Rambo: Last Blood

Rambo Last Blood (2019)

At 73, most people prefer to sit at home, relax and reminisce their youth while being surrounded by their family. Sylvester Stallone was not built that way and this year he made a movie to prove that action stars of the 80s simply don't age. Obviously he has lost a step or two and is not flying around the screen like he used to but at bloody 73, he is still a one man army and the living proof that age is just a number.

Rambo Last Blood is a no nonsense grim action movie with a cliche plot that does not pretend be bigger than it is. Nobody is saving the world from mass enslavement, spies or nuclear threats. It is a simple revenge thriller with loads of action, grit and violence that can easily rival John Wick in terms of creativity. Stallone is a lone wolf who still has sharp fangs despite his gray hair and his enemies will find out just how sharp these fangs are.

Very similar to previous Rambo films, just on a smaller scale, so it goes without saying that if you are a fan of the franchise, 80-90s action or Stallone in general then you will feel right at home. Fast pace, simple narrative, grim settings and plently of violence give Last Blood a genuine throwback feel to the golden days of action.

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Dark, brutal, graphic and extreme are some of the words I would use to sum this movie up. Pretty standard story but it does take us to some unexpected dark places. Sly does what he does best in a strong, silent brooding role. The big winner here is the action. As we come to expect the final climatic battle is very violent and graphic but executed very very well.

Rambo: Last Blood is the supposedly the final film in the Rambo series. A series that has certainly seen better days. Last Blood's title infers a finale that could wrap the decades old series in a nice little bow and call back to the film that started it all. However, it fails to truly honor its hero in a satisfying way.

The first film First Blood seems so tamed compared to this newest entry and looking back the series as a whole has changed along the way. First Blood was a film based on the novel of the same name that followed a man struggling to reenter society after the Vietnam War. It was a topical film showcasing the cruelty and disgust many of our veterans received upon returning home. First Blood was a film with scenes of violence, but it was not an action film. It was as far as I can see an anti war film. Every film after this has failed to understand what this film was about and has opted for a more action heavy series and a violent one at that.

Last Blood is First Blood's polar opposite. It relishes in its violence especially in the 3rd act, but at least in this film the reason and motive is clear and can be understood. Last Blood is not concerned with telling the story of a man haunted by war or telling an anti war story. Its focus is on violent revenge and I have to look at it this way. The Rambo series has transformed itself into something completely different from the first film. So, does this work as a revenge thriller?

I would say yes in the most simplistic sense. This is the story of a man who wants to live his final years in peace but is called to action once again to protect someone he loves. It's a story we know all too well. However, it has proved an emotionally resonant story in the past. Rambo's story in this film and his goal is simple and it's simple to a fault, but this film is not concerned with its story as much as it is the action this series has become known for.

Let's talk about the action. I won't lie it's fun. The third act is insane and over the top and indulges in grotesque violence that will bring out the cave man in all of us. This would be fine, other Stallone movies have indulged in violence before and that's the main selling point. His Expendibles trilogy is a great example, but Last Blood tries for something more and lays the seeds for what should be an emotional crescendo for our John Rambo, but the film doesn't do enough to make this satisfying and so the film ends up feeling unbalanced.

Rambo's relationship with his niece is the heart of the film and helps in at least giving an emotional connection the film sorely needs. However, these are about the only characters that have any form of depth. The villains are 1 dimensional and nothing more and are there simply to be part of an endless army for Rambo to mutilate and maim in glorious over the top violence which is fun. The film however has a saving grace in the form of Stallone and his performance. Stallone has always been an underrated actor and I believe it hasn't been until recently that he's been receiving some of the recognition he deserves.

The movies problems perhaps are a result of its extremely short length. If anyone knows about the making of this film it was constantly cut down in the editing room to make it 89 minutes, the shortest Rambo film to date. I believe in a longer version of this film lies a film that is much better, that balances out its more meditative moments with its bursts of violence.

As it stands the film feels unbalanced and has an extremely slow and boring first two acts that ends on an action packed finale and the the final moments of the film feel like they should be more impactful than they end up being. These last few moments are the best parts of the film and make it feel more like a finale. Perhaps an extended version of the film could be released to fix many of these films short comings, but we'll have to wait and see.

