The Rambo film series starring Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo is an iconic action movie franchise that has spanned 5 films over nearly 4 decades. Rambo: First Blood was released in 1982 and introduced the character of John Rambo, a troubled Vietnam war veteran who ends up in conflict with a small town police force. From there the sequels expanded into more action oriented territory with Rambo taking on various foes around the globe.
Summary of the Rambo Films
Here is a brief summary of each Rambo film:
First Blood (1982)
The first film focused on Rambo returning from the Vietnam war and passing through a small Washington town where he is bullied by the local police force. After being mistreated and arrested, Rambo escapes and uses his military training to evade capture in the woods. This leads to an escalating conflict with the police and national guard called in to find Rambo. The film highlighted issues facing Vietnam veterans struggling to adjust to life after war.
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
In the sequel, Rambo is approached to return to Vietnam on a secret mission to investigate reports of POWs still being held captive. Rambo accepts and undertakes the mission, encountering Vietnamese troops and Russian soldiers along the way. He discovers the camp and rescues the POWs, defeating the Vietnamese and Russian adversaries. This film featured more overt military action for Rambo to undertake.
Rambo III (1988)
The third film sees Rambo travelling to Soviet-occupied Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war. He rescues his former commander Trautman who was captured on a mission to aid the Mujahideen. Rambo joins the Mujahideen rebels and helps lead an attack on a Soviet base, defeating the Soviet forces. This film continued the more military-oriented plots for Rambo.
Rambo (2008)
A belated fourth film titled simply Rambo was released 20 years after the previous sequel. In this film, Rambo is living a simple life in Thailand but agrees to take a group of Christian missionaries up the Burmese river into a war zone. When the missionaries are taken hostage, Rambo arms himself and goes on a solo rescue mission to save them, taking on the Burmese army.
Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
The most recent 2019 sequel saw an aging Rambo living on a ranch in Arizona when his friend’s daughter is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel. Rambo heads to Mexico, creates a series of traps and weapons, and takes bloody revenge on the cartel members, rescuing the girl. This final film focused more on Rambo’s survival skills against the cartel.
Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo
Across all 5 Rambo films spanning 37 years, the central character of John Rambo has been portrayed by one actor – Sylvester Stallone. Stallone’s rugged appearance, muscular physique, intense acting style and gruff voice defined the role of Rambo. Some key facts about Stallone as Rambo:
– Age – Stallone was 36 years old when he first played Rambo in First Blood in 1982. In the 2019 film Last Blood, he was 73 years old playing the aging Rambo character.
– Physique – Stallone’s intense physical training to build his muscular frame epitomized the image of Rambo. He performed many of his own stunts showcasing his impressive strength and fitness.
– Personality – As Rambo, Stallone largely portrayed a man of few words with a gruff exterior who preferred action over talk. Rambo’s personality was that of a lone wolf not afraid of violence.
– Motivations – Across the films, Rambo is motivated by a sense of justice, a desire to rescue POWs and allies, and a willingness to take on corrupt officials abusing their power. He is loyal to those he cares about.
– Backstory – Rambo’s backstory as a highly decorated but damaged Vietnam vet provides his motivation and skills. His experiences in Vietnam explain both his combat abilities and psychological trauma.
– Iconic – Stallone’s Rambo with his long hair, ripped muscles, machine gun and knife became an iconic action movie image that defined the 1980s and influenced countless other action heroes.
Rambo’s Combat Skills and Survival Abilities
A huge part of Rambo’s appeal has been his impressive combat abilities and rugged survival skills. As a Green Beret in Vietnam turned vigilante, Rambo has an extensive skillset:
Combat Skills
– Expert in guerrilla warfare from Vietnam experience
– Skilled with various weapons including knives, bow and arrow, handguns and machine guns
– Proficient in setting booby traps and improvising explosives
– Trained in stealth maneuvering, camouflage and evasion
– Excels at close quarters combat due to physical strength
– Utilizes his surroundings like forests and rivers to his advantage
– Not afraid to use violent, brutal tactics against his enemies
Survival Abilities
– Can live off the land surviving in jungles and forests
– Starts fires, constructs shelters and finds food in the wild
– Navigates difficult terrain and harsh conditions with ease
– Possesses deep medical knowledge for emergency first aid
– Maintains weapons and fabrication skills to create what he needs
– Capable of enduring injury, hunger, weather extremes and torture
These combat and survival talents accumulated from his Green Beret and Vietnam days enable Rambo to continuously overcome difficult odds when up against enemy forces. He utilizes raw power and skilled tactics to defeat his foes.
