Amazon.co.uk Review
After Rocky and its sequels, Sylvester Stallone cast about for another character that would bring him the same kind of box-office hit--and found it in disillusioned Vietnam vet John Rambo in First Blood, a solid little action thriller. So when all else failed, Stallone went back to the same well in hopes of recapturing the same commercial success. Which this film did. But where First Blood was a no-nonsense thriller that pitted Stallone against a worthy (and not necessarily bad) Brian Dennehy, this one is a sadistic chest-thumper in which Rambo gets to go back to Vietnam: ostensibly, he is there to rescue missing POWs, but in fact the movie was a lame excuse for him to refight the Vietnam War--and win. Audiences ate up the cruel Vietcong (and their Russian manipulators) and Stallone's bogus heroics, but it was strictly by-the-numbers action. --Marshall Fine
The Rambo trilogy is also available on DVD as a complete set.
![Rambo: First Blood, Part 2 [1985] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/219QAQXDMFL.jpg)
Average customer rating:
- Poor Sequel to First Blood
- More shallow than part one, but enjoyable all the same
- Tears, sweat and blood are swapped for pure testosterone.
- BEST IN THE SERIES! ! ! ! !
- "They sent him on a mission and set him up to fail..."
|
Rambo: First Blood, Part 2 [1985] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Starring:
Sylvester Stallone ,
Richard Crenna ,
Charles Napier ,
Steven Berkoff , and
Julia Nickson-Soul
Director:
George P. Cosmatos
Manufacturer: Live/Artisan
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Amazon.co.uk Review
After Rocky and its sequels, Sylvester Stallone cast about for another character that would bring him the same kind of box-office hit--and found it in disillusioned Vietnam vet John Rambo in First Blood, a solid little action thriller. So when all else failed, Stallone went back to the same well in hopes of recapturing the same commercial success. Which this film did. But where First Blood was a no-nonsense thriller that pitted Stallone against a worthy (and not necessarily bad) Brian Dennehy, this one is a sadistic chest-thumper in which Rambo gets to go back to Vietnam: ostensibly, he is there to rescue missing POWs, but in fact the movie was a lame excuse for him to refight the Vietnam War--and win. Audiences ate up the cruel Vietcong (and their Russian manipulators) and Stallone's bogus heroics, but it was strictly by-the-numbers action. --Marshall Fine
The Rambo trilogy is also available on DVD as a complete set.
Customer Reviews:
Poor Sequel to First Blood.......2008-02-25
After his violent rampage in First Blood, Vietnam war hero John Rambo is serving hard time breaking rocks in prison when he is offered a chance at freedom by his mentor Col. Trautman. If Rambo will agree to go back behind enemy lines in Vietnam to gather evidence that the Vietcong are still holding American POW's, then the President will pardon his crimes. Soon Rambo is parachuting into the jungle armed with nothing but a Bowie knife, bow and arrows and a red headband.
Whilst First Blood was a surprisingly good action thriller, First Blood part II is just an excuse for unimaginative violence. The dialogue is poor considering James Cameron co-wrote it (I wonder how much Stallone re-wrote?) and the story is as weak as Stallones performance. As it says in the Amazon review above, First Blood II was just an excuse for America to fight the Vietnamese and win. There are some decent action moments and anyone who was a kid in the 80's will no doubt enjoy it a bit, but unfortunately the franchise went downhill after the original.
Like this? Try: Predator
More shallow than part one, but enjoyable all the same.......2007-06-25
When we left John J Rambo at the end of First Blood, he was being carted off to jail for his various crimes against small town police officers. In this sequel, his old war buddy Colonel Troutman pulls him out for a special mission: he's to go back into Vietnam and gather evidence that American troops are still being kept prisoner there. Did you hear that, Rambo? Just gather some evidence. Once he's there, however, Rambo goes all, well, Rambo again, and before you know it he's single-handedly re-fighting the Vietnam war with the aid of some explosive-tipped arrows, his trusty giant serrated knife, and a pretty Vietnamese girl. Oh, Rambo... For a man who's supposed to be a good soldier, you're not very good at following orders.
After the interesting mix of action and commentary on the mistreatment of veterans in part one, part two takes the story and the character in a different direction. Gone is First Blood's shell-shocked misfit who was pushed too far, and in his place we have a one man army on a crusade to right the wrong of America's defeat in Vietnam. This is the Rambo who would become one of the more hyperbolic representations of American might, which doesn't quite sit right with the feel of the first film.
