Top 10 Shameless 80s Movie Ripoffs, Ranked by IMDb Audience Scores

Hollywood blockbusters ruled the 1980s—but they didn’t rule alone.

Hot on the heels of films like Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Escape from New York, Alien, Rambo: First Blood Part II, and Predator, a wave of low-budget exploitation movies—many produced in Italy—raced into theaters and video stores with suspiciously familiar plots, costumes, and action beats.

These films weren’t subtle. They borrowed everything: storylines, visual design, character types, and sometimes entire scenes. And yet… people still love them.

Why? Because these movies are pure 80s B-cinema—loud, fast, violent, cheesy, and utterly unapologetic. They’re packed with DIY creativity, over-the-top performances, outrageous gore, and a grindhouse energy that turns blatant imitation into cult entertainment.

Below are the Top 10 80s Movie Ripoffs, ranked by IMDb audience ratings (out of 10). These scores reflect viewer enjoyment—not critical acclaim—and highlight which knockoffs have endured as cult favorites.

10. Robowar (1988)

IMDb Rating: 4.4

Director: Bruno Mattei

Ripoff Of: Predator (with RoboCop elements)

Jungle commandos are hunted by a cyborg killing machine in one of the most infamous ripoffs of the decade. Robowar shamelessly lifts entire sequences from Predator, but fans embrace it for that very reason. Reb Brown’s nuclear-level overacting turns this into camp legend territory.

9. The New Barbarians (1983)

IMDb Rating: 4.6

Director: Enzo G. Castellari

Ripoff Of: Mad Max 2

Mohawked marauders roam a post-apocalyptic wasteland wearing leather, chains, and questionable fashion choices. Ridiculous costumes, strange subtext, and relentless chaos have given this one lasting cult status—and made it a defining example of Italian excess.

8. Escape from the Bronx (1983)

IMDb Rating: 4.7

Director: Enzo G. Castellari

Ripoff Of: Escape from New York

(Sequel to 1990: The Bronx Warriors*)

Corporations attempt to evict the Bronx—violently. The result is an escalation of everything that made its predecessor trashy fun: bigger explosions, nastier villains, and zero restraint. Fans love it as a sequel that doubles down on mayhem.=

7. Raiders of Atlantis (1983)

IMDb Rating: 4.8

Director: Ruggero Deodato

Ripoff Of: Mad Max 2 and Raiders of the Lost Ark

Atlantean bikers rise from the depths and go on a violent rampage after an ancient relic is disturbed. The plot is completely unhinged, the tone wildly inconsistent, and the spectacle impossible to forget. Deodato’s trademark brutality keeps it entertainingly insane.

6. Exterminators of the Year 3000 (1983)

IMDb Rating: 5.1

Director: Giuliano Carnimeo

Ripoff Of: Mad Max 2

Water scarcity fuels desert chases and armored vehicle combat in this scrappy entry into the “maxploitation” subgenre. While cheap, it’s packed with raw energy and vehicular destruction—exactly what fans of post-apocalyptic cinema crave.

5. Strike Commando (1987)

IMDb Rating: 5.1

Director: Bruno Mattei

Ripoff Of: Rambo: First Blood Part II

Reb Brown stars as a one-man army taking on the Viet Cong with endless explosions and unforgettable dialogue. It’s dumb, loud, and gloriously excessive. Action fans adore it as a laugh-out-loud guilty pleasure.

4. Contamination (1980)

IMDb Rating: 5.1

Director: Luigi Cozzi

Ripoff Of: Alien

Alien eggs cause explosive chest bursts in a globe-trotting conspiracy thriller. Yes, it’s blatant—but the gore effects, eerie atmosphere, and Goblin score make it a favorite among Euro-horror fans who appreciate schlock done with enthusiasm.

3. Endgame (1983)

IMDb Rating: 5.2

Director: Joe D’Amato

Ripoff Of: Mad Max series and The Running Man

Telepathic mutants, gladiatorial combat, and dystopian chaos collide. Its strange genre mashup, nonstop fights, and memorable villains have made Endgame a cult staple for fans who enjoy their sci-fi as weird as possible.

2. 1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)

IMDb Rating: 5.2

Director: Enzo G. Castellari

Ripoff Of: The Warriors, Escape from New York, and Mad Max

Gangs battle for control of a ruined New York City filled with bikers and street armies. Castellari’s stylish direction elevates familiar tropes into trashy, high-energy fun that remains endlessly rewatchable.

1. 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983)

IMDb Rating: 5.5

Director: Sergio Martino

Ripoff Of: Escape from New York and Mad Max 2

The highest-rated ripoff of the bunch, this post-nuclear adventure delivers mutants, chases, and inventive twists on John Carpenter’s formula. Fast-paced and surprisingly imaginative, it’s often cited as the most entertaining knockoff of the era.

Honorable Mentions

If you’re still hungry for more cinematic theft:

• Shocking Dark (1989, 4.3/10) — Bruno Mattei’s Aliens/Terminator mashup

• Alien 2: On Earth (1980, 3.7/10) — cave-dwelling xenomorph wannabes at their strangest

They didn’t crack the Top 10, but they perfectly embody the bold, shameless ripoff spirit of the 1980s.

Many of these films have since been rescued by cult labels like Severin Films, offering restored Blu-rays that preserve their glorious low-budget insanity for new generations.

Because in the 80s, originality was optional—but entertainment was mandatory.