Action Jackson Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1988

Action Jackson starred Carl Weathers as Jericho "Action" Jackson, a determined cop that tends to skirt the rules of acceptable behavior when it comes to pursuing his foes. When powerful leaders of an auto union begin getting assassinated, Jackson suspects a powerful auto magnate is responsible for the heinous crimes… an individual that Jackson has tussled with in the past.

This is an all-out action flick that we have rarely seen the likes of since the 80's, and while it didn't perform terribly well at the box-office it remains a fun popcorn movie for those seeking mindless entertainment.

Carl Weathers was an actor that had everything going for him to become one of the 80's top action heroes, yet for some reason he was most often reserved to play supplementary roles to other action stars such as Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Predator). Weathers did give an action-hero career a shot in his starring role as Action Jackson, but the lukewarm reception at the box office put those aspirations to a quick halt.

And it's a shame, because Action Jackson was a stylish piece of 80's action, full of guns, explosions, unrealistic circumstances and beautiful women. What more can an 80's fan ask for?

Action Jackson is a good cop with a rather assertive style of fighting crime, so assertive in fact that he was demoted for roughing up a vile criminal and forced to forfeit his gun. During his normal police work he ends up investigating a case of murdered union leaders, and he believes that auto magnate Peter Dellaplane (Craig T. Nelson) is responsible for their deaths.

As Jackson starts getting closer to the truth, informants begin to die, but the action gets kicked into high gear when Dellaplane's wife (Sharon Stone) stumbles across the sordid truth. She is killed and planted in Jackson's apartment, so now he's on the run from both the police and Dellaplane's elite killers.

Luckily he has the help of Sydney Ash (Vanity), a lovely lounge singer with knowledge about Dellaplane's business. The high-octane action continues full speed ahead until Jackson has his inevitable, violent showdown with the criminal mastermind.

You'll find exaggerated 80's action such as Jackson driving a sports car into a house, up a stairwell and around a few hallways to get his man. Each of the bad guys has a degree in martial arts; in fact they are so deadly they'd make a professional ninja cower! We get fun fistfights pitting one man against five thugs… guess who wins?

Weathers had the charisma and buff physique to carry an action film, which makes it a shame he didn't have the opportunity to make more movies of this nature. Action Jackson isn't quite on the same level as Predator or Rocky, but that's no fault of Weathers.

Nor is it the fault of Craig Nelson, for his performance as the evil and ruthless entrepreneur was deliciously entertaining. He meshed with the role perfectly and reflected the necessary sinister vibes one would expect from a powerful person in his position.

You can't blame the ladies, for Sharon Stone and Vanity weren't required to exhibit much acting skill – they were there mostly for the eye candy and each supplied more than ample amounts. Like any good 80's action film, they'll even share a bit of skin with viewers.

No, if blame for Action Jackson's box-office failure must be assigned, it must be assigned to the script itself. While the movie supplied plenty of juicy action, the plot was pretty generic and uninspiring as opposed to the previously mentioned films.

Despite its pedestrian storyline, Action Jackson remains heads and tails better than most action films of today. Whereas today's movies rely on blue screens, wires and computer animation, 80's action featured genuine, well-choreographed action that featured real sets and stuntmen. It gave action movies a sincerity and "realism" that just doesn't exist anymore.

If you love stylish popcorn movies featuring cool good guys and nefarious bad guys, it's definitely worth giving Action Jackson a shot.

Movie rating: 7 stars

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