I'm not gonna lie, I loved
First Blood. Hell, I was only 9 when it hit theaters, but it left an indelible impression on my young heart nonetheless. Truth be told, as a 9 year old I liked how Rambo kicked the shit out of anyone that got in his way. He wasn't a maniac given to violent outbursts at the first sign of trouble, but he was only going to be pushed so long before he started doing some pushing of his own.
But going back and watching the film that started the Rambo franchise (and a dozen pretenders) as an adult I now appreciate it for a host of other reasons.
First Blood was a film with a conscience, not just a vehicle to showcase Stallone's aforementioned ass kicking abilities. It was one of the first films that I can remember to bravely address the attitude of Americans towards returning Vietnam vets in the late 70's and early 80's. And it delved into the mind of the infantryman, the sacrifices he made in combat, the loneliness, and the sense of disconnection from a misunderstanding society that he felt upon returning "home". (I think I feel another
Sound and Fury Retro-Review coming on.)
And just like any other 80's related Hollywood property being remade, revamped, or rebooted nowadays, enough time had passed that a new Rambo movie seemed like a viable enough idea to somebody to get the picture green lit. And in 2008 we, the movie-going public, were treated (or subjected, depending how you look at it) to a new Rambo filmed aptly titled
Rambo, starring a 60 year old Sylvester Stallone in the role that he made legendary.
There's nothing remarkable, however, that can be said about
Rambo in relation to the film that seeded it,
First Blood. Unlike
Rocky Balboa, the 2006 follow up to the Rocky franchise,
Rambo makes little to no attempt at being anything other than an action film like the other two sequels in the Rambo series. And with the critical acclaim that
Rocky Balboa received, and the more serious, ponderous nature of
First Blood, I thought it likely that Stallone would put a similar twist on
Rambo. And to be fair, after watching some of the commentary, the filmmakers seemed genuinely concerned about adequately portraying the dire situation in Burma where the film was set. But, I would have to say that despite that concern they pretty much failed on any level to make the film seem serious. To be honest, if I hadn't watched the commentary, I would have had serious doubts about just how seriously these filmmakers were actually taking the film or themselves.
Rambo is a bloody, body-part-strewn
filmscape that is not unlike a comic book when you boil it down to its most basic level, which isn't difficult. Stallone's camera does not shy away from the gore, and seems to go out of its way to bring the viewer the most visceral, graphic view of violence possible. The film is light on characterization, dialogue, and really any sense of a story. But it did entertain me for an hour and twenty minutes.
Rambo, at the end of the day, is simply an action movie. Stallone's directing seems half-
assed, and the acting isn't particularly arresting either, but the action is good if a little comic bookish. If you're looking for an action film that picks up where Rambo III left off, then
Rambo is your movie. Want to see Rambo take out multiple little Asian men? Bingo. You have your film. Me? I would have liked to see the filmmakers (and director Stallone) give the title character a little more license for growth, and perhaps advance him down the road of life a little further. It might have been interesting to see a more honest portrayal of what writer/creator David
Morrell's John Rambo might be like in today's world. But perhaps the world didn't need another film like
The Wrestler.
Which reminds me, I still need to post my thoughts on
Crazy Heart. Foreshadowing, anyone?
Score: 2/5
Kirk out.
