Action movies and comedies have been around since the early days of cinema, but action/comedies? Well, they've been around just as long thanks to the masterful work of talents like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Charlie Chaplin. (We previously ranked15 of the very best ever made right here.) Few would argue, though, that the subgenre really found its footing in the 1980s. Budgets and box-office both got bigger, and so did the stars and filmmakers making the magic happen both in Hollywood and abroad.
The decade is filled with stellar examples, but we've narrowed it down to just twelve — and it wasn't easy. Now, keep reading for a look at the 12 best action/comedies of the '80s, in chronological order.
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48 Hrs.
A pair of killers are on the run in San Francisco, and after they murder two police officers, Det. Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) settles on an unorthodox plan to take them both down. He arranges for one of their old partners in crime, a thief named Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy), to get out of jail on a forty-eight-hour furlough in order to help catch the two murderers. It's a good plan, provided the cop and criminal don't just kill each other first...
Buddy cop movies have essentially been around since the 1940s, but their embrace into the action/comedy subgenre arguably began with 1974's excellent and underseen "Freebie and the Bean." It's in the 1980s, though, that they truly came into their own, and Walter Hill's 1982 hit "48 Hrs." is the film that made the concept irresistible to audiences. It's a fun, fast-moving, and thrilling ride, but the funny bone of it all rests almost entirely with Murphy's star-making turn.
Hill was coming off the highly underrated "Southern Comfort," an unfortunate box-office flop, when he landed this buddy cop film that would become one of his rare hits (which led directly to him making another unfortunate flop with "Streets of Fire"). All of it delivers, from Nolte's grizzled and angry cop to the vicious villains played by James Remar and Sonny Landham, from the ticking clock plot to some exciting action beats, but it's Murphy who elevates the film into a must-see good time.
Project A
Sgt. Dragon Ma (Jackie Chan) is a member of Hong Kong's Marine Police and tasked with protecting its citizens from seaborne threats. The biggest of those threats? Pirates! When politics and betrayal get in the way of bringing in a wanted pirate, Dragon quits the force and does it himself. He'll need some help, though, when pirates take a ship and its passengers hostage. Good thing Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao are also aboard (with his plan).
Pirate movies used to ride the high seas of cinema screens in vast numbers (as evident byour ranking of 18 of the best), but audiences lost interest despite attempts like 1982's "The Pirate Movie" and 1995's "Cutthroat Island" to win them back. That all changed with the arrival of 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," but real ones know the best pirate franchise was released in the 1980s and began with "Project A." Chan's fourth feature as director and star, the film is a triumph of physical antics both funny and thrilling.
The highlights are numerous and kick off with an epic bar brawl featuring exquisite choreography and comic payoffs. There's also a bicycle chase through thin alleyways that sees Chan exploiting his bike for every possible gag both on and off the ground. He climbs a flagpole, leaps to a clock tower, and then falls sixty feet to the ground below. Plus more fights, explosions, and stunts!
Beverly Hills Cop
A Detroit detective's latest investigation ends with property damage and complaints, but Axel Foley's (Eddie Murphy) day gets even worse when an old friend is murdered. When vacation time is suggested, Foley heads to Beverly Hills to continue his investigation off the books. He's immediately in hot water with the locals, but together with a mismatched pair of Beverly Hills cops, he might just crack the case anyway.
If "48 Hrs." brought Murphy closer to becoming a household name, it's "Beverly Hills Cop" that made him an international movie star.Originally intended for Sylvester Stallone— let that sink in for a moment, and rest easy knowing that Stallone eventually walked and applied his darker character suggestions to "Cobra" — the script was rewritten for Murphy's comedic talents. Those tweaks, along with Murphy's own ad libs, resulted in a blockbuster franchise (which we've ranked here).
Murphy's the secret sauce here, no question, but spare an accolade or two for director Martin Brest, composer Harold Faltermeyer, and a supporting actor roster that includes Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Ronny Cox, Lisa Eilbacher, and more. It's a universe of talent, all circling Murphy's star, and together they pull off an action/comedy that has stood the test of time with quips and one-liners that come as fast and furious as the bullets and hits during the action scenes.
Romancing the Stone
A romance novelist in New York City leads a pretty humdrum life, but that changes when a man is murdered in her apartment and her sister is kidnapped. Joan (Kathleen Turner) quickly heads off to Colombia where she finds all manner of trouble along with a rugged but goofy adventurer named Jack (Michael Douglas). Can they rescue her sister and maybe find a treasure along the way? Probably.
"Romancing the Stone" had a bumpy ride into theaters thanks to casting issues, studio swaps, and executives with poor taste, but it became one of 1984's biggest hits and deserves to be talked about more these days. Douglas and Turner have fantastic chemistry with both displaying a fun comedic ability while also engaging in all manner of physical action. Stunts big and small dot the film including a long water slide-like fall down a rainy mountainside.