That said, if it's overblown eighties action you're looking for, this one should suit you fine. It's all pretty ridiculous, but there's a certain amount of entertainment to be had from watching Rambo as he shoots half the Vietnamese army, stabs the other half, and blows up a bunch of Russians for good measure - all while surrounded by some kind of magical bulletproof forcefield. This is ninety minutes of fighting, explosions and helicopters, plus Sylvester Stallone flexing, clenching and squeezing every ounce of macho energy he can muster out of his 5 foot 7 frame.
When it comes to indomitable (scratch that - invulnerable) heroes, Rambo sits near the top of the tree, so those who can overlook (or maybe even enjoy) the ludicrous excesses of this one will find plenty to like.
Tears, sweat and blood are swapped for pure testosterone........2007-05-13
This film was a super success in the cinema halls. Unlike its predecessor, there is far less character development and tears, sweat and blood are swapped for pure testosterone. The screenplay and editing though are brilliant and there is not a single boring moment except the over zealous patriotic ending. Popular during the Cold War period, Rambo 3 unfortunately couldn't repeat the success of this installment.
BEST IN THE SERIES! ! ! ! !.......2005-07-21
The Rambo films have always been known for bieng good action films and in my opinion this is by far the best one.
This film has the most action out of the lot too.
It includes rediculus bullet dodging, Rambo's usual unlimited supply of ammo and some "mini atom bombs" that Rambo would obviously put on the end of an arrow and get perfect shots every time when firing them from his super high-tec fold-up bow.
Apart from all this non-sence this film is actully aleright (not like the crap third film) and includes some great shoot-outs.
This film isn't good enough to have 4 stars but is still a good action film wich beats all the other films in the series.
"They sent him on a mission and set him up to fail...".......2003-12-16
John Wayne did not make a sequel. Even in the John Ford Calvary Trilogy he plays three different characters. Gary Cooper did not make a sequel and neither did Clark Gable. Of course, they had the advantage of living before the Age of Inevitable Sequels. I bring this up only because while I realize Sylvester Stallone would have a lot less money without all the sequels that he made, but I was simply wondering if he would have had a better reputation? "Rocky II" gave us a happier ending than "Rocky," but did that not miss the point of the original? "Rocky III" was a slick thrill ride compared to "Rocky," but did it have more heart?
Those rhetorical queries lead us to today's object lesson, "Rambo: First Blood Part II," the 1985 sequel to Stallone's "First Blood" (Part I). The original had the virtue of exploiting the plight of Vietnam vets in a way that was at least sympathetic in contrast to the onslaught of movies and television shows that insisted on making American troops back from Vietnam the replacement for all those aging Nazis as the bad guys. There were some pretty good action sequences as Rambo took on the local cops (especially the one in the forest), and then Stallone got to break his character's stoic silence and launch into a rant about how badly our troops were treated by the government and their fellow citizens when they returned. Then three years later we got "Rambo: First Blood Part II."
The title alone tells you that the emphasis is on the character, which we can acknowledge without going off the deep end on how the name has five letters and begins with a "R." The problem, and where the sequel fails compared to the original, is that the script has to find somebody stupid enough to make the mistakes that the hick sheriff did in the original and his sadistic deputy did the first time around. The set up is that Colonel Samuel Troutman (Richard Crenna) gets John Rambo (Stallone) out of prison for a black op to bring back POW's still being held in Vietnam by a sadistic prison camp commandant (William Ghent) and a Russian officer (Steven Berkoff). Rambo is teamed up with Co Bao (Julia Nickson), a former Vietnames freedom fighter, who manages to touch our hero's heart, every during all the excitement. Of course Rambo wants to get the POWs out of the prison camp, but he ends up being betrayed by the guy running the operation (Charles Napier) and his henchman (Martin Kove) as once again American foreign policy rears its ugly head. This means that Rambo is going to have to accomplish his mission regardless of what real echelons clowns might want.
