I'm going to open with a few comments. First...I am a HUGE Stallone fan. I've been dreaming of his comeback for years and I think his work on eighties and early nineties action flicks is completely unprecedented, he is the master. The Rambo series, the Rocky series which came to an incredible culmination and return last year (see my review) and now Rambo is back. I watched all three of the originals again (probably only my second time in total)---(See my reviews for all three) and I was ready for anything that they could throw my way. I admit my expectations were too high because this was like watching an idol return after years and years away. Rambo didn't disappoint me per se, it just wasn't mind blowing. It lacked the same story and heart that really all three of the other installments had. Instead Stallone took the helm by directing, writing and starring in this installment which I have to assume at over sixty years old will be his last one...and blew away everything in sight in HANDS DOWN...listen closely...THE MOST VIOLENT MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN. Nothing even touches the blood, guts, dismemberment, shocking kills including children being shot in the chest several times (can they even show that?), NOTHING. 300 looks like a Disney film compared to this. Unfortunately the violence and dismemberment is so obtuse and blatant that it borders on corny and you're almost laughing at everything flying about. Still it kind of makes for a cool time for the red blooded male and his friends who want to thumbs up ridiculous kills like that. Basically Rambo is John Rambo losing his freakin mind.
Sylvester Stallone returns after twenty years to play one of his most famous roles as John Rambo. Rambo has retreated to the small villages in Thailand and works as a snake handler among other odd jobs but right away you notice that Rambo has become completely disenchanted with the world even more than he ever was before. He makes this crystal clear when he mumbles "F--K the world" to someone. Stallone's Rambo is still brooding and quiet, perhaps more than ever before, it seems like he had three lines in the whole movie. His age shows because he definitely doesn't have as much versatility in his action scenes. He spends most of his time behind a turret gun which entails the most gruesome gun down scene in movie history. Still Stallone is Stallone and this is why we love him. Julie Benz is a missionary that Rambo takes to for some reason who convinces him to help their little group get up river into a war zone. For the most part Benz is kind of boring and doesn't really impress and I know she can do better because I was a fan back when she was on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel. Long time TV Character actor Paul Schulze is Benz's husband and leader of the missionary group. He is terrific although he only has a small role he really does impress especially in his last scenes when he driven to do something he hates...kill. The only down side to his performance is the absolutely campy and awful wave goodbye he gives to Rambo as they lead him away...awful. Graham McTavish is the best of the three mercenaries (although I think their roles mostly ruined the Rambo story) but his performance as the tough as nails mercenary who always goes toe to toe with Rambo in a war of words is pretty good but Rambo never really get his vengeance on him considering all the nasty things he says. The other two mercenaries are barely distinguishable and don't offer anything significant to the cast.
So outside of Stallone himself the cast is sub par at best and even though I never thought much of Crenna's role, he was a Rambo series staple and sadly missed. One thing has remained the same with Rambo...he's always been the lone wolf, acting alone against armies and this time he has three mercenaries with him who just get in the way. Its not Rambo if he has a team and that part of it was poorly decided on Stallone's part I think. Also there was no exact villain...it was like the entire group that were the villains but there was no one person on either side that Stallone clashed with like the other films had. I think these were vital mistakes outside of the tried and true Rambo experience twenty years ago. Still you won't steer wrong for straight on, uninhibited, action and nothing but. In this film you will see the goriest gun scenes where practically every gun blows limbs off someone or heads or just makes them explode into tiny flesh ridden pieces. You will also see hands down one of the coolest damn explosions in action movie history where Rambo ties a land mine to an old WW2 rocket of some kind (which obviously still works) and the whole kitten kaboodle explodes. So don't go into this expecting intelligence or story although there is some remnant of the original soldier vs himself still left but go into it looking for some unbelievable never before seen action and you won't mind it one bit. Welcome back Mr. Stallone, you still got guts. 7/10
Sylvester Stallone returns after twenty years to play one of his most famous roles as John Rambo. Rambo has retreated to the small villages in Thailand and works as a snake handler among other odd jobs but right away you notice that Rambo has become completely disenchanted with the world even more than he ever was before. He makes this crystal clear when he mumbles "F--K the world" to someone. Stallone's Rambo is still brooding and quiet, perhaps more than ever before, it seems like he had three lines in the whole movie. His age shows because he definitely doesn't have as much versatility in his action scenes. He spends most of his time behind a turret gun which entails the most gruesome gun down scene in movie history. Still Stallone is Stallone and this is why we love him. Julie Benz is a missionary that Rambo takes to for some reason who convinces him to help their little group get up river into a war zone. For the most part Benz is kind of boring and doesn't really impress and I know she can do better because I was a fan back when she was on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel. Long time TV Character actor Paul Schulze is Benz's husband and leader of the missionary group. He is terrific although he only has a small role he really does impress especially in his last scenes when he driven to do something he hates...kill. The only down side to his performance is the absolutely campy and awful wave goodbye he gives to Rambo as they lead him away...awful. Graham McTavish is the best of the three mercenaries (although I think their roles mostly ruined the Rambo story) but his performance as the tough as nails mercenary who always goes toe to toe with Rambo in a war of words is pretty good but Rambo never really get his vengeance on him considering all the nasty things he says. The other two mercenaries are barely distinguishable and don't offer anything significant to the cast.
So outside of Stallone himself the cast is sub par at best and even though I never thought much of Crenna's role, he was a Rambo series staple and sadly missed. One thing has remained the same with Rambo...he's always been the lone wolf, acting alone against armies and this time he has three mercenaries with him who just get in the way. Its not Rambo if he has a team and that part of it was poorly decided on Stallone's part I think. Also there was no exact villain...it was like the entire group that were the villains but there was no one person on either side that Stallone clashed with like the other films had. I think these were vital mistakes outside of the tried and true Rambo experience twenty years ago. Still you won't steer wrong for straight on, uninhibited, action and nothing but. In this film you will see the goriest gun scenes where practically every gun blows limbs off someone or heads or just makes them explode into tiny flesh ridden pieces. You will also see hands down one of the coolest damn explosions in action movie history where Rambo ties a land mine to an old WW2 rocket of some kind (which obviously still works) and the whole kitten kaboodle explodes. So don't go into this expecting intelligence or story although there is some remnant of the original soldier vs himself still left but go into it looking for some unbelievable never before seen action and you won't mind it one bit. Welcome back Mr. Stallone, you still got guts. 7/10