Ah yes, the 1980s. Cassette tapes, synth-pop, Pac-Man, MTV… and… New Coke. Was there anything the 80s couldn’t do? The decade of conspicuous consumption unleashed upon the world a plethora of incredibly entertaining sci-fi, action, and horror films and franchises. No decade before or since can compare to the 1980s in sheer terms of just how awesome it truly was. Need proof? Go and take a look at all the modern day film franchises that are based off of 1980s television properties, the slue of film remakes both released and in production, and the advent of the “kinda-sorta-hoverboard” (it has wheels, so… no. Just no).
Stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russel played the most badass characters on the planet, often in the role of the “lone wolf”, which is still my personal favorite fantasy scenario (not kidding), while films like The Thing pushed the limits of practical effects before Jurassic Park (which still looks incredible, I might add) came along and changed the special effects landscape forever… for better or for worse. The following list will detail my top six favorite sci-fi action films from the 1980s in a very particular order, so let’s get our fancy 3D spectacles on and get down to it!
6. Predator (1987)
What better way to start this list than with a Schwarzenegger movie? Directed by John McKiernan (Die Hard), and starring Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers (Rocky), Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Peter Cullen (Optimus f’n Prime!) as the voice of the Predator, this movie is an absolute blast. When a special forces unit let by Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer (Schwarzenegger) is sent in to rescue a hostage in a remote South American jungle, all hell breaks loose when an unstoppable and invisible enemy begins taking down Dutch’s crew one by one. Turns out it was the Predator all along, who knew?
Predator contains all the hallmarks of a classic 1980s action film such as big guns, big muscles, explosive action, one-liners, an excellent villain, and of course, the perfect protagonist: Arnold, ’nuff said. The genius of this film is that it doesn’t spoil the viewer too early on and we don’t really get a good look at the Predator until the final battle, much in the vein of films like Jaws. This helps to create a ton of tension leading up to Dutch’s one-on-one encounter with that “ugly son of a b****”, the Predator, and you can be sure that what follows is without a doubt one of the best 1980s film showdowns ever. Sadly the franchise went downhill from here, but we still have the classic to go back to, which is something I do more often than I care to admit.
Best scene: Dutch’s preparation for and confrontation with the Predator.
Favorite quote: “I ain’t got time to bleed.” – Blain (Jesse Ventura)
Moving along, our next film has a fight scene that easily outdoes what we saw in Predator, and it has a great pair of shades!
5. They Live (1988)
Coming in at the fifth spot in the countdown is They Live. With all the awesome John Carpenter movies of the 80s, it was difficult to pick just one, but I personally think that They Live fits into the sci-fi/action genre just a bit better than films like Escape From New York or The Thing; the latter of which I consider to be more of a sci-fi/horror film.
Starring the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in a stand out performance as the lone drifter “Nada,” They Live is perfect for those of you out there who believe that the Reptilians are among us. When Nada discovers a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see through the aliens’ human disguises, he stages a one-man war against humanity’s oppressors before stumbling upon a resistance group that has been planning their own attack on the vile alien elite.
They Live might come off as somewhat preachy if you haven’t seen it, but the undertones are just that; they do not distract from the action of the story whatsoever, and can be ignored if you so desire. Having said that, I think this film is particularly relevant to the present state of society, and I’m surprised that it isn’t spoken about more. Oh well, let’s talk a bit more about They Live.
A stand-out scene from this film is the often-mentioned fight scene between Nada and Frank, played by co-star Keith David. In a street fight that clocks in at just over five minutes, Nada struggles to force Frank to put on the sunglasses and see the awful truth of humankind’s existence. While Carpenter has stated that Piper’s inclusion in the cast of They Live is what inspired him to shoot such a complex fight scene, I think it is also worth mentioning that the scene itself demonstrates Nada’s frustration at trying to convince Frank of the truth, as well as Frank’s refusal to do so; hence the relentless beating both men endure. Who am I kidding, just watch it!
Best scene: You just saw it.
Favorite quote: “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubblegum.” – Nada as he prepares to take down a group of aliens with a shotgun.
The next film in the countdown (or…count-up?) should have been seen by most of our faithful readers… I hope.
4. The Terminator (1984)
Does this movie really need any introduction? The James Cameron classic that started it all comes in at number four. While this film is by far my favorite in the franchise, I still think that Terminator 2: Judgment Day fits the description of a sci-fi/action movie much more comfortably, but T2 wasn’t released until 1991, which automatically disqualifies it from this list. Bottom line is, you can’t have sci-fi action without The Terminator.
