Enter for a chance to win two movie tickets to Rambo: Last Blood!
The saga of war veteran John Rambo began in 1973 with the release of the book First Blood (Tvekampen in Swedish). Nine years later, the film adaptation premiered, with Sylvester Stallone assuming the now-iconic role. The film’s success was significant. Had the filmmakers retained the book’s ending, which was also filmed, the Rambo quintology would have concluded prematurely. Audiences did not want to see John Rambo meet his end, prompting a change where he was instead imprisoned. He remained incarcerated for three years until the military sought his assistance for a mission to Vietnam to rescue prisoners of war. This film was titled Rambo: First Blood II. While the original film offered a serious drama, this sequel portrayed Rambo as a more exaggerated figure, characterized by his long hair and use of a bow and arrow. Despite this shift, the film achieved substantial success, leading to Rambo III in 1988, where he battled Russians in Afghanistan. Similar to the second film, Mr. Stallone’s portrayal in Rambo III is not particularly realistic. Nevertheless, it remains an entertaining, albeit exaggerated, depiction of 1980s action cinema, subject to both parody and praise.
After a hiatus of 20 years, a fourth film, simply titled Rambo, premiered in 2008. It has been nearly a decade since viewing it, and recollections are somewhat vague, except for its satisfactory nature and its intense violence. In 2019, the fifth, and possibly final, installment in the series arrives, inspiring a degree of anticipation.
John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), following the events of Rambo (2008), has retreated to his family’s farm. He lives with a housekeeper and her daughter, Gabrielle (Yvette Monreal). Gabrielle receives information regarding her biological father’s location and subsequently crosses the border into Mexico, where she is kidnapped and forced into prostitution. Rambo, armed with a pistol and his knife, ventures across the border in pursuit of Gabrielle.
Regarding the film’s strengths: Sylvester Stallone, despite being over seventy years old, convincingly reprises the role of John Rambo. He embodies his age, even sporting gray hair. His intense gaze remains, portraying a deeply scarred and weary war veteran, rather than a spirited Rocky-esque figure. Rambo: Last Blood features some of the most extreme violence seen in cinema. One sequence, in particular, where Rambo interrogates an individual, is remarkably brutal, quickly establishing the protagonist as someone not to be trifled with.
Director Adrian Grünberg opts for a more “realistic” approach compared to parts two and three, aligning more closely with the first and fourth films. However, this results in excessive time spent on setup, leaving the audience waiting for Rambo to engage his enemies. While the final battle is exceptional, the buildup feels protracted. Furthermore, the screenwriters establish Rambo as a skilled strategist, only to subsequently undermine this portrayal by depicting him as surprisingly foolish, raising questions about his mental acuity.
Reshoots and extensive editing have resulted in, for instance, Paz Vega’s character (a journalist aiding Rambo) being significantly reduced. -MILD SPOILER ALERT- A particularly peculiar cut occurs when Rambo dispatches one of the main antagonists swiftly, with the sequence entirely omitted. Given the character’s buildup and his reprehensible actions, witnessing his demise would have been appropriate.
In conclusion, Rambo: Last Blood is an inconsistent film. At its peak, it is remarkably well-executed; at its nadir, it is profoundly disappointing. The final assessment lies somewhere in between.