Director Robert Zemeckis displays the same zeal and energy he would bring to "Back to the Future" the following year (a film he only got to make because of this movie's success), and cinematographer Dean Cundey makes great use of Mexican locales to give the film a big, lush feel that's absent from too many CG-forward films these days. It's a very entertaining movie that also features a wonderfully funny turn by Danny DeVito, who also returns alongside Turner and Douglas for the sequel, "Jewel of the Nile."
Police Story
Sgt. Ka-kui (Jackie Chan) arrests a drug lord after an elaborate, destruction heavy sting operation, but the prosecution falls apart leaving Ka-kui in trouble both on the job and at home with his girlfriend (Maggie Cheung). Things escalate as the villains attempt to frame Ka-kui, but there's not enough glass in the world to stop a good cop from taking down the bad guys.
Chan's "Police Story," his fifth feature as director, is one of the greatest action movies ever (whileanother entry in the franchise made our list of the best cop movies), and his comedic sensibilities ensure it ranks high on action/comedy lists too. The opening sequences involving cars crashing through a hillside shanty town before Chan stops a bus by standing in the road and firing a shot were ripped off by two American films (Michael Bay's "Bad Boys 2" and Andrei Konchalovsky's "Tango & Cash," respectively), so you know Chan was doing something right.
The comedy comes mainly from physical hijinks, but there's plenty of comedic banter, misunderstandings, and interactions as well. Cheung is absolutely game for the relationship squabbles, as is Brigitte Lin as the crime lord's ex, and a sequence where Ka-kui's friend pretends to attack the latter to make her think she needs police protection is an exquisitely choreographed dance of poor choices and consequences. The final set piece at a mall caps off this masterclass in glass-shattering, electric pole-sliding style.
Big Trouble in Little China
Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) is a simple man who drives a semi for a living, minds his own business, and only kicks butt when necessary. A visit to San Francisco goes sideways when a friend's green-eyed girlfriend is abducted by a Chinese gang, and their efforts to rescue here reveal a secret, supernaturally powered threat brewing beneath Chinatown. It's enough to scare off most people, but for Jack, it's all in the reflexes.
John Carpenter has arguably the greatest directorial run of any filmmaker with ten straight theatrically released bangers between 1976 and 1988. Most of them fall under the horror/sci-fi umbrella, but "Big Trouble in Little China" is an action/comedy from start to finish. It's a celebration of martial arts, old school Hong Kong genre mashups, and San Francisco itself, and there's not a single scene in the film devoid of fun.
Russell, star of five Carpenter films, is the main attraction here with an incredibly charming performance as a not-so-tough tough guy thathe modeled in part on John Wayne. He wants to be the hero, he's just not very good at it, and the results are extremely funny. Add in some elaborate fight scenes with wire work and colorful optical effects, an endlessly charismatic supporting cast, and a rocking score (by Carpenter himself), and you have a stone-cold action/comedy classic.
Millionaire's Express
Ching (Sammo Hung) is a criminal who heads home looking for something akin to redemption, and he finds it after discovering a bevy of bad apples planning nefarious deeds. He teams up with the local fire chief, Tsao (Yuen Biao), along with a handful of others, but the bad guys just keep on coming.
Jackie Chan might be the biggest Hong Kong action superstar who directed a few gems in his own filmography, but he's not alone. Hung did the same with classics like "Eastern Condors" and "Pedicab Driver," but the first to make our list is the utterly terrific "Millionaire's Express." A train does roll into town loaded with loot, thus the film's title, but the action pretty much all unfolds in the remote little town where it derails.
Hung and Biao are every bit the fighters and athletes that Chan is, arguably even better, respectively — seriously, check out Biao's two-story side flip from a rooftop to the ground below — and they deliver some spectacular action beats here. They're not alone, either, as the supporting players include all-stars like Cynthia Rothrock, Dick Wei, Yuen Wah, Richard Norton, Yukari Oshima, and more. There's comedy in the action, but there's far more in the banter and character interactions as different personalities and cultures all collide in this desert town filled with equal parts greed and heroism.
Peking Opera Blues
Beijing, in the early 20th century, and the country is on the brink of revolution. Three women cross paths — Tsao (Brigitte Lin) is a general's daughter fighting for what's right, Sheung (Cherie Chung) is a musician who finds a fortune in her lap, and Bai (Sally Yeh) is a performer in the Peking Opera — and soon discover that their friendship is every bit as important as the individual journeys that brought them together.
Of the five Hong Kong action/comedies on this list, Tsui Hark's "Peking Opera Blues" is most likely the least seen by Western audiences. None of the big action star names are present, but Hong Kong film fans will still recognize the talents on display starting with Hark. He has other gems including "Once Upon a Time in China" and "The Blade," but this is his most rousing and entertaining masterpiece. The film is filled to the brim with serious observations on Chinese history and social commentary on gender roles, but it's also overflowing with thrilling action beats and witty humor.
