Review of "Rambo: First Blood Part II"
RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II (1985)
Directed by George P. Cosmatos
Written by Sylvester Stallone and James Cameron, from a story by Kevin Jarre, based on characters created by David Morrell
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, Steven Berkoff, Julia Nickson-Soul and Martin Kove
In 1985, Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Stallone) is released from prison by his friend Colonel Trautman (Crenna) in exchange for his participation in a secret mission in Vietnam. The mission is to investigate claims that American prisoners of war are still being held in Vietnamese military camps. Rambo is supposed to merely gather evidence and take photographs however, with the help of a Vietnamese woman, Co Bao (Nickson-Soul), he attempts to rescue the prisoners, only to discover that his superiors consider him to be as expendable as the prisoners.
This was the film that made one-man-army Rambo into one of the action move icons of the 1980s. It's a hugely entertaining film, packed with almost wall-to-wall action, that is often quite spectacularly staged. However in amongst the plentiful explosions and carnage the film does attempt to raise the point of the treatment of Vietnam veterans after the war. Although the films never lets the message bog down the serious stuff of shooting, stabbing and blowing things up. Stallone, in his probably second most famous role, is well suited to the part, at times even managing to give Rambo a gravitas that makes him something more than just a walking killing machine. However there are no real surprises in the film and probably most viewers will be able to guess how it ends very early on. The script was co-written with Stallone by Terminator and Aliens director James Cameron.
Seven out of ten
Directed by George P. Cosmatos
Written by Sylvester Stallone and James Cameron, from a story by Kevin Jarre, based on characters created by David Morrell
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, Steven Berkoff, Julia Nickson-Soul and Martin Kove
In 1985, Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Stallone) is released from prison by his friend Colonel Trautman (Crenna) in exchange for his participation in a secret mission in Vietnam. The mission is to investigate claims that American prisoners of war are still being held in Vietnamese military camps. Rambo is supposed to merely gather evidence and take photographs however, with the help of a Vietnamese woman, Co Bao (Nickson-Soul), he attempts to rescue the prisoners, only to discover that his superiors consider him to be as expendable as the prisoners.
This was the film that made one-man-army Rambo into one of the action move icons of the 1980s. It's a hugely entertaining film, packed with almost wall-to-wall action, that is often quite spectacularly staged. However in amongst the plentiful explosions and carnage the film does attempt to raise the point of the treatment of Vietnam veterans after the war. Although the films never lets the message bog down the serious stuff of shooting, stabbing and blowing things up. Stallone, in his probably second most famous role, is well suited to the part, at times even managing to give Rambo a gravitas that makes him something more than just a walking killing machine. However there are no real surprises in the film and probably most viewers will be able to guess how it ends very early on. The script was co-written with Stallone by Terminator and Aliens director James Cameron.
Seven out of ten