# The best action movies of the 1980s

Die Hard, The Terminator and Predator: the golden age of action cinema (Looper, GamesRadar+, Stacker).

- 271 votes · 12 items
- Mar 10, 2025 · Bailey Taylor
- https://even.best/en/l/2009/the-best-action-movies-of-the-1980s

## Top 12

1. **Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)** (30 · ▲31 ▼1) — Indiana Jones' first and greatest adventure.
2. **Die Hard (1988)** (26 · ▲31 ▼5) — John McTiernan's perfect action movie.
3. **The Terminator (1984)** (20 · ▲21 ▼1) — One of the best action movies of all time.
4. **Aliens (1986)** (19 · ▲22 ▼3) — James Cameron turns horror into war.
5. **Predator (1987)** (16 · ▲20 ▼4) — Schwarzenegger's commandos against an alien hunter in the jungle.
6. **First Blood (1982)** (16 · ▲17 ▼1) — Rambo's first, and best, outing.
7. **Lethal Weapon (1987)** (15 · ▲19 ▼4) — Mel Gibson and Danny Glover define the buddy cop film.
8. **Bloodsport (1988)** (13 · ▲16 ▼3) — The film that made Jean-Claude Van Damme a star.
9. **Police Story (1985)** (12 · ▲16 ▼4) — Jackie Chan's shopping mall finale.
10. **The Killer (1989)** (8 · ▲12 ▼4) — John Woo's heroic bloodshed with Chow Yun-fat.
11. **Mad Max 2 (1981)** (7 · ▲11 ▼4) — The Road Warrior, a dystopian classic.
12. **Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)** (5 · ▲13 ▼8) — Indy and his father, on par with Raiders for many fans.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.