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187 reviews in total

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117 out of 134 people found the following review useful:
Dragon Fly. Wolf Den..colorful names.....You may scream, there is no shame., 9 July 1999

Author: Dan Grant (dan.grant@bell.ca) from Toronto, Ontario

First Blood and Rambo are completely different movies. They have same two characters bu that is where the similarity ends. First Blood was a tightly wound excellent action picture directed very well by Ted Kotcheff. Rambo is an action extravaganza that is not to high on the psychological element the way the first one was. They are both excellent films but I find them entertaining for different reasons. One of the reasons that I find Rambo so damn entertaining is because I enjoy that Rambo is now larger than life. He is the ultimate fighting machine who's only desire is to win a war that someone else lost, and if winning means he has to die then he'll die, no fear, no regrets. That is what makes Rambo the ultimate fighting machine and the ultimate movie character.

I love this movie. I love how far fetched it is. I love that Rambo can withstand hours of torture and then have enough energy to escape into the jungle and take on the whole Vietnemese and Russian army. That is what makes this movie so damned entertaining. When I was 14, this was my favourite movie, and it took a great many films and years before it was dethroned. I think I can enjoy and appreciate movies like Apocalypse Now and JFK better than when I was 14, but my love for Rambo and films of its kind will never diminish. This movie is amazing from start to finish.

Rambo's mission in this film is to go back to Vietnam and see if he can find a certain camp that may be harbouring POW's. But if he finds these men, he can only take pictures. He has a problem with that and when he does find one he is left behind by the "stinkin bureaucrat" named Murdoch who orders the mission aborted before Trautman can pick him up. It is while Rambo is captured that the movie becomes tight, tense and incredibly entertaining. Rambo is also fun to watch on a physical level. Stallone was in the best shape of his life in 1985 as he simultaneously made Rambo and Rocky IV. He is huge, ripped and strong as hell in this movie and it is his psychical presence that adds to his persona. He single handedly goes through a whole army and lives to go get the bastards that left him behind. Rambo is one of the old school feel good summer type movies.

Rambo does not claim to be JFK or Mississippi Burning in the sense that it wants you to leave the theater with a message. It has its own beliefs that is for certain, but what Rambo does just like Raiders does is, it entertains. It has you rooting and cheering for Rambo and dissing and swearing at the bad guys for 90 minutes. It is so much fun that I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes to be entertained. Leave your politics for some other movie, that is not what Rambo is about. It is about being entertained and wearing your emotions on your sleeve. That is what is beautiful about this movie. It doesn't apologize for being a bit over the top. Neither should you, for enjoying the film. It is a true wonder. A great piece of entertainment.

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62 out of 85 people found the following review useful:
Rambo is an Icon, 19 January 2002

Author: mm-39 from Winnipeg

Sylvester Stallone has one of the most recognizable faces in the world for a reason; this genius has created two pop culture Icons Rocky and Rambo. Anywhere, in the world these two characters will be reconized. Stallone has many detractors, but his vision, writing, and acting out these characters has made him rich and sucessful in a highly competitive industry. Before Rambo, his sequel to First Blood, Stallone was just a star like Gene Hackmen, but this movie created a mega star. As part of gen x I love this film, it is a prototype for many action films that followed. The story brings out raw emotions, tension, and adrenaline. The viewer relates with John Rambo his pain, and how the government lies. The action takes the viewer on a incredible ride. I love the battlecry he gives out when he does a chopper assault on the bad guys, and the explosive arrow that smashes his adversary, along with the machine gunning of the computer system at the base. The camera angles, expressions, and physical acting is perfectly done. You leave the picture feeling good, and that is what movie escapism should be. Stallone, who is ridiculed, along with Arnold for his physical acting, can with this ability create a great stage presence. This emotion he creates with his body is done by, how he walks, flexs his arm etc. Could Robert De Niro done this film, maybe(ie Cape Fear) Tom Cruise no way, Val Kilmer No. This film is what an action film should be, I've seen very few lines for an Action movie as long as this one. PS the speech at the end gave the spirit of what the film was about.

