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First Blood

First Blood

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The Weakest of the Trilogy
Review: Rambo is an odd trilogy, odd in a sense that every installment grows stronger, and by alot. In First Blood we're introduced to a burned-out, edge of insanity war-vet haunted by past experiences in the Vietnam War. On his pathless journey a hillbilly town police officer halts him, harasses him, arrests him, his co-workers push him and all hell breaks loose. First Blood does sport some very well done action, especially with Rambo on the mountain setting traps, leaping off a cliff and trekking through a dark mine shaft. However the movie focuses too much on typical "stupid cops" who break the rules and way too much emphasis on anti-Vietnam war statements even though the war was far over after this. Its too one-sided, and too angry and Stallone's quote at the end a about a memory of Vietnam has been heard all too many times before. It doesn't work in the sense that this isn't a war movie, it isn't a drama, its an action movie. Yet its action does keep viewers entertained despite its out of place side-story.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Stallone is Good
Review: A revolution of sorts when this movie came out. Its release spawned many movies to star a one-man army. Sylvester Stallone stars as John Rambo, a Vietnam veteran trying to look for some of his old buddies. He finds out that they have all passed on and is alone. He strolls into a small Colorado town and a crooked sheriff (Brian Dennehy) doesn't let him stay. He arrests Rambo for defiance and the police beat him up. But, that doesn't fly and Rambo fights back and flees the station. A lot of action and a memorable ending make this movie one to remember.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good action film
Review: Vietnam vet John Rambo(Stallone) is arrested by a local sheriff in a midwest village just for opposing to the sheriff's way of law enforcement.

While he was in the police station he is questioned and pushed by one of the sheriff's deputies.

So he escapes hiting the locals he founds on his way and after taking a bike he refugges in the mountains leading the sheriff to a manhunt.

A hunting that fails losing 3 men and the dogs set for hunting him.

After the state authorities involves on the issue and the national guard controls the area a men appers.

It's colonel Sam Trautuman(Crenna) chief in command of Rambo in the Vietnam and his mentor.

Thinking that he could convince Rambo to surrender he tries but Rambo escapes from the military.

He robs a army truck full of M60's and leads to the town where he explodes the truck in a gas station.

And he gets ammo and powder to explode a few stores before going to the police precint to keep things right with the sheriff.

He almost kill the officer and after the authorities surrounds the precint it's Trautman who conviences Rambo to give up or they would kill him.

Rambo after a classic dialogue full of good quotes let the fight and let Trautman to give him up and gets arrested by them.

Based in a novel by David Morell the finale is better than the novel which Rambo dies.

The first and best of the Rambo trilogy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome Stallone Film
Review: Sylvester Stallone plays an ex-Green Beret in this typical Action film. I would rank this up there with Rocky 2 and 3. Stallone's performance is amazing. The cops mess with him and he shows them who's boss by retaliating using his recently learned Vietnam war tactics. It's a police vs. Rambo fight in which they are on Rambo's territory. This is a classic edge-of-your-seat thriller.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Stallone gets political
Review: Stallone might be the main actor here, but Brian Denahy (one of America's most-loved character actors), who plays a ... cop in a small Pacific Northwest town, sums up the film's message best, when asked by Rambo, "why are you pushin' me?" Denahy's response is a brilliant summation of the insidious fascist collectivism lying at the root of our nation's alleged "rugged individuality", and serves to provoke the heroic rallying cry of Rambo's gallant non-conformism:

"First of all, you don't ask the questions around here. I do. You understand? Secondly, we don't want guys like you in this town. Drifters. First thing you know we got a whole bunch a guys like you in this town. That's why. Besides, you wouldn't like it here . . . this is . . . this is a quiet little town. In fact, you might say its boring. But that's the way we like it, and I get paid to keep it that way."

