Action Jackson is a 1988 action movie directed by Craig R Baxley as his feature film directorial debut, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone, and Thomas F. Wilson.
A tough Detroit cop named Jericho "Action" Jackson (Weathers) is on the trail of a power hungry auto magnate (Nelson) who's systematically eliminating his competition.
Action Jackson provides examples of:
- Added Alliterative Appeal: The shtick of hairdresser Dee. Her name should tip you off as to what letter of the alphabet she prefers.
- Back-to-Back Poster: The poster features the titular character back to back against the villain's mistress Sydney Ash.
- Bald of Evil: Dellaplane's chauffeur
- Big Damn Hero: Sydney's bodyguard "Big" Edd saves Jackson before the Invisible Men can burn him alive.
- Bringing Running Shoes to a Car Chase: After a hitman tries to run over Jackson and Dellaplane's wife Patrice, Jackson chases after him until he jumps on top of the car. Justified since Jackson was a former track star.
- Car Fu: Jackson ram a car inside Dellaplane's mansion. He crushes the villain's chauffeur against a wall, causing him to bleed from his mouth. And then he drives up the stairs to Dellaplane's bedroom where he holding Sydney hostage.
- Clear My Name: Jackson was framed by Dellaphane for the murder of his own wife. And needs Sydney's help.
- Cool Old Guy: Jackson's ex-boxer friend Kid Sable who runs a motel Jackson and Sydney are hiding at.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Peter Anthony Dellaplane
- Da Chief: Captain Armbruster
- Deadly Delivery: Used by the Invisible Men to kill a witness, with a silenced gun held behind the Clipboard of Authority.
- Didn't Think This Through: After Jackson jumps on top of the cab that tried to run him over, the hitman Drives Like Crazy to shake Jackson off.Jackson: Maybe this wasn't such a damn good idea after all!
- The Dreaded: Lack and Kornblau describe Jackson this way to a punk kid named Albert. (see Running Gag)
- Drop Dead Gorgeous: A coroner laments that most of the beautiful women he sees naked are dead, while looking at the corpse of such a woman.
- Elite Mooks: The Invisible Men
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: Jackson and Sydney drives pass a movie theater that's showing Creepozoids, Born in East L.A., and Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity.
- In another scene, they walked pass a Predator poster.
- Ironic Echo/Match Cut: The Invisible Men prepare to burn Jackson alive ("We're going to have ourselves a little barbecue."), until he was rescued by Sydney's bodyguard "Big" Edd. At the end of the fight, Jackson kills the leader with his own flamethrower ("Barbecue, huh? How do you like your ribs?"). The explosion fades to the fire of an actual barbecue grill at the birthday party.
- Mistaken for Suicidal: Jackson's friend Tony's death was shot by one of the Invisible Men, and it was ruled as suicide. Although Tony did try to shot himself in the head in a panic earlier, Jackson correctly believes it wasn't a suicide.
- No Kill Like Over Kill: The Invisible Men's methods, at least towards two of their targets. They set one on fire and they strap a bomb on another.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: When Dellaplane has Jackson captured, he brags about how he's going to assassinate a union leader and frame Jackson for the crime, having Gamble, the lone black member of the Invisible Men, be Jackson's double. Dellaplane then leans in out of Gamble's earshot and whispers to Jackson, "You people all look the same anyway."
- Properly Paranoid: Tony fears that he'll be next, after the other two officials were killed. (see Deadly Delivery)
- Running Gag: Albert is terrified of Action Jackson. He always faints upon seeing him. In a later scene, he walks into a restaurant but quickly runs away upon seeing Jackson inside, who's talking to Patrice, who noticed the kid suddenly ran out.
- Say My Name: Sydney screams Jackson's name several times.
- Shirtless Captives: Jackson is captured by the bad guys when his girlfriend is taken hostage. The next time we see him, his shirt is off and his wrists are tied to the ceiling of a car factory. His chief captor explains they plan to stage a car accident, and need to burn him alive to make it look convincing. He is saved at the very last minute. Except maybe for Fanservice, no explanation ever given even in the grand explication for why it is necessary for him to be bare-chested.
- Considering Gamble is holding his shirt, it's going to be used as part of his Jackson disguise.
- Stuff Blowing Up: The Car Chase scene involves some explosions.
- Those Two Guys: Officers Lack and Kornblau.