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78 out of 117 people found the following review useful:
6 stars + Let's look at the 'whole' picture..., 4 October 2003

Author: Melissa Moore (basenji02@adelphia.net) from Usa

A lot of negative reviews I see, but what about the heart of the movie? Doesn't it make you remember the main point--Vietnam and the POW's still there? How they were treated when they came home?

So there are flaws in the movie, we know when Rambo fires the missle in the helicopter, the guys in back would have been toast, but that didn't matter. It's good against evil; and if you know anything about that time frame, you can see so much "truth" in characters like Murdock and what goes on in reality.

The action is excellent, non-stop, with heart, and instead of critical and harsh comments on acting, look at the Broad Picture here, or like Murdock...did you forget too?

A hell of an action film, well done stunt work (mostly done by Stallone) Well worth watching for many reasons.

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68 out of 98 people found the following review useful:
Surprisingly good movie, 2 June 2003
Author: Missy (broadway309)

Okay, first of all, I was born after this movie was made. Second of all, I'm a girl. So for me to say it's a good movie means it's a good movie. My father received this movie as a gag gift. Just by glancing at the cover, I had the impression that Rambo movies were nothing but blood-and-guts, guns-blazing, psycho, no-plotline movies that exist solely for the purpose of making men feel macho. I hate those movies (Steven Segal, Chuck Norris, etc.) But when I popped in this movie out of boredom, I was surprisingly pleased. I'll admit I never saw the first one, but this film doesn't really call for it. It stands on its own. The plot is good-a little too unrealistic but good, the cinematography and scenery is great, Stallone may not be the best actor in the world but he PERSONIFIES John Rambo, and the aspect that makes the movie worth watching is the fact that a woman was a main character and she was not just there for looks; she had an important role and she is portrayed almost as Rambo's equal. The semi-happy ending was cool, too. Although there are many cheezy moments where you just want to roll your eyes, there are also many feel-good moments that have the audience cheer for Rambo. After seeing this film I can understand why it was nominated for an Oscar.

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53 out of 77 people found the following review useful:
An important piece of the movie history, 3 September 2000

Author: Gulag-2 from Italy

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This movie is a sort of legend.It's the greatest action flick of all the times,and the only movie can be compared to it it's "Rambo 3",another masterpiece. "Rambo:First Blood Part.2" is intelligent,beautiful,frightening and...so "Eighties" that you could consider it a piece of history.One of the best performance of Sylvester Stallone.Julie Nicholson (Co Bau) is great and she's a fine actress.Richard Crenna is a myth.The screenplay's a masterstroke,and i don't care the track of "reaganism" in it. Rambo is a rebel,a lone soldier,not a simple puppet in the hands of America.Not a simple human instrument.America offended and pushed him in the first movie.Rambo is an anti-hero,he really don't care 'bout America.He cares 'bout american soldiers STILL trapped in that hell.Point.Have you understand ? Best sequence: All the movie.My favourite :The Co Bau's death...so poetic.Sly seems a dancer when he fights,but he's one of the greatest actor too.He's not only a bunch of muscles !!!!!!! If you love good movies,you'll love "Rambo:First blood part 2".The mother of all the action flicks !!!!!!!!!!! Without it,forget "Die hard" and "Lethal weapon".Forget the word "Action" .

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34 out of 47 people found the following review useful:
An addictive, legal drug, 20 October 2000

Author: (ray_tenvon@yahoo.com) from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

"Rambo" is definitely one of the greatest action movies of all-time. I think this was the movie that started all of those one-man army movies that, to this day, have not yet died out (such as Dolph Lundren movies). At least Rambo has a good reason to act like a one-man army: he's an ex-Vietnam vet who was tortured in Vietnam and now reacts violently whenever he feels he is, or is going to be, tortured.

