A Glean movie guide
80s Action Essentials
Pure adrenaline from the golden era.
Relive the decade of one-liners, practical stunts, and larger-than-life heroes.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Die Hard
A masterclass in tension that redefined the 'everyman' hero in a single skyscraper.
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
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The quintessential adventure that brought old-school serial thrills to the modern blockbuster.
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.
- 03
The Terminator
A relentless masterpiece that blended sci-fi horror with high-stakes pursuit.
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?
- 04
Aliens
A rare sequel that successfully pivots from horror to intense, high-octane military sci-fi.
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
An iconic jungle survival thriller that pits elite commandos against an invisible 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
Lethal Weapon
The definitive buddy-cop movie that perfectly balances character chemistry with gritty urban action.
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.
- 07
RoboCop
A sharp, ultra-violent satire that uses a cyborg lawman to explore corporate greed and identity.
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.
- 08
First Blood
A grounded and intense 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.
- 09
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
A high-speed post-apocalyptic chase film famous for its incredible practical vehicle stunts.
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.
- 10
Top Gun
A high-flying spectacle of aerial cinematography and 80s style that defined a generation.
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
Beverly Hills Cop
A fast-paced blend of street smarts and high-society crime that made Eddie Murphy a superstar.
Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.
- 12
Commando
The ultimate one-man-army movie, packed with over-the-top stunts and legendary one-liners.
John Matrix, the former leader of a special commando strike force that always got the toughest jobs done, is forced back into action when his young daughter is kidnapped. To find her, Matrix has to fight his way through an array of punks, killers, one of his former commandos, and a fully equipped private army. With the help of a feisty stewardess and an old friend, Matrix has only a few hours to overcome his greatest challenge: finding his daughter before she's killed.