Is it just me or were the 90s an especially creative era for action movies?

[Cubo de Sangre]

Death Race is really more of a preview of the 80's I'd say, down to having SLy in it although I think its notable that it doesn't take itself as seriously as the films in the following decade, the satire is camp enough to lack much bite.

The ironic thing is that Spielberg arguely represented the peak of hard sci fi in the 70's with Close Encounters and then arguably helped to destroy it in the 80's when ET flattened Blade Runner at the box office.

Running Man also campy enough to lack bite. It's been years, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a laugh track in there.

E.T. was great. I saw both those films in the theater and Blade Runner was no E.T. Most people would rather be uplifted than made to feel depressed. That said, I watched Blade Runner later in life but never went back to E.T. Partly though because the experience of E.T. was so fantastic as a kid there's just no recapturing that feeling. Same reason I don't go back to the original Star Wars trilogy. The Abyss is great fuckin' Sci-fi and from the '80's. Fwiw.

 

[Hoof Hearted]

Probably the late 80's - early 90's was the best era for action movies.

 

[Guestx]

Probably the late 80's - early 90's was the best era for action movies.

I'd extend that out to at least the mid-90s because The Rock, Face/Off and, if you want to call it an action movie, Independence Day all deserve to be on that list.

Some people will also advocate for Con-Air, though it's not one of my favorites.

 

[Guestx]

Running Man also campy enough to lack bite. It's been years, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a laugh track in there.

E.T. was great. I saw both those films in the theater and Blade Runner was no E.T. Most people would rather be uplifted than made to feel depressed. That said, I watched Blade Runner later in life but never went back to E.T. Partly though because the experience of E.T. was so fantastic as a kid there's just no recapturing that feeling. Same reason I don't go back to the original Star Wars trilogy. The Abyss is great fuckin' Sci-fi and from the '80's. Fwiw.

I can tell you that my opinion of E.T. went down upon revisiting it as an adult, but my opinion of Blade Runner definitely improved.

E.T. I actually think is a bit overrated. A fine film, no doubt, but not quite as good as it's often made out to be.

 

[Guestx]

atomic blonde was poop. couldnt buy into skinny 120lb charlize theron fighting like jackie chan.

Can you buy into Arnold killing like 20 guys while magically not getting hit by the hundreds of bullets that are being shot at him?

 

[Guestx]

Navy Seals sucked so there's some karma there maybe.

Man, I remember being fucking HYPED about that movie when I was a kid. And then it just ended up being really disappointing.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

I can tell you that my opinion of E.T. went down upon revisiting it as an adult, but my opinion of Blade Runner definitely improved.

E.T. I actually think is a bit overrated. A fine film, no doubt, but not quite as good as it's often made out to be.

So yeah, same as Star Wars.

Blade Runner has remained an awesome film, but it was never as perfect as E.T. seemed at the time. It's hard to shame a film that was the biggest box office success ever at the time. Seems like I saw the director's cut of Blade Runner in the theater too. Getting old though and the memory fogs.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Man, I remember being fucking HYPED about that movie when I was a kid. And then it just ended up being really disappointing.

 

[BisexualMMA]

I'll still take the 80s when it comes to great and creative action movies.

First Blood
Die Hard
Terminator
Abyss
Aliens
Running Man
Predator
Robocop
Escape from NY
The Road Warrior
Big Trouble in Little China
Highlander
Conan the Barbarian
Raiders of the Lost Ark

That's not even including the good-to-great films where you arguably can't say "what a great IDEA!" like...
Rocky 3 and 4
Beverly Hills Cop 1 and 2
Lethal Weapon 1 and 2
Rambo 2
Top Gun
The Killer
A Better Tomorrow

And I'm doing all other decades a favor and not counting Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi as action movies.

 

[Guestx]

Seems like I saw the director's cut of Blade Runner in the theater too.

I actually had that pleasure just a few months ago. First time I had seen since I was about 15.

 

[MMouse]

At some point it seems like hollywood didnt care to be innovative and creative anymore with regards to action film.

90s had an aura to action movies. Seeing the trailers or tv spots, posters of upcoming movies in theatre felt awesome.

I remember back then when trailers werent even out yet and it was just a poster, I would imagine and wonder what was to be expected. Truly a great time.

My opinion, social media, cgi and technology advances ended the era of action flicks.

