There is something about the movies of our youth that is just special. They’re the movies that we find ourselves going back to over and over when we’re looking for a comfort watch and they’re often the films that help define our preferences and fandoms as we age. Pretty much every pop culture collector has something they absolutely love and treasure that they can trace the origins of back to a movie from their childhood. For 80s kids, it’s the movies of the early 1990s that fit that space, that perfect balance of nostalgia and generation-defining entertainment, but even among movies of that era, there are some that really stand out or, rather, have major sticking power.
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1991 in particular had some great movies, especially when it came to sci-fi. And, even among the wealth of great sci-fi that year, there were a few that were so iconic that every 80s kid can still quote them line-by-line today, 35 years later. It probably helps that we watched them a lot growing up. Of course, you don’t have to be an 80s kid to be able to quote some of these films—there are at least two on here we’re pretty sure everyone knows a line or three from and you might even be able to quote more even if you are a 90s kid or younger. These moves are just that good—read on and see for yourself!
5) Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Come with me if you want to live. Okay, so this list isn’t that serious, but that line? It’s one of the most iconic lines from the Terminator 2: Judgment Day and it’s just one of many. The whole movie is practically a quote-a-long of incredible one-liners and what truly makes the quotability of this movie incredible is that it’s not just one character that has all the good lines. All of the characters in this action-packed follow up to The Terminator have lines that you can’t help but not only incorporate into your own vernacular but find yourself saying along with them when they’re on screen every time you rewatch. Some personal favorites? Well, there’s “come with me if you want to live” of course, but “I’ll be back” and “Hasta la vista, baby,” are pretty great, too. Of course, outside of the very memorable lines, a big part of what makes Terminator 2 so easy to recall line by line really are the performances and while Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator admittedly has some of the best one liners, nothing beats Edward Furlong’s line delivery as John Connor. Honestly, now that I think about it, it’s his line delivery and performance that may be why that movie is just so memorable from a quotability standpoint.
4) Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey
I promise you that we will not be melvin-ing Death on this list, but we will be quoting Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. I’m not going to try to sell you one why Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey is one of the best movies of the 1990s, period. It just is, we can all accept that and move forward together. The entire concept of the Bill & Ted’s movies in general feel like a fever dream now—the first film, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, saw the two titular metalheads time travel to round up historical figures for a high school. history presentation and end up creating a utopian society in the future with their music while Bogus Journey sees the pair quite literally go to Hell—but they’re not only great they are just so quotable. Bogus Journey in particular is one great line after another. Some standouts include “I can’t believe we just melvined Death” (because they did, indeed melvin Death), “A hit. You have sank my battleship!” and what might be the wisest and best line of the whole movie: “The best place to be is here. The best time to be is now, and all’s we can say is… let’s rock!”
3) The Rocketeer
The Rocketeer is one of those movies that holds a special place in the hearts of every 80s kid. It featured a beloved superhero with plenty of sci-fi flair. The film was action packed and a lot of fun and honestly, how could it not be when the titular superhero literally zipped around with a rocket pack letting him fly without the need of a plane or superpowers? It was just fun and, to be fair, we likely caught it quite a bit being rebroadcast on television. It is also a movie full of great lines that, while they may not be quite as everyday life quotable as some other movies on this list, they’re quippy and snappy, and firm proof that Cliff Secord was the Iron Man we deserved (I said what I said, but seriously the similarities really are there). Some highlights include “lunch is cancelled due to lack of hustle. Deal with it.” and “There’s a fly in my soup!” which is great in the scene where Cliff needs a big distraction. But also, if you’ve ever been tempted to respond to someone asking you how they look with “Like a hood ornament”, you can thank The Rocketeer.
2) Suburban Commando
Here’s a fun fact about Suburban Commando: The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss appears briefly in the film in what is her feature film debut. Of all the films on this list, Suburban Commando might be the one that I personally revisit the least and I’m probably not alone in that, but in terms of being quotable, it’s absolutely unforgettable. It’s a pretty cheesy film, starring Hulk Hogan as an interstellar warrior who, after messing up a mission, gets told to take a vacation and finds himself on Earth and things get weird. It’s not great, but the lines are. “Earthlings… I hate earthlings…” is a classic, as is “I hate suburbia” though the latter is absolutely perfect in context of Shep (Hogan) trying to save a cat from a tree). There is also a great exchange between Deak (Dennis Burkley) and Shep where Deak warns Shep about what will happen if something is damaged and Shep, well, Shep takes it a little too far. It’s super fun even if super cheesy and trust me, if you were a kid in 1991, you got it.
1) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
I don’t know if you can call yourself a real 90s movie fan if you can’t quote most of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, but I might be willing to give you a pass if you know all the lyrics to what is arguably the best soundtrack song ever, Vanilla Ice’s “Ninja Rap”, a song that gave us “Go ninja, go ninja, go!” Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II is an absolute icon of pop culture in the 90s. The film is a rare sequel that is much lighter in tone as compared to the first film, and fully embraces a very cartoonish vibe, and that includes the dialogue and humor. The film is full of hilarious exclamations that are truly larger than life—what 80s kid doesn’t remember Michaelangelo screaming “and next time, I’ll use mustard!” at a certain point in the movie? It’s the very quippy nature of the film’s dialog that honestly makes it very memorable and one of those things you just can’t get out of your head, even decades later. And of course, it’s the Turtles. Everyone loves the Turtles.
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