Every 80s Action Movie Remake Ranked Worst To Best (Including Road House)

Summary

• Hollywood has revisited several successful 80s action movies, but few have been remade successfully so far.
• Some of the most successful 80s action movie remakes have revisited previously unsuccessful projects
• In total, only eight 80s action movies have been remade as films

As one of the most iconic decades in the genre’s history, it’s unsurprising that multiple 80s action movies have been remade over the years. Hollywood’s emphasis on lucrative IPs means that revisiting successful originals from any genre is a popular strategy for a studio. However, even though the 1980s were responsible for some of the greatest action movies of all time, and several proposed remakes are in the pipeline, surprisingly few 80s action films have actually been remade.

Although some popular transmedia 80s action franchises have been reimagined with various degrees of success (such as 21 Jump Street and Lethal Weapon), there are currently only eight cinematic remakes of pre-existing 80s action films. Other proposed remakes, such as Escape from New York, Glenn Powell’s The Running Man, and Henry Cavill’s Highlander, suggest that the trend is only set to grow. However, even though there are currently just eight films that fully fit the criteria of 80s action remakes, it’s already clear that some projects have enjoyed greater success than others.

8 Pathfinder (2007)

Remake of Pathfinder (1987)

A loose remake of the seminal Norweigan 80s action movie of the same name, Pathfinder is a pale imitation of the original. Its reputation may not be helped by the fact that the original Pathfinder was Oscar-nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category and has the distinction of being the first full-length feature in the Sami language. The 2007 Pathfinder, by contrast, is about as far removed from the Academy Awards as it’s possible to get.

The original Pathfinder holds 80% on Rotten Tomatoes

Starring Karl Urban as a Last Kingdom-like outcast caught between two worlds, the movie blends pseudo-history with brutal action, complete with swordfights and suitably bloody medieval Viking combat. Unfortunately, the lackluster script, total absence of character development, and murky cinematography make Pathfinder a mess – reflected in its paltry 9% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

7 Red Dawn (2012)

Remake of Red Dawn (1984)

In some ways, Red Dawn was a genuine opportunity to fix a flawed but interesting original movie. Made during the height of the Cold War, 1984’s Red Dawn saw a combination of Charlie Sheen, Patrick Swayze, and Jennifer Grey team up to take on invading Communist forces in the United States. Despite the ludicrous premise, the film nonetheless provided an interesting alternate look at guerilla warfare, especially in the post-Vietnam era.

By contrast, the 2012 Red Dawn remake failed to deliver anything like the same level of already-clumsy social commentary. Starring Chris Hemsworth, the film replaced Russia with North Korea – although the how’s and why’s explaining the nation’s invasion capabilities were notably absent. Instead of story, the emphasis fell on sporadic set pieces and muddled action scenes. The movie’s 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is testament to the fact that Red Dawn 2012 failed to deliver on an interesting original premise.

6 Conan The Barbarian (2011)

Remake of Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Despite being in many ways more faithful to the source material, the 2011 Conan The Barbarian remake failed to live up to the legacy of the Arnold Schwarzenegger original. Starring Jason Momoa as the titular warrior, the movie boasted an impressive $90 million budget, as well as high-end special effects and an impressive supporting cast including Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, and Ron Perlman. Unfortunately, none of these ingredients came together successfully.

While the Schwarzenegger original was praised for its surprisingly serious approach to the story and its well-drawn characters, Conan 2011 suffered from an underbaked script and over-reliance on bloody violence. Even though this approach is tonally more similar to Howard’s books, it did not translate well onto the big screen. Consequently, Momoa’s Conan bombed at the box office and received just 24% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

5 Wild Card (2015)

Remake of Heat (1986)

Despite receiving generally negative reviews and bombing spectacularly at the box office (making just over $6 million against a $30 million budget), Wild Card is generally regarded as a slight improvement over the original film. Starring Jason Statham, the story follows a bodyguard whose gambling debts attract the attention of the Mob. Carnage ensues as Statham does battle with various ne’er-do-wells across Sin City.

