Most notably, this third installment is a better made one. If this flick gets that reaction out of me, I imagine it makes some other folks angry enough to disregard this picture outright.ĭespite this inherent historical and sociopolitical issue, Rambo III is still has a better story and is a much better picture than First Blood Part II. Frankly, I’m a pretty liberal cat but seeing Rambo partner up with a group of Islamic extremist, post-9/11, makes me squirm.
Tragically though, history has not been kind to socio political narrative choices of the movie in review. was supplying arms to Afghanistan in reality at the time. Back in 1988, I’m sure it made sense for Rambo to ally himself with them considering that the U.S. As stated in the plot summary above, our titular hero decides to fight alongside the Mujahideen in this picture.įor those of you who are unfamiliar, the Mujahideen is an Islamic guerilla group who consider themselves as spiritual warriors. However, I’ll admit that it’s hard to do just that with some movies, and Rambo III is one of them. No matter when you see a movie, you must view it in the context of the time in which the film was made and released. I’ll never be able to give this friendly reminder enough.
And since Rambo can seemingly take on everyone, he decides to also join the Mujahideen in their quest to defeat the Soviets while on his rescue mission! However, after the invading Soviets capture Trautman in Afghanistan, Rambo feels he has no choice but to rescue his former commanding officer. Surprisingly, Rambo refuses, saying his war is over. Alas, Colonel Sam Trautman ( Richard Crenna ) recruits Rambo to help him run a CIA-sponsored mission to supply The Mujahideen with weapons to fight the Soviets. Rambo III finds John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) settled into a new, content life in Thailand. Since the sequel made Rambo into the ultimate American hero, it’s no surprise that his enemies for Rambo III (1988), would once again, be those communist Ruskies! It worked for most audiences big time last time around so why not do it again? Thus, Sylvester Stallone ( Escape Plan: The Extractors ) decided to set this third film in the little-remembered Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989). Logically, Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) is a continuation of said commentary but during the full-swing of ra-ra Reaganism. First Blood (1982) is, of course, a commentary on the fallout of the Vietnam War.
The thing that’s special about the Rambo franchise is that it has a social consciousness about it. Now, we come to the much-maligned picture that ended the Rambonanaza of the 1980s, Rambo III (1988)! The return of Rambo is right around the corner with the latest (and presumably final) installment in this movie series, Rambo: Last Blood. A character who, for better or worse, has become an American icon. One of these underdogs is, of course, John Rambo. Throughout his career, Stallone has created two of the most beloved underdogs ever. Sylvester Stallone is a cornerstone of the action genre. (i.e., Was this sequel a worthy expansion of this franchise or was it an implosion of sorts?) In looking at a franchise, each entry in a franchise will be given a review and then be examined as part of the bigger franchise. Franchise Expansion (or Implosion) is a column that looks at franchises that have new installments or releases forthcoming.