Overall, Rambo: Last Blood is a film that has the right stuff to make this finale great, but what is there is either not enough or cut down to reach a certain runtime. Stallone's performance makes it at least worth a watch as it tries it's best to blend the series violent aspects with the more character driven first film.

Even though i enjoyed Last Blood i feel like the franchise could have comfortably ended with Rambo 4. Rambo had just fought in the biggest and most brutal battle of his life and then returned to his family home, it felt like closure. Last Blood feels like it wasn't originally meant to be a Rambo movie but it's still a hell of a good time for Stallone fans and fans of no bull action movies.

Apparently this movie upset some fragile critics who called it a "Trumpian fantasy" whatever the hell that is supposed to mean, i wish those losers would stop trying to create drama and controversy where there is none. The fact that the film made back almost twice it's budget in theatres is the sweet icing on the cake.

Anyway, this time Rambo is fighting a more personal battle as he attempts to rescue the daughter of a close friend who's been kidnaped by a sex ring in Mexico. Stallone as always nails it as the hard as stone warrior we all love but now he has an almost softer more emotional side to him which i really enjoyed. The action scenes are insanely violent with heads exploding from shotgun blasts, guys behind impaled on spikes, blown up with claymores, stabbed through various parts of their bodies and burnt to a crisp. It's definitely not for the squeamish but this is a Rambo movie, you don't watch one expecting sunshine, rainbows and tea parties. I mean, the final battle in Rambo 4 was like a level from Gears Of War ffs. Also Stallone is 73 years old and looks to be in better condition than most men half his age. He is JACKED and is still believable as an unstoppable force of nature. The story won't win any awards but it also doesn't pretend to be any grander than it needs to be. This is a straight up, grim revenge movie.

Most fans of the series have most likely seen it and don't need a recommendation but check this out if you like hard edged action and want a throwback to the glory days of American action movies.

Goods stuff.

A { - m i c r o - } review .

First and foremost : " Please { d o n ' t ⭐ } watch this with your { - M I N O R - } children/siblings/relatives/friends/wards, whether at the theatre - O R - in a home setting ". If { Y O U } are an - a d u l t - then in most, if not all, countries ; you could legally take her/him/them with you to the Cinema, ( even though the film is rated " R " ), but I beseech you, again, please... - just - d o n ' t . This is a complete & utter B L O O D B A T H 😱 of a film, not to mention that it incorporates, for the better part of the picture, what is ( tantamount )... to a BRUTAL 💥❕.... " FULL BLOWN, Drug Cartel { A N D } hard-drugs laced, s** trafficking documentary " .

Glad I got that out of the way. W E L L , so now here's the funny thing. I grew up absolutely, positively { L O V I N G ⭐❕} Sylvester Stallone 💎 , & films - L I K E - the Oscar Winning " ROCKY " , 'Escape to Victory', 'Demolition Man', 'Cliffhanger', 'The Specialist', 'Assassins', & 'Cobra' ; as well as - A L L - those truly { i c o n i c ⭐ } "Created or inspired by Stallone" F r a n c h i s e s . ( "Rocky", "The Expendables", "Escape Plan"... yup, I'm sure you get the idea by now ). I mean, come on, f r a n k l y ... What active, boisterous & generally "Energetic", self-respecting 'young-dude' . . . . . D I D N ' T ❔❕.

{ h o w e v e r } : the " S k y - H i g h " levels of SHEER BODILY DISMEMBERMENT, & just Outright All-round { c a r n a g e 😱 } in 'Rambo : Last Blood'... really did take me - v e r y - aback, indeed. This, the ' 5th And Final ' ( Thank Heavens❕) instalment in the series well & truly is a ' whole-another-A N I M A L ' . Y e t , in closing, ( & speaking - o f - those wonderful creatures ), I must note, & with " p o i n t e d { 👇❕} " Irony, at that ; the following . " Ever-mysterious-and-conflicted " will the { - h u m a n - } Animal.... always be " . And what is the reason I say this ? . Well , ' Tis because . . . even after having said { A L L } that :

I found myself Whooping for ' s l y ' Stallone thru the entire finalé , & with a " p a s s i o n " , at that { 💥❕} " . So if I'm to be { - R E A L L Y - } honest with myself , this film scores " 7.50 Crazy, Chaotic, Raucous, Rambunctious Marks Out Of 10 " .