My Friend, John Rambo
25 January 2008 in Blog | Comments enabled

I just returned from seeing Rambo at the AMC in Atlanta with my younger brother and two friends. We’re all kids of the 80’s and fans of all three Rambo films. I think everyone can agree that the best one, when looking at them as a critic, is First Blood. But, everyone also seems to agree that First Blood: Part 2 is their favorite. It certainly is mine.

I was watching Rambo 2 a few days ago and was amazed at how many great quotes it has.

Rambo: To win war, you gotta become war.

Rambo: Sir, do we get to win this time?
Trautman: This time, it’s up to you.

Trautman: The war, the whole conflict may have been wrong but damn it don’t hate your country for it.
Rambo: Hate? I’d die for it.
Trautman: Then what is it you want?
Rambo: I want, what they want, and every other guy who came over here and spilled his guts and gave everything he had, wants! For our country to love us as much as we love it! That’s what I want!

Trautman: How will you live, John?
Rambo: Day by day.

Hot Asian Chick: Rambo, you not expendable.

These are classic lines from a film I’ve watched dozens of times. My brothers and I got the Rambo 2 toy gun set for Christmas one year. I still have it out in my garage. We took strips of red cloth, tied them around our foreheads, and played Rambo for hours. Good times.

When I saw Rocky Balboa, I must admit, it was nice to have Rocky back. I blogged about that a few weeks ago.

As for this newest Rambo, I did enjoy seeing Rambo again, but the film itself was way too violent. I don’t mind all the realism in a film like Saving Private Ryan because I know it happened. But Rambo is fiction. Sure the conflict is really going on over there but I’m not sure where it is and I’m not sure why they are fighting. All I do know is that they are despicable people who rape any woman (and small boy) in sight - and they hate missionaries. So yes, they deserve to have their throats ripped out of their necks. But I’d rather not see it. Hear it, okay. No problem. Let me hear the crunch.

This film sort of felt like it wanted to gross you out. There were times when it was difficult to watch. One thing I can say for it, it seemed to up the impact of the weaponry. I have fired an AK-47, the kind of guns that the Viet Cong were firing at Rambo in the 2nd film, and those things would make you pee your pants if fired at you. In that movie, they seem to be shooting pellets. In this film, every gun seems to be able to blow your head off. And people were scared of getting hit. Well, not so much Rambo, but everyone else. So I give them props for that element. Also, I wouldn’t mind Rambo’s violence so much, I mean heck, isn’t that what we paid $8 to see, but the despicable Asian men were just so… despicable. Lots of gun shots to little kids and women. I could stomach a few but they laid it on pretty heavy.

I’d say this is the worst of the four films, but when I say worst, I mean it lovingly. Even though Sly is pumped up on steroids, I still have to give it to him. He can make a decent film. And it was a visually stunning film. When criticizing him, just remember - would you rather see films starring Sly, or films starring Vin Diesel. Enough said.

One word to the wise: don’t take your kids to this film. It’s definitely a teen movie and up. Hundreds of people die and every time someone does, we are reminded just how much blood the human body contains. Also there is brief nudity when the despicable but still throat-wearing Asian men are raping every Asian woman on screen. And this goes on for several minutes.

Overall, I’d give this film two stars - but since it is a Rambo movie, I have to bump it to three. The music was great - again, Jerry Goldsmith’s theme was there. And the final 2 minutes of the film were beautiful. I would have liked it better if they had toned down the violence and explained a little more about the conflict going on but I did enjoy myself.