A series that has spanned across 30 years still has something to say about the character of John Rambo, with his legacy completed in the 5 part series.
With the Rambo series out on steelbook, the Rambo series has indefinitely come to an end and has completed its five-part saga. Let’s take a look at the narrative, yes there is actually a story that has developed across all five films, the story this time around is more to do with the character than the plot, but there is an evolution, a beginning and an end from the character. The action spectacle of the series has also changed and evolved since the first film and the changes are drastic beyond belief to suit what Rambo is going through.
A lovely comparison could be that of the Die Hard series and the Mission Impossible films, the Rambo series is surprisingly much more character-driven than those series and for that its much deeper and stands out in my opinion, surprise surprise. John Rambo is far more complex than some may think, with Last Blood solidifying his endless battle with PTSD and his quest for normality, showcasing this theme in horrific ways, thanks to the drug cartel of Mexico.
Lets take a look at how the character has been presented in each Rambo film, with a look at plot, spectacle and character presentation. Each of these components alter in each film. Lets take a look.
First Blood
The series best installment and one of Stallone’s finest pieces of work throughout his career. First Blood is really a drama and for that we get a lot less emphasis on action spectacle. The action scenes are hand to hand combat scenes and there is less use of explosives. The action scenes in the film are a lot more personal and contain a lot more dialogue. By far the best element of the film is the finale, where we see him break down emotionally.
Stallone didn’t bring out his big guns for this film and comes across as more of a scattered animalistic kind of guy. This theme does continue throughout the sequels, but it just presents itself differently. What we get here is a theme of injustice, a war veteran who gets his back turned on by society, leaving him to resort to the woods for hiding. Take a look at some of the film’s best shots, showcasing great use of location and clothing.
First Blood was made based of the novel written by David Morell who recently bashed the series last entry, Last Blood. There were rumours flying around of Tarrantino getting his hands on the project and remaking it with Adam Driver and Kurt Russell, what a film that could turn out to be.
First Blood Part 2
This is where the series took off financially, shooting Rambo straight to action hero status and iconography with James Cameron writing the screenplay and a pretty good screenplay of that. Other writers also include Kevin Jarre who also wrote the slice of Brendan Fraser gold that was 1999’s The Mummy, yep I still remember that film as one of universal’s best action Mummy adaptations, throwing 2017’s Mummy right to the bottom, sorry Tom Cruise, you have Top Gun and Mission Impossible.
The film was directed by George P. Cosmatos, who would make the cult hit, Cobra starring Stallone, which may have also influenced Ryan Gosling’s character in Drive, one of 2011’s stand out character dramas.
First Blood part 2 is more of a straight forward mega big action film, whereas the first film was a drama. First Blood Part 2 still carries the theme of injustice as he is left behind by his own men, leaving him abandoned on a jungle with hundreds of enemies hunting him down. The film increases the stakes and situation and the action is out of this world and I found myself rooting for John Rambo right towards the end.
First Blood part 2 we really see Rambo come out of his shell and begin to accept who he is and what he is capable of. First Blood he was cautious and perhaps even afraid of his own self, in the sequel he now has no choice but to kill because of the situation he is left in and really goes for it. Injustice carries right to the end, meeting the man who turned his back on him.
The actual plot and story is fantastic, I love the theme of social injustice being kept alive but the execution itself was a bit questionable, the film abandones the drama in exchange for mindless and mind-numbing action scenes, which although entertaining, contradicts the excellence of the first film. I would have liked to see these films as straight up dramas like the first film, but this film would make so much money that the studio continued this tradition of action spectacle in the next few films.
However, despite my film critic brain nit picking at the film, First Blood Part 2 is certainly an entertaining action film, whether you choose to laugh at it or go with it, its one of the those famous 80’s action films that I believe has become timeless for parody and thrills, but the actual story is fantastic and there is that theme of injustice, being so important to this character.
