From Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi to Conan the Destroyer and License to Kill, the 80s was packed with blockbuster action movies from start to finish.
While this being the decade of action, it’s unlikely you got to see them all. That’s why we’ve put together a small collection of 80s action movies that you’ve probably never heard of but are worth a night in with the popcorn.
Casino Raiders (1989)
Golden Harvest was the king of Hong Kong action movies in the 1980s. This particular film kick-started an 8-year period when movies based on gambling themes dominated the HK movie industry.
Casino Raiders features two professional gamblers who are hired to crack a scam organized by two Japanese men and some associates. With love interests, kidnappings, murders, and plenty of gambling, this is a tale of high stakes revenge. If you click here, you can find a great Casino Raiders movie review to learn more.
Alley Cat (1984)
Long before Cynthia Rothrock hit the scene with China O’Brien, Karin Mani was displaying her martial arts skills in Alley Cat. The plot is fairly standard – Mani’s character Billie prevents a gang from stealing her car; however, they kill her grandmother.
With the police turning a blind eye and several officers on the payroll of the gang bosses, Billie decides that the only way to get justice is by taking matters into her own hand. As a one-woman vigilante, she sets out to bring the gang down – one by one.
The Soldier (1982)
Movies related to the Cold War were commonplace in the 1980s. This one – The Soldier – stars Ken Wahl, William Prince, Alberta Watson and Joaquim de Almeida. Wahl is The Soldier – an elite special ops CIA agent.
His mission is to go after a rogue KGB team that has planted a nuclear bomb in an oil field in Saudi Arabia, which, if detonated, will contaminate 50% of West’s oil supply. When the CIA Director is assassinated, the US Government believes the Soldier is responsible. In a race against time, with agents from both sides hunting him down, Wahl has to find a way to stop the bomb from going off. Does he save the day, or is the Soldier’s fate sealed? We’ll let you find out the answer to that question.
The Young Master (1980)
For many viewers, Jackie Chan is probably best-known for his roles in the Rush Hour movies alongside Chris Tucker. However, we feel that his early work (pre-Hollywood) is much better with death-defying stunts, innovative fight scenes and laces of humor taken from his love of Charlie Chaplin.
Chan is only 26 in Young Master, so you get to see his raw talent. The plot sees Dragon (played by Chan) go in search of his brother, who was exiled from his school for betraying his master in a lion dancing competition. The final fight between Dragon and the dangerous criminal Kam is worthy of the admission fee itself. If you like Jackie Chan in Rush Hour or Shanghai Noon, this movie and several others like Police Story, Wheels on Meals and Armour of God are must-see TV.
Condorman (1981)
With Superman dominating the big screen in the 1980s, you’d be forgiven if Condorman slipped under your radar. It’s a 1981 action-adventure comedy superhero movie starring Michael Crawford, who’s best known as Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em.
Crawford plays Woody – a comic book illustrator who designs a Condorman flying suit to bring one of his comic book heroes to life. Later, Woody is asked to assist in a CIA operation involving a woman (Natalia) from the Soviet Union. A relationship develops between the two, and Woody agrees to help her defect from the KGB. Of course, there are bad Soviet agents that want to kidnap Natalia and take her back, which is where Condorman comes to life.
No Retreat, No Surrender (1986)
Jean-Claude van Damme was a martial arts superstar in the late 80s and early 90s. No Retreat, No Surrender is one of his earliest roles in which he plays Ivan Kraschinsky – a martial arts expert from the Soviet Union.
The plot sees a young American – Jason Stillwell (played by Kurt McKinney) – learn martial arts with the assistance of Bruce Lee’s spirit. His motivation is to avenge his father, who was beaten by Kraschinsky at the beginning of the movie.
Many critics blasted No Retreat, No Surrender – claiming the storyline was too similar to the Karate Kid (1984). However, my personal opinion is that this movie had some high-quality fight scenes. Van Damme’s early films are certainly his best work, and this is a decent movie to enjoy with your bucket of popcorn.