Obviously the situation here is contrived, but it is the rare sequel that does not try to stick to the original proven formula as much as possible. The problems are that it is hard to believe that these people would go out of their way to bring a living killing machine as a loose cannon on a secret mission like this and that the film finds its relevance in keeping alive the idea that the Vietcong have been keeping American prisoners ever since the war ended. "Rambo: First Blood Part II" served as a rallying point for those who believed that to be the case, which I find being tantamount to adding insult to injury. If you accept the premise of the plot then the film has a certain power, but I cannot but consider the whole thing to be just too manipulative and exploitative.
Once again on the DVD for this sequel the extras tend to treat the film better than it deserves. Director George P. Cosmatos does the commentary track and despite some extended periods of silence does offer some insights into why things were done the way they were done. But I like the featurette in which "First Blood" author David Morrell discusses the entire Rambo trilogy in terms of Joseph Campbell's structure of myth. As some one who routinely makes students use highbrow theoretical concepts to look at popular culture texts, I love this kind of thing. Even better, Morrell is on track with his analysis. This does not make the film any better, but it does give a sense for some of the levels on which the film worked.
Amazon.co.uk Review
After Rocky and its sequels, Sylvester Stallone cast about for another character that would bring him the same kind of box-office hit--and found it in disillusioned Vietnam vet John Rambo in First Blood, a solid little action thriller. So when all else failed, Stallone went back to the same well in hopes of recapturing the same commercial success. Which this film did. But where First Blood was a no-nonsense thriller that pitted Stallone against a worthy (and not necessarily bad) Brian Dennehy, this one is a sadistic chest-thumper in which Rambo gets to go back to Vietnam: ostensibly, he is there to rescue missing POWs, but in fact the movie was a lame excuse for him to refight the Vietnam War--and win. Audiences ate up the cruel Vietcong (and their Russian manipulators) and Stallone's bogus heroics, but it was strictly by-the-numbers action. --Marshall Fine
The Rambo trilogy is also available on DVD as a complete set.
Customer Reviews:
Poor Sequel to First Blood.......2008-02-25
After his violent rampage in First Blood, Vietnam war hero John Rambo is serving hard time breaking rocks in prison when he is offered a chance at freedom by his mentor Col. Trautman. If Rambo will agree to go back behind enemy lines in Vietnam to gather evidence that the Vietcong are still holding American POW's, then the President will pardon his crimes. Soon Rambo is parachuting into the jungle armed with nothing but a Bowie knife, bow and arrows and a red headband.
Whilst First Blood was a surprisingly good action thriller, First Blood part II is just an excuse for unimaginative violence. The dialogue is poor considering James Cameron co-wrote it (I wonder how much Stallone re-wrote?) and the story is as weak as Stallones performance. As it says in the Amazon review above, First Blood II was just an excuse for America to fight the Vietnamese and win. There are some decent action moments and anyone who was a kid in the 80's will no doubt enjoy it a bit, but unfortunately the franchise went downhill after the original.
Like this? Try: Predator
More shallow than part one, but enjoyable all the same.......2007-06-25
When we left John J Rambo at the end of First Blood, he was being carted off to jail for his various crimes against small town police officers. In this sequel, his old war buddy Colonel Troutman pulls him out for a special mission: he's to go back into Vietnam and gather evidence that American troops are still being kept prisoner there. Did you hear that, Rambo? Just gather some evidence. Once he's there, however, Rambo goes all, well, Rambo again, and before you know it he's single-handedly re-fighting the Vietnam war with the aid of some explosive-tipped arrows, his trusty giant serrated knife, and a pretty Vietnamese girl. Oh, Rambo... For a man who's supposed to be a good soldier, you're not very good at following orders.
After the interesting mix of action and commentary on the mistreatment of veterans in part one, part two takes the story and the character in a different direction. Gone is First Blood's shell-shocked misfit who was pushed too far, and in his place we have a one man army on a crusade to right the wrong of America's defeat in Vietnam. This is the Rambo who would become one of the more hyperbolic representations of American might, which doesn't quite sit right with the feel of the first film.
That said, if it's overblown eighties action you're looking for, this one should suit you fine. It's all pretty ridiculous, but there's a certain amount of entertainment to be had from watching Rambo as he shoots half the Vietnamese army, stabs the other half, and blows up a bunch of Russians for good measure - all while surrounded by some kind of magical bulletproof forcefield. This is ninety minutes of fighting, explosions and helicopters, plus Sylvester Stallone flexing, clenching and squeezing every ounce of macho energy he can muster out of his 5 foot 7 frame.