A challenge indeed. The battle table is now set, and before it's all over, Rambo will have outrun, outwitted, and seriously crippled a dozen sadistic police officers (as well as a few good family men), a whole platoon of national guardsmen, and a few tracking dogs to boot. Rambo is a monster, a Frankenstein, created by the masters of war in the Pentagon, and now they're reaping the fruits of their own bitter harvest. However, this is one Frankenstein that fights his battles in a half-hearted manner, dragged down by an inner conflict of will. We see in the film's opening sequence that Rambo has not felt grounded in reality since returning from the 'Nam. The "junk in your pockets" that he complains about is apt symbolism for the collected junk inside John Rambo's tortured mind. And Denahy's small-town fear of outsiders manifests itself in a self-destructive war with a one-man army, an apt metaphor for America's cultural civil war -- the wounds of Vietnam reappearing as enduring political cleavages during the late Cold War period.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: One of Stallone's best
Review: "First Blood" was the film that rejuvenated Sylvester Stallone's then floundering career. After the successes of "Rocky" and "Rocky 2", Stallone found himself in some movies that, while good, failed to do any business at the box office. "First Blood" broke that streak, would go on to gross $120 million worldwide, and helped make Stallone one of the top action icons of the 1980's.

"First Blood" is the story of John Rambo, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who returns to America after escaping from a POW camp in 'Nam, only to find that it's a different America than the one he left. When he arrives, he gets called a "baby-killer" and spat upon by protestors who view the United States' and his involvement in the war as less than honorable. With nowhere to go, he becomes a drifter, a "forgotten hero".

The film starts with Rambo hiking in the Pacific Northwest, looking for his only surviving buddy from 'Nam. When he arrives at his friend's place, he is saddened to learn that he has passed away from cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange in the war. An upset Rambo then finds himself in a small town where the local sheriff tells him that the town doesn't want someone like him there, and drives him to the city limits. Defiant, Rambo heads toward the town again, only to be arrested and charged with vagrancy. As he is being processed, harassment by the police officers triggers flashbacks of the brutal torture he suffered in Vietnam, and he escapes. He commandeers a motor bike and heads to the mountains, where he takes on the sheriff's posse, and ultimately 200 National Guardsmen. A trained Green Beret, he escapes his pursuers, setting up the climactic showdown between Rambo and the sheriff.

Sylvester Stallone gives a great performance as Rambo, and his speech at the end of the film , where he bares his soul and relates to his commanding officer (and in essence, us as well) the suffering he has endured, both during and after the war, is chilling. Character actor Brian Dennehy also turns in a great peformance as Sheriff Will Teasle, the man who pushes Rambo and draws "first blood" in this war. Also appearing is Richard Crenna as Colonel Sam Trautman, Rambo's C.O. in 'Nam, who gets one of the best bits of dialogue when he describes Rambo and his elite training, with almost father-like pride ("Rambo's been trained to ignore pain... to ignore the weather... to live off the land... to eat things that would make a billy goat puke") to a defiant Teasle. All 3 men give strong performances throughout.

The DVD has some pretty good features, among them a trivia game (with some true bafflers!), a trailer, production notes, a featurette on the film (which plays more like an expanded trailer), and commentary by "First Blood" author David Morrell. It certainly is interesting to hear him compare the film version with the book that he wrote (one of the main differences in the film script being that Rambo lives; in the novel, he dies on the last page). All this is held together by some neat motion menus.

The film is in a widescreen anamorphic format, although the picture leaves a bit to be desired, with some color fading and scratches throughout. The soundtrack is in Dolby Stereo, and sounds dated. It's not necessarily that bad, though, as most of the film is dialogue-driven throughout, with the exception being the last 1/3 of the film, when Rambo returns to the town.

I give the DVD 4 stars, because this is one of those films that would have been served well with a better digital re-mastering of the print, and a 5.1 soundtrack. I give the actual film 5 stars, because this is one of those films that strikes a chord with everyone. Far from the outrageous action-oriented and almost cartoonishly violent sequels that would follow, "First Blood" is basically a psychological story about a man who is trained as a killing machine for war, yet finds out that when he comes back from that war, he can't just "turn it off". Rambo leaves his wide-eyed innocence back in 'Nam, and when pushed around by Teasle and his posse, he reverts back to that which he knows best: Defeating the enemy by any means necessary. It's certainly well worth it to sit down and watch Stallone in his 1st portrayal of Rambo, playing him as the haunted man who can't escape his past, as opposed to the later films where he would become an unstoppable killing machine who would grunt and yell his way to almost implausible victory. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Finale
Review: I thought the final speech by Rambo was a classic one. Bashing Stallone for not articulating well enough is a bunch of bull. The man was very confused and obviously disturbed. It does make sense for Rambo not to make sense of what he said! I know a few vets who have seen this movie and enjoyed it the whole way through. Some may call a few scenes hard to believe, specifically the jump, but if I am not mistaken, the book has the same situation with little difference. Rambo is a classic action movie that will be quoted and remembered forever.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Classical Movie!
Review: This was an outstanding Stallone movie. Stallone plays the role
of John Rambo,an Army Green Beret. Stallone is going to visit an old war friend when he wanders into the wrong town. He is arrested and treated bad by the local sheriff played well by Brian Dennehy. Rambo retaliates and escapes. The local sheriff's department face the battle of their lives with Rambo.His vast
knowledge of jungle warfare goes well in the mountains of the
surrounding area.Rambo's old commander(played by Richard Crenna)
comes in to save the Sheriff's Department from Rambo. This is a
good movie thar illustrates the Vietnam vet and their life after the war. You movie will make an impression on you.It is a good movie as well with a good plot and plenty of action. You will not be dissapointed.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: John Rambo , the Anti¿War hero .
Review: In the beginning of the eighties , "Rambo" seemed to had come from nowhere , but winded up setting the standard for a long series of films , in which the main theme was violence and carnage brought to the extreme . "Rambo" is indeed which it was the opening shot for , but also has an extra value included - the violence stands for something , something you can understand , sympathy and identify with .

