What happened to action movies?

What happened to action movies? Interesting rant asking the above question, with great analysis of a golden age of Hollywood action flicks.

Consider this stunning fact: within a 16-month span, the following four movies were released theatrically:

Lethal Weapon (March 6, 1987)
Predator (June 12, 1987)
RoboCop (July 17, 1987)
Die Hard (July 15, 1988)

Not only is each one of those movies not your standard brainless macho fare (not even Predator -- we'll get to it), they're four of the best action movies ever made. Why? Because they've all got something more happening under the surface.