The 80s were a simpler time. Of course, action heroes were still avoiding explosions and spooky bad guys. That’s something that will never change. Each year fans flocked to the movies to check out the newest action film. In fact, there isn’t a person that doesn’t love a good 8os action movie. Of course, Rambo, Mad Max, and Die Hard were some of the best of the decade. On the other hand, not all of them were good. As a matter of fact, the 80s had its fair share of bad action movies.
To be fair, some were so bad they end up being good. On the other hand, really bad films stayed bad. In fact, they’re so bad they’re famous for it. Many actors became stuck in the action hero role. They turned out movie after movie. There were many hits and misses in the ’80s. Some of the misses still have fans talking. Of course, it was easier to be an action hero back then. Fans still love a good bad action movie. The 80s had a few movies that seemed like a flop. However, they were so bad they’re good. These surprised the harshest critics. At the time, they didn’t do well but time has been kind to them. It might be a few films but fans still love them. Of course, they wish the bad movies would just go away.
It’s time to take a closer look at the action in the 1980s. Here are 20 Notoriously Bad 80s Action Movies (And 5 So Bad They’re Good).
Bad: Over The Top
Over The Top just barely makes the notoriously bad side of the list. It is so famous for being bad that it does have a bit of a cult following. In the movie, Lincoln Hawk attempts to win over his son and become an arm wrestling champion. It didn’t match up to past Sylvester Stallone movies. In fact, Stallone admits he would have done things differently. The movie features bad acting, a complex plot and never-ending rock songs. It’s a classic bad 80s action movie with heart.
Bad: Kickboxer
Kickboxer is another movie that just barely makes the notoriously bad side of the list. It’s a fairly popular movie and was the first in the series. Jean Claude Van Damme starred in most major martial arts films in the late 80s. To be fair, it did do fairly well at the box office. On the other hand, critics mocked the confusing plot, dialogue, and over-the-top violence. It has since gained quite the cult following. The movie’s famous for being bad. It isn’t so bad that it’s good. Regardless, it became a popular film series.
Bad: City Heat
Putting Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds in a movie seemed like a box office gold. Of course, that’s not how things turned out. The two starred in the crime action comedy City Heat. At the time, they were two of the biggest stars in the world. Their star power wasn’t enough to make it a hit. It was a disappointment at the box office and with critics. To make matters worse, Reynolds broke his jaw on the first day of shooting. In the end, City Heat goes down as one of the worst of the 80s.
Bad: Maximum Overdrive
Stephen King novels have a somber and scary tone. Maximum Overdrive doesn’t fall into that same category. King was both the writer and the director. It was his first time in that role. It was a disappointment with fans and critics. King was a disappointment as director and the cast failed to connect. It had a campy tone and black humor. For the most part, King stays away from those elements in his novels. In the film, he went with a different approach. It didn’t work and failed miserably.
Bad: Jumpin’ Jack Flash
In the ’80s, Whoopi Goldberg was on a roll. Of course, she did it one bump in the road. The action comedy Jumpin’ Jack Flash was a modest success at the box office and with critics. It just didn’t connect with fans and did poorly. Of course, she came back with a string of huge hits. This is one she hopes fans forget. In fact, it’s famous for being a bad movie. The directing, acting and writing just didn’t connect. It’s one of the famous bad movies of the 1980s.
So Bad It’s Good: Hard Ticket To Hawaii
Hard Ticket To Hawaii has all the elements of a terrible movie. It has cheesy dialogue, ridiculous scenes, and campy action. Of course, it also features several famous models. The movie’s so bad that it’s actually good. It gained a major cult following over the last few years. It’s not just famous for being a bad movie. It’s such a bad B movie that it has a huge fan base. It remains popular to this day despite being a bad movie. It’s so bad it’s good. It’s one of the best B movies of the 80s.
Bad: Red Sonja
Red Sonja had all the elements of a big hit. It had action, fantasy, and big stars. In fact, Arnold Schwarzenegger appears in a supporting role. He would go on to become one of the 80s most iconic action stars. It takes place in the same world as the Conan series, which also starred Schwarzenegger. However, it was a major disappoint with fans, critics and the box office. In fact, Schwarzenegger considers it his worst film. He even claims he makes his kids watch it as punishment. The directing, cast and story all failed to connect with fans.
Bad: K-9
K-9 follows the unlikely team of two cops that don’t get along. Clearly, this wasn’t a new concept but this had a twist. A San Diego detective teams up with a dog to bring down the bad guys. Like any buddy action film, they don’t like each other and avoid explosions. The film did poorly with critics and fans. In addition, it came out three months before Turner & Hooch. Both films share a similar plot. However, Turner & Hooch often get more attention from fans. That isn’t the case for K-9.
Bad: Pink Cadillac
In the 70s and 80s, Clint Eastwood starred in several classic action movies, such as Dirty Harry. However, Pink Cadilac is not one of those movies. It came out in 1989 and wasn’t the best way for Eastwood to end the decade. It did poorly at the box office and with critics. The writing and directing failed to connect with fans. In addition, the two main stars didn’t have the right kind of chemistry. It does down in history as one of Eastwood’s worst action roles. To be fair, he did star in other popular movies in the decade.
Bad: Red Scorpion
Red Scorpion never had a chance to be a success. Before its release, the film had already made a bad name for itself. There were many delays in shooting and they went over budget. In fact, it was roughly 8 to 10 million over budget. The film stirred up a lot of controversy during production as well. It did poorly at the box office and didn’t connect with fans. The writing, directing and cast were all a big disappointment. It’s one of the worst action movies of the 80s. Indeed, there was no way of saving the film.
So Bad It’s Good: Cobra
Cobra failed with critics and was a disappointment. It’s one of the worst movies of the 80s. However, turns out the fans loved it. It soon gained a massive cult following. It follows a basic action movie formula that failed to impress. Sylvester Stallone wrote the film but had issues with the studio. However, It did well at the box office. On the other hand, the violence and story failed to connect with fans at the time. Of course, things can always change. Cobra managed to find a whole new fan base. It’s now a cult classic.
Bad: Raw Deal
Raw Deal truly was a raw deal for fans. In the 80s, Arnold Schwarzenegger rarely disappointed but did this time. To be fair, this was fairly early on in his career. The purpose of the movie was to add money to another film in production Total Recall. When this film did poorly the studio went bankrupt and lost the rights to Total Recall. It bombed at the box office and failed to connect with fans. Luckily, Arnold would go on to make a line of classic action movies. In fact, he landed the starring role in Total Recall.
