First Blood (1982) Poster

(1982)

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9/10
Criminally underrated.
Goldwaterproductions28 June 2012
A lot of people know the Rambo series as a ridiculous 80's action series. But what a lot of people tend to forget is that the first movie in this series was not a ridiculous action movie. It's a serious, dark, thriller that has a very somber tone and a sympathetic lead character. Almost everything that Rambo is known for nowadays is completely absent in this movie. From the multitude of explosions to the high body count to the unrealistic action to the ridiculous story line is completely absent. There are only 2 or 3 explosions (not to mention they are realistically done) and only one person dies throughout the whole picture. and the action, while there isn't a lot, it's realistic. Even the story line you believe can actually happen. It's for these reasons that make this my favorite Rambo movie. And not to mention the fantastic and heart breaking performance given by Stallone. Why the Academy didn't nominate him for Best Actor at the Oscars is beyond me. If you didn't like the other Rambo movies because of their ridiculousness and haven't seen this film, I highly recommend seeing it. It's one of my favorite post-war movies if not one of my favorite movies of all time.

Final rating: 9/10
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8/10
One of the most memorable action series began with this drama
Robert_duder23 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
One of the things that surprised me the most when I watched First Blood for the first time was that it wasn't an action film. Yes it had a lot of stunts and some action sequences but it wasn't the blow things up, in your face, guns blazing action that you might associate with Rambo films. Instead First Blood had a story...an important story...with a character that instilled itself into pop culture infamy forever and its easy to see why and how. First Blood is about stereotyping, profiling, exclusion, war and watching it nowadays makes it even more important than it was then or later on. With eye opening Vietnam films like Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Casualties of War and so forth First Blood did something that those films weren't able to do...take the exact same message and bring it to the mainstream public with one of the biggest stars of the day. In a way First Blood is almost shocking because essentially John Rambo is NOT the hero. I suppose he could be considered the 'anti-hero' but his actions are not saving anyone, and in fact hurting innocent people who can't possibly fight him but try to no avail anyways. Still the message is clear and it's a very story driven film with the creation of a movie icon.

I'll argue with anyone, anytime...Sylvester Stallone is a very talented actor AND a very talented writer. No one could ever touch the character of John Rambo the way he did. Stallone went way beyond the action genre and actually created John Rambo from personality and history and his movements, everything. In this first installment he laid the groundwork for Rambo. Quiet, brooding, scorned, angry, unstable, haunted, deeply emotional but buried beneath all these other emotions. I think that's a hell of a performance in my books. Brian Dennehy is Stallone's rival and does a terrific job playing the conceited and determined small town sheriff who will stop at nothing to bring Rambo down. The two of them have a terrific on screen chemistry and Dennehy is a first rate actor. Richard Crenna adds to the cast as Rambo's only true 'family' and the one person he trusts. Crenna doesn't give a lot of variation to his performance, he's just kind of there to inform everyone of what Rambo is capable of. He is sort of monotoned and straight faced but he's a Rambo series staple and the character he plays is very important.

Watch the end of this film closely for John Rambo's break down in the Grocery store when Traut (Crenna) tells him "It's over." You know the infamous line "Not that it's over." Watch the scene that follows and then tell me that you're not moved and blown away by Stallone's performance. It's real and it's important. First Blood by some will be considered untouchable by the rest because they see it for what it was likely meant to be...a drama...and important drama with a message but the film makers created this incredible character and by the time the film is done you're thinking one thing; I want to see this guy in his element in the action that they speak of and then you have the serializing of Rambo (which you will see by my review is NOT a bad thing.) I suppose I'm judging First Blood on it's merit of being considered an action film because as great as Stallone is and how interesting the film is...I didn't find it mind blowingly entertaining. Still the film is well made an absolute classic and definitely worth seeing. If you're a huge Rambo fan then you can find a lot of hidden details about this mysterious man that Stallone created. It's a must see on any list. 8/10

**************** NOTE

Yesterday on Tuesday January 22/2008 star of big screen hits Heath Ledger passed away in his home. I just want to wish his family, his daughter, and Michelle Williams and all his friends my deepest sympathy and I always believed he was destined to be a big star. I will most certainly miss his work.
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9/10
"You picked the wrong man to push."
utgard1417 July 2015
Engrossing action thriller about John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a Vietnam vet and Medal of Honor recipient, who is now a drifter haunted by his experiences in the war. While traveling through a small town in Washington, Rambo is arrested by Sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) for being a vagrant. When a sadistic deputy abuses Rambo, he lashes out violently and escapes custody, fleeing into the mountains. As a manhunt is underway to capture Rambo, his mentor and former commanding officer Colonel Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna) shows up to try and prevent a bloodbath.

Probably the best Stallone movie behind the first Rocky. Great action, yes, but also a terrific script and some really good performances that elevate this above so many other action movies. I've read David Morrell's original novel and I have to say this is a case where the movie adaptation is just superior in every way. In the book, the Teasle character is more of the good guy and Rambo is a psycho killer that has to be put down like a dog. So kudos to Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim, and Sylvester Stallone for making the changes they did to the plot and for all the quotable lines their script gives us. As for the acting, there isn't a bad note anywhere in this. Even the supporting players are excellent. Stallone and Dennehy knock it out of the park. Richard Crenna has arguably his most famous role here as Colonel Trautman. He gets many of the best lines.

