There were a LOT of great action flicks made in the 80s. With Schwarzenegger, Gibson, Stallone and Weaver making fun movie after fun movie, the 80s were pretty much THE action decade.
There are two movies, though, that basically show you everything you need to know about 80s action…or action in general.
Pretty much every action movie made since these two movies has been a pale imitation.
Of course, these two movies are Red Heat and Over The Top.
I’m kidding, of course. The two movies I’m actually talking about would find new and amazing ways to kill those two movies…with lots and lots of guns.
They would also go on to be sequelized and (one of them) remade into oblivion.
ROBOCOP (1987)
Directed by Paul Verhoeven
Written by Edward Neumeier/Michael Miner
When Paul Verhoeven made Robocop in 1987, no one knew what to expect. He had made lots of films in his native Netherlands. In the US there was Flesh + Blood…but no one saw that.
Then Robocop hit. Still his best film, it’s full of satirical jabs at consumer culture and, of course, lots and lots of blood. Verhoeven never looked back, which is at times unfortunate.
Robocop tells the story of Alex Murphy (Peter Weller), a cop killed in the line of duty. Spectacularly killed, actually. His death scene turned my stomach as a young’un and caused me more than a few nightmares. Today, in its full X-rated glory, I still get churned up a bit.
But death is just the beginning for Murphy. What’s left of his body (which isn’t much) is used in an experiment. They replace most of him with cybernetics to make a super cop. But is he more effective than the ED-209? (Speaking of, that’s the OTHER stomach churning scene. Quite possibly the best scenes, too.)
There really isn’t a false note in this movie. As silly as the whole thing seems, it keeps its tongue in its cheek, but not so much so that you can’t take the movie seriously. And Kurtwood Smith’s over the top turn as gang leader Boddicker is amazing. You’ll never call him Red again.
The movie totally told the future, too. It takes place in a bankrupt Detroit (but was filmed in Houston), nearly 30 years before the city actually went bankrupt.
DIE HARD (1988)
Directed by John McTiernan
Written by Jeb Stuart/Steven E de Souza
Based on a novel by Roderick Thorp
Die Hard wasn’t supposed to be like this. The book (Nothing Lasts Forever) was about a middle aged cop who was on his way to retirement. It was also supposed to star Schwarzenegger as the wise-cracking New York cop in the LA high rise. (Stallone, Burt Reynolds, Richard Gere, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford were also offered the role. Frank Sinatra, contractually, HAD to be offered the role because he originated it in a little seen movie called The Detective in the late 60s.)
Eventually, though, the role went to Bruce Willis. And everyone said, “Bruce Willis?! The guy from Moonlighting?! He’ll NEVER be an action hero!”
Remember Moonlighting?
Willis plays John McClane, the NY cop in LA. He’s in town to see his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) who happens to work for a big corporation in a high rise that gets taken over by a bunch of terrorists. The leader is Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), one of the best baddies of all time.
Violence and wise-cracks ensue.
Everyone loves this movie. Even people who think they’re going to hate it end up loving it. Not only that, but every action movie since 1988 has been called “Die Hard meets (fill in generic action movie here).” Really, only Hard Boiled has come close to living up to that equation.
With an increasing number of sequels, the first is still the best. The second is silly, the third is pretty awesome, the fourth is a bit of alright (although, PG-13 for some stupid marketing reason) and the fifth is…well…let’s not even talk about that one.
The funniest thing about this series is that just about every single sequel as started life as something else. The second is based on a book not even related to the John McClane series. The third was going to be a movie called Simon Says. The fourth started out as a stand alone script called WW3.com. The fifth…well…the fifth is better left un-talked about. But it was actually written as a Die Hard movie. Maybe that was the problem.
Hell, even the first one was meant to be a sequel to Commando.
Both of these movies tell you everything you need to know about good, hard action. And they do it with stories and characters that you can really are about! Michael Bay should take note. (That’s not his only problem, but it is a big one.) I love these movies. If, for some reason, you’ve never seen them, go get them. Just buy them. You’ll thank me later.
Yippe-ki-yay.
