The year 1987 introduced audiences to a mysterious creature fighting an army of soldiers in the jungle, a couple of mismatched LAPD cops, a small police unit trying to take down Al Capone, a Navy officer caught up in murder and conspiracy, and up-and-coming marines being trained by a tough drill sergeant. There are conflicting partnerships, individuals with identity crises, and those who fear death and suffering from the enemy.
Filmmakers such as Richard Donner, Brian De Palma, and John McTiernan continued their successful runs as some of the best directors in the business. Meanwhile, the superstardom of actors like Kevin Costner and Arnold Schwarzenegger rose to new heights. These 1987 films contain plenty of action and no shortage of macho characters.
Full Metal Jacket
The great Stanley Kubrick delivered another classic to his arsenal of films with Full Metal Jacket, a Vietnam War film about a hard-as-nails drill sergeant (R. Lee Ermey) who trains several military recruits, teaching them how to kill and prepare for the challenges of war. Years later, a couple of the recruits are shown following their military duties in Vietnam. The first half of the film, involving military training, is more effective than the ordinary but brutal combat sequences in the second half. However, the film as a whole represents the joy and horrors of warfare.
The training scenes are particularly intense thanks to Ermey's powerful, darkly funny performance as senior drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, who gives his recruits rigorous training regiments and delivers speeches about the glory of war and death (along with plenty of profanity). Vincent D'Onofrio (the Kingpin in the MCU TV series Daredevil) is also memorable as Leonard, aka "Gomer Pyle." His is the most sympathetic character in the film, due to his transformation from a fearful man to a hard-edged recruit descending into madness. Matthew Modine (Dr. Brenner/"Papa" from Stranger Things) stars as the protagonist, J.T. "Joker" Davis, who holds the entire story together, becoming a skilled recruit and military writer who learns that war isn't everything he thought it was.
No Way Out
In this political thriller, Kevin Costner portrays a U.S. Navy officer named Tom Farrell, who falls in love with Susan Atwell (Sean Young from Blade Runner), the mistress of U.S. Secretary of Defense David Brice (who Farrell works for). When Brice suspects that Susan is cheating on him, he gets angry, and she ends up dead. When Farrell is assigned to solve Susan's murder, he is heartbroken, knowing that Brice killed her. Farrell also knows he's in a difficult position because, since he was in a relationship with her, all the key evidence will point to him as a prime suspect.
Just like in The Untouchables (released the same year), Costner can play tough and vulnerable men. His role as Farrell requires him to run around the Pentagon (convincingly staged), fight off assassins, hide from witnesses, and analyze evidence of the crime (all in an effort to not get caught and secretly expose Brice as the murderer). As Brice, Gene Hackman knows how to portray corrupt and selfish authoritative figures. Brice's right-hand man, Scott Pritchard (Will Patton) is also conniving and threatening in his mission to cover up Susan's murder to protect Brice.
Predator
Before Die Hard, director John McTiernan made one of the greatest sci-fi action pictures of all time. Predator stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a soldier named Dutch, who leads a small army to the jungles of Central America in order to rescue hostages and take down enemy Guerilla forces. However, the real threat that Dutch and his men face is a mysterious alien creature that takes them down one by one. After several sequels and crossovers with Alien, the original Predator stands alone as the best in the series due to the charismatic cast, the elaborate setting, and bloody violence.
Dutch is one of Schwarzenegger's best roles, because he is able to balance drama and comedy, and is capable of portraying a tough leader determined to protect his unit. Dutch's one-liners are also hilarious ("If it bleeds, we can kill it"), and he has some tense confrontations with his Vietnam buddy, Dillon, who isn't telling Dutch the whole truth behind the mission. Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and Bill Duke also deliver memorable, macho performances as members of Dutch's crew who are part of several intense action scenes and loud gunfights. The creature itself, the Predator, is intriguing due to its ability to be invisible and use the jungle to surprise its prey, as well as its brutal killing methods.
The Untouchables
Before No Way Out, Kevin Costner was part of a major hit when he took on the role of Federal Agent Elliot Ness in Brian De Palma's epic gangster picture, The Untouchables. In the film, Ness leads a special unit of policemen in order to take down Al Capone during Prohibition. While De Palma's feature isn't historically accurate and displays a simple crime story about cops vs. gangsters, the picture contains an elaborate production design of the 1930s and a powerful cast.
Costner portrays Ness as a disciplined officer who learns that extreme measures need to be taken to defeat Chicago's biggest crime boss. Robert De Niro makes a sinister Capone who loves to give grand speeches about superiority, while Sean Connery (in his Oscar-winning role) is the central core of the film as Malone, Ness's resourceful mentor and friend. Along with Capone, Frank Nitti is a creepy, cold-blooded killer with charisma and menace. Ennio Morricone's epic score perfectly accompanies every scene, including the high-powered firefights and emotional moments.
Lethal Weapon
From the superhero genre (Superman) to horror (The Omen), Richard Donner covered various genres before directing Lethal Weapon, the classic that launched one of the best action franchises in film history, influencing other buddy cop features like Rush Hour and Bad Boys. The feature involves two LAPD cops, Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover). Riggs is suicidal and depressed due to the death of his wife, while Murtaugh is a family man who's turning fifty and thinking about retiring from the force. Riggs and Murtaugh initially have no interest in each other due to their opposing personalities, but they learn to work together and become close partners.
Both detectives are also former soldiers who served in the Vietnam War, which is useful in their investigation involving corrupt mercenaries (one of whom is Murtaugh's old friend) who run a criminal organization that sells heroin. Riggs is skilled in martial arts and the use of firearms, and is also knowledgeable about explosives. His talents effective in taking down the evil villains, including Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey), who gets into an exciting physical fight with Riggs near the end of the film. The plot works due to the undeniable chemistry between Gibson and Glover's characters, who command every scene they're in. Along with the rousing action, there are tender moments when Murtaugh introduces Riggs to his wife and children, and they all have dinner together, marking the beginning of a wonderful friendship.