80's R rated Action Movie Shootout - Nominations

[Hunter Rider]

These days the bulk of action movies are PG-13 to get as many people in cinema seats as possible, but back in the 80's the R rated action movie ruled. In the UK (@Mandon Knight and @Iceman will remember this) these movies were often given an 18 certificate, something you rarely see these days.

The idea with this thread is to nominate your 3 favourite R rated (15 /18 certificate in the UK) action movies of the 80's, I'll leave it open a few days and the 8 movies with the most nominations will be split into quarter final polls, then the winners into semi finals and then of course the final and the ultimate winner.

 

[-JKR-]

How many can I nominate? Anyway...

Aliens
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop II
Black Rain
Die Hard
Escape from New York
First Blood
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2
Predator
The Road Warrior
RoboCop
Tango & Cash
The Terminator
To Live and Die in L.A.

 

[Hunter Rider]

How many can I nominate? Anyway...

Aliens
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop II
Black Rain
Die Hard
Escape from New York
First Blood
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2
Predator
The Road Warrior
RoboCop
Tango & Cash
The Terminator
To Live and Die in L.A.

Sorry, I'll edit the opening post, 3 nominations.

 

[-JKR-]

I hate you. You just made my life much more complicated.

Die Hard
Lethal Weapon
RoboCop

 

[Hunter Rider]

I hate you. You just made my life much more complicated.

Die Hard
Lethal Weapon
RoboCop

Lol, I hear you, with this decade just nominating 3 is very difficult, but it makes the totting up for the poll threads more concise.

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

All of them were restricted only to people below 12 y/o in France

Anyways :
Robocop (saw it in theater)
Aliens
The Terminator

 

[Mandon Knight]

First of all @Hunter Rider, thank you for the mention and awesome thread subject, this is gold to my senses.....

I see others are throwing in sci-fi off-shoots, like Aliens, am gonna stick to your 'average bloke' in an actioner routine, in an 80's setting....

For me Commando has to be in there, it singularly epitomises this entire discussion, gung-ho, over the top, one man verses thousands and odds stacked against him, it's a ridiculous film for ridiculous times. That's my first vote.

In applying my own rules to my own choices, am thus EXCLUDING Robocop (1987) which would have been a shoe-in. In it's place, Die Hard, Willis career would not be what it was/is without it. One bad Christmas played out as a industrial western, with John McClane as sheriff and an unforgettable Alan Rickman.

There are many better films to finish off my votes but to best illustrate (alongside Commando) the unsubtle nature of this genre, few can match Rambo First Blood : Part Two, abandoning the actual concept and true feelings around Rambo, (it's actually an anti-war film) and sending John Rambo out on a 'kill anything that moves' policy it rips the first film's rule book and throws 80's machismo at the screen if it was going out of fashion.

So my choices, in what I view as the true defining choices to meet HR's thread remit & aim....

1) Commando
2) Die Hard
3) Rambo - First Blood Part Two

 

[Pink Ranger]

UHF!!!

 

[Hunter Rider]

First of all @Hunter Rider, thank you for the mention and awesome thread subject, this is gold to my senses.....

I see others are throwing in sci-fi off-shoots, like Aliens, am gonna stick to your 'average bloke' in an actioner routine, in an 80's setting....

For me Commando has to be in there, it singularly epitomises this entire discussion, gung-ho, over the top, one man verses thousands and odds stacked against him, it's a ridiculous film for ridiculous times. That's my first vote.

In applying my own rules to my own choices, am thus EXCLUDING Robocop (1987) which would have been a shoe-in. In it's place, Die Hard, Willis career would not be what it was/is without it. One bad Christmas played out as a industrial western, with John McClane as sheriff and an unforgettable Alan Rickman.

There are many better films to finish off my votes but to best illustrate (alongside Commando) the unsubtle nature of this genre, few can match Rambo First Blood : Part Two, abandoning the actual concept and true feelings around Rambo, (it's actually an anti-war film) and sending John Rambo out on a 'kill anything that moves' policy it rips the first film's rule book and throws 80's machismo at the screen if it was going out of fashion.

So my choices, in what I view as the true defining choices to meet HR's thread remit & aim....

