The Essentials: 1984 Action
Our New Year’s Day tradition continues, with a look back at twelve action movies that will celebrate a milestone anniversary in the New Year. This year we are turning the clock back to 1984 and spotlighting movies that will celebrate their 40th Anniversary in 2024…
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Released May 23, 1984) While it was not the first movie released in 1984 looking to capitalize on the box office success of 1982’s Raiders of the Lost Ark (looking at you Romancing the Stone) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom did what no Raiders clone could do… give the movie going public more of Harrison Ford as archeologist/adventurer, Indiana Jones! Set prior to the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom was the darkest of the Indiana Jones films and one of the reasons the MPAA created the PG-13 rating.
Streets of Fire (Released June 1, 1984) Streets of Fire could be described as a cult favorite and as a forgotten gem. One could argue that Dan Hartman’s song “I Can Dream About You” is more well known than the actual movie it was featured in. Walter Hill’s Streets of Fire is one of the more unique entries in 80s cinema. Set in “another time and another place”, the neo-noir actioner tells the tale of mercenary Tom Cody (Michael Paré) as he rescues his ex-girlfriend Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) from the clutches of Raven Shaddock (Willem Dafoe). Filled with great music and a great supporting cast that includes Rick Moranis, Amy Madigan and Bill Paxton, Streets of Fire deserves more recognition than it gets.
The Karate Kid (Released June 22, 1984) The Karate Kid combined elements of classic Kung Fu movies and Rocky and threw in a healthy dose of teenage melodrama to find box office gold in 1984. But I don’t think anyone could have predicted back then the enduring popularity of the movie and the characters it introduced. The Karate Kid spawned multiple sequels, a reboot movie and in recent years has enjoyed a total revival in the form of the popular Cobra Kai series.. but it all started back in the cruel summer of 1984 when Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) first met Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) and The Valley was never the same.
Conan the Destroyer (Released June 29, 1984) Like many sequels, Conan the Destroyer is seen as a step down from the original (released two years earlier) thanks in part to the studio’s decision that the sequel should be more “family friendly”. Whether it is R rated or PG rated, there’s no denying that Arnold Schwarzenegger made for one helluva Conan and it is a shame we didn’t get more Conan movies with Arnold as the star. In Conan the Destroyer, Conan and a ragtag group of adventures that include Zula (Grace Jones), Akiro the Wizard (Mako), Bombaata (Wilt Chamberlin) and Malak (Tracey Walter) are on a quest to save Princess Jehnna (Olivia d’Abo).
The Last Starfighter (Released July 13, 1984) Video games were becoming more and more popular as the 1980s progressed and The Last Starfighter was one of the movies released in the summer of 1984 looking at tapping into the growing gamer market (the other was Cloak and Dagger). The Last Starfighter also helped fill the void of a world without Star Wars movies, as young Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) is plucked from his trailer park home to help fight an intergalactic battle after he conquers the Starfighter arcade game. The Last Starfighter had a talented supporting cast that included Robert Preston as Centauri (the recruiter), Catherine Mary Stewart as Maggie (the love interest) and Dan O’Herlihy as Grig (the co-pilot/mentor). Plus, there’s the awesome Craig Safan score!
Red Dawn (Released August 10, 1984) The Cold War was a very real concern in the 1980s (at least until Rocky Balboa ended it) and John Milius’ Red Dawn depicted one of the scariest Cold War scenarios, a Soviet invasion on United States soil! But Red Dawn also depicted America’s fighting spirit, as a group of teenagers band together to fight the forces of evil. Starring a who’s who of young actors of the time including Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze… the Wolverines worked together to survive and stand up to the Commie bastards that were in their own backyard with some help from the great Powers Boothe!
Ninja III: The Domination (Released September 14, 1984) The third film in Cannon’s ninja trilogy, Ninja III: The Domination would end up being the Cannon swan song for the amazing Sho Kosugi and what a way to go out! From the opening golf course massacre scene, to Lucinda Dickey’s Christie being possessed by an evil ninja, to the V8 product placement and the final ninja battle featuring Kosugi’s eye patch wearing Yamada, Ninja III: The Domination is a wild ride! Kosugi’s exit from Cannon would open the door for another ninja franchise at Cannon the following year, while Sho moved on to Trans World Entertainment.
Exterminator 2 (Released September 14, 1984) As a testament to how many movies Cannon was releasing each year, they actually had ANOTHER action movie that opened in theaters the same day as Ninja III, the sequel to 1980’s The Exterminator, simply titled Exterminator 2. It may not be a popular opinion, but I actually enjoy Exterminator 2 more than the original… in great part to Mario Van Peebles over the top villain, X. Robert Ginty was back as John Eastland, getting some help from his garbage man friend Be Gee (Frankie Faison) and of course Eastland’s trusty flamethrower!
The Evil That Men Do (Released September 21, 1984) A professional killer who comes out of retirement to avenge the death of an old friend certainly sounds like the premise of a Charles Bronson movie. The Evil That Men Do plays to Bronson’s strengths as he goes south of the border to hunt down The Doctor, who uses his medical knowledge for evil purposes. Along the way we get to see Bronson apply a brutal testicular claw on the massive Miguel Ángel Fuentes and show off his knife throwing skills too. Directed by J. Lee Thompson, The Evil That Men Do was actually supposed to be Bronson’s second film with Cannon, but their financing fell through and ITC Entertainment swooped in and made the film.
The Terminator (Released October 26, 1984) Arnold Schwarzenegger would take a break from being the action hero to play the heavy in The Terminator. As The Terminator, Arnold was a nearly indestructible cyborg sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and destroy any hope of the human race defeating the machines. Sarah doesn’t have to take on the cyborg killing machine on her own, she gets a lot of help from a soldier from the future, Kyle Reese, played by Michael Biehn. The Terminator was a groundbreaking film and elevated the careers of Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron.
Missing in Action (Released November 16, 1984) The Cannon Films/Chuck Norris relationship would begin with the release of Missing in Action. Originally intended to be the sequel in the planned Chuck Norris led franchise, the decision to go with the Joe Zito directed Missing in Action first proved to be the right move business wise as Missing in Action was Cannon’s second highest grossing film in 1984 behind Breakin’. Some may write off Missing in Action simply as Cannon’s version of Rambo, but it really was a great vehicle for Chuck Norris and establish him as a more well-rounded action star and not just a martial arts guy.
Beverly Hills Cop (Released December 5, 1984) Released at the tail end of 1984, Beverly Hills Cop would still manage to crack the Top 10 grossing movies for 1984 and have an even bigger year in 1985. Starring Eddie Murphy as Detective Axel Foley, a Detroit cop who makes his way to Beverly Hills in pursuit of a murderer. It’s a maverick cop story, it’s a fish out of water story and it’s a tour de force for Eddie Murphy in a role that solidified him as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. It is fitting that the fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise will hit Netflix this summer!
