The 1980s were an era where absurdaction moviesreigned supreme, and looking back, there are plenty of movies that get wilder with every rewatch. From over-the-top releases from major stars likeArnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stalloneto less well-known B-movie triumphs, there are so many bizarre and off-the-wall movies from this time to look back on fondly. While not all these films were box office hits at the time, with the power of hindsight, it’s clear they had a lot to offer.
Some of the bestaction movies of the 1980swere totally absurd, as this was a decade that embraced the outrageous potential of over-the-top crime stories. These include cult classics that never fully get their due as well asall-time great moviesthat have achieved a special kind of reverence within mainstream popular culture.This was a decade of pure action-packed spectacle, and it’s incredibly enjoyable to revisit these absurd releases.
Gymkatawas truly one of the most absurd martial arts action movies ever made. With former Olympian Kurt Thomas in the starring role, this outrageous story saw an American athlete traveling to take part in a competition not won by a foreigner for 900 years. As a film widely derided at the time of its release for its dubious premise, poor production quality, and strange foreign setting, looking back, it’s clear why Thomas’s wild involvement in a deadly competition in the fictional country of Parmistan has become a cult classic.
With Thomas receiving a Razzie nomination for Worst Actor,Gymkatadefinitely falls into the category of a so-bad-it’s-good movie.Gymkataboasted a unique sense of humor that appears mostly intentional, as its truly bizarre premise lends itself to several outrageous situations. While Thomas’s film career floundered after the failure of this film,Gymkataremains a cult classic for fans of ridiculous movies.
The premise ofDeadly Preyalone was enough to categorize it as one of the most absurd action movies of the 1980s. Telling the story of a group of sadistic mercenaries who kidnap innocent people off the street and set them loose in their secret camp, their goal was to train students to learn how to track down and kill their unsuspecting prey. However, these mercenaries bite off more than they can chew when they accidentally abduct a Vietnam veteran who starts to pick off the troops one by one.
As just one of many filmsinspired by Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game,”Deadly Preyborrowed the core details from the story and imbued it with all the frantic energy of the most outrageous 1980s action tropes and cliches. While it’s easy to dismissDeadly Preyas a campy, disposable B-movie, the sheer ridiculousness of its action-packed narrative made for wildly entertaining viewing.
The cult classicHard Ticket to Hawaiiwas a fast-paced action movie that was packed with one absurd sequence after another. Packed with over-the-top violence and plenty of unintentional humor, this story of an undercover DEA agent stumbling upon a drug trafficking operation while vacationing in Hawaii was a prime example of fun-filled, low-budget carnage. While you’d be forgiven for thinking the film’s primary goal was to give as much screentime as possible to the female co-stars Dona Speir and Hope Marie Carlton in scantily clad clothing, there was also plenty of opportunity for cheesy dialogue throughout.
Hard Ticket to Hawaiiis the perfect movie to put on with a crowd of friends to hoot and holler at the sheer absurdity of it all. With an exotic location, corny dialogue, and plenty of eye candy,Hard Ticket to Hawaiiembodied the best of 1980s action cheese and was even named the best B-movie of all time byPastemagazine.
As a forgotten classic that remained unseen for decades,Miami Connectionwas unavailable for years until it was restored and finally properly released in 2012. Set in a world where rock stars want to be ninjas and ninjas long to be rock stars, this truly bizarre story featured a martial arts rock band going up against a group of motorcycle ninjas in the outlandish criminal underworld of Florida’s drug trade. With a cast of uniquely ridiculous characters,Miami Connectionstarred co-director Y.K. Kim, who played Mark, the Taekwondo instructor and rhythm guitarist of the band Dragon Sound.
WhileMiami Connectionwas poorly received upon releaseand did not fare well at the box office, with the power of hindsight, it’s possible to appreciate it as a prime example of 1980s action movie filmmaking at its best. Part of the appeal ofMiami Connectionwas that it wore its goofy energy on its sleeve and was unabashedly cheesy in its execution. Following the film’s re-release in 2012, it underwent a period of reappraisal and is now rightfully lauded as a forgotten gem of its era.
Carl Weathers was involved in some of the best action movies of the 1980s, as he excelled as Apollo Creed inRockyand was a major contributor to the success ofPredator. However, the critically panned action comedyAction Jacksonstood as perhaps his most underrated project during this decade. With Weathers as a cop so tough his superiors won’t even let him carry a weapon, it was impossible not to be won over by the self-aware absurdity ofAction Jackson.
