bond must find their targets before they are detonated.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreMaud AdamsLouis JourdanA fake Fabergé egg recovered from the body of a fellow agent leads James Bond to uncover a jewel smuggling operation led by the mysterious Octopussy, and a plot to blow up a NATO air base.
- DirectorJackie ChanSammo Kam-Bo HungStarsJackie ChanSammo Kam-Bo HungBiao YuenFighting against pirates at the turn of the 20th century, the Hong Kong navy are failing miserably. It's up to Sergeant Lung (Jackie Chan) to take matters into his own hands.
- 19831h 36mTV-PG6.4 (744)TV MovieDirectorRay AustinStarsRobert VaughnDavid McCallumPatrick MacneeWhen THRUSH steals a nuclear weapon and demands a ransom delivered by Napoleon Solo, UNCLE recalls him and his partner to duty.
- DirectorSam FirstenbergStarsShô KosugiKeith VitaliVirgil FryeAfter ninjas killed his family, Cho and his son Kane come to America to start a new life. He opens a doll shop but is unwittingly importing heroin in the dolls. When his friend betrays him, Cho must prepare for the ultimate battle.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsAl PacinoMichelle PfeifferSteven BauerIn 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodSondra LockePat HingleWhen a woman exacts deadly revenge on the aggressors who raped her and her sister ten years earlier, Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan is assigned to the case.
- DirectorTed KotcheffStarsGene HackmanPatrick SwayzeRobert StackTen years after his son went M.I.A. in Vietnam, U.S. Marine retired Colonel Jason Rhodes assembles a private rescue team to find Americans held in P.O.W. camps in Laos.
- DirectorWilliam LustigStarsRobert ForsterFred WilliamsonRichard BrightAfter his wife and son got brutalized by a street gang, and a corrupt criminal justice system puts the perpetrators back on the street, a NYC factory worker teams up with a vigilante group to find some measure of bloody justice.
- DirectorLawrence David FoldesDeran SarafianStarsErnest BorgnineRichard RoundtreeLynda Day GeorgeA young woman is gang raped and murdered in a California college town, sparking her brother Kevin to take up arms by night with a gang of like-minded vigilantes from his fraternity, brutally punishing any miscreants they catch in a criminal act. In the meantime, Kevin debates the issue of violent crime in the U.S. with his teachers and others during the day. As Kevin and his gang head toward a final, bloody confrontation with the low-lifes who murdered his sister, other scenes show the difference between his character, now violent, and the normal people he is supposedly protecting.
- DirectorMartin BrestStarsEddie MurphyJudge ReinholdJohn AshtonA freewheeling Detroit cop pursuing a murder investigation finds himself dealing with the very different culture of Beverly Hills.
- DirectorLamberto BavaStarsMichael SopkiwValentina ForteGeorge EastmanA former policeman sets out to unleash violent vengeance upon deer poachers when they rape and kill his long lost daughter.
- DirectorRichard BenjaminStarsClint EastwoodBurt ReynoldsJane AlexanderSlick Private Investigator Mike Murphy (Burt Reynolds) and tough Police Lieutenant Speer (Clint Eastwood), once partners, now bitter enemies, reluctantly team up to investigate a murder.
- DirectorAntonio MargheritiStarsLewis CollinsLee Van CleefErnest BorgnineCommander Robin Wesley, leader of a group of mercenaries, go to the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia to overthrow the dictator, who is a major manufacturer and dealer of the world's opium.
- DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsCharles BronsonTheresa SaldanaJoseph MaherA professional killer comes out of retirement to investigate and avenge the brutal murder of an old friend.
- DirectorMark BuntzmanStarsRobert GintyMario Van PeeblesDeborah GeffnerThe flamethrower-wielding vigilante John Eastland returns to rid New York City of a drug lord and his gang.
- DirectorRomolo GuerrieriStarsWilliam MangMarina CostaHarrison MullerAfter a nuclear holocaust, as the rest of society regresses to primitivism, a small, "elite" group that has managed to escape radioactive contamination takes it upon itself to exterminate those it sees as "unfit", including certain members of its own group.
- DirectorJames BryanStarsTina LouiseAdam WestRuss AlexanderA woman whose car breaks down in the desert and attacked by bikers finds her way to a small town, where the town residents are terrorized by the psycho bikers.Cars don't start when the Hell Riders are around
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKate CapshawKe Huy QuanIn 1935, Indiana Jones is tasked by Indian villagers with reclaiming a rock stolen from them by a secret cult beneath the catacombs of an ancient palace.
