Rambo - First Blood Reviews

[Highly rated reviewer]

High Noon for the Reagan era

To his Mum he's John, to his Dad simply J, but to the rest of us, this one man fighting machine is known only as... Rambo. Based on David Morrell's Novel, and directed by Ted Kotcheff, First Blood sees Rambo back from Vietnam and searching; searching for answers. Rambo has become a vagabond, a Green Beret in a country that doesn't care and doesn't want him there.

First Blood is Kotcheff's Reaganite response to High Noon, just as Rio Bravo was for Howard Hawks, only this time we have moved forward 30 years and small town America isn't like it use to be. Brian Dennehy stars as the Sheriff Will Teasle, hell bent on keeping the peace, being Gary Cooper. But this is post Vietnam, Reagan era film making, the establishment can no longer be Gary Cooper, the Establishment turned into Lee Van Cleef. Rambo is the one man army, he doesn't want to kill, he doesn't want to be pushed around, he just wants to eat. But the Sheriff and his establishemnt soon find out what happens when you stop a wild animal from eating and this is where Rambo replaces small town America for Small town Vietnam.

After some one-sided scuffles we realise the Establishment can't handle the starving beast, the beast who seeks peace. So an unwanted visitor arrives, promises to help, knows Rambo inside out, taught him everything he knows, can put the beast back on the straight -and-narrow, in comes Colonel Samuel Trautman; but in classic fashion they don't want to listen to Uncle Sam, small town Vietnam can handle their own problems and small town Vietnam want to handle their own problems. The small town forgot it was Uncle Sam who created Rambo and its Uncle Sam who must stop Rambo.

First Blood is action, it's gung ho, it's sentimental and at times it's absurd but it is Rambo at his best. Before Afghanistan and Burma, before the pen was truly replaced by the sword and Rambo became invincible, First Blood is a great tonic to these heady times. Sit back, enjoy and watch Uncle Sam control his beast.

[Highly rated reviewer]

A cinematic work of art.

Truly underrated, and a film that stays with the viewer long after. Stallone plays it perfectly, as the ex veteran, who gets picked for vagrancy. The hostility shown to a man who fought for his country, shows the extreme prejudice within our society and the film plays upon this right until the end. Absolutely 1st class acting, directing and genius screenplay, based on the David Morell novel. The musical score is simply tremendous, and is addictive and rewarding on its own merits. For me, this is Stallone’s finest achievement, and classed as very serious film indeed. Outstanding in every respect.

A surprisingly thoughtful action film

The first ?Rambo? film is something of an oxymoron insofar as it?s a reasonably intelligent, well thought out and possibly even subtle action adventure movie. Definitely in this regard it?s way above average.

Sure, it has more than its fair share of shootings and explosions and naturally these more than satisfy at a visceral level. But more than that, it?s also got a pretty clever plot to it.

Stallone?s mono-syllabic ?nam veteran provides an interesting and unusual hero but for my money it?s the small town police chief - rankled by Rambo?s reputation as a one man killing machine and hell bent on teaching him a lesson - who provides the more interesting (and sinister) character.

In any case, ?Rambo? is a thoughtful action film and ? unusual for it?s genre ? not particular gratuitous in its use of violence.

There?s more to it than meets the eye but it?s also great popcorn fodder.

very good film

could watch this film over and over again. one of his best films

Good harmless fun!

I hadn't seen this movie for ages and was pleasantly surprised by the DVD. Far better than its sequels - there's a story and half decent characters as well as some good action sequences. It?s not going to blow your mind, but it?s aged well for 1982 film and it?s an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes, especially combined with beer and a pizza.

RAMBO - S.STALLONE AT HIS BEST!!

One of my all time classics, truly well made and well thought out. John Rambo escapes from jail and thats where the story all starts........this is one of them movies you would watch again and again.....true classic. RENT IT!!

Saw this film for the first time on some dodgy video back in the 80's.

Stalones performance as John Rambo, is amazing, hardman with a concious and the scene where he pours his heart out makes you realise that at some time all men no matter how tough they are, cried.

Excellent, pure and above all hits home the reality of what men and women had to endure during the vietnam war.

A good Stallone film?

Stallone's finest moment in my opinion. A simple, sparse action film a world away from today's Sfx-fests. If you're thinking of renting T3, get this instead, just avoid the inferior sequels like the plague.

Excellent action movie. Stallone is a Vietnam war veteran who gets hassled by a local sheriff, and a small-town war ensures.

Unlike the spectcle of a lot of other Stallone films, the action here has some credibility and point to it.

There is also an emotional basis for the film in the Vietnam-USA-like battle between Rambo and the redneck Sheriff, and this gives the film an added depth that is lacking in the other Rambo / Rocky movies.

Despite the banal conclusions about conflict etc, this really is an excellent watch.

Check it out!

Stallone's best film !!!!!!!!

Forget Rocky with all its American patriotism and we're better than you lot (Rocky IV against the Russians) mentality this is Stallone's finest film. Going from vicious hunter to broken man hearing him tell how he lost his friends in Vietnam and how he was treated by the American public when he returned home is heartbreaking. Shame they spoilt it by making two sequels.