First Blood (Rambo)

First Blood Movie Poster

"This time he's fighting for his life".  There were three Rambo movies released in the 1980's, and another in 2008 (Rambo).  First Blood was released in 1982, Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1985, and Rambo III in 1988.  All of the movies starred Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled Vietnam Vet and former Green Beret.  In our opinion, the first movie was by far the best, and it was a success with critics as well.  Although all of the movies were financially successful when including international sales, only the first two made money in the United States and none of the others were hits with critics.  It is worth noting that there were talks of a Rambo V and a Rambo TV series possibly to be released some time in the 2010's.

In the first movie, Rambo returns to the USA and has a bit of trouble settling into civilian life.  After 10 years as a drifter, he decides to travel to a small town in Washington state to meet up with an old friend, only to find that friend had died.  After walking into town to possibly find a meal or a job, he is confronted by the local police who consider him a vagrant and do not want him in the town.  He refuses to leave based on his right to be there, so they cops shake him down.

During the confrontation with police, his battle instincts are awakened, and he fights his way out and runs to the mountains.  He skillfully deals with all attempts to capture him by the police and the national guard.  The authority brings in his old commanding officer, Colonel Samuel Trautman, to try to talk Rambo down from the mountain.  The authorities refuse, and Rambo goes about the business of blowing the town up.

In the second movie, after having spent a number of years in prison for the mess he made in Washington, Trautman enlists Rambo to travel back to Vietnam to look for POWs.  He finds them, and the movie is dedicated to his effort to rescue himself and the POWs.  For this efforts, he is granted a pardon, and he decides to remain in Thailand.

In the third movie, Trautman enlists Stallone's help in supplying arms to the Mujahedeen, a group of Afghan freedom fighters fighting the Soviet Union.  Rambo does not want to help, but when his old buddy Trautman is captured by the Russians, he sets out to set the record straight, and set it he does.