Electric Dreams And Explosions: The Best Action Movies Of The 1980s

By WatchListHQSeptember 6, 2025
The 1980s was a decade that defined the action movie genre, with iconic heroes, unforgettable villains, and sequences that still leave us breathless today. From the mean streets of Miami to the dusty landscapes of a galaxy far, far away, the action films of this era took us on a wild ride of thrills, spills, and high-octane excitement.

With the rise of legendary directors like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and James Cameron, the 1980s saw the creation of some of the most beloved and enduring action franchises of all time. Who can forget the swaggering charm of Indiana Jones, the intergalactic battles of Star Wars, or the cyborg assassin of The Terminator? These movies not only reflected the anxieties and fears of their time but also helped shape the course of popular culture.

But the 1980s action movie scene was not just about big-budget blockbusters. It was also a time when international cinema began to make its mark, with films like Akira and Police Story showcasing innovative action sequences and stylish direction. Whether you're a fan of science fiction, martial arts, or good old-fashioned shoot-em-ups, there's something for everyone in this incredible decade of action cinema.

So buckle up, grab some popcorn, and get ready to experience the best of 1980s action movies. With their groundbreaking special effects, memorable characters, and non-stop thrills, these films continue to inspire and entertain audiences to this day. From the iconic to the obscure, our list celebrates the most electrifying, explosive, and unforgettable action movies of the 1980s.
The Empire Strikes Back
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The Empire Strikes Back

#1

The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.

1980124 min
AdventureActionScience Fiction
8.4
17650 votes
Raiders of the Lost Ark
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Raiders of the Lost Ark

#2

When Dr. Indiana Jones – the tweed-suited professor who just happens to be a celebrated archaeologist – is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself up against the entire Nazi regime.

1981115 min
AdventureAction
7.9
13049 votes
Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space
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Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space

#3

Amuro Ray and the rest of the White Base crew, now denominated the 13th Autonomous Corps, return to outer space to support the rest of the Earth Federation forces for the decisive battle against the Principality of Zeon's forces.

1982140 min
AnimationScience FictionAction
7.6
57 votes
Scarface
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Scarface

#4

After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.

1983170 min
ActionCrimeDrama
8.2
12418 votes
Return of the Jedi
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Return of the Jedi

#5

Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, while the Emperor seeks to destroy the Rebellion once and for all with a second dreaded Death Star.

1983132 min
AdventureActionScience Fiction
7.9
16282 votes
The Terminator
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The Terminator

#6

In the post-apocalyptic future, reigning tyrannical supercomputers teleport a cyborg assassin known as the "Terminator" back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, whose unborn son is destined to lead insurgents against 21st century mechanical hegemony. Meanwhile, the human-resistance movement dispatches a lone warrior to safeguard Sarah. Can he stop the virtually indestructible killing machine?

1984
7.7
13803 votes
Ran
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Ran

#7

Shakespeare's King Lear is reimagined as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan where an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons.

1985160 min
ActionDramaHistory
8.1
1670 votes
Police Story
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Police Story

#8

Officer Chan Ka Kui manages to put a major Hong Kong drug dealer behind the bars practically alone, after a shooting and an impressive chase inside a slum. Now, he must protect the boss' secretary, Selina, who will testify against the gangster in court.

198599 min
ActionCrimeComedy
7.6
948 votes
Aliens
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Aliens

#9

Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo's deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.

1986137 min
ActionThrillerScience Fiction
8.0
10292 votes
Platoon
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Platoon

#10

As a young and naive recruit in Vietnam, Chris Taylor faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.

1986120 min
DramaWarAction
7.7
4809 votes
Righting Wrongs
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Righting Wrongs

#11

Jason Chan, a Hong Kong lawyer, is angry at the way the law protects criminals and decides to take the law into his own hands, dishing out vigilante justice when a key witness and his entire family are murdered. But hotshot cop Cindy Si is soon on Chan's case, and the situation unravels into a fight that only a few will survive.

1986104 min
ActionThrillerCrime
7.6
71 votes
Akira
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Akira

#12

A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath that only two teenagers and a group of psychics can stop.

1988124 min
AnimationScience FictionAction
7.9
4500 votes
Die Hard
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Die Hard

#13

NYPD cop John McClane's plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her offices Christmas Party, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.

1988132 min
ActionThriller
7.8
11640 votes
Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth
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Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth

#14

Athena receives the visit of Phoebus Abel, her older brother and God of the Corona. He informs her that he has come to destroy humanity as punishment for their corruption, just as it was done in ancient times. He dismisses Seiya and the Bronze Saints, as she will now be guarded by Abel's three Corona Saints, Atlas of Carina, Jaow of Lynx and Berenike of Coma Berenices, and the five resurrected Gold Saints who died in the Sanctuary battle: Saga of Gemini, Deathmask of Cancer, Shura of Capricorn,

198875 min
ActionAnimationFantasy
7.7
212 votes
The Killer
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The Killer

#15

Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right.

1989110 min
ActionCrimeDrama
7.6
829 votes
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

#16

In 1938, an art collector appeals to eminent archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones to embark on a search for the Holy Grail. Indy learns that a medieval historian has vanished while searching for it, and the missing man is his own father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr.. He sets out to rescue his father by following clues in the old man's notebook, which his father had mailed to him before he went missing. Indy arrives in Venice, where he enlists the help of a beautiful academic, Dr. Elsa Schneider, along with Ma

1989127 min
AdventureAction
7.8
10594 votes