A Glean movie guide
80s Action Essentials
Pure adrenaline from the 1980s.
The decade of high-stakes heroes, explosive stunts, and iconic one-liners.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Die Hard
The definitive urban thriller that redefined the everyman hero in a high-stakes hostage rescue.
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 office's 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.
- 02
The Terminator
A relentless sci-fi chase that launched a legendary franchise and an iconic antagonist.
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?
- 03
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The gold standard for globe-trotting adventure and incredible practical stunt work.
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.
- 04
Aliens
A masterclass in escalating tension and high-octane military sci-fi combat.
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.
- 05
Predator
A tense jungle survival game between elite soldiers and an advanced alien hunter.
A team of elite commandos on a secret mission in a Central American jungle come to find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.
- 06
RoboCop
A sharp, satirical take on the future of law enforcement and corporate greed in a dystopian Detroit.
In a violent, near-apocalyptic Detroit, evil corporation Omni Consumer Products wins a contract from the city government to privatize the police force. To test their crime-eradicating cyborgs, the company leads street cop Alex Murphy into an armed confrontation with crime lord Boddicker so they can use his body to support their untested RoboCop prototype. But when RoboCop learns of the company's nefarious plans, he turns on his masters.
- 07
Lethal Weapon
The quintessential buddy-cop movie built on perfect character chemistry and chaotic energy.
A veteran cop and an unstable detective become partners who must put their differences aside in order to bring down a heroin-smuggling ring run by ex-Special Forces.
- 08
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
A high-speed post-apocalyptic vision of vehicular mayhem and wasteland survival.
Max Rockatansky returns as the heroic loner who drives the dusty roads of a postapocalyptic Australian Outback in an unending search for gasoline. Arrayed against him and the other scraggly defendants of a fuel-depot encampment are the bizarre warriors commanded by the charismatic Lord Humungus, a violent leader whose scruples are as barren as the surrounding landscape.
- 09
Police Story
Featuring some of the most dangerous and impressive martial arts stunt work in cinema history.
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.
- 10
Top Gun
A high-flying cultural phenomenon defined by its intense aerial combat and 80s style.
For Lieutenant Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and his friend and co-pilot Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw, being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete's dreams of becoming an ace pilot.
- 11
First Blood
A gritty survival story that introduced the world to the legendary John Rambo.
When former Green Beret John Rambo is harassed by local law enforcement and arrested for vagrancy, he is forced to flee into the mountains and wage an escalating one-man war against his pursuers.
- 12
Big Trouble in Little China
A wild, supernatural blend of martial arts and 80s fantasy that remains a unique cult classic.
Truck driver Jack Burton gets embroiled in a supernatural battle when his best friend Wang Chi's green-eyed fiancée is kidnapped by henchmen of the sorcerer Lo Pan, who must marry a girl with green eyes in order to return to the human realm.