Wild Card
at least combines one of Statham’s wordiest characters with some genuinely inventive fight scenes

Whereas the original movie, starring Burt Reynolds, was criticized for a dull script and uncharismatic cast, Wild Card at least combines one of Statham’s wordiest characters with some genuinely inventive fight scenes. Made in the wake of John Wick, one particularly unorthodox sequence sees Statham take on a gang of goons armed only with cutlery. While its unedifying 32% Rotten Tomatoes score is unremarkable, Wild Card nonetheless boasts some redeeming moments.

4 Robocop (2014)

Remake of Robocop (1987)

In some ways, remaking Paul Verhoeven’s iconic, ultraviolent original was always going to end in disappointment. As Robocop‘s own sequels proved, the first movie managed to capture lightning in a bottle with its sly critique of authoritarianism and consumerism, coupled with more blood than Blade‘s vampire nightclub. However, while Robocop 2014 cannot be held in the same high regard, the film nonetheless brought some interesting ideas to the franchise.

Markedly less violent, Robocop instead emphasized the moral quandry around AI and the social ethics of law enforcement. In using the device of a man turned into a machine to explore authoritarian tendencies and the limits of what justice can deliver, Robocop at least tried to stand apart from the first film’s legacy, instead of offering a violent rehash. The film’s Rotten Tomatoes score of 49% indicates that, while it wasn’t a total success, it was certainly better than other similar remake attempts.

3 Road House (2024)

Remake of Road House (1989)

One of the best 80s action movie remakes released so far, Road House has provided a potential blueprint from which other projects can learn. Instead of taking a story that’s universally beloved, such as Robocop, the film revisits a film that, while popular enough to guarantee an audience, also underdelivered first time around, Although the Patrick Swayze original has a cult following thanks to its OTT violence and often-laughable dialog, there’s little doubt that the Jake Gyllenhaal reimagining represents a significant improvement.

Road House makes several smart changes to the original, including turning Dalton into a UFC fighter with a believable background, instead of turning bouncers into minor inexplicable celebrities. The action scenes are also more slickly choreographed, with Conor McGregor providing a surprisingly magnetic supporting presence. With a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Road House may not be a masterpiece. However, it certainly proves that there can be justification for remaking a popular 80s action movie.

2 The Karate Kid (2010)

Remake of The Karate Kid (1984)

Despite being far less bombastic than many stereotypical 80s action movies, The Karate Kid‘s emphasis on martial arts and hand-to-hand combat – despite its competitive setting – makes it a prime example of a film that blends the boundaries between action and sport. The original is rightly celebrated as a classic, even spawning the much-loved sequel series Cobra Kai decades after its release. However, while the 2010 remake has failed to achieve the same status, it is nonetheless a worthy inclusion in the franchise.

Despite falling short of the original’s emotional intensity,
The Karate Kid
was nonetheless praised for its impactful story and subtle twists on the original narrative

Jaden Smith is a disarmingly vulnerable presence at the heart of the story, while Jackie Chan excels as Mr. Miyagi replacement Mr. Han. Despite falling short of the original’s emotional intensity, The Karate Kid was nonetheless praised for its impactful story and subtle twists on the original narrative. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 67% and a near-$360 million global box office, the movie did more than enough to justify its existence.

1 Heat (1995)

Remake of L.A. Takedown (1989)

Often cited as one of the best movie remakes in any genre, Michael Mann’s Heat arguably succeeds because it moves away from the original film’s explicit action roots. Whereas Heat is as much a character study, juxtaposing Al Pacino’s hard-boiled detective and Robert De Niro’s conflicted criminal, L.A. Takedown focuses much more on the action-heavy heist elements of the story. The result is that the remake far exceeds the original in almost every way.

While Heat features many iconic dramatic scenes – notably the legendary restaurant sequence between De Niro and Pacino – the movie’s action credentials are on full display in its epic heist shootout sequence. The combination of explosive action, electric writing, and emotional depth makes Heat a certified classic – reflected in its impressive 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Given L.A. Takedown‘s status as a TV movie, it may not be as explicit an 80s action movie remake as other projects. Nevertheless, Heat stands head and shoulders above other examples in the genre.