Great score from Jerry Goldsmith with a memorable theme song. Ted Kotcheff's direction is solid. The action is fantastic but, as I said, it's so much more than just a popcorn movie. It has something to say about the Vietnam war and how the soldiers were treated when they returned home. This won't sit well with all types but I appreciate what they were going for here and thought they did very well with it. Had there never been another Rambo movie, this one would still be a classic. But there were more sequels to come, all action movies of varying degrees of quality but none quite as good as this one.
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10/10
Forget the cheesy sequels, this grimly realistic film is the best of the original trilogy
Leofwine_draca16 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Not content with creating one hugely successful film franchise with the iconic ROCKY series, Stallone joined the burgeoning ranks of '80s Hollywood action stars by bringing the character of Rambo to the screen. Of course, the muscle-bound ex-soldier soon became one of the most famous movie creations of all time, so it's interesting to go and look back at his roots in FIRST BLOOD, an adaptation of a dark action novel by David Morrell. Some things were altered in the transition from book to screen, namely the transformation of Rambo into a good guy instead of a misunderstood anti-hero.

Anyway, FIRST BLOOD is a great flick, another fantastic movie made in a very good year for film. When mentioning Rambo, most people think of the two sequels that turned the franchise into a cheesy, over-the-top guns-n-explosives fest along the line of Arnie's COMMANDO. FIRST BLOOD isn't like that – it contains a modicum of realism, even during the pyrotechnic-heavy climax. It's a thoroughly engaging storyline, about a drifter who finds himself up against a corrupt police force, and it's scarily real – as each plot twist plays out, you realise that human nature has never been put so well on screen. Stallone is excellent as the psychotic soldier, and he's given great support from the cast which includes a career-best Brian Dennehy, a hammy Richard Crenna, and many others.

The plot is packed with suspense and achieves a level of primal fear and tension in the woodland setting, reminding me of the similarly-themed SOUTHERN COMFORT in some places. There are many great moments to enjoy as Rambo tackles a totally hateable enemy – the corrupt, bigoted small-town mentality of a police department. His initial prison break is the stuff of legend, while the subsequent stalk-and-slash pursuit in the woods is one of the best portrayal of jungle traps and survival I've seen. What also hits home is how sad the story is – Rambo finally reveals his motivations and reasoning at the climax, and it makes for all-too-real drama. While the fourth film in the series, Rambo, is still my favourite, FIRST BLOOD is nevertheless a fantastic film that's up there with the best and definitely the best of the original trilogy.
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Better than you may think
amesmonde18 March 2006
John Rambo (BAFTA winner Sylvester Stallone) is a fairly reserved and sensitive guy, a man who has seen and lived the horrors of the Vietnam War. He returns to the good old United States of America to find his only friend has died. You can sympathise with him and when small- town sheriff (Brian Dennehy) takes a needless dislike to him and his heavy handed deputies mistreat Rambo you can see why Rambo is sent over the edge.

In retrospect, unfortunately the sequels turned John J Rambo into 'Rambo' the icon who relies more on an M-16 to get him out of trouble. In First Blood Rambo utilises the teachings from Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna) his war training and combat skills to stay alive and outwit his pursuers.

With less guns and explosions director Ted Kotcheff competently builds the tension and suspense and you get the feeling Rambo may not make it till the end. The locations are wonderfully atmospheric - foggy, earthly capturing the true outdoors. Stallone, Crenna and Dennehy are on form and the movie has a strong supporting cast that includes David Caruso in an early role as Deputy Mitch. Underpinning all this is Jerry Goldsmith's memorable score.

Rambo First Blood is a grounded drama and action must see.
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10/10
Cleverly plotted, solid action film
averjee15 February 1999
Smart, well-plotted, action-filled, ultimately moving war film about a mentally unstable Vietnam vet who returns stateside to find another war raging - one against veterans.

Stallone gives a very good, understated performance - his action sequences are so realistic that it's hard to believe that no one got hurt during the filming. Dennehy is also superb as the chief pursuing officer, whose ragtag bunch of cops includes a small role for David Caruso.

I really did like this movie. I liked the overarching social message, and the unexpected twists and turns that follow a pretty routine event - a sheriff rousting a drifter, getting much more than he bargained for.
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7/10
"Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go. "
Nazi_Fighter_David8 July 2007
Sylvester Stallone achieved amazing heights during the 80's, along with Arnold Schwarzenegger, especially as a movie character synonymous with the muscled guy who is a pure fighting machine…

In Ted Kotcheff's "First Blood," John Rambo (Stallone) is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who was trained specifically as a killing machine… He has come to a quite little town in Oregon, only to visit one of his platoon buddies… He was told that his friend has died, last summer, of cancer…

Disheartened, Rambo continues to walk the streets of Hope when he is annoyed by the local Sheriff (Brian Dennehy), and booked for vagrancy and resisting arrest…

Beaten, kicked all over, treated like trash, and pushed too far by the other cops in the Sheriff's office, Rambo is taking back to traumatic flashbacks, to the enduring torture in POW camp… Rambo, by that point, fights his way out and wages a one-man war against the police force that escalates out of control... Rambo is seen as a one man army overpowering all the sheriff's deputies and escaping into the surrounding woods…

