Rambo

Year of Release: 2008
Genre: Action
Rating: R, graphic violence, sexual assaults, grisly images & language.
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Matthew Marsden, Graham McTavish, Reynaldo Gallegos, Jake La Botz, Tim Kang

Date Of Review: February 2008

When I sat down to watch “Rambo III” in a cinema in 1988, I had no idea that it would take another 20 years before I would be able to watch another Rambo adventure again. Rambo is essentially a 1980s thing. It’s from a bygone era, a time when bulging biceps and larger than life action heroes were the norm. In today’s cinema there is not that much of it around anymore .There is something almost prehistoric about this character. Now, with Rambo in hibernation for 20 years it is his time to strike and this time it works as good if not better than before. In fact, what has happened with the series is that Sylvester Stallone is no longer just the star or face of Rambo, he has now taken over as writer and director of the proceedings. I think he had no choice but to take full control to get this made. You could almost say that “Rambo” is Stallone’s “Unforgiven” (1992) but Clint Eastwood’s film was far-more-talkier. It's uncanny to note, that both Eastwood and Stallone were both about 62 years of age when their respective films hit cinemas.

Some people have said that “Rambo” is probably the most violent mainstream action movie ever to be released in theatres. Whereas, the previous sequels had a-popcorn feel to them, this one has taken the reality quotient to a new level. This time round, Rambo is taken into a real-life crisis in Burma; one that is not often touched upon much in today’s news and tabloids but has been around for a longtime. Stallone obviously felt compelled to make the Burma crisis noteworthy.  The violence in “Rambo” is somewhat like the violence you might see in war films such as “Saving Private Ryan” (1998) or “Flags Of Our Fathers” (2006). It is there for a reason and in context to the story. If we are to believe that these atrocities are really taking place in that part of the world, on a daily basis, well then, this film has to show the violence to elicit the emotional content to the viewer. Maybe the violence could have done with a bit of a trim but then the film may have lost some of its impact. Most of the violence in “Rambo” is in context and not just there for sensationalism. Yes, “Rambo” is a violent movie but the camera somehow doesn’t dwell on it. The editing is rapid fire, just like the shooting, so the violent images are shown only for fractions of a second, blink and you will miss it. In general the camera is not held on the gore, it skims across it, just like the machine gun bullets. The bottom line is the film’s R Rating is for realistic war violence.  

“Rambo” is a film that gets your attention quickly and holds you in its grip to the very end. The plot is straightforward, accessible to the viewer and doesn’t miss a beat. Although somewhat disillusioned, Rambo is trying to live a quiet life in Thailand. He spends his days on the river as a boatman and snake hunter. His life takes a turn when Christian missionaries ask him to transport them up river so that they can bring aid to the needy in a village in Burma.  At first, Rambo is reluctant to take them because of the danger that lurks, but the only female (Julie Benz) of the group talks him into it. It’s amazing the powers of persuasion women have over even the most stoic of men! Next, the missionaries get themselves caught up in a brutal village raid that turns into a massacre and many of the aid workers are held captive. A band of mercenaries, led by a foul-mouthed bald-headed Brit (Graham McTavish) are sent in to find and rescue the missionaries. Once again, Rambo plays boatman and transports the mercenaries down river. Rambo is pushed almost to breaking point by the impatient Brit and it’s a slight shame that we don’t get a showdown between Stallone and the British hard-man but as they say, you can’t win them all.  Nevertheless, the mercenaries soon discover that their mission is not as easy as they thought. So guess what? Rambo is forced to step up, take charge and solve the problem.

Whether or not you find the violence in “Rambo” exploitative of a real-life situation is debatable or open to interpretation. I think it ultimately depends on the feelings that you experience when viewing the film. I actually believed in the plight of the Burmese people and the Christian missionaries’ attempts at aid so therefore I found the violence depicted justifiable to an extent. Having said that I still believe the violence could have been toned down somewhat. Whatever the case maybe, you cannot deny that Stallone has attempted to create a more reality-based action interpretation than you would normally expect. The skill in which the film has been made is undeniable. The choice either way is yours?

Like “Rocky Balboa”, Stallone is on target once again with “Rambo”. The movie was everything that I expected. It lived up to the hype. Stallone gave it his all and I don’t think they could have done much more with it. Aside from its reality based plot and real locations, “Rambo” is a stripped down, barebones, straight-forward action flick. The film was near perfect for what it set out to achieve and I was not disappointed.  Apart from the finale, the film features two standout action sequences, Rambo's gun-slinger-style confrontation with the river pirates and his out-of-the-blue, bow-an-arrow rescue sequence of Burmese peasants. The rescue scene suprises not only the mercenaries on hand, but also the viewer. Rambo's precision shooting with a bow is enough to make Robin Hood look like an amateur.

The use of Sound is a big part of a movie like this. Bringing back the original Rambo theme score added some much needed nostalgic flavor throughout. Thunderous drum beats are used effectively in creating the atmosphere as well as moving the action along. There is even another nod-and-a-wink to the earlier installments with an effective flashback montage which uses scenes from the previous Rambo films, including moments with Rambo’s mentor Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna).  Despite Stallone’s age, “Rambo” could very well and truly be Stallone’s best action film in the last 20 years because the violence actually serves a point to the story. With “Rocky Balboa” and “Rambo”, Stallone has proven that old dinosaurs can assimilate with modern times. “Rambo”, just like his kills, is near perfect in its execution. If you are a Rambo fan you won’t be disappointed. Heck, to top it off, it’s almost set up for a sequel.

© Copyright Pick Of The Flicks. All rights reserved.

The Original Rambo Trilogy - Now Available on DVD:

First Blood (1982) [Blu-ray]
John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is an ex-Green Beret haunted by his memories of Vietnam. Harassed and jailed by the locals in a Northwest town, he makes a daring escape and travels to the mountains, where he stages a one-man guerrilla war against the antagonistic sheriff (Brian Dennehy) and his men. But when Rambo's former colonel (Richard Crenna) arrives, can tragedy be averted? With Bill McKinney, Jack Starrett. AKA: "Rambo: First Blood." 96 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, DTS HD 5.1; Subtitles: English.

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) [DVD]
Stallone returns as Vietnam vet Rambo, returning to Southeast Asia on a "red herring" mission to search for MIAs the government left behind. Once he gets there, though, nothing will stop Rambo from bringin' 'em back alive. Action, action and more action as only Stallone can deliver! 95 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; featurettes.

Rambo III (1988) [DVD]
Stallone's a one-man fighting machine who heads to Afghanistan to rescue his former Army commander (Richard Crenna) from Russian captivity in the explosive third entry in the hit action film series. You'll believe a man can shoot down a helicopter with a bow and arrow! 102 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; deleted scenes; featurettes.

Rambo: Three-Disc Collector's Set [DVD]
Three-disc set includes "First Blood," "Rambo: First Blood Part II," and "Rambo III."

Sylvester Stallone DVD Collection - Now Available:
Click here for Sylvester Stallone Movies on DVD

Pick Of The Flicks - Recommended Links:
First Blood at Hollywood Teen Movies
Rambo at Hollywood Teen Movies
Sylvester Stallone at Hollywood Cult Movies

Cinematic Tough Guys at Hollywood Cult Movies
Action & Mayhem at Hollywood Teen Movies
Tony's Cult Movies, Blockbusters & Classics

Pick Of The Flicks Blog Spot / Messageboard:
Click here to have your say or see what others are saying

Use the search bars below to search our site, find your favorite movie or find your favorite poster:

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.pickoftheflicks.com