When it comes to indomitable (scratch that - invulnerable) heroes, Rambo sits near the top of the tree, so those who can overlook (or maybe even enjoy) the ludicrous excesses of this one will find plenty to like.
Tears, sweat and blood are swapped for pure testosterone........2007-05-13
This film was a super success in the cinema halls. Unlike its predecessor, there is far less character development and tears, sweat and blood are swapped for pure testosterone. The screenplay and editing though are brilliant and there is not a single boring moment except the over zealous patriotic ending. Popular during the Cold War period, Rambo 3 unfortunately couldn't repeat the success of this installment.
BEST IN THE SERIES! ! ! ! !.......2005-07-21
The Rambo films have always been known for bieng good action films and in my opinion this is by far the best one.
This film has the most action out of the lot too.
It includes rediculus bullet dodging, Rambo's usual unlimited supply of ammo and some "mini atom bombs" that Rambo would obviously put on the end of an arrow and get perfect shots every time when firing them from his super high-tec fold-up bow.
Apart from all this non-sence this film is actully aleright (not like the crap third film) and includes some great shoot-outs.
This film isn't good enough to have 4 stars but is still a good action film wich beats all the other films in the series.
"They sent him on a mission and set him up to fail...".......2003-12-16
John Wayne did not make a sequel. Even in the John Ford Calvary Trilogy he plays three different characters. Gary Cooper did not make a sequel and neither did Clark Gable. Of course, they had the advantage of living before the Age of Inevitable Sequels. I bring this up only because while I realize Sylvester Stallone would have a lot less money without all the sequels that he made, but I was simply wondering if he would have had a better reputation? "Rocky II" gave us a happier ending than "Rocky," but did that not miss the point of the original? "Rocky III" was a slick thrill ride compared to "Rocky," but did it have more heart?
Those rhetorical queries lead us to today's object lesson, "Rambo: First Blood Part II," the 1985 sequel to Stallone's "First Blood" (Part I). The original had the virtue of exploiting the plight of Vietnam vets in a way that was at least sympathetic in contrast to the onslaught of movies and television shows that insisted on making American troops back from Vietnam the replacement for all those aging Nazis as the bad guys. There were some pretty good action sequences as Rambo took on the local cops (especially the one in the forest), and then Stallone got to break his character's stoic silence and launch into a rant about how badly our troops were treated by the government and their fellow citizens when they returned. Then three years later we got "Rambo: First Blood Part II."
The title alone tells you that the emphasis is on the character, which we can acknowledge without going off the deep end on how the name has five letters and begins with a "R." The problem, and where the sequel fails compared to the original, is that the script has to find somebody stupid enough to make the mistakes that the hick sheriff did in the original and his sadistic deputy did the first time around. The set up is that Colonel Samuel Troutman (Richard Crenna) gets John Rambo (Stallone) out of prison for a black op to bring back POW's still being held in Vietnam by a sadistic prison camp commandant (William Ghent) and a Russian officer (Steven Berkoff). Rambo is teamed up with Co Bao (Julia Nickson), a former Vietnames freedom fighter, who manages to touch our hero's heart, every during all the excitement. Of course Rambo wants to get the POWs out of the prison camp, but he ends up being betrayed by the guy running the operation (Charles Napier) and his henchman (Martin Kove) as once again American foreign policy rears its ugly head. This means that Rambo is going to have to accomplish his mission regardless of what real echelons clowns might want.
Obviously the situation here is contrived, but it is the rare sequel that does not try to stick to the original proven formula as much as possible. The problems are that it is hard to believe that these people would go out of their way to bring a living killing machine as a loose cannon on a secret mission like this and that the film finds its relevance in keeping alive the idea that the Vietcong have been keeping American prisoners ever since the war ended. "Rambo: First Blood Part II" served as a rallying point for those who believed that to be the case, which I find being tantamount to adding insult to injury. If you accept the premise of the plot then the film has a certain power, but I cannot but consider the whole thing to be just too manipulative and exploitative.
