Action Movies · 1980s Ranked
Best Action Movies of the 1980s, Ranked by IQ Score
The decade action cinema reached its commercial-cultural peak. Ranked by IQ Score.
The 1980s in action cinema is the decade the genre reached its commercial-cultural peak. Die Hard (1988) reset the action-hero archetype. Aliens (1986) and The Terminator (1984) launched James Cameron's action-blockbuster catalog. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) launched the Indiana Jones franchise.
Anchor picks: Die Hard remains the canonical entry, Bruce Willis's Everyman-action-protagonist register that the genre had not previously sustained. Aliens demonstrated that sequels could exceed sources. The Terminator launched the sci-fi-action subgenre. Lethal Weapon (1987) defined the buddy-cop template.
8 titles · ranked by IQ Score
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