5. The Empire Strikes Back
TESB is the best chapter of the Star Wars saga, period. There is the sense of adventure at watching an epic in a galaxy far away mixed with the thrill of such inventive characters placed into peril. Science Fiction does not get much better than this!
4. The Goonies
The 80s was the decade that focused on kids more than anything else and The Goonies probably capitalized on this aspect more than anybody. Creative, funny and very different characters who truly acted like kids, spoke like kids and treated each other like kids, get thrown into a mad cap adventure featuring pirate treasure and escaped excons. One of the most fun films from the 80s!
3. Back To The Future
BTTF had everything. The likable Marty McFly, the crazy, energetic Doc Brown, the bully Biff and that striking Delorean as the Time Machine. A wholesome throw back that pulls back the veneer and exposes a rough underbelly of society in a very charming way. Focuses on what really matters at the end of the day: Family! An instant classic!
2. Real Genius
Many will wonder why Real Genius is on this list. This is a fillm that oozes 80s in that it could never be made today. The charm and humor carry this quirky Val Kilmer vehicle, as well as his clashes with the nefarious William Atherton, who was one of the best 80s villians if not #1.
1. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Another Harrison Ford movie! He was clearly the actor of the 80s, so no surprise to see him on this list twice. His Indiana Jones character was an icon of the time period, and pairing him with Sean Connery as his father made this one of the best outings yet. There was nothing else that could capture the sense of adventure, humor and history like a good old fashioned Indiana Jones adventure.