For those of you that haven’t seen this film (may God have mercy on your soul), it is about a group of resistance fighters from the future led by John Conner who send a man named Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) back in time to protect Conner’s mother, Sarah (Linda Hamilton), from a cybernetic assassin known simply as the “Terminator.” Or, the “T-800” or “Cyberdyne Systems Model 101;” whichever you prefer. The Terminator was sent back in time by Skynet to kill Sarah Conner before she can give birth to John, as he gives Skynet a bit of trouble in the future and Skynet is all like “hey, if we can just kill his mom before he’s born, we’ll be all good right?” Wrong. Because if we’ve learned anything from 1980s action films, it’s that the lone wolf can and will get the job done. Every. Time.
Of course, I cannot talk about The Terminator without also mentioning Arnold Schwarzenegger in his second appearance on this list (I really should do a countdown of Arnold movies). Unlike subsequent films in the franchise, Schwarzenegger plays the villain in this movie. With hardly any spoken lines, Arnold manages to scare the hell out of just about anybody who watches The Terminator as he relentlessly pursues Sarah and Reese throughout Los Angeles and kills, without hesitation or mercy, anyone who gets in his way. For this reason I feel that The Terminator works on the level of sci-fi/horror pretty well, and should satisfy the appetite of those who thirst for a little fright in their action movies.
Best scene: The Terminator purchasing weapons from a gun store,
Favorite quote: “I’ll be ba-” naaah just kidding. “Wrong!” -The Terminator, from the aforementioned scene.
Alright, we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty with the top three sci-fi/action films in the countdown. What will they be? I already know, but you don’t, so you should keep reading!
3. Blade Runner (1982)
I just want to get something out of the way here. Blade Runner might just be my favorite movie of all time, but it doesn’t contain that much action, which is the singular reason it did not automatically make number one. As a science-fiction film, I can’t think of anything better than this, especially if we’re talking about the 2007 “Final Cut” version, which we are. Let’s find out just why this film ranks higher than the junk that came before it!
Blade Runner is not only my favorite movie, but it also just happens to be based off of a book called Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by one of my favorite science-fiction writers, Philip K. Dick. I will say that the film does have a catchier title, but the book’s title is interesting all on its own. The legendary Ridley Scott directs this adaptation, which stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The film is about a group of rogue “Replicants” (androids) that have returned to Earth from an off-world colony looking to extend their four-year life-spans. Of course, all this behavior is highly illegal and the short life-span is a fail-safe put into place by the Tyrell Corporation for just this sort of thing, so retired “Blade Runner” Rick Deckard (Ford) is tasked with taking them out. This is no easy feat since these Replicants are Nexus-6 models, the most advanced kind, but if we’ve learned anything from 1980s action films…
In all seriousness, Blade Runner is by far the most thought-inspiring entry on this list. During the course of the film, we start to wonder if Deckard himself is a Replicant, which is something that gets way more attention in the 2007 “Final Cut,” with his dreams of unicorns (not kidding) starting to look suspiciously like memory implants. Not only that, but Deckard enters into a love affair of sorts with Rachel (Young), who is a Replicant so advanced that she herself isn’t even aware of her synthetic nature. Human/android relations: depraved or a thing of beauty? The choice is yours.
Perhaps one of the best things about Blade Runner is Rutger Hauer’s performance as Roy Batty, the Nexus-6 who just wants more time to experience life. Disillusioned with his four-year life-span, Batty seeks out his creator, Dr. Tyrell, and demands that Tyrell give him “more life” in one of the film’s stand out scenes. When Tyrell refuses, the meeting takes a nosedive and Batty winds up crushing his creator’s head with his bare hands. Whoops!
Something about Blade Runner that never ceases to amaze me, even now in 2015, is just how damn good it looks. Everything from the set designs to the costumes scream “retro-fitted future”, and I’ve found myself watching the film on mute just to admire how incredibly pleasing to the eye everything is. If you haven’t seen this one yet, I implore you, go do so as soon as you are able. But make sure it’s the 2007 “Final Cut”!
Best scene and favorite quote? Just watch this clip:
Only two films left in the countdown! I hope you’ve got your bug spray for this next one!
2. Aliens (1986)
I wasn’t kidding about the bug spray, this movie has more “bugs” than you can shake a stick at! The sequel to Ridley Scott’s Alien was directed by James Cameron and stands as somewhat of a departure from its prequel, yet I think this movie is what gave the franchise much of its identity.
After being stranded in space since the events of Alien, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is finally rescued and brought back to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation where she discovers that she has been in cryo-sleep for fifty-seven years. Because of this, Ripley has outlived her own daughter, much to her horror. This, coupled with the living nightmare she experienced aboard the commercial ship Nostromo during the events of Alien causes Ripley to agree to travel with a squad of space marines, and yet another android, back to LV-426 to investigate a disturbance at a space colony. Hmm… I wonder what the trouble is?