"First Blood" communicates the rage, the depression, the frustration and the psychological wounds of one Vietnam soldier that fought for his country and was then hassled by it upon his return…

But what makes Rambo such a dangerous hero is Brian Dennehy being incredibly efficient as the cruel officer who doesn't like the looks of Stallone... Sure he's the abusive sheriff who is the victim of his environment, but he's also arrogant and incessantly underestimating a man who was 'the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands…'

Dennehy got a presence of his own pushing an 'expert in guerrilla warfare' at the breaking point
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9/10
Tells the real story of war
al-8784114 October 2016
George P. Cosmatos's 1982 action film, Rambo First Blood, is seen by most as a classic bare bones shoot em up action movie, but in reality tells a commentary on the dehumanizing effect warfare can have on the men and women forced to kill or be killed. John Rambo is a testament to the true effect of war, sure he is able to single-handedly take on the US army, essentially a one man army, but at what cost. He was a war hero, he gained glory and prestige from battle, but in the process he lost his humanity and his sanity. Upon returning to the country he fought to defend, he discovers that he can no longer fit in with with the people he swore to protect. He is haunted by PTSD from his experiences in the war and the scars it left on him and is a danger to himself and others because of it.
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7/10
Pure Warrior
bkoganbing18 October 2009
In First Blood Sylvester Stallone introduced his second enduring screen character John Rambo, Vietnam veteran of the Special Forces. Those hick law enforcement characters from the Pacific Northwest really didn't know who they were messing with. Even though Richard Crenna did try to steer them straight.

It all begins innocently enough. Sheriff Brian Dennehy the local law where Sly was traveling through gives him a ride out of town and tells him to keep going. Dennehy just doesn't like Sly's looks, not that he's done anything. All Stallone was there to do was visit a Vietnam War buddy whom he finds out has died from cancer most likely gotten from Agent Orange. Not that it was any of Dennehy's business because Stallone wasn't breaking any laws.

But when Dennehy sees him start back to town he then arrests him on the usual charge of vagrancy when they can't think of anything else. But the treatment and disrespect he's shown by the town police brings back memories and he snaps. He injures about six cops breaking jail and Dennehy's hot to get this guy no matter what it costs.

The best I can say for the rest of the film is that Sly makes them pay plenty.

Richard Crenna was Rambo's colonel in Vietnam tries in vain to tell the local and later the state law just what they're up against. Rambo's been trained in survival and killing techniques with or without weapons. He's a pure warrior and even normal fear has been driven right out of him.

For some of us who've had bad experience with the law First Blood was a film we could identify with. Just citizens who get arbitrarily pushed around for one reason or another. I remember wheeling a heavy shopping cart with groceries and laundry on the sidewalk of one of the main thorough fares of my city and a police car just drove right up and blocked my path. When I protested the man in blue threatened to run me in for obstruction of justice. I know exactly how Stallone felt when being pushed around. I suspect many in the theater audiences knew as well.

Stallone makes a lot of mayhem in the Pacific Northwest, the location cinematography for First Blood is just great, it can't be anything else in that part of the country. And Sly Stallone introduced an enduring cinema hero in John Rambo.
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10/10
They drew first blood not me. They drew first blood.
baumer14 June 1999
First Blood is simply one of the best films ever made. I think it transcends the action film genre and has stood the test of time. Stallone was immensely popular back in the 80's and if it is true that he hated the first cut of the film, then one can only say that he is lucky that he didn't get his wish to scrap the entire thing.

John Rambo is first introduced to us as he is walking into a small town to look for a friend of his that he served in Vietnam with. Upon discovering that he contracted cancer coming back from the war, Rambo wanders aimlessly into town. He is greeted by a small town overzealous sheriff named Will Teasle, played wonderfully by Brian Denehy. He at first tells Rambo that he will help him out and give him a ride. When Rambo asks if he can find a good place to eat, Teasle directs him to a diner about 10 miles up the highway. Rambo asks if there is a law against him eating in the town, Teasle, says yea, me. This sets up the premise as Rambo begins walking back into town. Arrested for vagrancy, Rambo is taken to the local jail and we meet some of the local redneck officers, notably, a young David Caruso, who seems to be the only one who empathizes with Rambo. Finally, he escapes the jail and takes the entire small town sheriff department and the military on a hunt into the local "jungle."

First Blood has strength of character. It has frenetic action scenes and every actor in the film is at the top of their game. Samuel Trautman, Rambo's mentor and former Colonel in the war, is played by Richard Crenna as a no nonsense but empathetic man. He knows Rambo has pushed back a little too hard but he understands where his plight comes from. He wants to avoid more bloodshed but at the same time he doesn't completely agree with how Rambo has been treated. He is obviously a law abiding citizen, but he knows that not all the laws were upheld when dealing with Rambo.

Sylvester Stallone is RAMBO. There is no one else that could play him. Just like Harrison Ford embodies Indiana Jones and Bruce Willis is John McClane, Stallone is about as good as he has ever been here. He is quiet, he is strong and his physicality creates a character that many of us can empathize with and eventually root for. David Morell wrote a different character in his book but Stallone paints him more as a sympathetic character. He is correct in doing so. While Morell's vision is still present, this is more of Stallone's creation. Rambo is about as unique a character present in film history.