1) Commando
2) Die Hard
3) Rambo - First Blood Part Two

Had to hook you in man as I know like me you love this era of movies and the dicussions these topics can spin-off into.I figured Robocop, The Terminator and Aliens would get plenty of nominations as all are iconic movies of the 80's, but I like your thinking behind your picks, Commando and First Blood Part II are the ultimate "one man army" movies, and the latter is interesting as it's sort of two different movies, the first half has a lot of soul IMO, then the second half is Rambo unchained.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Die Hard
Robocop
Aliens

 

[MovieSlave]

I hate you. You just made my life much more complicated.

Die Hard
Lethal Weapon
RoboCop

Thanks for making it easy for me. I was brainstorming trying to think of as many as possible to pick three from and I would say your top 3 choices are solid.

 

[BlackFox]

Aliens
Robocop
The Killer

 

[-JKR-]

Thanks for making it easy for me. I was brainstorming trying to think of as many as possible to pick three from and I would say your top 3 choices are solid.

You're welcome!
I really wish I could've included at least "The Terminator" or "Aliens", but at the end those ARE my three favorite 1980s R-rated action movies.

 

[MovieSlave]

You're welcome!
I really wish I could've included at least "The Terminator" or "Aliens", but at the end those ARE my three favorite 1980s R-rated action movies.

See, right there you have another two great ones. The first three though I'm sticking with. Especially Robocop. To me that film is a masterpiece and I'm not the type to overuse that word.

 

[-JKR-]

See, right there you have another two great ones. The first three though I'm sticking with. Especially Robocop. To me that film is a masterpiece and I'm not the type to overuse that word.

"RoboCop" IS a masterpiece!
A fun, emotional, wild masterpiece.
A wonderful, violent sci-fi fairy tale.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Had to hook you in man as I know like me you love this era of movies and the dicussions these topics can spin-off into.I figured Robocop, The Terminator and Aliens would get plenty of nominations as all are iconic movies of the 80's, but I like your thinking behind your picks, Commando and First Blood Part II are the ultimate "one man army" movies, and the latter is interesting as it's sort of two different movies, the first half has a lot of soul IMO, then the second half is Rambo unchained.

Thanks dude, glad you like my reasoning and the choices they lead too.

 

[BlackFox]

Will there be a 90's follow up thread in the future, because damn there was some good ones in that decade too.

 

[-JKR-]

Will there be a 90's follow up thread in the future, because damn there was some good ones in that decade too.

And just as complicated to pick, if you've only got three choices. Just the guy in your avatar has made three movies which would definitely deserve to be mentioned.

 

[BlackFox]

And just as complicated to pick, if you've only got three choices. Just the guy in your avatar has made three movies which would definitely deserve to be mentioned.

He owns the 2010's thats for sure.

So many good 80's stuff though, John Woo in is hayday.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Will there be a 90's follow up thread in the future, because damn there was some good ones in that decade too.

Agreed, the 90's elevated the 'smarts' to the action I think, the 80's was, in it's action stars, pure brute force and masculinity on show, the 90's had more panache and structure, action with a story and yes, KR's contribution was just on a new level, Point Break, Speed and the Matrix films, he practically owned the action in the 90's and still doing it contemporarily with JW, which could be argued are even better.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Plus Face/Off would have to be included in any 90's debate.

 

[-JKR-]

I don't think that's the case, Mandon.
Of course you had "brute-ish action movies," but you also had plenty of smart and emotional action movies based on well-rounded and three-dimensional characters.
Lots of smarts and heart in the '80s, as well.

And as far as the 2010s go, I LOVE the first "John Wick," but wouldn't include the sequel among my top three picks. There are just as many other options alongside the original "John Wick": "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Deadpool," "Dredd," "The Guest" and "Baby Driver," among others.
Haven't seen Chapter Three yet, but I can't wait to see it!

 

[BlackFox]

Face/Off is bat **** crazy good. Nicolas Cage in full Nicolas Cage mode.

I think Robocop will win this decade though.

 

[Mandon Knight]

I don't think that's the case, Mandon.
Of course you had "brute-ish action movies," but you also had plenty of smart and emotional action movies based on well-rounded and three-dimensional characters.
Lots of smarts and heart in the '80s, as well.

And as far as the 2010s go, I LOVE the first "John Wick," but wouldn't include the sequel among my top three picks. Haven't seen Chapter Three yet, but I can't wait to see it!

For 80's action flicks with smart & heart I would look at John Carpenter personally, he for me, captured both elements.

 

[-JKR-]

For 80's action flicks with smart & heart I would look at John Carpenter personally, he for me, captured both elements.

Well, and also "Die Hard," "Lethal Weapon," "RoboCop," "The Terminator," "Aliens," "First Blood."