- DirectorRoger YoungStarsTom SelleckJane SeymourLauren HuttonA handsome jewel thief is arrested and in order to avoid prison, must break into the heavily guarded German Embassy to steal millions in gems.
- DirectorJoseph ZitoStarsChuck NorrisM. Emmet WalshDavid TressColonel Braddock launches a mission deep into the jungles of Vietnam to find the POW camp that he escaped from and free the Americans still held captive there.
- DirectorSam FirstenbergStarsShô KosugiLucinda DickeyJordan BennettAn evil ninja attempts to avenge his death from beyond the grave, by possessing an innocent woman's body.
- DirectorPierre ChevalierStarsSybil DanningJack TaylorKarin SchubertA squad of female mercenaries take on an organization called Space Clean, which is dedicated to stopping space exploration.
- DirectorJohn MiliusStarsPatrick SwayzeC. Thomas HowellLea ThompsonIt 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.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael DouglasKathleen TurnerDanny DeVitoA mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure hunting for treasure with a mercenary rogue.
- DirectorDanny SteinmannTom DeSimoneStarsLinda BlairJohn VernonRobert DryerA teenage vigilante seeks revenge on a group of violent thugs who raped her handicapped sister and killed her best friend.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsMichael ParéDiane LaneRick MoranisA mercenary is hired to rescue his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped by a motorcycle gang.
- DirectorMarvin J. ChomskyStarsJames GarnerShirley JonesC. Thomas HowellSergeant Major Zack arrives at a new army base with his wife, son and Sherman tank. One night at a bar he "stops" a pimp/deputy from beating a girl. The corrupt sheriff uses Zack's son for revenge and Zack uses his tank.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerLinda HamiltonMichael BiehnA human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.Sci-Fi/Action
- DirectorPaul KrasnyStarsMorgan FairchildBilly Dee WilliamsJoseph BottomsA gang of terrorists tries to hijack a truck carrying plutonium.
- DirectorDavid FisherStarsJason MillerCleavon LittleRodolfo de AndaWhile on a vacation in Central America, some American teenagers are kidnapped by terrorists. A rescue mission is sent after them, but they manage to escape and join up with a mercenary fighting the terrorists.
- DirectorFernando Di LeoStarsHenry SilvaHarrison MullerWoody StrodeMike Martin is an ex CIA agent who goes on a final mission to Thailand to expose a group of KGB infiltrators in the area.
- DirectorLeo FongStarsBernie PockMyraCynthia RothrockThere are two plots in this movie and oddly enough, they don't intersect. One plot follows the revenge of a martial artist whose husband is killed. The other follows two cops who like to punch and kick their way around.
- DirectorSam FirstenbergStarsMichael DudikoffSteve JamesJudie AronsonAmerican soldier, obviously very skilled in martial arts, single-handedly takes on mercenaries in the Philippines.
- DirectorCharles E. Sellier Jr.StarsJim AntonioSid ConradGerrit GrahamUpon his return from Vietnam, an ex-soldier finds his neighborhood has deteriorated badly, and is being terrorized by a vicious street gang. He calls some of his GI buddies, and together they hatch a plan to get rid of the gang.
- DirectorHéctor OliveraStarsJohn SchneiderKathryn WittRoyal DanoA DEA undercover agent who works for the biggest cocaine exporter of the region refuses to perform a hit for the drug lord. The assignment becomes personal and decides to strike back before it's too late.
- DirectorAndrew DavisStarsChuck NorrisHenry SilvaBert RemsenA Chicago cop is caught in the middle of a gang war while his own comrades shun him because he wants to take down an irresponsible cop.
- DirectorMark L. LesterStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerRae Dawn ChongDan HedayaA retired Special Forces colonel tries to save his daughter, who was abducted by his former subordinate.
- DirectorMichael WinnerStarsCharles BronsonDeborah RaffinEd LauterArchitect/vigilante Paul Kersey arrives back in New York City and is forcibly recruited by a crooked police chief to fight street crime caused by a large gang terrorizing the neighborhoods.
- DirectorSammo Kam-Bo HungStarsSammo Kam-Bo HungCharlie ChinStanley Sui-Fan FungMuscles, cop from Hong Kong, is in Japan chasing a bad HK cop. His cop partner gets taken by the ninja gang. Muscles gets his 5 old no-good friends from the orphanage to help find the bad cop. Lots of comedy and kung-fu fighting follows.