First Blood is a film released in 1982, but in my opinion it set a new standard for action film stars. I think James Bond was pretty much your standard action film star before that. He was smooth and debonair and nothing went wrong for him. Rambo, at least in First Blood, is realistic. He bleeds, he cries, and he wears his emotion on his sleeve. This is someone that many of us could and can relate to. The sequels made him larger than life and that is fine, but this small film done by the Carolco guys is about as perfect a film as you can get.

10/10
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7/10
Disgruntled Vietnam vets...
fmarkland3212 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
John J. Rambo(Sylvester Stallone) is arrested for vagrancy and then mistreated by the police force so after an excellent action sequence depicting his escape, Stallone turns the tables on the cops and gives them a taste of Vietnam. However not keen to let it go at that, the National Guard is sent in and at the end Stallone decides to single handedly destroy the town and take out his vengeance on the world. First Blood did inspire the Rambo movies which then became an icon and turned it's star into an icon however First Blood is far more fascinating and respectable then the guilty pleasure brought on by the later chapters. The movie itself doesn't depict Stallone as a good guy but rather as a sympathetic psychopath and at the end he's pretty much killing everyone who gets in his way. Indeed here is where most of the interest is found in this genre classic. At the end Stallone does do an impromptu speech about his injustices inflicted upon him but all of his rage is better expressed in the action sequences near the end where Stallone has gone berserk. First Blood is well worth watching.

* * * out of 4-(Good)
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9/10
Underappreciated Classic- First Blood > Rocky
aidanratesmovies21 December 2021
It's a story so simple that it works, bound on a flawed character that is honestly excellently portrayed through Stallone. First Blood may not be the best action film out there, but it does manage to be an interesting delve into the mind of PTSD veterans from the war. I truly enjoyed this film simply because the character of John Rambo is so well written. A Green Beret Vietnam War vet struggles to find his place in society with no home, no friends, and constant animosity from others around him. It's an incredibly psychological film no doubt, but it also manages to be quite an entertaining and fascinating action film, as we see the character of Rambo progress steadily downwards throughout the film. Many may just take it as a cool film where Stallone is a beast and shoots up a whole town single handedly, and yeah that can be a fun idea at times, but I love the deeper meaning behind this film and how self aware about mental health it was even nearly 40 years ago- as well as focusing on the many injustices in the police system and how many of their actions were and still are incredibly disgusting. There are a few moments where the film jumps around in confusion, but in the end, First Blood is a highly entertaining and fascinating film that easily produces one of the most iconic characters in cinema to an breathtaking degree of accuracy and poignancy.

My Rating: 9.2/10.
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7/10
Violent movie that launched the Stallone career and his Rambo episodes
ma-cortes4 October 2005
Sylvester Stallone as Rambo is a previous Green Beret who is forced to save himself from a redneck sheriff ( Brian Dennehy) and deputies ( Bill Mckinney , Jack Starrett, David Caruso ). Rambo is falsely accused as vagrant and wrongfully jailed and he pull off the break-out . The authorities set off in pursuit and he lead them into all type of dangerous , booby traps in the woods and mountains of the Oregon State . Rambo appears threatening , lurking and harassing to his enemies pursuers escaping of innumerable risks and dangers . Former colonel (Richard Crenna) will attempt to stop and detain him .

From the beginning to the end the comic-book action-packed and extreme violence is continued and it is fast movement for that reason the picture is quite entertaining. The outdoors are spectaculars , the landscapes have been filmed in natural parks . Stallone is enormous as the tough and rebel ex soldier and Richard Crenna is top notch as the anterior trainer officer. Appears unbilled Bruce Greenwood (JFK in Thirteen days ),almost extra ,and screen debut from David Caruso and Chris Mulkey . Awesome and exceptional cinematography by Andrew Laszlo filmed on location in Golden Ears Provincial Park,Hope, North Vancouver, Pitt Lake, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. Splendid and magnificent musical score by the great maestro Jerry Goldsmith. The motion picture is followed by Rambo series : ¨First blood II¨ in which Rambo returns at Vietnam to rescue American prisoners of war and ¨Rambo III¨ against the Russians who control a particular sector of Afghanistan . The trilogy was a completed by the recent ¨Rambo¨ , a definitive improvement, with Julie Benz and directed by the same Stallone in which Rambo fights enemies in Thailand . The quartet was a complete success though the best considered is the original . The film will appeal to action enthusiast and Stallone fans ; it's a movie for adrenaline lovers . Rating : Good , entertaining but violent . This exciting and moving motion picture is professionally directed by Ted Kotcheff. Although the movie has some aspects a little tough to take , this intelligent film still has its agreeable moments. This large-scale and lavishly produced picture attempts a special atmosphere with spectacular results. Two thumbs up
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5/10
John Rambo is a victim
world-cinema27 November 2006
I have seen the movie and your comments and I was wondering who is the good character and who is the bad one because this kind of movie must have one. Alfred Hitchcock believed that the good characters are not white and the bad ones are not black, everybody's Grey. But I think this is not the case. The most positive character in this movie is Sheriff Teasle and the bad one is the human society and army. John Rambo is the victim in this case, the innocent victim who became a menace to the same society who destroyed his spirit and now didn't want him back. This is why I think this is good movie who has something to say, who has a decent point of view in a domain which many productions debated. John Rambo can't be brought back to ordinary life so the sheriff does what he was told to do: eliminate any possible threats to his community. The hero's ending speech is useless because none of the people outside actually listens to what he has to say. He is doomed to remain an outcast.
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9/10
A taut exercise in suspense that bears little relation to its silly sequels...
Howlin Wolf10 October 2001
Surprise, a "Rambo" movie that tries to say something profound about the plight of its main character and his mental state. For the most part it succeeds. Not for this movie the ridiculously oiled pectorals of part II, where Rambo is transformed into a grunting, soul-less killing machine. He actually begins the movie as a fairly nice chap, someone we can sympathise with, and it's his unnecessarily rough treatment at the hands of small-town sheriff Dennehey and his crew that is likely to shift audience sympathies firmly in the direction of the 'misunderstood' Vietnam vet.

