Rambo III (1988)

Rambo mounts a one-man mission to rescue his friend Colonel Trautman from the clutches of the formidable invading Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

Director:

Peter MacDonald

Writers:

David Morrell (characters), Sylvester Stallone

Stars:

Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Marc de Jonge

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvester Stallone	...	Rambo
Richard Crenna	...	Trautman
Marc de Jonge	...	Zaysen
Kurtwood Smith	...	Griggs
Spyros Fokas	...	Masoud (as Spiros Focas)
Sasson Gabay	...	Mousa (as Sasson Gabai)
Doudi Shoua	...	Hamid
Randy Raney	...	Kourov
Marcus Gilbert	...	Tomask
Alon Aboutboul	...	Nissem (as Alon Abutbul)
Mahmoud Assadollahi	...	Rahim
Yosef Shiloach	...	Khalid (as Yosef Shiloah)
Harold Diamond	...	Stick Fighter
Mati Seri	...	Gun Dealer (as Seri Mati)
Hany Said El Deen	...	Gun Dealer

Storyline

Weary of the horrors of war, the expert in guerrilla tactics, John Rambo, has settled in exotic Thailand since the suicide rescue mission in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985). However, John will return to action, when his grizzled mentor, Colonel Sam Trautman, gets trapped behind the enemy lines in Soviet-infested Afghanistan, after a botched attempt to aid the remaining rebel pockets. Now, there's no turning back--and as each minute counts--John must act fast before it's too late. Once more, the government will deny John's existence if the men of the ruthless Soviet Colonel, Zaysen, capture him. But, John shows no mercy, and, this time, he fights for his friend. Can Rambo save the only man who ever stood by him?

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Plot Keywords:

navajo indian | reference to arizona | reference to bowie arizona | bowie arizona | bare chested male | 

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Taglines:

The first was for himself. The second for his country. This time it's to save his friend.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

At 102 minutes this is the longest film in the 'Rambo' series (especially considering the total screen time of production logos and end credits is almost 5% of that 102 minutes).

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Goofs

After Rambo crashes the Russian helicopter, it explodes into a ball of flame. A while later as the Russian commander is inspecting the remains there is no engine, components or anything at all just an empty shell. These would not have blown away or burned to nothing in the initial explosion and fire, revealing it is just a mock up model for visual effects only.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Colonel Trautman: John!

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Crazy Credits

The end credits open with a message that says, "This Film is dedicated to the Gallant People of Afghanistan".

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Alternate Versions

A new British video version, released in June 2000, restores all the violence previously cut from UK versions, but is still missing a 2 second scene in which a horse fall was achieved using a tripwire.

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Connections

Referenced in Community: Pillows and Blankets (2012)

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Soundtracks

HE AIN'T HEAVY... HE'S MY BROTHER
Written by Bob Russell & Bobby Scott
Harrison Music Corp. (ASCAP)
Jenny Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Performed by Bill Medley
Produced by Giorgio Moroder
Courtesy of Voss Records

User Reviews

Rambo

Not the best script, but it had some moments - like the child soldier. Strange how the Soviet-Vietnam scenario has come back to haunt America.

Details

Official Sites:

Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

25 May 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rambo III

Filming Locations:

Yuma Territorial Prison State Park - 206 N. Fourth Avenue, Yuma, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$63,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,034,238, 29 May 1988

Gross USA:

$53,715,611

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$189,015,611

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carolco Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 87 min (1988) (heavily cut) (VHS)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (4 channels) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1