It is very different from "First Blood", and, I think, much better. In "First Blood", they mention that Rambo is a war hero and that he is the best soldier a Colonel Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna) has ever seen. In this movie, we get to see what kind of war hero Rambo is.

The movie was scripted by Rambo himself (Sylvester Stallone, writer of all five "Rocky" movies) and also James Cameron (writer of the "Terminator" movies, "Aliens", "True Lies" and "Titanic", all well-known classics). With two very talented writers like them, you know that a pairing up can only mean great things.

The action is very intense for a mid-80's movie. If you watch an old version, the movie looks old but the action and the music (which I very much love) seem much newer.

Jerry Goldsmith (who scored "First Blood") has outdone himself with this very entertaining follow-up score. The themes return with an extra touch of intensity, and added themes come alone as well. Jerry Goldsmith is a very talented composer.

The last half-hour or so of the movie is when all the best action takes place (along with the boat scene and the camp escape scene, which don't take place in that half-hour). It's half an hour of running, shooting, stunts, and explosions. It never lets up, and while all this is going on, Rambo's character is constantly being developed with his ways of war.

You'd probably never expect one man to take on an entire camp full of soldiers, but when you see exactly how Rambo is, you understand where he gets his confidence.

"Rambo" is definitely one of my favorite action movies, and I watch it all the time. I have it practically memorized, but I keep watching it. It's always entertaining, and Sylvester Stallone is great. If they make a "Rambo IV" and maybe a "Rambo V", and even a "Rambo VI", I'll buy and watch all of those movies simply because it's Rambo.

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41 out of 63 people found the following review useful:
Great movie, 12 January 2003

Author: Joshua White (alden1010@aol.com) from Turner, Maine

I'm really surprised at how little respect people have for this movie. I could be wrong, but it seems to be the ideal movie for any Vietnam vet looking for an outlet to his frustration. The government used Rambo the way many soldiers must have felt used. If this movie is nothing more than a tiny way of saying "we're sorry you had to go through that," then the movie deserves all the respect we can muster.

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25 out of 32 people found the following review useful:
He gets to win this time...., 24 October 2003
Author: dtucker86 from Germany

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I am a Sergeant in the Army who previously served in the National Guard. I joined the West Virginia Army National Guard in the summer of 1985 when this film was first released and I have to admit I was caught up in the patriotic "Rambo" fever that was sweeping the country. Sylvester Stallone was sort of like a modern day John Wayne in creating a hero on screen that made us cheer for him and feel patriotic. John Rambo symbolized the Vietnam veteran that went and fought and did his all for his country and was spit on and left to stand alone when he returned. The first scene in this film is Colonel Trautman visitng Rambo in prison and offering him a chance at a pardon if he will participate in a special mission. Rambo accepts and says "Sir do we get to win this time?" Trautman says "Its up to you". Murdock, the character that Charles Napier plays, represents the typical government beaurocrat that slept on clean sheets with a full belly while soldiers died in Vietnam because they were sent out to fight with one hand tied behind their back. He lies to Rambo about his combat experience and Rambo realizes Trautman is the only one he trusts. (Incidentally Charles Napier is a highly decorated Korean war veteran in real life). Rambo parachutes into Nam and finds there are POWS left alive, he even manages to help one escape and Murdock aborts the mission and leaves them to their fate. There is an intense scene where Trautman confronts Murdock and calls him a stinking coward covering his ass! He says you made one mistake leaving Rambo alive! There are some awesome sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat. Stallone's approach to playing Rambo is like the one Clint Eastwood used in playing No Name. He uses a minimum of dialogue. However, you sense this man's inner pain that he has borne all his life. This film has some of the most graphic torture sequences ever committed to screen as they try to make Rambo talk. They get him on the radio with Murdock and he says "MURDOCK I'M COMING TO GET YOU!!!!" I have to admit, I cheered like everyone else when Rambo killed all the enemy and rescued the POWs. There is an intense helicopter chase before he finally fakes a crash and then blows the enemy helicopter away! (I wanted to mention one error they made in this film. Rambo uses a LAWs rocket to shoot the enemy helicopter, if he had done this in real life, he would have blown up his own copter as well because of the backblast effect. I have trained with LAWs rockets and I know).