Rambo’s Weaponry and Gear
Rambo employs a variety of weaponry and gear that have become signature parts of his image:
Signature Weapons
– Survival knife – Rambo wields an enormous survival knife for close combat. It has a serrated back edge and hollow handle for storing equipment.
– Compound bow – Rambo uses his recurve bow with explosive and incendiary arrow heads for silent long range attacks.
– M60 machine gun – The powerful 7.62mm machine gun with its iconic ammunition belt is Rambo’s favored heavy firearm.
– Grenades – Fragmentation grenades are utilized by Rambo to produce explosive diversions and traps.
Other Weapons
– Pistols – Rambo employs various pistols such as the Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver.
– Shotguns – Pump-action shotguns loaded with buckshot are used to devastating close range effect.
– Rifles – Rifles like the AK-47 and M16A1 are put into service when appropriate.
– Explosives – Homemade explosives created from found materials act as booby traps.
Gear and Equipment
– Camouflage – Face paint, camo clothing help Rambo blend into the environment.
– Medical – Rambo carries medical supplies like sutures, needles and scalpels.
– Communications – Radios and emergency beacons kept in his gear help maintain contact.
– Tools – Items like a compass, matches, wire, tape and flashlight provide crucial equipment.
– Backpack – Durable backpack holds all of Rambo’s necessary combat and survival tools.
Rambo in Pop Culture and His Cultural Impact
The Rambo series had an enormous impact on popular culture and perceptions of the Vietnam war and war veterans:
Pop Culture Appearances
– Referenced in countless films, TV shows, cartoons, video games and books
– Parodied by TV shows like Saturday Night Live and Robot Chicken
– Video games like Mortal Kombat included Rambo as a playable character
– Comic book adaptations and Rambo action figure toys released
– Rambo’s knife immortalized as an iconic movie weapon
Cultural Impact
– Redefined action movie genre with more visceral, bloody violence
– Rambo personality and skills seen as epitomizing the elite soldier
– Rekindled interest and debate around Vietnam war and its veterans
– “Rambo” became shorthand for gung-ho, ultra violent adventurism
– Spawned the “Rambo syndrome” stereotype about mentally scarred vets
– Criticized by some as right-wing fantasty that glorified violence
– Inspired by and paid tribute to plight of overlooked Vietnam vets
– Viewed by some as a metaphor for American military overreach
Few other film characters have matched the cultural imprint left by Sylvester Stallone’s portrayal of Rambo. Both the character and the actor became permanent parts of the American zeitgeist.
Critical Reception and Box Office Performance of the Rambo Movies
The 5 films received varying critical reactions, but as an action franchise they consistently drew audiences:
Box Office Performance
| Film | Release Date | Worldwide Gross (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| First Blood | October 22, 1982 | $125 |
| Rambo: First Blood Part II | May 22, 1985 | $300 |
| Rambo III | May 25, 1988 | $189 |
| Rambo | January 25, 2008 | $113 |
| Rambo: Last Blood | September 20, 2019 | $91 |
Critical Reception
– First Blood – Well reviewed for its commentary on veterans issues
– Rambo: First Blood Part II – Critcized for being simplistic, jingoistic
– Rambo III – Seen as excessively violent, formulaic sequel
– Rambo – Middling reviews as unnecessary sequel
– Rambo: Last Blood – Panned as repetitive and cuatinally gratuitous
While reviewers grew tired of the repetitive sequels, audiences continued turning out for Rambo’s visceral appeal. The first film remains the most praised.
Conclusion
In the 40 years since debuting on screen, Sylvester Stallone’s embodiment of the character John Rambo has cemented itself as an iconic part of American action movie lore. The traumatic Vietnam veteran turned one man army inspired countless imitators and recurrent references across all forms of media. With his mountainous, muscular frame wielding heavy weaponry against enemy forces, this Green Beret turned vigilante spoke to some inherent desire for justice and retaliation via physical power and militaristic violence. Despite often simplistic storylines and gratuitous gore, the character captured the imagination of audiences and defined an entire muscular, uber-masculine era of Reagan-era action movies. The wronged but righteous and endlessly resourceful and lethal Rambo became the archetypal representation of how the Vietnam War veteran was viewed in popular culture. Like it or not, the character’s impact reverberated widely and can still be felt in the action movies of today where brooding, brawny heroes enact violent justice.