Here, Rambo is also a character who is reluctant to kill unless he absolutely has to. A far cry from the eventual homicidal maniac he was to become, who is seemingly responsible for more death than World Wars 1 & 2 combined. So, to those expecting bucketloads of gore and senseless killing, you'd probably be better off watching the news. "First Blood" is actually more akin to those 'survival in the wilderness' programs you might see on the Discovery Channel; with Rambo having to rely more on guile and cunning than brawn and an M-16 to get him out of tricky situations.

That's not to imply that this is boring. Far from it. Director Kotcheff shows a keen awareness of pace, it's never by any means certain that Rambo will survive (if you discount the other films, of course!) and the supporting characters are all wonderfully unsympathetic. Even Trautmann, Rambo's supposed mentor, has a touch of the villain about him for being complicit in the ultimate dehumanisation of Rambo during the war. By far the best character here is played by Dennehey; always watchable, but Stallone too is good; nicely restrained, more "Cop Land" than "Cobra"

Not an action film as such, it sits better as suspense. In that sense, it does exactly what it says on the tin; rendering John Rambo a far more interesting character here than his incarnation in the other two films. That is basically just wet-dream material for inadequate, spotty faced adolescent boys everywhere. This Rambo is recognisably human. Having said that, neither should you view expecting a solemn Vietnam protest movie in the vein of "Platoon" or "The Deer Hunter". It's different in tone and style to the both of those movies, but in my view at least, is better than either of them.
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In war, a hero, in peace, forsaken.
KL-629 September 1999
This is a truly unique movie that quickly became obscured due to the later sequels. It tells the story of a man who survived one hell, only to return home despised and forsaken because of it. There was a time when America didn't quite know what to think of the lost war, and so it was forgotten - and the men who came out of it as well. Rambo finds he cannot survive this war, because it is still going on within him.

Finally, pushed too far by a small town sheriff, Rambo returns to the only thing he can relate to. War. Yet it is a war he almost mercifully wages on the macho egotistical deputies and week end warriors that pursue. To potentially misquote Rambo :

"I coulda killed them all, I could have killed you. In town you're the law, out here it's me. Let it go..."
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10/10
First Blood (1982)
SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain29 December 2011
I, like many, have probably grown up with Rambo being a part of popular culture. From all those references to such an iconic character I was expecting some war film centered around an unstoppable killing machine. I was completely wrong, and thankfully so. Rambo is the story of a dark and troubled man. Rambo isn't a hero, but he should have been. He's a man that came home with no one to welcome him. He drifts from town to town, antagonised wherever he goes. One day a police force pushes him too far. Rambo's mental instabilities take hold and he pledges a war against these men in authority. There are no clearcut villains, and certainly no heroes here. We empathise with Rambo, and understand the police action taken against him. As well as being a commentary on the treatment of Vietnam Vets, it also shows how war isn't an excuse for such violent actions. Dennehy's wonderful character is shown (very subtly) as a soldier that managed to find his path. At the same time Dennehy doesn't know when to quit, his pride getting in the way. This is an action film with real substance, real issues, and real discussions to be had. It also never fails to deliver on the action, and Stallone's final emotional breakdown will relate to anyone that's been pushed too far. A film focused mostly on understanding, not excusing. I regret waiting this long to watch it.
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7/10
John Rambo is Born
mjw230525 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Sylvester Stallone is John Rambo, a mentally scarred Viet-Nam Vet, poorly treated by an idiot cop, while in search for the last of his Viet-Nam buddies. After flashbacks of his torture suffered during the War, he snaps and declares a new war on this once peaceful town.

With some great gorilla warfare tactics and some good stunts, the movie transpires to be a very entertaining action flick, which i have to say is pretty cleverly done. Just think for a minute, here is guy who starts this war on the grounds that he is p**sed off at the way he was treated, but we all route for him and want him to continue hurting people who are innocent.

Anyway, its a good film and is worth watching, although Stallone overdoes it a bit at the end.

7/10
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10/10
Total classic
CuriosityKilledShawn19 June 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Everything about this is brilliant. From Goldsmith's rousing score to Stallone's perfect performance. Yes, you heard me. Stallone does act in this movie. I feel so sorry for Rambo. People are real nasty to him. Especially the deputy with the moustache. He was a real jerk. The scene in which Rambo finally explodes in the jail cell is way cool. The music that goes with this scene is SO intense.

