Best War Movies of the 80's

[DaveS44]

I'd like to hear your opinion of what were the best war movies of the 80's?

My top two are Good Morning Vietnam & Platoon.

[Rakkasan187]

Hamburger Hill (1987)

 

Das Boot (1981)

 

Glory (1989)

 

Empire of the Sun (1987)

 

Hamburger Hill is especially significant for me as I was assigned to 3/187 Infantry, 101st Airborne Division in the 80s and I met many veterans from that battle at Rakkasan Reunions in the 80's..

 

Leigh  

[Salvage Sailor]

Good picks Leigh...

 

Gallipoli (& The Lighthorsemen), Breaker Morant, Eye of the Needle, Triumph of the Spirit, & Full Metal Jacket

 

Plus, The Killing Fields, Attack Force Z & Come and See

[ScottG]

All great picks for sure! One that I would like to add and is very under rated and also hard to get on dvd is "Farewell to the King" with Nick Nolte. A great story about WWII in Borneo and the Z-Force operators. 1988 I think.     Scott

[Dune Panther]

I am partial to The Dogs of War that was released in 1980 and stars Christopher Walken. About a mercenary operation in the fictional West African country of Zangaro, what it lacks in accuracy (in certain respects) is more than made up for by an undercurrent of dark humor that is hilarious, to my twisted sense of humor at least.

 

Also, the government corruption and baksheesh so central to how life works in lots of Third World places like this in real life is spot-on accurate in the film.

 

"You can't leave Zangaro without your passport, a__hole!"  🤪   

[Skysoldier80]

Not to repeat some already posted:

 

Full Metal Jacket, Final Countdown, Gardens of Stone, Hamburger Hill, Red Dawn.

 

these are just some, but I loved 80’s War Movies

[Dune Panther]

Have a few more...

 

Red Scorpion, starring Dolph Lundgren as a Soviet Spetsnaz operator sent to an unnamed African country under Communist rule, to help put down an insurgency there. Gets more than he bargained for and lots of action in this one. 

 

The Lords of Discipline, based on the novel of the same name by Pat Conroy. While this is not a war movie, there is quite a war in it that takes place at the fictional Carolina Military Institute (in some respects a stand-in for The Citadel that Conroy himself attended as a cadet), between a group of tight cadet friends and a shadowy, ruthless & covert organization known as "The Ten."

 

The Beast, about a Soviet Russian tank crew becoming lost in Afghanistan. In a hell of their own making. Especially brutal and action packed. 

 

 

[Dune Panther]

Couple more...

 

The Final Option (also known as Who Dares Wins). This film is loosely based on the 1980 siege of the Iranian embassy in London, and the since famous SAS assault on it; some of you may recall images of that time of SAS assaulters abseiling down the Iranian embassy walls in all black kit, then making dynamic entry via upper story windows, which is recreated in the film. In the movie, the embassy was changed from the Iranian to the American embassy and the terrorists changed to nuclear disarmament protesters with a hardcore Communist leadership. Great film.

 

Southern Comfort. Louisiana Army Guard patrol on maneuvers messes with the wrong Cajuns out in some isolated swamps. Another solid film and here is a link to it on YouTube (and as of this writing, it is in high resolution with no commercials interrupting it):

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKuodfeG7QQ   

 

Enjoy!

[Rakkasan187]

I know these are not 80s, but late 70's rather..

 

"The Wild Geese" (1978) with Roger Moore and Richard Burton was a good movie as well as "The Eagle Has Landed" (1976) with Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland and Donald Pleasence, Robert Duval and Larry Hagman..

 

Also, one that may have been forgotten was "Victory" made in 1981 with Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, and soccer great Pele..

 

Leigh 

 

 

[Charizard]

Das Boot

[SARGE]

Yes!

[Bryan Gooden]

Not really a war but Taps was pretty good.

[Otter42]

The Big Red One

 

The Delta Force

 

Red Dawn

 

Heartbreak Ridge