Rambo: First Blood, Part II (1985)
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I'm comin to get you!
The disillusioned and now imprisoned (after his escapades in First Blood) Vietnam vet John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) gets a call from his old commander, Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna) to go on a mission back to the 'nam, and all hell breaks loose in Rambo: First Blood, Part II.
So what can you say about "Rambo," except that it was a smash hit back in the day. And looking at it now all I can say is... "Why?!"
I suppose its because a lot of stuff gets blown up, a bunch of NVA's get theirs, and in the end Rambo gets some sort of vindication for the US loss in Vietnam, as well as sticking it to the Soviets just for fun. I think that's what Rambo is supposed to be, fun. Well, I can't say that it is.
Look, I remember thinking this movie was the sh-t back then, too. What 14 year-old wouldn't? Exploding arrowheads, popping-out-of-the-mud commando action, the obligatory big-ass Soviet helicopter gunship, the hot Vietnamese babe (barely) played by Julia Nickson.... I mean, come on!
But really I think what made Rambo the smash that it was, was the sentiment of the thing, basically explained by Rambo at the end of the film. This time *we* win, and the vets get some overdue appreciation in the process. There seemed to be a call-to-arms in that respect about that time, as you had other films like Chuck Norris' Missing in Action, and Gene Hackman's much superior Uncommon Valor, among others, and the next year Oliver Stone's much lauded Platoon.... I guess the nation was finally getting over it, and coming to terms, as well as purging some guilt over the multitude of MIA's that were never found.... I can't say for sure. But it touched a nerve, regardless.
The plot is thin, the acting weak, the action heavy, but most of the time ridiculously unbelievable (how many rockets can a Huey carry, anyway!? Sheesh!) And who invited the Soviets to the party? From what I know there isn't much to support that little theory, other than the common communist bond between the two nations and a little arms commerce action. I guess that was a little 80's cold war paranoia thrown in just for good measure.
Well, in case you've never actually seen it, the plot goes something like this: After Trautman gets Rambo out of his rock-crushing prison duty, he's shipped off to southeast Asia to snap some photos of reported POW's somewhere in Vietnam. He's not too keen on only taking pictures, but agrees anyway. He manages to lose all his gear, meets up with his hot contact, and the two of them find the camp. He manages to free a POW and almost gets away, before the evil mercenary Murdock (Charles Napier) aborts the mission, leaving Rambo in the hands of the Vietnamese, and the Soviets. Of course he escapes, but his now love interest is killed. He gets Rambo-pissed and kills and blows up everything on his way out in Rambo super-revenge-style, and manages to fly god-knows how far back to base in a shot-up chopper with the whole lot of POWs.
He gets back and shoots up the place, and makes Murdock wet himself, and delivers the famous "What I want" Rambo speech, the end. That speech really makes you forget about the rest of the film, and is exactly what First Blood Part II is about.
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Description
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.
After Rocky and its sequels, Sylvester Stallone cast about for another character that would bring him the same kind of box-office hit--and found it in disillusioned Vietnam vet John Rambo in First Blood, a solid little action thriller. So when all else failed, Stallone went back to the same well in hopes of recapturing the same commercial success. Which this film did. But where First Blood was a no-nonsense thriller that pitted Stallone against a worthy (and not necessarily bad) Brian Dennehy, this one is a sadistic chest-thumper in which Rambo gets to go back to Vietnam: ostensibly, he's there to rescue missing POWs, but in fact the movie was a lame excuse for him to refight the Vietnam War--and win. Audiences ate up the cruel Vietcong (and their Russian manipulators) and Stallone's bogus heroics, but it was strictly by-the-numbers action. --Marshall Fine
DVD Information
Binding: DVDAspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Brand: STALLONE,SYLVESTER
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
Original Release Date:
Actors:
- Sylvester Stallone
- Richard Crenna
- Charles Napier
- Steven Berkoff
- Julia Nickson
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