subject: Best Action Films Of The 80s And 90s [print this page] The short history of Hollywood hasnt always had a place for films like these until the 1980s. In the 80s and 90s the best action movies were launched and set the stage for all of those to follow. Action films are a staple at any cinema you can go to today anywhere in the world. People often go to the movie theater to escape reality for a short while and nothing does that better in many cases than a testosterone filled action extravaganza.
Adventure Serialss
In the early years of Hollywood, action films were mostly limited to westerns in short action films found before other feature presentations. The limited technology and special effects led to most films being more similar to drama or comedy stage productions rather than action spectacles. The seventies bought more advances in what could be accomplished on screen, but most filmmakers were concerned with political social commentary about drugs or war rather than transforming robots. In the late seventies, the French Connection featured an incredible car chase sequence that got many rave reviews
Cop Action
The most common type of action film found in the eighties usually dealt with police officers. Movies like 48 hours, Beverly Hills Cop, Die Hard, and the Lethal Weapon movies all had cops as the protagonists of the picture. The most notable difference with these films was that the main character was not a superhuman hero, but a flawed, realistic, everyman trying to survive. Action movie heroes quickly became more relatable and reignited the genre throughout the 80s and 90s. The stunts got progressively more and more elaborate along with the level of violence and mayhem that could be depicted on screen. Most of the movies accepted a restricted rating due to the violence and language used throughout.
Sci Fi Action
Science fiction movies, or sci-fi, became much more popular as special effects and technology progressed in Hollywood. Early films were there, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, but became much more common in the seventies once Star Wars arrived on the scene. Star Wars took the action serial formula and placed it on top of a futuristic science fiction world that captured the minds of a generation.
Science fiction movies continued and got progressively darker and edgier with films like Blade Runner and Terminator. The next true resurgence in the genre came in the late 90s with the matrix trilogy. The Matrix incorporated the new internet presence in the zeitgeist and examined what the future could hold for those that surrendered themselves to the system.
The current state of action movie affairs is the most popular it has ever been. In 2009, James Camerons Action sci-fi film Avatar became the all time record holder for box office revenue with over 2 billion in ticket sales worldwide. While some would argue that spectacle and 3D have become more important than basic storytelling and compelling characters, there has never been a better time to be an action movie fan.