I highly recommend this movie and the soundtrack. This is a proper movie by the way. I know that the character of Rambo became a 'little' exaggerated and silly in the sequels but do not let that alter your opinion of this movie.

The Pacific Northwest scenery is also very beautiful and atmospheric. The sound design seems to be crafted so that dialogue sound natural like it would in a mountain forest or in dead cold environments where the air cannot carry sound so well.

See this movie in widescreen to appreciate how cool it really is.
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7/10
A good film, probably spoilt by what followed.
garethcrook9 April 2023
I was too young for Rambo when it was released and despite its pop culture status, all the sequels simply past me by. My only references then are Gizmo in Gremlins donning a red headband and a pretty awful commodore 64 computer game. John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is back from Vietnam, looking for a place to stay. His address book doesn't have many options and folks aren't too friendly to returning Vets. Especially a local sheriff Teasle (Brian Dennehy), who drives John out of town to keep things "boring". This isn't going to be boring though is it. John is a likeable guy, with some serious PTSD. He's stumbled across some small town American conservative authority and inside 10 minutes, I'm already looking forward to him teaching them some manners. The yokels trigger some bad POW memories and Rambo's violent past quickly meets his present. Taking out a police station and making an escape on a motorbike into the pacific northwests grey rocky wilderness. Essentially what ensues is a game of cat and mouse as the idiot cops do what they do in America and Rambo outsmarts them A-Team style. Not much is asked of Stallone, other than the physicality of the role, but despite this he's very good. Out in the woods, Rambo's at home. The cops however are bumbling around comically as Rambo picks them off. It's all simple stuff, but the tension is palpable. Largely down to the setting. The rugged terrain looks great on camera and gives this the heft it needs to fend off the cheesy televisual nature of the authorities, plotting and postering. Dennehy is good too, he plays the vile stubborn sheriff well. His character keeps things personal and keeps the narrative focussed. Neither will give up, Rambo has no guns, but Teasle brings in the National Guard and what happens when you throw more guns into the mix America? Yep, more blood. Subtle this is not, with a fairly hefty pyrotechnic budget its route one 80s blockbuster, but there's just enough substance and with a thrifty runtime it ticks along nicely, before we get to the expected all action finale. Rambo is a good film, but it's hard not to watch it and see it as fuel for arguing Americas stupidity in both gun culture and appetite for war.
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10/10
Rambo movie that started all in the action genre my personal favorite Stallone's best movie
ivo-cobra82 January 2018
First Blood (1982) is a classic action movie that started all action genre one man army types action movies. It is my personal favorite movie of all time. I am a huge Rambo fan and I love John Rambo character. I love First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rambo to death. I love them so much it is my favorite film series. I love First Blood to death this is my personal favorite action film. It is in my top 5 Stallone's favorite action films part 4 and 5 is Cliffhanger and Demolition Man. It is my personal favorite action film in the Rambo series. I love Rambo: First Blood Part II to death it is my number 1 favorite action film in the action genre. First Blood is my personal favorite action film of all time it is right up there with Part II. It is my number 3 favorite action in the Rambo series but I still love First Blood to death.

This is my comic book hero this is my childhood movie the movie I grew up with it. This is the best movie ever my all time favorite action movie. It is the best of the best of all time. Sylvester Stallone co-write the script and started and the men can act, he is an action hero on screen in my opinion his best film. Yours is Rocky mine is Rambo action hero. I love Rambo's Survival Knife he rally's on his knife.

"I could have killed 'em all, I could've killed you. In town you're the law, out here it's me. Don't push it! Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go. Let it go! "

First Blood is a realistic film portrayed about John Rambo a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam veteran who saw hell in the Vietnam War and he is hunted by the past. Sylvester Stallone plays the character of John Rambo very convincingly and Director Ted Kotcheff brings out the story to an effective scale allowing us to see the action through the character's eyes.. "First Blood" doesn't deal with CGI nor does it deal with special effects. It deals or tries to deal really hard on what is real. He feels that society is against him and he is angry.

The movie has ton's of action, the motorcycle chases. Rambo climbs the wall of mountain and is been pursued by a helicopter and the police officer becomes the killer and try's to shoot Rambo with a riffle. Rambo jumps and hangs him self on the tree. That jump was for real and Sylvester Stallone really performed it. Rambo uses his martial arts to defend him self against abusive corrupt cops to escape. I love how the film shows Rambo trying to survive out in the woods while the guards are hunting him when in turn he is hunting them creating these traps putting these officers in painful situations.

The best thing about "First Blood" is that we know that John Rambo was in the Vietnam War and was trained to kill, yet, he doesn't kill a single human in the film on purpose. John Rambo uses M60 machine gun and shoot up various stores in town including police station destroys the gun store and gas station. Brian Dennehy and Richard Crenna both acted opposite Sylvester Stallone and they both acted well. Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle was excellent bad guy he performs his character well. Richard Crenna is Colonel Sam Trautman who trained and command Rambo in Vietnam for 3 years he is excellent as father figure to Rambo.

