The Wacky, Brutally Violent 80s Movie That Made Carl Weathers a Leading Man

The Big Picture

• Action Jackson may not have been a massive success, but Carl Weathers shines in his only top-billed leading role.
• The film is a time capsule of 1980s action movies, with off-beat humor and a convoluted plot that adds to its charm.
• Weathers, known for his roles in Rocky and Predator, deserved more opportunities as a leading man and could have had his own franchise.

The late Carl Weathers built an iconic legacy as Apollo Creed, the rival-turned-friend to Sylvester Stallone‘s Rocky series, and as one half of the iconic Predator handshake alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was an incredible physical presence in some of the most iconic films of the 1970s and 1980s. His supporting roles were so packed with charm that it was inevitable he would end up leading an action film of his own at some point. That reality came about on the set of Predator, where Weathers and producer Joel Silver spoke about the possibility of working together. Because of Silver’s love of blaxploitation films, and Weathers’ interest in leading a film, they conceptualized a character and eventually enlisted a screenwriter to expand their ideas into a feature.

‘Action Jackson’ Finally Featured Carl Weathers as a Leading Man

Action Jackson was released in 1988 to negative reviews, but earned twenty million at the box office on an estimated seven million dollar budget. The movie, directed by Predator stunt-coordinator Craig R. Baxley, follows Weathers as Sgt. Jericho “Action” Jackson, a tough detective who was demoted and put behind a desk after a criminal investigation goes awry involving a powerful auto-industry businessman, played by Craig T. Nelson. When Jackson discovers members of the auto-workers union are being murdered in what appears to be a series of related crimes, he sets out to finally solve the case. Weathers is joined by singer-turned-actress Vanity, who also provided music for the film’s soundtrack, which included compositions from jazz legend Herbie Hancock. Sharon Stone also appears in a brief supporting role.

While this movie was not a massive success, it stands as the only major release in which Weathers was the top-billed star. It is quintessentially 1980s in all the best and worst ways, but Weathers manages to elevate even the strangest material to something worth watching. This makes Action Jackson a time capsule of a movie, and one which exists as an interesting sliding doors moment for Weathers’ career. In an interview with AV Club, Weathers said he wanted a sequel, but the film rights were transferred between distributors, and any corporate interest in the franchise potential was lost in the exchange. The box office success and Weathers’ cache as an actor could have led to sequels, or at least an attempt at a different franchise. If Action Jackson remains the only clear indication of what Weathers’ leading man run would have looked like, it would have been uniquely entertaining and perhaps just as iconic as Stallone or Schwarzenegger if given time to develop.

‘Action Jackson’ Works Thanks to Carl Weathers’ Charisma

Although in many ways, Action Jackson closely follows the conventions of the genre, the film is exceedingly off-beat at times. On one hand, it hits so many standard tropes that you might think Predator director John McTiernan‘s spoofing Last Action Hero is a direct response to this film. The irate police captain played by Bill Duke (also from Predator) is essentially replicated 1:1 in McTiernan’s Schwarzenegger-led action-comedy. On the other hand, it has a plot that is nearly impossible to keep up with, and supporting characters who deliver performances so memorably weird that you will be thinking about them for weeks.

The bizarre premise and horny undertones of Action Jackson read like a film the gang from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia would write. Scenes of note include Jackson pretending to be a deranged faith healer to escape a hold-up, convoluted exposition about automobile union busters, and an incredible match-cut from Jackson blowing up a guy with an explosive round to the chest to a slab of ribs on a flaming grill (complete with the one-liner “how do you like your ribs?”). This is a movie you truly have to see for yourself to understand just how strange it is.

In 1988, it is understandable that critics did not respond to the heightened humor and the complicated pacing of this film. But everything that makes this movie “bad” is exactly what makes it such a fun viewing experience in a modern context. Years later, it plays better when approached for what it is: a ridiculously over-the-top action comedy featuring one of the great action stars doing what he does best. Action Jackson is the kind of movie that works in spite of its own flaws, because, what it lacks in terms of compelling writing, is made up for in spades by pure entertainment value. That value rests mostly on Weathers, who buys into the film completely and plays every moment exactly in line with what the tone of the film needs. He is not taking himself seriously, and is having a hell of a time with the classically cheesy dialogue, but he is giving a real performance that overcomes the mess that is Action Jackson.

Carl Weathers’ Iconic Legacy Proves He Deserved Another Shot as Leading Man

Weathers is one of the most iconic fixtures in American action cinema. It is a shame that he was not given more opportunities to prove himself as a leading man alongside his co-stars, Stallone and Schwarzenegger, who had misfires of their own but were always given another chance. His presence made some of their greatest films all the better. Apollo Creed remains one of the most beloved sports movie characters, and that role alone cemented his place in film history. Weathers also found a second wave thanks to his comedic abilities in Adam Sandler‘s golf-comedy Happy Gilmore, and as a frugal, fictionalized version of himself in Arrested Development.

Weathers should have had a franchise of his own. Action Jackson may not have been the movie to spawn one, but he deserved another shot during his prime. Weathers went from being one of the most effortlessly badass action heroes to being one of the funniest, most quotable guest characters in TV history. Action Jackson is an absurd movie that might have closed more doors than it opened for Weathers, but he shines bright in it. It stands as a sign of the ability he had to carry an action film all on his own, and evidence of his status among the best of America’s action stars.

Action Jackson is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime in the U.S.

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