Top 10 Most Overrated Movies of the 1980s

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

Every generation looks back on their childhood movies with reverence. The decade you identify with shaped you as a person and the movies are a sign of that. But, a lot of times we think back favorably about movies that really aren’t as good as we remember. The 1980s are a big decade for a lot of fans of this website and I am here to tell you that a lot of the movies from that ten year span suck ass. The 80s were my decade as well, but I have no problem telling you that the ten films listed here are really overrated. If you disagree or have another movie we forgot to add, let us know in the talk backs below.

#1 – CADDYSHACK

This movie sucks. Really. As much as I respect it’s place in the annals of quote history, CADDYSHACK is not a very good film. It has aged poorly and feels cobbled together from multiple scripts that were overridden by the brilliant improv performers in the cast. In between the memorable lines from Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray, there is a whole lot of nonsense. Harold Ramis built himself one heck of a career after this movie but the growing pains as a filmmaker are very apparent.

#2 – TRON

As much as I love TRON from a style standpoint and an overall concept, the 1982 movie is actually pretty boring. There is a lot of standing around and talking with the action relegated to segments of the overall film. While TRON LEGACY has some detractors, the flow and pacing of that film works a lot better than the original. Hell, even Jeff Bridges is way better in the sequel.

#3 – DIRTY DANCING

What the f*ck is the deal with this movie? I do not understand the obsession people have over this movie. Yeah, nobody puts Baby in the corner, we get it. What else is so good? Is it because Patrick Swayze was sexy? Is that it? Because I don’t really see anything else worth the fuss in this flick. Sure, maybe the dancing is fun but the plot is so insanely idiotic that it makes me shake my head that anyone would qualify this as a good movie.

#4 – TOP GUN

I won’t go into too much detail here (you can read my UnPopular Opinion on the film for that), but TOP GUN is the worst kind of overrated movie. For a story about fighter pilots pushing it to the limit, the stakes never feel tangible in this movie. Tom Cruise may be a badass but Maverick barely does anything interesting until the final twenty minutes of the film. The rest is just shirtless volleyball and dick measuring contests.

#5 – FLETCH

Chevy Chase made a lot of good movies in the 1980s, but one of his most iconic roles is one of the worst films. FLETCH is a collection of memorable scenes, but like a trailer that shows too much of a movie, we all know the funny parts of Michael Ritchie’s film. The rest of the movie is mediocre at best and not worth the time to sit down and watch. Stick to YouTube highlights of the movie’s funniest parts.

#6 – GREMLINS

I loved GREMLINS as a kid but that is a memory I should have kept intact and not revisted again. With all the talk of people against a remake of Joe Dante’s film, I wonder how many have gone back and watched the original. Because it just doesn’t hold up. The plot is nearly incomprehensible and the special effects are atrocious. Even the uneven sequel makes a bit more sense that the first but that is not nearly good enough. Just remake this already.

#7 – BATMAN

As much as I love Jack Nicholson’s over the top performance and Michael Keaton’s understated take on the Caped Crusader, the rest of Tim Burton’s movie doesn’t hold up well. Where Richard Donner’s SUPERMAN feels like it transcends time, BATMAN looks incredibly dated. Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder have managed to create Batman movies that will look good for decades, but the 1989 version just doesn’t hold up and neither do the sequels.

#8 – ORDINARY PEOPLE

Robert Redford’s directorial debut won a bunch of Oscars and was named one of the best films of 1980 but I struggle to see why. Sure, Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland, Timothy Hutton and Judd Hirsch are good actors, but they barely rise above the cliche and overly plodding story about a family coping with loss. Unlike some of the best dramas of the 1980s, ORDINARY PEOPLE feels like a made for TV movie with a better than average cast.

#9 – FOOTLOOSE

Kevin Bacon may be great but this movie is not. The plot about a town that bans dancing because the Reverend’s son died in a car crash makes very little sense. As the teens just want to listen to music and boogie, the older people soo escalate into burning books. Yeah, this is a movie with a concept that is way too serious for the finished film. Plus, there is very little dancing in this movie despite that being the one saving grace of the whole thing.

#10 – ST. ELMO’S FIRE

Joel Schumacher’s coming of age dramedy is one of the defining films of the Brat Pack era. With a cast of iconic faces ranging from Judd Nelson to Rob Lowe, this film defined a generation. But, it really f*cking sucks. It is melodramatic, poorly acted, and suffers from feeling like an unfunny episode of Friends.

Source: JoBlo.com

About the Author

6019 Articles Published

Alex Maidy has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. A Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of Chicago Indie Critics, Alex has been JoBlo.com's primary TV critic and ran columns including Top Ten and The UnPopular Opinion. When not riling up fans with his hot takes, Alex is an avid reader and aspiring novelist.