I love the last scene in the film where he flys the copter back and goes after Murdock. He scares the (*&^ out of him by shoving him down on a table and stabbing his knife into it, but he only tells him "There are more men out there, find them or I will find you" The last scene in the film SPOILER ALERT is the best. Colonel Trautman asks Rambo what he wants and Stallone makes his longest speech "I WANT WHAT THEY WANT AND EVERY OTHER GUY WHO WENT OVER THERE AND SPILLED HIS GUTS AND GAVE IT ALL HE HAD WANTS FOR OUR COUNTRY TO LOVE US AS MUCH AS WE LOVE IT THAT IS WHAT I WANT!!!!" It was like he was speaking for all Vietnam vets. This is a film that makes you stand up and cheer in the end. Corny? maybe but I always remember the lyrics of the song at the end (Stallone's brother wrote them) Peace in our life/remember the cause/a cheer for my brothers think of them all/home of the free, well never fall the strength of our nation belongs to us all.

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41 out of 64 people found the following review useful:
Best Commando Guerilla Action Film Ever MADE !, 15 June 2005

Author: Umar Mansoor Bajwa (umar_mansoor@yahoo.com) from Lahore, Pakistan

The fame of Sylvester Stallone initially picked up with The Rocky series. However, he did not settle to create only the icon of Rocky Balboa. His ambitious and craggy nature took him to endeavor the creation of a new kind of hero cum macho man yet unknown to cine-goers.

Rambo was the culmination of an American war commando who was taught and weathered to sustain and persevere in the most unfavorable, hostile and cruel conditions. Under enemy captivity in Vietnam while trying to rescue American POWs, he showed stoic fortitude and the solid grit not to bend before the enemy bullies. Sylvester Stallone's body and features that seem to be chiseled in stone bore a perfect resemblance to Rambo's character sketch. Richard Crenna as Col. Samuel has also portrayed a good role as Rambo's mentor.

This is by far a most popular and fascinating depiction of a new style of action, adventure thriller of its time and definitely rose Stallone to new heights of stardom and instantly established him as a top favorite Hollywood icon.

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34 out of 51 people found the following review useful:
One of the best action films ever made, 7 July 2002

Author: LuboLarsson from Scotland

Viewed as an action film, Rambo First Blood Part II is hard to beat. It just never lets up, and it has Stallone at the top of his game. Its comic strip stuff, and is much less credible than First Blood. I don't care about that though, you want a serious film then watch The Deer Hunter or Platoon, but if you want to see a superbly made action film watch this. After the events of First Blood, John Rambo is in prison but gets released to be sent back to Vietnam to take pictures of a pow camp to get proof that there is still American pow's there. But he is double-crossed by his superiors when he tries to take some pow's out with him, he wasn't meant to do that, he was ordered to only take photos, so he's left behind to be captured , imprisoned and tortured by those oh so nasty RUSSIANS! Sly really had it in for the reds in 1985 after this film, he sent Rocky out to Russia to beat up that other nasty Russian Ivan Drago! It must have been what the people wanted as this and Rocky IV were two of the biggest smashes of the year. Steven Berkhoff plays the Russian bad guy in practically a carbon copy of his role in the James Bond film Octopussy, he does it well though, he was one of Hollywoods favourite bad guys of the mid 80's, you might remember him in Beverly Hills Cop, which was a film initially intended for........Sylvester Stallone! This movie has just been giving the DVD special edition treatment, buy it, and get yourself one of the greatest action flms ever made.

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