Rambo (2008)

In Thailand, John Rambo joins a group of mercenaries to venture into war-torn Burma, and rescue a group of Christian aid workers who were kidnapped by the ruthless local infantry unit.

Director:

Sylvester Stallone

Writers:

Art Monterastelli, Sylvester Stallone

Stars:

Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Matthew Marsden

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvester Stallone	...	John Rambo
Julie Benz	...	Sarah
Matthew Marsden	...	School Boy
Graham McTavish	...	Lewis
Reynaldo Gallegos	...	Diaz (as Rey Gallegos)
Jake La Botz	...	Reese
Tim Kang	...	En-Joo
Maung Maung Khin	...	Tint
Paul Schulze	...	Michael Burnett
Cameron Pearson	...	Missionary #4 (Jeff)
Thomas Peterson	...	Missionary #2 (Dentist)
Tony Skarberg	...	Missionary #3 (Videographer)
James With	...	Missionary #5 (Preacher) (as James Wearing Smith)
Kasikorn Niyompattana	...	Snake Hunter #2
Shaliew 'Lek' Bamrungbun	...	Snake Hunter #1

Storyline

Vietnam veteran John Rambo has survived many harrowing ordeals in his lifetime and has since withdrawn into a simple and secluded existence in Thailand, where he spends his time capturing snakes for local entertainers, and chauffeuring locals in his old PT boat. Even though he is looking to avoid trouble, trouble has a way of finding him: a group of Christian human rights missionaries, led by Michael Burnett and Sarah Miller, approach Rambo with the desire to rent his boat to travel up the river to Burma. For over fifty years, Burma has been a war zone. The Karen people of the region, who consist of peasants and farmers, have endured brutally oppressive rule from the murderous Burmese military and have been struggling for survival every single day. After some inner contemplation, Rambo accepts the offer and takes Michael, Sarah, and the rest of the missionaries up the river. When the missionaries finally arrive at the Karen village, they find themselves part of a raid by the sadistic ...

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Plot Keywords:

rambo | rescue mission | one man army | missionary | burma | 

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Taglines:

In the Heart of the Jungle, Blood will Flow.

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong graphic bloody violence, sexual assaults, grisly images and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Brolin was attached to play Colonel Samuel Trautman after Richard Crenna died of pancreatic cancer in 2003, but the role was written out of the script. Sylvester Stallone considers the character to have died on the same day as Crenna, who appears in an archival flashback in Rambo (2008).

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Goofs

The M-60 gunner on the bow of the patrol boat gets his head blown off (literally), yet his body is still at the gun, hand gripping the trigger. However, a moment later when Myint hits the boat with the rocket, the M-60 gunner's body is nowhere in sight.

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Quotes

Sarah Miller: Maybe you've lost your faith in people. But you must still be faithful to something. You must still care about something. Maybe we can't change what is. But trying to save a life isn't wasting your life, is it?

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Crazy Credits

Salad and Fruit Hand - Buakai Boonsri

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Alternate Versions

The 100-minute extended cut features the following additions and changes:

• The main title card shows as 'John Rambo' and now appears across the screen.
• At the beginning, Rambo traps the second snake followed by a new scene where the deckhands played with it on the boat.
• While working on the metal for the new propeller, Sara visits him in an another attempt to persuade him to change his mind to take them upriver.
• While upriver, Rambo and Sara's moments are longer, as both get to know one another better.
• The bad guy who laid dying on Rambo's boat only has a bullet shot on the head. In the theatrical cut, there were multiple gunshots all over the body.
• While passing the armor boat on the way back from Burma, Rambo takes out his knife in the hidden compartment.
• After driving the armor boat to the shore, there is an additional scene where he burns it along with his knife.
• During the village massacre by the regime, there were alternate shots of villages in cages and the hazing of the young boys.
• When the pastor seeks Rambo's help, he was actually instructed to pray while Rambo forges his blade. Later, the pastor watches the mercenaries head downriver.
• While escaping the military village, Rambo notices lacerations on Sara's feet and bandages them.

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Connections

Referenced in Mr. Plinkett's Star Trek 2009 Review (2010)

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Soundtracks

Chock Muay
Written by Chuck Jonkey (as Charles Jonkey)
Performed by Chuck Jonkey & Lugsil
Published by Jonkey Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Jonkey Enterprises Sonic Safari Music

User Reviews

An modern 80s action movie that pulls no punches.

Rambo is an 80s-style action movie with modern sensibilities. Stallone is not a one-man army as in previous movies but rather a dogged old soldier that comes to terms with what he actually is while racking up a body count that would make Tarintino proud. In many ways, this movie parallels Rocky Balboa as a mature ending to a series of sometimes over-the-top but fun action movies. John Rambo in this movie is an aging but potent killing machine that for the first time since First Blood accomplishes his mission in a very believable manner. The action is visceral and downright gory at times surpassing the hard-core scenes of Omaha Beach in Saving Private Ryan. The film pulls no punches when showing exactly what a Barret .50 caliber sniper rifle can do to a human body. Stallone mutters only a very few lines of dialog in this movie... there's no speeches or patriotic flag waving going on here but there is a clear lesson on how well liberal idealism holds up under barbaric realities amid genocide and war.

A must see but not one for the kiddies.

Details

Official Sites:

Instagram Lionsgate

Country:

Germany USA Thailand

Language:

English Burmese Thai

Release Date:

25 January 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rambo IV: End of Peace

Filming Locations:

Thailand

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,203,876, 27 January 2008

Gross USA:

$42,754,105

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$113,244,290

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate, The Weinstein Company, Millennium Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 99 min (extended) 80 min (cut) (FSK 16 rated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1