80s and 90s Action Movies - Round 3a

 


80s and 90s Action Movies


The 80s and 90s were the golden age for action movies. We had stars like Arnold, Keanu, Cruise, Harrison, Seagal, Stallone, and so many more! But which ones are the best? It's time to vote!


1 Terminator 2 v 4 Con Air


James Cameron masterfully blends high octane chases, explosive shootouts, and a deeply emotional storyline that explores themes of humanity, fate, and unintended consequences of even the best of intentions. Arnold’s iconic portrayal of the T-800, coupled with the introduction of Robert Patrick’s relentless T-1000 keeps the tension high from start to finish. Its influence on the genre is undeniable.




There was a time when action movies basically consisted of “let’s take a bunch of well known actors, toss them into a barely-there plot, and see if something cool happens.” Con Air is exhibit A for this technique. The cast: Nick Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, Monica Potter, Dave Chappelle (!!), and more star in…. something, something… prisoners on an airplane, but Nick Cage is the good guy with incredible hair. Absolute action movie magic.





3 Ghostbusters v 2 Top Gun


When your hotel is haunted by a gluttonous ghost, your fridge has a dog-like spirit that utters the name Zuul, or your city has a giant kaiju monster shaped like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, who are you gonna call?




Maybe the most quotable action movie in the bracket, Top Gun took rising star Tom Cruise and made him into an icon. The sunglasses, the leather jacket, the beach volleyball scene! Val Kilmer is transcendent as Iceman, a young Meg Ryan steals the show (“take me to bed or lose me forever”), and we all mourned the loss of Goose and fell in love with Kelly McGillis.





1 Die Hard v 4 Lethal Weapon 2


Yippee-Kay-Ay! It’s the quintessential Action Movie, and a Christmas Movie too! Bruce Willis’s NY cop John McClane and Alan Rickman’s perfect villain battle their way through Nakatomi Tower in one of the greatest action movies of all time.




From the opening car chase Lethal Weapon 2 shows that it has upped the ante in both action and laughs compared to the original. While Murtaugh is still “too old for this sh*t”, he and Riggs prove they still have plenty left in the tank to take on South African drug dealers who have had an ax to grind with Riggs for a very long time. Add to everything the exploding toilet and you have an instant classic.





3 Speed v 2 Aliens


Is Speed the best action movie with the most ridiculous premise? The bus will explode if it goes below 50 miles per hour. Regardless of the insanity of the plot, this movie built the foundation of the careers of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. But it’s also the supporting performances from Dennis Hopper and Jeff Daniels that take this story and elevate it from the ridiculous to the wonderful.




Aliens expertly combines edge-of-your-seat tension with non-stop thrills—plus, it’s hard to beat the sight of Sigourney Weaver blasting aliens while also finding time to teach a group of marines that being overconfident is a really bad idea. With its flawless balance of heart-pounding action and memorable one-liners, it’s basically the ultimate tutorial on how to handle extraterrestrial threats with a touch of humor and a lot of firepower.

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