Hark uses the backdrop of both revolution and the gender fluid artistry of the opera to tell a story rich in character, strewn through with suspense, and bursting with fun. Opera sequences take on added weight and importance as action flows through them, and a late set piece on the rooftops just sizzles with excitement, drama, and entertainment.
Running Scared
Danny (Billy Crystal) and Ray (Gregory Hines) are Chicago detectives whose latest screwup sees them ordered to take vacation, and after a few weeks in Key West the pair decide they're going to take early retirement and move to Florida. First, though, they want to tackle one last case and capture one big fish of a drug lord (Jimmy Smits) who keeps slipping out of their grasp.
"Running Scared" was only a modest hit back in 1986, but it still feels like a film that should have seen a handful of sequels over the next decade. Crystal and Hines and comic gold together showcasing an easy chemistry with each other and the rest of the cast, but they move just as easily into the action side of things. Gun fights, chases, and an elaborate third-act hostage situation keep the pulses rising while the banter keeps us laughing.
Director Peter Hyams is as reliable a filmmaker as you're likely to find. Never flashy, always sturdy, his movies (including "Narrow Margin," which madeour list of the best train movies, and "Outland") tend to pair interesting characters with straightforward plots, all connected through well-crafted set pieces, and that trend is on display here as Chicago's snowy streets give way to shootouts, arguments, and a fantastic car chase that sees the vehicles up on train tracks. It's a lighter "Lethal Weapon" and a lot of fun.
Dragons Forever
Jackie (Jackie Chan) is a lawyer hired to discredit a small business from making trouble for a chemical plant, and he brings two disparate characters to help on the case. Wong (Sammo Hung) is a black-market gun seller, and Tung (Yuen Biao) is a burglar, but while their various skill-sets are beyond reproach, their personalities clash almost instantly. Things only get worse when they realize maybe they're working for the wrong side.
This list could have easily consisted solely of Hong Kong movies thanks to numerous movies from the decade featuring Chan, Hung, and Biao, and limiting it to five was a real challenge. For example, "Wheels on Meals" could have easily been in this slot too, but it's ultimately "Dragons Forever" that made the cut. It's partly because this was the last film to feature the three Hong Kong giants, but it's mostly because it's simply fantastic.
Chan plays almost against type here as he starts the film as a real prick, and all three are in top form when it comes to their fighting chops and stunt work. They're countered beautifully by a one-two punch of the great Yuen Wah as a cigar slobbering big bad with some wickedly fast kicks and his top henchman played by Benny Urquidez (whose previous fight with Chan lands high onour list of Chan's best fight scenes). There's lots of fun to be had throughout, but the fights are absolutely spectacular.
Midnight Run
Jonathan Mardukas (Charles Grodin) is a mob accountant who stole millions and is now on the run. Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) is the bounty hunter tasked with bringing him in. They're as mismatched of a pair as you've ever seen and constantly at odds, but with mobsters and the F.B.I. hot on their trail, they're going to have to work together if they want to make it across the country alive.
Director Martin Brest lands a second spot on this list with a film that's more heartfelt and even funnier than the already hilarious "Beverly Hills Cop." It's true, "Midnight Run" is just a pitch perfect action/comedy that sets up its core duo and then lets everything else bounce off them. This isn't technically De Niro's first comedy, but it's arguably his first big traditional one (after "The King of Comedy" and "Brazil"), and he is divine here. He's tough, grumpy, and ultimately exceedingly human, and it's a great performance.
Still, it's Grodin who just earns laugh after laugh as a straight-faced guy with the dryest delivery of lines both mundane and odd. It's impossible not to find these guys funny together, and as with "Running Scared" above, their pairing is something we should have gotten a follow-up to down the road. Planes, trains, automobiles, helicopters, and more play a role in the action as they're chased across the U.S. leading to shootouts, high falls, and more.
Lethal Weapon 2
L.A. detectives Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) find themselves on a case involving stolen gold and drug smugglers, and both are connected to some South African diplomats. Attempts to stop the criminals sees the cops butt up against the conceit of diplomatic immunity, but when past truths and present murders come together, Riggs and Murtaugh stop worrying about following the letter of the law.
While the two sequels that follow are more broadly comedic, "Lethal Weapon 2" sits just over the line separating action movies with humor from actual action/comedies. The film has some seriously affecting emotional beats, a sizzling sex scene (remember those?), and some strong character work between friends, but the laughs are still both intentional and frequent. A big part of that is the introduction of Joe Pesci as Leo Getz who simply steals every scene that he's a part of. He's a big part of what makes this the best of the franchise.
The bigger parts, though, revolve around Gibson and Glover who do fantastic work with characters who are continuing to grow since the first film. Their banter is on point with barbs and insults, but all of it falls away when danger enters the fray. It's a great screen friendship, and it adds untold weight to the frequent action beats (including a wild beat where they pull down a mansion on stilts) and third act suffering.
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