"First Blood" is the best of the Rambo series mine personal favorite action film . The movie has beautiful music score from Jerry Goldsmith 10/10 Grade: Bad-Ass Seal Of Approval My personal favorite action movie of all time.
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7/10
Rambo gave the fans a war movie that they couldn't believe.
ironhorse_iv10 February 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Oh John Rambo-- how much you have become to represent the testosterone full adrenaline action star who just shoots at anything that moves around you. John Rambo is too much a cartoon character like Flippy the green bear from Happy Tree Friends. Yes, I push it, Rambo. Before the over-kills, glorious violence that First Blood Part II and III gave us, there was First Blood. A movie with violence, but also very smart written with dark tone somber subtext message. First Blood was based on the book by David Morrell inspired by real-life post-Vietnam war era backlash against veterans. The movie by Ted Kotcheff seem like a modern day PG-13 version of the book. I'd love to see them remake First Blood in a contemporary setting and make it a little bit more hard core like the novel. Plus the ending to novel is shocking. Still, it's a good rated R film as it is. John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is a Vietnam vet whom comes upon the town of Hope, looking for some food after mourning the lost of his war-time friend. Seeing him as a drifter on the road, Hope's sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) confronts Rambo offers him a lift to the town limits, hinting strongly that drifters aren't welcome here. Note in the U.S., some local officials encourage vagrants to move away instead of arresting them so it's a common theme here. While the movie wants to put Teasle as the bad guy guided to that conclusion by the storyline, if you pay attention to what Teasle is doing, you can see he isn't. He knows his citizens by name. He is a man of law and order. He doesn't back down to Rambo even though he knows he is superior to him. His motives are to keep his town peaceful and he thinks he is a threat, which somewhat came true. So he was justified in a way. He doesn't arrest him, at first. He knows Rambo might be trouble so he even gives him a lift out of town where he would be out of his jurisdiction. Will Tealse was doing his job. When Rambo politely declines Sheriff Teasle's suggestion by showing back into town, Rambo finds himself under arrest. While in custody, he isn't really treated right by the cops. Teasle says if he had a problem, Rambo could come to him and he would of reprimanded the officers. The police officers may have gone over board after he was in custody like trying to shave him. The sheriff officers weren't even that bad. David Caruso's character was the "sympathetic" cop too, but he's still an idiot. Just waiting for him to put on glasses and the CSI Miami music kicks in. It sent Rambo off, due to reminding him of Vietnam torture flashbacks. He then escape, commits several felonies batteries, grand theft auto twice, kidnapping, animal cruelty, speeding wreck-less and endangerment innocent lives with an automatic weapon and arson. All that because Teasle wouldn't let him get a cheeseburger in his town, gees. Rambo heads off road, with the entire police department on his trail in the forest. When his skills prove to be too much for Sheriff Teasle's men, the military arrives - led by Rambo's former commander in Vietnam, Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), whose loyalties are divided between the man he trained and those seeking to bring him down. Colonel Trautman is treated with all the best one-liners in the film, but Sylvester Stallone does have his collection of one-liners too. Plus a speech, that is sad, but incoherent due to Stallone's slurring voice. I think the real message of the movie is that we need to treat our veterans better. All Rambo wanted was to get a cup of coffee and mourn a friend who died from cancer. Instead he got arrested by cops wanting to be a bit crude. The movie tries hard to make sure that Rambo will be seen as a tormented, misunderstood, amazingly resourceful victim of the Vietnam War, rather than as a sadist or a villain. Still, I wouldn't call Rambo, a victim. He still went overboard. While the film, tries to say away from the theme of Cop Killer by having Rambo didn't kill anybody still I think he might has cause a death or two somewhere in the film. The film is undeniably violent and features its share of grisly moments, but First Blood is more thought-provoking than its high death toll body count sequels, at least acknowledged that viewers might have functioning brains. The script was smart enough to recognize that Rambo's appeal was not limited to his big muscles and ability to mow down legions of bad guys with a really big gun yet it was tailored made for Stallone's macho, action-oriented persona. Stallone even help write the script. The music is stunning and both 'It's a long road' by Dan Hill and the theme song by Jerry Goldsmith tells the story of being alone. The movie inspired such works as 'The Park is Mine' and the 'Hunted' both with Tommy Lee Jones. Without First Blood, we might not have gotten Solid Snake and the Big Boss from Metal Gear Solid. So to think, the whole Rambo saga and a lot of movies wouldn't happen if had he just gotten some food. Check it out, and draw the first blood.
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10/10
Nobody knew his name was Rambo all they knew was that he looked like trouble.
bluesman-2023 April 2008
First Blood is that rare film that is not black and white instead it deals with areas of Gray. Stallone's Acting is Very Good maybe the Finest he's ever done outside of F.I.S.T. And Yet while his Rambo is a compelling portrait of a man slowly going insane trying to find something resembling peace. Rambo never finds it. All he finds is hatred and fear aimed at him and that makes them hostile towards him. The Main Villain in this if you can call him one is Police Chief Wil Teasle wonderfully played by Brian Dennehy. The interaction between the two is tense and that's before the shooting starts. But this is Stallone's movie and his Tour de force as he creates a complex character that many have a hard time separating from the Real Stallone. Richard Crenna Steals the Show as Colonel Sam Trautman United States Special Forces coming all the way from fort Bragge to come get his boy. Crenna underplays his role cool as anyone has a right to be. Together this cast sets off a match headed towards Kegs of Gunpowder and dynamite First Blood does not disappoint and it will stay with you long after you've seen it.
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7/10
The OTHER Rocky.
dunmore_ego2 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Hey, all you skatepunks and facebookers and under-30 neo-hippies: you know that word "Rambo" that you toss around to describe tough guys? It's an unquestioned part of modern English vernacular: you use it as sarcasm, insult or deflective compliment; newscasters use it to sprinkle their reports with humor; sociologists use it to identify unnecessary brutality; the word is in the Oxford English Dictionary, fer chrissakes! Rambo.