- DirectorJoseph ZitoStarsChuck NorrisRichard LynchMelissa ProphetA one-man army comes to the rescue when the United States are invaded by communists.
- DirectorLewis TeagueStarsMichael DouglasKathleen TurnerDanny DeVitoWhen Joan Wilder is abducted while on a trip along the Nile, her boyfriend, Jack Colton, and pal Ralph rush to rescue her and retrieve a fabled jewel.
- DirectorDwight H. LittleStarsMichael BillingtonDenise DuBarryMichael AnsaraA KGB agent operating inside the U.S. steals top secret computer microchips.
- DirectorMichael SchultzStarsTaimakVanityChristopher MurneyIn New York City, a young man searches for a Master to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as the Glow.
- DirectorMatthew RobbinsStarsHelen SlaterChristian SlaterKeith GordonA Texas teenager cuts her hair short and becomes an outlaw martyr with her brother and friends.
- DirectorAndy SidarisStarsDarby HintonSybil DanningArt MetranoA womanizing private detective is assigned the task of investigating who is behind the hi-tech computer technology leaks to the Russians.
- DirectorLance HoolStarsChuck NorrisSoon-Tek OhSteven WilliamsPrequel to the first Missing In Action, set in the early 1980s it shows the capture of Colonel Braddock during the Vietnam war in the 1970s, and his captivity with other American POWs in a brutal prison camp, and his plans to escape.
- DirectorEmmett AlstonStarsShô KosugiBrent HuffEmilia CrowTwo anti-terrorist agents are assigned to free a busload of American schoolchildren in the Philippines who are taken hostage by terrorists.
- DirectorJackie ChanChi-Hwa ChenStarsJackie ChanMaggie CheungBrigitte LinA virtuous Hong Kong Police Officer must clear his good name when the drug lord he is after frames him for the murder of a dirty cop.
- DirectorGordon HesslerStarsShô KosugiJames BoothDonna Kei BenzAfter a peace-loving Japanese immigrant and his family become victims of a crime syndicate, a master ninja emerges.
- DirectorJames GlickenhausStarsJackie ChanDanny AielloSandy AlexanderTwo New York City cops, Billy Wong and Danny Garoni, head to Hong Kong after the daughter of a rich businessman is kidnapped by the drug lord, Mr. Ko.
- DirectorGeorge P. CosmatosStarsSylvester StalloneRichard CrennaCharles NapierRambo returns to the jungles of Vietnam on a mission to infiltrate an enemy base-camp and rescue the American POWs still held captive there.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsFred WardJoel GreyWilford BrimleyAn officially "dead" cop is trained to become an extraordinary unique assassin in service of the US President.
- DirectorAndrey KonchalovskiyStarsJon VoightEric RobertsRebecca De MornayTwo escaped convicts and a female railway worker find themselves trapped on a speeding train with no brakes and nobody driving.
- DirectorBruce MorrisonStarsCliff RobertsonLeif GarrettLisa HarrowWith the accidental discovery of a lethal bio-agent at her research facility, Dr. Christine Ruben decides to double cross her own government by stealing the deadly formula to keep it out of the clutches of the military, whom she doesn't trust. To make her rendezvous with some confederates who promise to get her out of the country, she recruits daredevil driver Judd Pierson and his partner Casey Lee, who are down on their luck and take the job without knowing what they're getting into.
- DirectorJosh BeckerStarsBrian SchulzRobert RickmanJohn ManfrediJack Stryker took two bullets in the leg in Vietnam and was carried back by one of his men. When he returns he tries to live a peaceful life in his cabin and resume dating his girlfriend, Sally. Meanwhile, a vicious cult let by Sam Raimi, who believes he is Jesus Christ, has been slaughtering people and doing blood sacrifices. When Stryker finds Sally gone, and her grandfather, Otis, used as a human dartboard, Stryker brings together his army buddies, gives them a stash of guns from under his bed, destroy an outhouse, and create a war zone not unlike Vietnam to destroy the evil cult.
- DirectorArthur PennStarsGene HackmanMatt DillonBrad WilliamsWhen American Donna Lloyd is kidnapped during a trip to Europe, her son Chris and her husband Walter start searching for her.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsWilliam PetersenWillem DafoeJane LeevesA fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.