1984, what a year…..

Communists boycott the Olympic Summer Games in retaliation for the US boycott in 1980.

Eddie Murphy explodes onscreen with Beverly Hills Cop.

Arnold becomes a household name by hunting down Sarah Connor.

And Sylvester Stallone cements his claim as one of the top action heroes in ’80s cinema with not one, but two films.  He continued his success with Rocky IV.  Then came the anti-Rocky movie:

First Blood

We are introduced to a man, who is peaceful until pushed, but once pushed, fury is unleashed.  First Blood yielded two sequels: Rambo and Rambo III.  By the release of Rambo II, the public had tired of the character and showed it by not watching Rambo III.

So Rambo went away to the jungles, presumably gone forever….

Until now.

I got out of 27 Dresses in time to catch the start of Rambo (and even some trailers).  I decided I needed to get some testosterone pumping again.  And Rambo delivered.

This is a gritty movie, with very real looking effects not polished in a CGI lab.  I have not seen gun violence like this since Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down.  The volume was up, because I felt every explosion, every crack of gunfire.  It is an older Rambo, but it is still Rambo; one content to mind his own business while living with his nightmares.

Yet, trouble comes, as it always does.  This time it takes the form of a missionary group.  What convinces our hero is a young woman, played by Julie Benz (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel).  I liked Julie’s work here — being vulnerable and scared, exact opposite of the vampire I knew for years on TV.

Naturally when she gets in trouble, Rambo feels a need to rescue her.  What ensues is what most guys want to see: unharnessed violence and action.  This is not for the faint of heart — Blood flows and not one drop feels gratuitous.  Casting is good, and the cinematography is great.

My Advice: See it at full price.  Definitely not a date movie, but one hell of a ride with some things that make you think….