Rambo 3
Rambo 3, like Rambo 2, resembles a cartoon action film in the sense that the action is over the top, with thousands of enemies this time around. This time, Rambo is helping a friend and John is beginning to grow more confident and assuring of who he is, but gets sucked into the situation because of his own good will.
He is developing an important relationship with Trautman and its the only relationship of real quality that he has with any other human being, which makes it important and makes Rambo 3 stand out in the series for having this aspect. The action is even more ridiculous than in Rambo 2, with more guns, explosives and an even bigger location.
Stallone looks the most crazy in this film, with longer hair and tougher muscles. Take a peak.
Pay close attention to the last third of the film, with Rambo taking out thousands of enemies in style, Its explosive, fun and John Rambo completes his mission for helping out a friend.
Rambo
This is the more realistic out of the four films in terms of plot context. It takes place in Burma, a war zone that is still in use today. The film is directed by Stallone. This time, John Rambo has grown older and resorts to a more private life, we see him keep to himself more than we have done to the other films in my opinion.
We understand his views on life now, the negativity of how his life has turned out since 1982 and certainly the attitude that he has now towards other people, those values and pessimism are so clear at this point. In fact, its the girl that gets the most amount of positivity from him. The action spectacle is much different this time around, more brutal and unforgiving then in the previous films. Its suppose to reflect the reality of war far more realistically.
What we learn from Rambo this time is his views on war. I think he still hates war, he has hostile views towards war and doesn’t want to engage in it, but he is made to. John Rambo believes that war never changes and I think his character has grown and evolved to be more resentful of war. This makes more sense when we think about the plot for 3, 4 and 5 as all of these films he is made to join the fight against his own will or at least never instigated it.
Rambo: Last Blood
Here we have the last installment in the series, with Stallone returning as the bruised John Rambo who at this point has seen it all, literally and this is one of the film’s strongest narratives in the series. John Rambo has been betrayed, battered, bruised and torn up and the only thing he wants is his family and he gets it, but its taken away from him in a brutal scene.
This film probably has the most heart out of the whole series because John Rambo is dealing with the only family he has ever had and for that his true colours shine for the first time in the series, even more so than First Blood. Last Blood like First Blood is a drama for the first half, setting his relationships and the betrayal, making the final act a lovely slice of revenge, with the violence verging on horror more than fun action.
The violence has escalated and the character of John Rambo is the most developed in the series. A man who has come to accept himself and the life he has, this is one of the reasons why the violence is very personal, every kill means something to him. Whereas, in the last few films, Rambo would take out waves of enemies in a careless manner, Last Blood has that personal quality due to the nature of the films plot. Its about revenge which includes injustice, but I think revenge is the more exciting theme.
The last scene really tells us how this character has evolved and more importantly how he has accepted himself, as he looks back at his life, whilst starring into the sunset after slaughtering Mexico’s most evil men. We know that Rambo cares about human beings or can develop a love for someone else, which makes him more than the killing machine that we have come to know.
John Rambo in Last Blood is vastly different than First Blood, a man with experience, regrets, layers of trauma embedded in his soul and he needs a companion. His PTSD is shown in every film but perhaps Last Blood hints at the idea that Rambo has developed a form of peace and acceptance over his mental state.
By the time Last Blood finishes, I think its natural for audiences and fans of the character to reflect on his experiences in combat in the previous films, he is someone that we have come to known very well as a figure fighting for justice, trapped in a violent context. If you watch First Blood and then Last Blood, you will find that there is a change in character, he is the same person, but there is a growth and a form of greater acceptance.
The watching order for the Rambo series could go like this, First Blood, Rambo and Rambo Last Blood, 2 and 3 felt like the more cartoony out of the series that were political representations of America’s situation in the 80’s. The first 3 I mentioned are more down to earth and realistic representations of who John Rambo really is at heart, enjoy.
You can buy Rambo First and Last Blood here.
What do you think of the Rambo series?
Author Bio
Sam is a content writer. He loves all elements connected with film and writes with passion, always. You can find him on Linkedin, where you will be able to read more articles. When he is not writing, you can find him practicing football.
TheReviewAwakens 