Best manly action movies from the 80s?

So, over the last few days, I’ve been downloading a couple of movies that I used to practically sell my soul for back when I was just a kid... And honestly? At the time, they were these massive, high-budget blockbusters, but looking back now, they're kind of total trash... But hey, they're still super fun to watch! It's just pure nostalgia for me... Like those old-school matinee days at the local AMC theater...

Die Hard.He managed to maintain high quality through three different editions. It was actually quite a tough call for me between him and Terminator.

This is an exceptionally difficult decision to make.

Usually, I can provide answers to forum polls instantly, but this marks the first time I have actually paused to give any serious thought before committing to a response. 😁

"Predator" 😎

Commando.
Total trash, but I love it! 🙏

It was a tight call, but I ultimately decided on Predator over Commando.

I can't quite put my finger on why, though I suppose it's because Commando is such a joke while this one actually takes itself seriously. 😁

David Price5 said:Die Hard. He managed to maintain high quality through three different editions... though I had a difficult time choosing between that and Terminator..

Die Hard doesn't really fit into that specific category for me... I mean, where are the muscles on Bruce Willis??? 😁

But then again, where are the movies starring Jean-Claude Van Damme or Dolph Lundgren? Well, I suppose that would be a separate poll entirely—something specifically for 80s action trash...

Actually, Die Hard ought to be placed in a different survey altogether, alongside Lethal Weapon. You know, those action films packed with action, and more action, and even more action, always culminating in a final showdown where the main villain somehow refuses to stay dead once and for all... 😁

Brian Moore67 said:To be honest, back then we were talking about massive high-budget hits, whereas today everything just feels like cheap trash... Though they’re still fun to watch... purely for the nostalgia... going to the local cinema...

I mean, aside from Cobra and Commando, it’s pretty hard to call any of these movies actual trash 🤔, IMHO.

Even Rambo and Rocky, which are maybe the closest things to trash (funny enough, both star Sylvester Stallone 😂), are actually decent films that are still a blast to watch today. 👍

Did anyone actually make it out of the 90s with their muscle intact? Surely we haven't been left with nothing but Vin Diesel.

David Price5 said:Did anyone actually come out of the 90s looking ripped? Please tell me we aren't stuck with just Vin Diesel now...

Hey, we've still got Dwayne Johnson!🙏 🙏 🙄

Schwarzenegger, please come back...🙂

I'm glad you brought up Cobra, though I wish there was actually somewhere to download it 🙂

Ethan Perez97 said:Glad you brought up Cobra! Man, if only I could actually find a place to download it these days... 🙂

BitTorrent. Try searching IsoHunt—that's where I managed to snag it.

Also, looking at that poll about the 80s and the movies that basically defined the whole genre... they totally left out those 90s action flicks, which were honestly just cheap knockoffs anyway. And it doesn't even cover the 70s, so we're missing guys like Charles Bronson or Clint Eastwood... oh, and I completely blanked on Chuck Norris. I didn't include all those various American ninja flicks or Karate Kid stuff because that's a whole different vibe—it's not that specific brand of muscle-bound Commando in a black undershirt dual-wielding M-16s.

Now, Commando might be total trash, but it was a massive hit! Just like Cobra. Actually, fun fact: Cobra was the first movie where I ever saw a laser sight used.

Nowadays, I’m just hunting for anything starring Bud Spencer or Terence Hill. I remember back in the day, we’d constantly go to matinees—you know, those movies you watch on a Sunday morning at 10 AM. Man, how I miss that! A rainy Sunday with absolutely nothing to do, so your choices were either playing games on the Commodore 64 or the ZX Spectrum (depending on what you lucky kids had) or heading out to a matinee to catch some glorious action trash. Good old childhood memories right there. :nostalgicui sigh:

Brian Moore67 said:BitTorrent. Check Isohunt; that's where I managed to track it down.

I haven't found anything worth my time yet...

Rocky would probably just beat them all up... because we all know nothing gets people moving quite like a good old-fashioned brawl...

😎

Commando and Cobra (my favorite part has to be when Stallone holds up a lighter, tells them "you have the right to remain silent," and then sets the villain on fire) — both movies are absolutely priceless in their sheer volume of stupidity, terrible acting, ridiculous hairstyles, violence, and pure entertainment. 👍 😳

No clue... are you asking from today's perspective or back then? If I had to pick a middle ground, I'd go with Conan the Barbarian without the intro 🙂

Commando🙏

Conan the Barbarian isn't trash... but I guess I'll vote for him anyway😕

quietdriver3 said:Conan the Barbarian isn't trash... but I'm voting for him anyway.😕

Looks like the OP is getting a little... ahem... carried... by the momentum here.😁

I found myself torn between Bruce Willis in Die Hard and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian, though in the end, I had to cast my vote for Die Hard. As much as I enjoy poking fun at it, Conan the Barbarian is actually a decent flick, but the sequel is—well, it's a total disaster.
😠Predator is alright, but I couldn't even bring myself to sit through Cobra, and Commando is a complete joke. I’ve never been much of a fan of Sylvester Stallone, except for his role in Tango & Cash... wait, seriously? Why on earth isn't Tango & Cash on this list?!!!!

We really missed out on that getaway from NYC!