Rambo (2008) Review

By Paul Bennett, A.K.A. Cralion

Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo 2008 wasn’t disappointing! It was as entertaining as the three that preceded it, and just as full of murder and mayhem. It isn’t recommended for children under age 13, or for the squeamish if blood, guts and gore aren’t your fare. However, for the teenagers of the 70’s, and to the geriatric set watching an aged Rambo hot-foot-it through the jungle gave much needed life to some of their pacemaker driven hearts. I dare say he rivaled the speed of Superman and the Flashes as he raced to outrun a bomb blast…that he caused!

There was a reason for the madness of course—killing the bad guys. There is plenty of action, revenge, retribution meted out to the bad guys but no topless fight scenes of the past that drew droves of woman to the his movies who outwardly protested the violence, but secretly carried an extra pair of panties in their purses due to the excitement generated by watching Stallone’s sweating muscles as he kicked butt.

However, this tattered shirt version of Rambo is just as exciting, just as menacing if not more deadly than his three predecessors. Judging by comments I heard by ladies after the movie, they still needed panty liners. He shoots, explodes, cuts and de-guts his way through the bad guys proving that properly depicted on screen, barbarism sells almost as well as sex.

Rambo is not a hero, a Good Samaritan, and chivalry isn’t part of his personal mantra. He is symbolic of the Vietnam soldier darkened by the betrayal and abandonment of his superiors, and an ungrateful, unforgiving society that saw only his alleged war crimes and not his sacrifice. It’s is indeed ironic that some of the same generation of people who flock to see these type of movies are the same people who called for the heads of the soldiers that fought in the real war. The disposal soldiers who is used once, or more than once than tossed aside is still the shame of this nation.

However this country will always need heroes whether real or fantasy, because there will always be good verses evil; a need for the dashing, if not reluctant hero, to rescue the fair maiden from the villain. There will always be Vietnams, or some element of humanity seeking the malignant high generated by avarice, while descending deeper into the lust for money and power at the expense of others.

Why do the fair maidens always have to be blond haired and blue eyed? Why couldn’t the willing sacrifice of the dark haired, brown eyed Asian lady who rescue Rambo, fought and died at his side have taught him the same lesson. That he is more than a perfectly programmed killing machine. Yes he is a killer, but he can decide what or whom he is willing to kill for, and most importantly that humanity is still worth sacrificing ones life to preserve!

Just a crazy thought! Rambo comes full circle and returns to his fathers ranch home in the horse country of Bowie, Arizona. He is still a killer! Can you imagine someone giving him or his dad a bad time, and then awaking up one morning with a bloody horses head in his or her bed ala the Godfather?

I rank Rambo 3 out of 5 Infinity Stars adrenaline rush, and worth the $10.00 to see at the theatre so one can get the full of effect of this entertaining movie.

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