Movies of the 1980s are synonymous with two things; cheese and action. In many cases, the two combined to make some hugely enjoyable films.
One movie-loving internet user has started a discussion asking for cheesy 80s action movie suggestions. These are some of the best answers they received.
1. The Running Man (1987)
In truth, this list could quite quickly be filled with Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, and we’ve opted to include a few, starting with The Running Man. A couple of users give it as an answer, prompting another to reply that it’s “so good.”
It’s based loosely on Stephen King’s 1982 novel (published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman). It centers on a television show in which convicted criminal “runners” must escape death at the hands of professional killers known as “stalkers.” It’s teeming with Arnie’s trademark cheesy lines, such as “he had to split” and “he was a real pain in the neck.”
2. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Big Trouble in Little China is a fantasy action-comedy movie directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell. It’s about a truck driver who helps his friend rescue his fiancée from bandits in San Francisco’s Chinatown, where they end up in the mysterious underworld and face off against an ancient sorcerer.
Several people give this as an answer, suggesting it’s a well-liked film. Its cheesiness stems from its one-liners, poor special effects, and B-movie feel, but it’s an action-packed romp. Kurt Russell is iconic in this movie.
3. Road House (1989)
Road House is an action flick about a cooler protecting a small Missouri town from a corrupt business person at a newly refurbished roadside bar with a terrible reputation. It stars Patrick Swayze as the cooler with a mysterious past and a formidable set of skills.
It’s been given as an answer by several posters who all agree it’s incredibly cheesy. Given its brilliant fight scenes, it undoubtedly falls within the criteria for this discussion.
4. Predator (1987)
Predator is a sci-fi action movie and another Arnold Schwarzenegger offering bursting at the seams with epic quotable lines. “Get to the chopper,” anyone? Of course, Arnie’s Alan “Dutch” Schaefer isn’t the only quotable character in this one. Jesse Ventura’s Blain Cooper says, “I ain’t got time to bleed,” and it’s epic.
It follows an elite paramilitary rescue team on a mission to save hostages from guerrillas in a Guatemala rainforest. They encounter the eponymous Predator, a skilled, technologically advanced extraterrestrial who hunts them down individually. Several people suggest it as an answer.
5. Commando (1985)
More Arnie goodness now – the 1980s was undeniably his decade – and this time, the movie is Commando. Loads of users give this as their answer in the discussion, and that’s no surprise. There’s loads of great action, and it has cheesy lines like “let off some steam, Bennett!”
The movie is about a retired Special Forces colonel attempting to save his daughter, whom his former subordinate kidnapped.
6. Batman (1989)
When you think of cheesy superheroes, Batman isn’t usually one that comes to mind. However, between the 1960s television show and the Batman movies of the 1980s and 1990s, there’s more cheese than a supermarket fridge.
Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman movie is given as an answer in this discussion. It depicts the early era of Batman’s vigilante exploits and focuses on his rivalry with the iconic Joker. While it has some typically dark and mysterious Dark Knight moments, it’s mainly cheesy and fun.
7. Top Gun (1986)
Top Gun is an action drama movie inspired by an article titled “Top Guns,” written by Ehud Yonay and published in California magazine in 1983. It’s about a young naval aviator who, along with a class of fellow recruits, gets to train at the US Navy’s Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California.
It’s given as an answer by several people in this discussion, with good reason. The air-based action is incredible, but the movie has loads of cheesy dialogue, many cringe-worthy long looks, and meaningful pauses.
8. Masters of the Universe (1987)
Masters of the Universe is a quintessentially 1980s franchise, and the toy line and animated series are synonymous with the decade for children who grew up in it. The live-action movie was a cheese-fest of epic proportions, which is why it’s been given as an answer in this discussion.
It follows He-Man and his allies to Earth, where they meet two teenagers and must save the universe from Skeletor and his evil forces. Dolph Lundgren’s hammy performance as He-Man opposite Frank Langella’s excellent performance as Skeletor makes the whole thing hilarious.
9. Bloodsport (1988)
Bloodsport is a martial arts action movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. It’s based on the real-life claims of Frank Dux that he entered and won an underground, full-contact martial arts tournament called the Kumite in Hong Kong.
Several people suggest Bloodsport in this discussion. It’s well worth its spot on this list for its soundtrack alone. “Fight to Survive” might be the cheesiest song ever written. The final scene in which Dux beats his opponent while blind is the ultimate cheesy victory.
10. Tango & Cash (1989)
Tango & Cash is a prevalent suggestion in this discussion – and it feels only fitting that there should be one buddy cop movie in this list, given the genre’s popularity in the 1980s. It stars Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell as two rival LAPD narcotics detectives forced to work together when a criminal mastermind frames them for murder.
It’s incredibly violent, so it fits the action criteria, but it’s also full of hammy acting and corny dialogue, so it matches the cheesy criteria as well.
Source: Reddit.
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