Sylvester Stallone reprises his role from 'First Blood' in this belated sequel; Rambo 2. This time, everyone's favourite superhero Vietnam veteran is thrust back into the hell that he sees as home; Vietnam itself. The plot is thinly applied, but it sees Rambo taken back in by the United States army in order to find out if the Vietcong are indeed holding US prisoners of war. However, Rambo isn't one for following orders and despite being told 'not to engage the enemy', before we know it; he's punching, shooting, stabbing and bombing his way through Vietcong army. Not to mention anyone, and anything, else that gets in his way. The Rambo franchise succeeds because it isn't bound by the laws of logic. One man defeating hundreds all by himself is preposterous, and I don't care how big his muscles are, but it doesn't matter as this film is meant to be a fun ride and it is; the far fetched action scenes are part of what makes Rambo what it is, so just turn your brain off and enjoy is my advice!
The plotting of this sequel is very much like that of John Carpenter's Escape From New York, in that it sees a heroic icon battling his way through a foreign land, liberating people and meeting various friends and foes as he goes. I don't like Sylvester Stallone, but it's undeniable that he's in his element here. Along with Rocky, Rambo is a character that cinema fans have come to associate with Stallone; it's a character he personifies and one that you couldn't ever imagine anyone else playing. Also like Rocky, this series is penned by Stallone. He got some help with this installment, however, from Terminator director James Cameron. The script itself isn't very good; it's silly and spends far too much time building up it's central character. It's also very corny, and the ending in particular is of note in that respect. However, a pompous script is something that comes hand in hand with overblown action movies; and the script, strangely, turns out to be of benefit to the movie as it adds to it's charm.
The rural setting of Rambo 2 is very different to the mostly urban locations of 'First Blood', and that creates a nice contrast between the two films. This film lacks the 'substance' of the first film (not that it had much), but on the other hand; it has more action. This one isn't superior to the original, but it's not inferior either; the two are about on par. It's more action here, or action split with a little substance over there; take your pick.
The plotting of this sequel is very much like that of John Carpenter's Escape From New York, in that it sees a heroic icon battling his way through a foreign land, liberating people and meeting various friends and foes as he goes. I don't like Sylvester Stallone, but it's undeniable that he's in his element here. Along with Rocky, Rambo is a character that cinema fans have come to associate with Stallone; it's a character he personifies and one that you couldn't ever imagine anyone else playing. Also like Rocky, this series is penned by Stallone. He got some help with this installment, however, from Terminator director James Cameron. The script itself isn't very good; it's silly and spends far too much time building up it's central character. It's also very corny, and the ending in particular is of note in that respect. However, a pompous script is something that comes hand in hand with overblown action movies; and the script, strangely, turns out to be of benefit to the movie as it adds to it's charm.
The rural setting of Rambo 2 is very different to the mostly urban locations of 'First Blood', and that creates a nice contrast between the two films. This film lacks the 'substance' of the first film (not that it had much), but on the other hand; it has more action. This one isn't superior to the original, but it's not inferior either; the two are about on par. It's more action here, or action split with a little substance over there; take your pick.