13 Underrated Second-Tier Movies From '80s Action Heroes
There were lots of grade-A action stars in the 1980s, from Charles Bronson to Sylvester Stallone to Jackie Chan. They and others have delivered an insane number of thrills to audiences. Who could forget Bruce Willis taking on terrorists in an office building in Die Hard? Or Arnold Schwarzenegger coming from the future to kill Sarah Connor in The Terminator? These are the action movies we cherish because they got it exactly right.
Those same stars have been prolific enough to have their share of underrated movies. These films didn't light up the box office or make the same impression as their biggest blockbusters. Nevertheless, they contain the core elements fans come looking for. The next time you're in the mood to check out an '80s action hero in a lesser-known role, try one of these titles, which didn't get the love they deserved.
The Last Boy Scout gives viewers Bruce Willis as Joe Hallenbeck, a former Secret Service agent who works as a private investigator. He's hired to protect an exotic dancer, and when she's slain on his watch, he teams up with her ex-football player boyfriend Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans) to find the person responsible. The search allows them to uncover a conspiracy involving government bribes and legalized sports betting.
You probably won't find a more macho mainstream film than this. Aside from action legend Willis, The Last Boy Scout was directed by Tony Scott of Top Gun and True Romance fame, and the hard-boiled screenplay was written by Lethal Weapon's Shane Black. The movie is incredibly violent, occasionally misogynistic, and filled with profanely funny dialogue. In other words, it's about what you'd expect from that trio of creatives.
Underrated film?Payback is a remake of the 1967 Lee Marvin movie Point Blank. Mel Gibson stars as Porter, a professional crook left for dead by his cohorts after a particularly lucrative caper. Astoundingly, he doesn't expire. Instead, Porter heals and then goes on a mission of revenge. That entails getting close to a criminal enterprise known as “the Outfit” and shooting pretty much everyone involved with it.
Anyone expecting Payback to be a generally breezy action flick like the Lethal Weapon pictures will be in for a shock. The movie is extremely dark, with violence depicted in a nasty manner. Porter doesn't hold back when he gets even. That harsh tone sets Payback apart from the pack. The idea represented by its title is explored in unflinching detail, making it perfect for viewers seeking an action movie that has real punch.
Underrated film?A decade before he was Walker: Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris was J.J. McQuade: Texas Ranger. Lone Wolf McQuade finds the action star living in a remote part of the Lone Star state with his beloved .44 Magnum to keep him company. He comes out of retirement to help a state trooper track down the person who snatched his daughter. The trail leads to Rawley Wilkes (David Carradine), a drug trafficker and arms dealer.
Norris and Carradine both had superb karate skills in their day, so teaming them together makes Lone Wolf McQuade a must-see for fans of that style of fighting. In fact, Norris arguably has his most formidable on-screen opponent (outside of Bruce Lee) in this movie. Watching the two go mano-a-mano offers non-stop entertainment because, unlike in many of Norris's films, it isn't a foregone conclusion that his character will win in the end.
Underrated film?Cobra stars Sylvester Stallone as no-nonsense cop Marion Cobretti. He's assigned to protect a model named Ingrid (Brigitte Nielsen) who witnessed a murder committed by a serial killer known as the Night Slasher. The guy has ties to a cult of psychos. They're coming after her, so Cobretti has to go to lethal extremes in order to keep her safe.
In 1986, Cobra felt like a gritty, hard-edged cop thriller. It feels a lot more tame today, yet that in no way undermines the entertainment value it contains. There are plenty of tense action scenes where Cobretti lays waste to bad guys. Stallone also delivers an effective tough-guy performance, investing the cop with a layer of cool. They don't make 'em like this anymore, and that old-school vibe is precisely what makes Cobra a kick to watch.
Underrated film?Arnold Schwarzenegger had quite the hot streak in the 1980s, but Red Heat was not part of it. In this box office underperformer, he plays Ivan Danko, a Russian police officer who goes to Chicago to find the drug lord who wiped out his partner. Helping him navigate the Windy City is cop Art Ridzik (James Belushi). Together, they track down their guy, finding themselves in dangerous situations along the way.
Red Heat goes for that action/buddy comedy rhythm that was huge in the '80s, although slightly more emphasis is put on the action than the buddy comedy elements. Nonetheless, Schwarzenegger makes a terrific Russian law enforcement officer, nicely conveying his efforts to grasp how different the legal system is in America. He gets some terrific fight sequences, as well, most notably one that begins in a steam bath and ends with him pummeling a bad guy in the snow - while completely disrobed, no less.
Underrated film?Breakdown opens with Jeff (Kurt Russell) and Amy (Kathleen Quinlan) driving cross-country. Their car breaks down in the middle of the desert, potentially leaving them stranded indefinitely. Then, a passing trucker named Red Barr (J.T. Walsh) offers to drive Amy to a nearby restaurant so she can call a towing service. Neither she nor help arrives, leading Jeff to conclude that Barr has taken her. He goes on a one-man mission to save the woman he loves.
Breakdown has an absolutely relentless pace. The plot moves so fast that you barely have time to catch your breath. Several thrilling scenes keep you on the edge of your seat, including one where Jeff climbs along the side of a speeding truck. The late J.T. Walsh makes a legitimately menacing villain, giving a performance that captures the idea of everyday evil. Kurt Russell is solid, as always, but Walsh really elevates the movie into something special.
Underrated film?
