Everyone knows the saying about old dogs and new tricks, but can the same be applied to old(er) actors? While most have to accept that any number of "old person" parts (grandparents, crazy/scary neighbors, and, of course, those facing senility and/or death) are their likely future, some don't want to go down without a fight, and thus try to recapture their former glory.
Beyond Harrison Ford going back to the "Indiana Jones" well for a fourth time (after a lull of 19 years), proof positive of that is Sylvester Stallone, the one-time box office star whose career had started to slip into pre-obscurity. To compensate, and at the age of 60, he starred in yet another installment of the "Rocky" movie series.
To most everyone's surprise, and once one could get past the age and boxing mix, the film was actually pretty decent. And that was mainly due to it going back to its Oscar winning roots found in the first film, as well as playing up and off the star's "up there" age and limitations.
With that series hopefully capped in a permanent fashion, the Italian Stallion now appears in yet another installment of a different series that also bankrolled his lifestyle back in the 1980s, that being the "Rambo" movies. While most viewers probably think the 1982 debut was named for the character of a returning Vietnam vet who ran into some small town "issues," its title was actually "First Blood," and it was a decent if increasingly preposterous action pic wrapped up in a blatant social message.
Its success spurred the inevitable sequels -- 1985's "Rambo: First Blood Part II" and 1988's "Rambo III" -- that, much like their "Rocky" brethren, became goofier and sillier as those Roman numerals started piling up. Nevertheless, big box office success stemmed from the rah-rah, Reagan era view of U.S. military might, meaning lots of American enemies of those days ending up being subjected to bullet riddling and fiery explosions.
All of which brings us to the latest episode. Yet, rather than be called "Rambo IV" (or "Rambo the AARP Avenger"), the filmmakers -- that being writer/director Stallone and co-writer Art Monterastelli -- have opted to take advantage of the first film's omission of the character's surname in its title, resulting in this week's release of the simply titled "Rambo."
Accordingly, viewers may wonder if this is a remake of the first film, one that takes place before that, or what the deal might be. The big question, however, is whether the offering will follow the latest "Rocky" pic in terms of trying to go back and replicate what made the first installment of the series the best.
The answer is no, as Stallone keeps his character overseas, once again battling the bad guys. This time, the setting is Burma, home of a long-running civil war. Rambo, now serving as -- of all things -- a dangerous snake wrangler for a remote Thai tourist attraction -- is naturally reluctant to go there.
Yet, a pretty face -- that belonging to Julie Benz -- convinces him to transport her and her fellow humanitarians up river and across the border to help some needy locals. Before you can say "Apocalypse Now," they're off on a perilous journey where Rambo proves to the lead doctor and resident peacenik (Paul Schulze) that there's always a time and place for deadly force.
Rambo drops them off, and the sadistic followers of Colonel Kurtz, um, Major Tint (Maung Maung Khin), proceed to kidnap or kill most of them while wiping out the entire village. Along comes the White Shadow, a.k.a. Ken Howard, out of nowhere to convince the vet to transport some mercenaries -- led by Graham McTavish seemingly channeling Vinnie Jones at his most psychotic -- on a rescue mission.
Rambo, of course, can't sit idly by, and thus swings into action. The result: Bullets and arrows rip, bodies drop when not being dismembered or blown up real good, and a former action hero gets to relive his glory days (hopefully) one last time.
The direction is haphazard, the writing and especially the dialogue unintentionally funny in its utter seriousness, and the performances won't bring home any awards (although I'm sure the Razzies have their eyes on this one). Yet, it is what it is, and Stallone certainly knows how to play up his second most famous iconic image.
Once the bullets and body parts start flying everywhere at ridiculously high levels of death and gore, the pic actually becomes something of a guilty pleasure. It certainly isn't art (no John Woo levels of balletic mayhem), but for those who enjoy getting a guilty kick out of seeing villains mowed down, cut in two by large caliber bullets, or otherwise filleted in what amounts to a graphic cartoon, one could do worse than what's offered here.
Even so, it might have been wise for Stallone to have let his character go out in a blaze of glory (rather than letting him live to fight another day, not to mention even more one-dimensional movie villains in the next installment that should have the title choosers perplexed in what to call it), thus closing this series before its Roman numerals start catching up with its lead's age.
Best for aficionados of over the top mayhem and high bullet and body counts, "Rambo" rates as a 3.5 out of 10, simply for turning goofy enough to provide some level of unexpected, if incredibly violent entertainment.
![[Logo]](/images/screenit_logo2.jpg){kind=logo}