This is where that word came from - FIRST BLOOD.

It didn't originate with any of those misnamed sequels sporting the "Rambo" dog tag. It originated in a novel by David Morrell (First Blood, 1972), subsequently made into this effective, primal, unlikely hit.

FIRST BLOOD would not only augment Sylvester Stallone's existing tough-guy career (by this film's release, he was already up to ROCKY III), it was a tectonic cultural ground slam, spawning the sequels that would bear the "Rambo" moniker and entrench the archetype in world consciousness. "Rambo" virtually wiped out the other metaphors for tough guys: Hercules and Tarzan.

Viet Nam is over. A bedraggled ex-Special Forces operative, John Rambo, (Stallone) tramps into a hick American town, searching for long-dead friends and a hot meal. The antagonistic sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) wants Rambo to keep walkin.' When Rambo refuses, Teasle (that name just kills me!) hauls him to jail, where all the small-town redneck officers (including Bill McKinney and David Caruso) beat, berate and bully the compliant Rambo to his breaking point.

And then all Italian Stallion breaks loose.

It is established that Rambo is a "war hero" (whatever that means - maybe that he has big muscles) and the movie is a slight nod to post-war trauma and the difficulty in assimilating back into society - especially redneck Amuuurican society that is the least likely to accept you, that you are most apt to have come from. But that theme will only surface towards the end, when Rambo gives his Grand Soliloquy. For the most part, FIRST BLOOD is an adrenalin punch in the face, appealing to our primal revenge instincts.

Escaping the police station, Rambo flees into the forest, Teasle on his tail (I kill me!) and the whole sheriff's department as posse. Like a baleful wolf blending into the forest, Rambo stalks the namby-pamby officers, putting them out of commission one by one. And as surprising as it may sound, Rambo actually "kills" no one! Though this movie has a violent reputation (garnered in retrospect by its sequels), in FIRST BLOOD, only one officer falls from a helicopter and dies accidentally. Body count: 1! This sends Teasle into revenge mode - even though he was the one who started the conflict by provoking Rambo. The story ignites our sense of perverted Justice very well indeed. We're on Rambo's side from minute one.

I'm sure David Morell did not intend to rip off CHATO'S LAND (1972) - Bronson's Apache picking off his white pursuers one by one - but that is the brutal template FIRST BLOOD is fashioned on. The hunted becoming the hunter.

After Rambo puts his infamous gigantic hunting knife to Teasle's throat and warns, "Don't push it...or I'll give you a war you won't believe!" - the military are called in. Hoo-rah! With them comes Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), who was Rambo's trainer, therefore someone who can presumably hit Rambo's PAUSE button. Unfortunately, Trautman can only talk in clichés and dynamic one-liners that involve doing a camera-turn before he exits the room; he overacts so much that five extras got their SAG cards.

Trautman can't do much with Rambo over the walkie-talkie, except cause more flashbacks for him. Rambo maintains to Trautman that he didn't start this fracas - that "they drew first blood!" After destroying the whole town, Rambo comes face to face with his beloved commanding officer and cries like a baby. He's trying to fit in - he says - but the society that he fought to preserve refuses to conform to his new PTSD lifestyle. Oh, so it's OUR fault the military trained the humanity out of you and lied to you that you could one day return to humanity psychologically unscathed...

You gotta respect Stallone for his business acumen, and how he turned two shallow movie characters into worldwide phenomena. But it was here, in FIRST BLOOD, where we also realized what a grand orator Stallone is, when he gives an impassioned monologue in the finale, on the death of innocence, that went something like this:

"Nothing is over! Nothing! Yucan swish it oohh Wozen my Waar I didn't ask you And the Wooma Gooma maggots protesting and the Waahoouy baby murderer code of honor! You wash my back, l wash yours! Heahh, there's nothing! All dese gray guys Chevy Convertible we wanna drive until the tires fell off And the Woouy Mogam Oosh body parts flying everywhere! Ouuuy l wanna go home, Johnny! But I Coonafy Hih legs! l can Geeah oww my head Oyoou..."

And Lawrence Olivier wept.

--Poffy The Cucumber
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4/10
Misses the mark
gcd701 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Ted Kotcheff's film tries to make serious comment on how the Vietnam war affected many of its soldiers. "First Blood" gives us 'John Rambo'(Stallone), a man pushed too far by the local law enforcers at a small U.S. town. Angry, he declares a 'war of his own' against them.

The action is not bad, but this was probably the wrong vehicle for Kotcheff to bring his message across with. Perhaps Stallone's 'Rambo' is the wrong sort of hero. He is good in the action sequences, however he is a little too unbelievable and unstoppable to be taken seriously.

The attempt at an emotional ending to the film also fails, mainly due to the fact that we can barely make out what Stallone is saying. Where are those sub-titles?

Saturday, July 4, 1992 - Video
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