While Weathers was often relegated to a sidekick role during the 1980s,Action Jacksonperfectly showcased his leading man potential, and it’s unfortunate it did not connect with viewers at the time. With an impressive supporting cast including Craig T. Nelson and Sharon Stone, there was also a serious amount of talent involved in this unfairly maligned film. With Blaxploitation influences,Action Jacksoncould be best described asShaftmeetsCommando.
While the over-the-top, action-packed characterization of Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo was already absurd enough, it was inCobrathat he truly took things into hyperdrive. By taking the tropes and cliches of 1980s action movies and pushing them even further, Cobra starred Stallone as a gun-blazing, sunglasses-wearing, no-nonsense cop who sets out to stop the criminals responsible for a string of violent crimes.
Hooking audiences in right from its thrilling supermarket hostage scene,Stallone never looked cooler than he did as Lieutenant Cobra. Portraying a hero who is more than willing to step outside the law in the pursuit of justice, there was a frantic energy toCobrathat set it apart from other cop-centric action movies of its time. While many might criticizeCobraas substanceless, mindless entertainment, the way it distilled the central ingredients of action movies down to their barest essentials was admirable.
The martial arts classicBloodsportwas action movie legend Jean-Claude Van Damme’s breakout role and remains one of his defining roles. Telling the story of Frank Dux, a United States Army captain and ninjutsu practitioner participating in an illegal full-contact martial arts tournament named Kumite in Hong Kong, although the film was said to be based on a true story, the validity of the real Dux’s claims has been called into question. With extreme fight sequences and blood battles,Bloodsportdefinitely lived up to its title.
WhileBloodsportco-writer Sheldon Lettich based his script on stories he heard from the real Dux, they were creative enough to spark his imagination and lead to one of the wildest martial arts films ever made.Bloodsportwas a hit at the box office, and Van Damme used this success as a springboard for his Hollywood career as a leading man, although he never quite reached the heights of stars like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Looking back onBloodsporttoday, it was a truly absurd film that remains insanely watchable.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was truly one of the biggest movie stars of the 1980s, whose roles inConan the Barbarian,Predator, andThe Terminatorhave become mainstays of pop culture. However, if you took everything great about Schwarzenegger during this decade and condensed it down into one absurd movie, you’d getCommando. With plenty of over-the-top action sequences, cheesy one-liners, and a sentimental story about a father who’ll stop at nothing to protect his daughter,Commandodelivered on all fronts.
With Schwarzenegger as Colonel John Matrix, a former Special Forces colonel being blackmailed into carrying out a political assassination by his former subordinate,Commandowas a fast-paced movie whose paper-thin narrative served as the perfect template for 90 minutes of balls-to-the-wall action. As the inspiration for countless ripoff movies in later years,Commandowas a prime influence on releases likeStrike Commando,Commando Squad, andWhen Eagles Strike.
While many will immediately think ofDirty DancingorGhostwhen they hear the name Patrick Swayze, the minds of absurd action movie lovers will quickly turn toRoad House. With Swayze as the professional bouncer James Dalton, this bizarre and violent story depicts his attempts to protect a newly refurbished small-town roadside bar from a corrupt businessman. WhileRoad Housewas widely panned by critics at the time as needlessly violent, it’s since become a cult classic for its brazen, outrageous nature.
No one is trying to recontextualizeRoad Houseas a cinematic masterpiece, but it does manage what all action movies should set out to achieve: it’s thoroughly entertaining. With almost cartoonish dialogue and plenty of testosterone-driven mayhem,Road House’spopularity led to a direct-to-video sequel in 2006 as well as a 2024 remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor. With a surprising legacy that’s endured throughout the decades, audiences shouldn’t dismiss the appeal ofRoad House.
Director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell have had several acclaimed collaborationsthat have since gone on to become cult classics. While projects likeEscape from New Yorkhilariously blended action, comedy, and sci-fi, it wasBig Trouble in Little Chinathat represented the pair at their most absurd, chaotic, and tongue-in-cheek. As a martial arts fantasy that becomes more convoluted the more you think about it, the convoluted plot about ancient curses, green-eyed women, and ritual curses quickly unraveled into pure nonsense.
WhileBig Trouble in Little Chinawas one of the wildestaction moviesof the 1980s, the way the film blended action and humor made it also one of the most entertaining and woefully underrated releases of its era. Despite its unique nature,Big Trouble in Little Chinawas a financial failure and a major contribution to Carpenter’s decision to return to independent filmmaking after becoming disillusioned with big-budget Hollywood productions.