You guessed it: tons of aliens. It appears that the aliens decided to take the colony for themselves (you should see pre-colonized LV-426. I don’t blame them), where the alien queen continues to birth more baby aliens with each passing day (ahh, motherhood). This little “accident” turns out to be the result of corporate greed since the alien eggs could potentially be worth billions of… space… money.
The cast of Aliens is spectacular. Alongside Weaver there’s Michael Biehn, Lance Henrickson, Bill Paxton, and Paul Reiser… yes, that Paul Reiser. Reiser plays the role of Burke, a representative of Weyland-Yutani who is sent along with Ripley and the marines (note to self: potential band name). To the surprise of no one, Burke turns out to be scum and is sorted out one way or another by the film’s climax… okay, the aliens kill him, happy? Well actually to be specific, the aliens capture him and plan to use him as a host, but Ripley later burns down the whole baby alien factory with a flamethrower (why so cool?), so we can safely assume Burke got what was coming to him. Good riddance.
If Alien left you feeling bored (ProTip: it shouldn’t), Aliens will slake your bloodlust since there is no shortage of “aliens vs. marines” battles involving high-tech space-weapons, lots and lots of screaming, chaos, and destruction. Watch it with the volume maxed out for the best results (writer not responsible for destruction of reader’s television set).
Best scene: Ripley’s showdown with the queen alien.
Favorite quote: “Get away from her, you b****!” -Ellen Ripley.
It’s no wonder that Aliens is often considered to be one of the best films of its kind… but it’s not the best. Not on this list. That distinction belongs to the number one spot on the countdown. Here we go!
1. Robocop (1987)
Don’t tell me you didn’t see this one coming. Master director Paul Verhoeven‘s Robocop is the mother of all 1980s sci-fi/action flicks. Why? Because it’s got a great story, exciting action, the best villains, glorious violence (especially the unrated version), and the tin can man himself: Robocop. Peter Weller gives a stunning performance as Alex Murphy, a good cop that is blown away by a ruthless gang of law breakers (more on them later) only to be brought back to life as the cybernetic deliverer of justice known as Robocop! All is not as it seems however, as Robocop soon experiences memories of his own death and sets off on his own accord to exact revenge on his killers.
For those of you that saw the recent remake, most of this may seem familiar, but the two films really are very different. For one, ’87’s Robocop depicts scenes of graphic violence, which I think is integral to the story. For example, Alex Murphy’s death scene is brutally violent; arms and hands are blown off and shotguns are literally emptied into Murphy’s body. “Why is this important?” you may be asking. Well, since Murphy’s death was so personal in the film, it makes the entire revenge plot much more effective and satisfying. On the other hand, the remake’s car-bomb scenario? Not so much. It’s not that I didn’t like the remake, it’s just that the original is leagues ahead of it. But enough about the remake, let us move forward!
The villains in Robocop are very interesting and endlessly fun to watch. Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith… yes, that Kurtwood Smith) and his gang are ruthless cop-killers, and they’re well-connected. Since OCP (Omni Consumer Products) owns the Detroit Police, corrupt Senior President Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) is able to keep Boddicker and his pals out of Johnny Law’s reach, effectively making them invincible. That is, of course, until Robocop decides that he’s more than a little pissed off about his death. From Boddicker’s cunning to Joe Cox’s hilarious cackling (and a Shakespeare quote) at all things inappropriate, the gang members are by far the best villains on this list.
And then there is the suit… yes, the suit. The costume design in Robocop, even when just considering the actual Robocop suit, is miles ahead of most other films both inside and out of its own genre, and before and after its time. Weller actually trained with a mime in order to give Robocop his signature robotic movements… yes, no CGI here kids. For an amazing display of Weller’s work in the suit, check out the drug factory shootout scene. It really is a triumph of filmmaking in my opinion, and proves that Verhoeven knows just what the hell he is doing.
If you’ve only seen the remake of Robocop, go ahead and watch the original 1987 classic… but only if you’re old enough! And if you are, be sure to watch the unrated version for extra bloody violence! For best results, watch Robocop on a bi-weekly basis; that’s what I do, and I’m awwwlright.
Best scene: Robocop arrests Clarence Boddicker in the drug factory after beating him senseless.
Favorite quote: “That’s life in the big city.” -Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer)
That about wraps it up for my top six best sci-fi/action films of the 1980s. I hope you guys enjoyed this list and that you check out some of the movies on it if you haven’t already seen them. Or if you have, watch them again!
What did you think of these selections? Feel free to agree, disagree, or point out any glaring omissions that I may have missed in the comments section and on our Twitter page!