 

[Guestx]

I'll still take the 80s when it comes to great and creative action movies.

First Blood
Die Hard
Terminator
Abyss
Aliens
Running Man
Predator
Robocop
Escape from NY
The Road Warrior
Big Trouble in Little China
Highlander
Conan the Barbarian
Raiders of the Lost Ark

That's not even including the good-to-great films where you arguably can't say "what a great IDEA!" like...
Rocky 3 and 4
Beverly Hills Cop 1 and 2
Lethal Weapon 1 and 2
Rambo 2
Top Gun
The Killer
A Better Tomorrow

And I'm doing all other decades a favor and not counting Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi as action movies.

Kick yourself for throwing Top Gun into the "arguably not a great idea" category.

And now that you've done that, let me ask you, how do you think the 80s/90s stacks up against the 00s/10s?

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

I actually had that pleasure just a few months ago. First time I had seen since I was about 15.

Funny how that cut indicated Deckard was a replicant but then he's human in 2049.

 

[MMouse]

I'll still take the 80s when it comes to great and creative action movies.

First Blood
Die Hard
Terminator
Abyss
Aliens
Running Man
Predator
Robocop
Escape from NY
The Road Warrior
Big Trouble in Little China
Highlander
Conan the Barbarian
Raiders of the Lost Ark

That's not even including the good-to-great films where you arguably can't say "what a great IDEA!" like...
Rocky 3 and 4
Beverly Hills Cop 1 and 2
Lethal Weapon 1 and 2
Rambo 2
Top Gun
The Killer
A Better Tomorrow

And I'm doing all other decades a favor and not counting Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi as action movies.

80s and 90s was the golden era of action, horror, sci fi, dance and music.

Ill go as far to say cartoons as well.

 

[Guestx]

Funny how that cut indicated Deckard was a replicant but then he's human in 2049.

Apparently Scott, Hampton Fancher (the primary writer) and Ford have all disagreed on whether or not Deckard is a replicant. Scott says he is; Ford says he's not; and I think Fancher maybe has said both over the years.

BTW, you think 2049 says Deckard is a human? I think it still leaves the question in the air.

 

[BisexualMMA]

Kick yourself for throwing Top Gun into the "arguably not a great idea" category.

And now that you've done that, let me ask you, how do you think the 80s/90s stacks up against the 00s/10s?

90s were definitely better than the 2010s.

Top Gun is one of my favorite movies, but if you boil the plot down to an elevator pitch, it doesn't scream creativity. Aspiring pilot gets into the top dogfighting academy and shows what he can do. It's a great movie, and plenty of my favorite movies don't have a storyline that stands out for originality or creativity.

 

[Guestx]

90s were definitely better than the 2010s.

Top Gun is one of my favorite movies, but if you boil the plot down to an elevator pitch, it doesn't scream creativity. Aspiring pilot gets into the top dogfighting academy and shows what he can do. It's a great movie, and plenty of my favorite movies don't have a storyline that screams originality or creativity.

To be fair, had ANY movies really explored Naval aviation in the way that Top Gun did (before or even since, really)?

 

[BisexualMMA]

To be fair, had ANY movies really explored Naval aviation in the way that Top Gun did (before or even since, really)?

I guess Iron Eagle 1 through 25 took a somewhat similar approach.

 

[Guestx]

I guess Iron Eagle 1 through 25 took a somewhat similar approach.

Fucking Iron Eagle. Pretty sure I read that even though Iron Eagle was released first, that it actually went into production second and then was rushed to market.

Iron Eagle is also a terrible movie. I rewatched it a few years ago and couldn't believe how shitty of a movie it is, especially when compared to Top Gun.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Apparently Scott, Hampton Fancher (the primary writer) and Ford have all disagreed on whether or not Deckard is a replicant. Scott says he is; Ford says he's not; and I think Fancher maybe has said both over the years.

BTW, you think 2049 says Deckard is a human? I think it still leaves the question in the air.

Original cut - human
Director's cut - replicant
2049 - human

I'm equally confident in all of these. Bottom line, I'll take Scott's word overall. To me that shift is what makes the director's cut significant. It's not just some shit from the cutting room floor. Had nothing to do with the rating.

To be fair, had ANY movies really explored Naval aviation in the way that Top Gun did (before or even since, really)?

Top Gun adds the action and shitcans the drama.