Sylvester Stallone’s character farewell tour continues with John Rambo, just off the heels of Rocky Balboa hanging up the gloves in the movie “Rocky Balboa” (2007). “First Blood” (1982) started it all as misunderstood John Rambo became a terror to the locals after “they drew first blood”. A series of Rambo movies ensued until the twenty year layoff and the latest (and hopefully last) in the Rambo series. I can honestly say I never thought I would be reviewing a “Rambo” movie. With Sly Stallone, one never knows what may be next. Perhaps next he will put “Judge Dredd” to pasture, or worse yet, reunite with Cash for a “Tango & Cash” farewell. Seriously, I have to admit I was a little charged to see John Rambo back on the screen and I secretly enjoyed the blood fest that ensued.

Twenty years later we find John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) living a quiet life in solitude in Thailand running a boat service on the Salween River. Rambo somehow stayed out of all of the strife despite troops and mercenaries constantly crossing his path. A group of mission workers talk Rambo into taking them to a village in war torn Burma to do their work. After bringing them to the village, Burmese soldiers level the village, killing everyone while taking the missionaries prisoners. Word of the abduction reaches the minister in charge of the mission and he turns to Rambo’s mentor, Ed Baumgartner, to enlist him to organize a group of mercenaries to free the captured missionaries. Rambo accepts the mission and travels up river with five mercenaries to liberate the prisoners.

I know, I know, another “Rambo” movie. Stallone is the writer and director who once again let John Rambo’s actions speak louder than his words. Heck, when I am sixty-years old I hope I can move half as well as John Rambo. Even in a geriatric state, he is a full scale bad ass who dispatches enemies in a multitude of ways. Rambo’s jaw line is not cut like a Roman soldier anymore, but he certainly can wield a knife, gun, or 50 caliber mounted gun like a twenty-five year old.

“Rambo” is a distant cousin to “First Blood” in look and feel, especially the violence level. I am only focusing on “First Blood”, because the other Rambo disasters really aren’t worth talking about. “Rambo” ranks second in the series, but still does not come close to the quality of “First Blood”. In “First Blood”, Colonel Samuel Trautman (John Crenna) informed Sheriff Teasle (Brian Dennehy) that his men would come back in body bags, in subsequent Rambo movies that explanation was not necessary. “Rambo” would need a lot of bags because the body part count has to be the highest since “Saving Private Ryan”. Stallone takes the violence level to a new high as bodies are completely shattered, heads are split, and limbs fly all over the screen in “Rambo”. “First Blood” got the point across without having total carnage and explicit violence. Sadly, it is 2008 and not 1982 when “First Blood” hit the screen. Nowadays, it is all about the realism of violence on screen.

Admittedly, I found myself and the crowd letting out a few “wows” Rambo did his thing, especially when he meets up (or should I say sneaks up) on the merciless Major Pa Tee Tint. As for the movie itself, it is kind of a plain affair until the last thirty minutes when all hell breaks loose on screen. Everyone is merely a backdrop for Rambo as he silently wreaks havoc upon the scores of Burmese soldiers.

Sylvester Stallone said good-bye to another character and while Rambo not as touching as Rocky Balboa, all we can say is, “So Long John Rambo”.

Cast & Crew:

Genre: Action, Drama, Trriller
Duration: 1 hr. 33 min.
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Sam Elliott, Matthew Marsden, Paul Schulze,
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Producer: Sylvester Stallone, Avi Lerner, Boaz Davidson, George Furla, Kevin King, Randall Emmett
Distributor: Lionsgate, Millennium Films
Writer: David Morrell, Sylvester Stallone

Verdict: Don’t have high expectations and you will not be disappointed. It’s Rambo, so know that going in and just enjoy the movie.

Related Content

• Punisher: War Zone - English Movie Review
• Punisher: War Zone i Hollywood Teaser
• Benz bowled over by stallone’s intelligence

Tags: Julie Benz, Matthew Marsden, Paul Schulze, Rambo - English Movie Review, Sam Elliott, Sylvester Stallone | Filed in Hollywood