40 Years Later, the "Quintessentially 80s" Action Movie That Defined the Decade Is a Hit on Free Streaming Actorsvaultpro

Nothing screams the 1980s quite like Arnold Schwarzenegger, especially when he’s got a machine gun on his hip, mowing down the bad guys. For those who are feeling more nostalgic for a simpler decade, or who simply miss the good old days of action movies, one of Arnie’s best and most iconic action films of all time is a hit on free streaming. The ’80s gave Arnold hits like Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator, Predator, The Running Man, and the not-so-action-packed Twins. But, amidst those ’80s classics, Schwarzenegger’s most explosive movie of that decade was none other than Commando, and it’s currently streaming for free.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Commando is currently streaming for free on Tubi, and viewers are obsessed with the non-stop action movie. Commando is currently the eighth most popular film on Tubi this week. Commando was released in 1985, during the height of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s action dominance. Alongside the action icon, the film also starred Vernon Wells, Rae Dawn Chong, David Patrick Kelly, Dan Hedaya, Bill Duke, and a young Alyssa Milano. Mark L. Lester directed the movie, based on a script penned by Jeph Loeb, Matthew Weisman, and Steven E. de Souza. The official synopsis reads:

“Retired Special Forces soldier John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) lives with daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano) in isolation, but his privacy is disturbed by former commander Franklin Kirby (James Olson), who warns him that his fellow soldiers are getting killed one by one. After Kirby leaves, Jenny is kidnapped by former Latin American dictator Arius (Dan Hedaya), who wants Matrix to restore him to power. Instead, Matrix sets out to take down the rogue leader and rescue his daughter.”

It’s a bonkers plot that would have only worked in the 1980s, and that applies to the action tenfold. Commando is over-the-top, with ball-to-the-wall explosions, bad guys being launched in the air, and Arnie thinking it’s a good idea to run into a gunfight topless and armed only with a knife and a rocket launcher (there are worse weapons to have, to be fair). Upon its release, Commando became one of the defining films of the action genre in the 1980s, alongside Arnie’s other previously mentioned movies, and the likes of First Blood, Lethal Weapon, and Die Hard, to name a few.

‘Commando’s Reception Has Mellowed With Time

Alyssa Milano and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando

20th Century Fox

When Commando was released, it was a giant hit, grossing $57 million worldwide (which doesn’t sound like a lot now, but it was a giant take at the time). However, as the decades have passed, contemporary audiences have lost interest in Commando, with many viewing it as a product of its time. Were the likes of Rotten Tomatoes around in the ’80s, the film likely would have scored in the 90% range, at least, with audiences.

However, in 2025, Commando holds a joint 68% critics’ and audience rating. Some viewers still appreciate the film for what it is, with one user writing, “This is so quintessentially eighties, just watching it transports me back to those great days again,” while a less positive review read, “I wish Arnold never saved her.”