Best '80s action movies
Stacker compiled a list of the best '80s action movies of all time based on our own Stacker score, a weighted index split evenly between IMDb user rating and Metascore. To qualify, the film had to have action as one of its genres on IMDb, have a Metascore, and have at least 5,000 IMDb user votes. Ties were broken by votes.
#50. Clash of the Titans (1981)
- Director: Desmond Davis
- Stacker score: 78.7
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 59
- Runtime: 118 minutes
#49. The Monster Squad (1987)
- Director: Fred Dekker
- Stacker score: 78.9
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 61
- Runtime: 79 minutes
#48. The Hitcher (1986)
- Director: Robert Harmon
- Stacker score: 79.0
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 32
- Runtime: 97 minutes
#47. Romancing the Stone (1984)
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- Stacker score: 79.1
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 63
- Runtime: 106 minutes
#46. 48 Hrs. (1982)
- Director: Walter Hill
- Stacker score: 79.9
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 71
- Runtime: 96 minutes
#45. The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
- Director: Nelson Shin
- Stacker score: 80.1
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 43
- Runtime: 84 minutes
#44. Superman II (1980)
- Director: Richard Lester
- Stacker score: 80.1
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 83
- Runtime: 127 minutes
#43. Willow (1988)
- Director: Ron Howard
- Stacker score: 80.6
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 47
- Runtime: 126 minutes
#42. Repo Man (1984)
- Director: Alex Cox
- Stacker score: 81.1
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 82
- Runtime: 92 minutes
#41. Southern Comfort (1981)
- Director: Walter Hill
- Stacker score: 81.2
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 63
- Runtime: 106 minutes
#40. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
- Director: John Carpenter
- Stacker score: 81.2
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 53
- Runtime: 99 minutes
#39. They Live (1988)
- Director: John Carpenter
- Stacker score: 81.4
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 55
- Runtime: 94 minutes
#38. The Stunt Man (1980)
- Director: Richard Rush
- Stacker score: 81.6
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 77
- Runtime: 131 minutes
#37. Police Story 2 (1988)
- Director: Jackie Chan
- Stacker score: 81.7
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 101 minutes
#36. Silverado (1985)
- Director: Lawrence Kasdan
- Stacker score: 82.4
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 64
- Runtime: 133 minutes
#35. Casualties of War (1989)
- Director: Brian De Palma
- Stacker score: 82.5
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 75
- Runtime: 113 minutes
#34. Escape from New York (1981)
- Director: John Carpenter
- Stacker score: 82.6
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 76
- Runtime: 99 minutes
#33. Runaway Train (1985)
- Director: Andrey Konchalovskiy
- Stacker score: 82.7
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 67
- Runtime: 111 minutes
#32. No Way Out (1987)
- Director: Roger Donaldson
- Stacker score: 82.7
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 77
- Runtime: 114 minutes
#31. WarGames (1983)
- Director: John Badham
- Stacker score: 82.7
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 77
- Runtime: 114 minutes
#30. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
- Director: Richard Donner
- Stacker score: 83.0
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 70
- Runtime: 114 minutes
#29. The Karate Kid (1984)
- Director: John G. Avildsen
- Stacker score: 83.0
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 60
- Runtime: 126 minutes
#28. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
- Director: Martin Brest
- Stacker score: 83.6
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 105 minutes
#27. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
- Director: Leonard Nimoy
- Stacker score: 84.1
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 71
- Runtime: 119 minutes
#26. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stacker score: 84.8
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 57
- Runtime: 118 minutes
#25. To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
- Director: William Friedkin
- Stacker score: 85.2
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 81
- Runtime: 116 minutes
#24. A Better Tomorrow (1986)
- Director: John Woo
- Stacker score: 85.9
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 95 minutes
#23. Thief (1981)
- Director: Michael Mann
- Stacker score: 85.9
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 123 minutes
#22. Batman (1989)
- Director: Tim Burton
- Stacker score: 86.0
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 126 minutes
#21. Predator (1987)
- Director: John McTiernan
- Stacker score: 86.9
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 47
- Runtime: 107 minutes
#20. Police Story (1985)
- Director: Jackie Chan
- Stacker score: 87.0
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 100 minutes
#19. Midnight Run (1988)
- Director: Martin Brest
- Stacker score: 87.0
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 126 minutes
#18. Lethal Weapon (1987)
- Director: Richard Donner
- Stacker score: 87.0
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 109 minutes
#17. RoboCop (1987)
- Director: Paul Verhoeven
- Stacker score: 87.2
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 70
- Runtime: 102 minutes
#16. First Blood (1982)
- Director: Ted Kotcheff
- Stacker score: 87.3
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 61
- Runtime: 93 minutes
#15. The Road Warrior (1981)
- Director: George Miller
- Stacker score: 87.9
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 77
- Runtime: 96 minutes
#14. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
- Director: Nicholas Meyer
- Stacker score: 88.0
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 113 minutes
#13. The Blues Brothers (1980)
- Director: John Landis
- Stacker score: 89.3
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 60
- Runtime: 133 minutes
#12. Ghostbusters (1984)
- Director: Ivan Reitman
- Stacker score: 89.4
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 71
- Runtime: 105 minutes
#11. The Killer (1989)
- Director: John Woo
- Stacker score: 90.5
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 82
- Runtime: 111 minutes
#10. Akira (1988)
- Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo
- Stacker score: 91.1
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Metascore: 67
- Runtime: 124 minutes
#9. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stacker score: 93.0
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 65
- Runtime: 127 minutes
#8. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Director: Richard Marquand
- Stacker score: 93.3
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 58
- Runtime: 131 minutes
#7. Die Hard (1988)
- Director: John McTiernan
- Stacker score: 93.7
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 72
- Runtime: 132 minutes
#6. Blade Runner (1982)
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Stacker score: 93.9
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 84
- Runtime: 117 minutes
#5. The Terminator (1984)
- Director: James Cameron
- Stacker score: 93.9
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 84
- Runtime: 107 minutes
#4. Ran (1985)
- Director: Akira Kurosawa
- Stacker score: 96.2
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 96
- Runtime: 162 minutes
#3. Aliens (1986)
- Director: James Cameron
- Stacker score: 97.1
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Metascore: 84
- Runtime: 137 minutes
#2. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stacker score: 97.2
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 115 minutes
#1. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Director: Irvin Kershner
- Stacker score: 100.0
- IMDb user rating: 8.7
- Metascore: 82
- Runtime: 124 minutes
