Special effects had begun to play a larger role in films in the 1970s, but it was in the 1980s that special effects began to be used to make a wide range of movies more exciting, spectacular, and, usually, violent. Although E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) used special effects to tell the gentle story of an alien who wished to go home, it was the exception to the rule. Most of the time, special effects were used to depict on-screen violence and action. Two sequels to the popular 1977 film Star Wars—The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983)—set the standard for space movies. Four Star Trek movies in the decade followed suit. Films like The Terminator (1984) and Robocop (1987) used special effects to tell their violent science-fiction stories.

President Ronald Reagan's (1911–) crusade against communism during the 1980s was helped along by a high...