When released , Stallone was already a big star after the three Rockies . It turned up that Rambo has established his stature to even a higher ground, and would be the character he'd be most recognized with worldwide from that day on ; I suspect that there are very few places on this earth where the name Rambo is something nobody's ever heard before , frankly, for good reasons .

This character is the ultimate underdog you will ever find ; everybody can identify with John Rambo in one time or another . Though he'd fought the Vietnamese - and while at it - the Communists , and was the symbol of the All-American Anti-Red, he was admired even in countries behind the iron curtain . This had happened because Rambo also symbolizes the fight of the commons against the establishment, that can become ruthless , discriminating and harmful (later on that) .

I bet there isn't almost one person that doesn't know what it's all about . Just to shortly remind you , the wrong man (ex - green berets , Vietnam War fighter) wanders through the wrong All-American small town , where it's understatement to say that he's mistreated . He's captured , tormented , manages to escape and decides to fight back and unleashes hell , that is engaged to the finale , when he comes back to an endgame retaliation .

There is one thing I dare to claim not as many as before remember , or attribute major importance to , and that's the closing speech of Rambo , which embodies the essence of the entire movie , and clarifies its message in a crystal clear way . This monologue gives the film its right to exist and to stand tall along with other influencing motion pictures of that time . I think that in this single scene Stallone gave one of the best performances of his life .

After all that had happened - all the blood that had been spilled, all the men that had been killed , all the suffering so many had suffered , all the agony , pain and horror - after almost killing the man that had been responsible, in Rambo's view, to it all - he bursts out crying in the presence of his training officer and mentor , Colonel Trautman , and finally start talking . Watching this scene is so hard that tears might fill your eyes , because all the wrong and unjust in regard to the treatment of America of Post Vietnam War towards its returning soldiers is cried out loud ; Rambo and so many other soldiers came back to the U.S , as victims and survivors of the horrors of Vietnam , only to discover that not so many had missed them . The frustration of the American society from the fiasco in Vietnam was thrown in the faces of those lost boys , that did not understand what hit them .

(...)

All this burden and more is vented in the mentioned above Epilogue , and there is no comfort in any reply Trautman could come up with , because there is no excuse to these sins of society that represent the ugly side of human nature . Stallone plays convincingly like he really was Rambo - a victim and a want to be survivor of the gloomy reality , and you then can better understand him - what he was all about , why , his violence , rage and the bloodshed he so expertly conducted .

At that time (1982) , nearly ten years after the end of the war , these issues were still troubling , burning and unresolved in he American society . Nowadays , even twenty years after the movie has hit the screens , I think that not everything is forgiven and people still suffer from the consequences of that war . Maybe this movie , among many others that were made on the same subject ("The Deer Hunter" and "Born On The Fourth Of July" to mention a few), should stand as a memoriam to the personal , often swept away , problems caused by wars , and for the terrible price single individuals must pay if they manage to stay alive and survive hell . The war these soldiers face at home is , sometimes , even harder .

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: Our family has the original vhs movie where it has like 20 30-second previews at the end of the movie and there is a weird Tubes video and stuff. This is a great movie. Action packed, thrills, and its cool. Everyone of these movies are great.


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