The bad guys may be psychopathic villains that control deadly forces throughout a blood-soaked foreign jungle oppressing, torturing, and massacring people. But they'll never be ready for one man: John Rambo!
The new action ride Rambo, the fourth installment of the series, is pretty straightforward in what to expect. If audiences were hoping for Sylvester Stallone to recapture the essence that made his first Rambo film both entertaining and interesting, forget it. This is just another mindless, ultra-violent action flick.
Fans of the franchise will definitely enjoy Rambo's return to the big screen, while newcomers who enjoy action will be entertained and enthralled by the high body count in this sometimes-disturbing bloodbath of a movie.
This sequel serves as the second part in Stallone's recent twilight comeback; audiences and critics are hoping for another soaring revival to a faded franchise, citing the surprising success of the 2006 release of Rocky Balboa. In the Italian Stallion's sixth take, Stallone successfully rejuvenated Balboa by keeping a familiar mood and authenticity that stayed true to the "rags to riches" character from the earlier films.
Much like Rocky, the Rambo franchise opened strong with First Blood in 1982, a well-paced action flick worthy of popcorn munching. The next two Rambos picked up the pace and violence, becoming a staple for cheesy 1980s action movies.
The new installment takes place 20 years after the events in Rambo III, trying to both instill the same psycho-political qualities of First Blood while upping the ante of violence from the last two Rambo films.
Some scenes will leave stomachs churning as the legendary, tragic hero viciously impales and dismembers everyone in his path. Instead of a more realistic, plot-driven movie with strong, interesting and mysterious characters, Stallone's flick is a pure action-packed carnage-fest.
The movie doesn't rely on a lot of crazy high-tech special effects; nearly all of the shock value comes from the detached limbs being tossed like meat in a deli and heads rolling around.
Rambo has evolved - or devolved - into an unstoppable psychopathic killer most like Jason or Michael Myers. The plot is weak and the dialogue is poorly written, contrived specifically so Rambo can deliver up some one-liners. After all, what would a Stallone movie be without some memorable quotes?
Stallone's war veteran doesn't seem to have any emotions anymore, never showing a sign of intelligent thinking. In the original film, the antihero was a victim of war, a Vietnam veteran haunted by his past.
Nowadays, nothing seems to phase John Rambo, as he mutters in his barbaric grunting voice, "when you're pushed, killing's as easy as breathing." This appears true as, with every breath, the audience watches yet another mangled human carcass fly across the screen.
Stallone wrote, directed and starred in this film, which may serve as enough of a warning for some people. The film also co-stars Julie Benz (Dexter) as Sarah, part of a Christian missionary group determined to help the suffering citizens of the war-torn country of Burma (Myanmar).
The movie is meant to be a heart-pounding, action flick that will push the limits of its genre. It challenges people to accept a once forgotten action hero, blowing away limb after limb to make its point.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