Once again on the DVD for this sequel the extras tend to treat the film better than it deserves. Director George P. Cosmatos does the commentary track and despite some extended periods of silence does offer some insights into why things were done the way they were done. But I like the featurette in which "First Blood" author David Morrell discusses the entire Rambo trilogy in terms of Joseph Campbell's structure of myth. As some one who routinely makes students use highbrow theoretical concepts to look at popular culture texts, I love this kind of thing. Even better, Morrell is on track with his analysis. This does not make the film any better, but it does give a sense for some of the levels on which the film worked.
Amazon.co.uk Review
After Rocky and its sequels, Sylvester Stallone cast about for another character that would bring him the same kind of box-office hit--and found it in disillusioned Vietnam vet John Rambo in First Blood, a solid little action thriller. So when all else failed, Stallone went back to the same well in hopes of recapturing the same commercial success. Which this film did. But where First Blood was a no-nonsense thriller that pitted Stallone against a worthy (and not necessarily bad) Brian Dennehy, this one is a sadistic chest-thumper in which Rambo gets to go back to Vietnam: ostensibly, he is there to rescue missing POWs, but in fact the movie was a lame excuse for him to refight the Vietnam War--and win. Audiences ate up the cruel Vietcong (and their Russian manipulators) and Stallone's bogus heroics, but it was strictly by-the-numbers action. --Marshall Fine
The Rambo trilogy is also available on DVD as a complete set.
Customer Reviews:
Poor Sequel to First Blood.......2008-02-25
After his violent rampage in First Blood, Vietnam war hero John Rambo is serving hard time breaking rocks in prison when he is offered a chance at freedom by his mentor Col. Trautman. If Rambo will agree to go back behind enemy lines in Vietnam to gather evidence that the Vietcong are still holding American POW's, then the President will pardon his crimes. Soon Rambo is parachuting into the jungle armed with nothing but a Bowie knife, bow and arrows and a red headband.
Whilst First Blood was a surprisingly good action thriller, First Blood part II is just an excuse for unimaginative violence. The dialogue is poor considering James Cameron co-wrote it (I wonder how much Stallone re-wrote?) and the story is as weak as Stallones performance. As it says in the Amazon review above, First Blood II was just an excuse for America to fight the Vietnamese and win. There are some decent action moments and anyone who was a kid in the 80's will no doubt enjoy it a bit, but unfortunately the franchise went downhill after the original.
Like this? Try: Predator
More shallow than part one, but enjoyable all the same.......2007-06-25
When we left John J Rambo at the end of First Blood, he was being carted off to jail for his various crimes against small town police officers. In this sequel, his old war buddy Colonel Troutman pulls him out for a special mission: he's to go back into Vietnam and gather evidence that American troops are still being kept prisoner there. Did you hear that, Rambo? Just gather some evidence. Once he's there, however, Rambo goes all, well, Rambo again, and before you know it he's single-handedly re-fighting the Vietnam war with the aid of some explosive-tipped arrows, his trusty giant serrated knife, and a pretty Vietnamese girl. Oh, Rambo... For a man who's supposed to be a good soldier, you're not very good at following orders.
After the interesting mix of action and commentary on the mistreatment of veterans in part one, part two takes the story and the character in a different direction. Gone is First Blood's shell-shocked misfit who was pushed too far, and in his place we have a one man army on a crusade to right the wrong of America's defeat in Vietnam. This is the Rambo who would become one of the more hyperbolic representations of American might, which doesn't quite sit right with the feel of the first film.
That said, if it's overblown eighties action you're looking for, this one should suit you fine. It's all pretty ridiculous, but there's a certain amount of entertainment to be had from watching Rambo as he shoots half the Vietnamese army, stabs the other half, and blows up a bunch of Russians for good measure - all while surrounded by some kind of magical bulletproof forcefield. This is ninety minutes of fighting, explosions and helicopters, plus Sylvester Stallone flexing, clenching and squeezing every ounce of macho energy he can muster out of his 5 foot 7 frame.
When it comes to indomitable (scratch that - invulnerable) heroes, Rambo sits near the top of the tree, so those who can overlook (or maybe even enjoy) the ludicrous excesses of this one will find plenty to like.
Tears, sweat and blood are swapped for pure testosterone........2007-05-13
This film was a super success in the cinema halls. Unlike its predecessor, there is far less character development and tears, sweat and blood are swapped for pure testosterone. The screenplay and editing though are brilliant and there is not a single boring moment except the over zealous patriotic ending. Popular during the Cold War period, Rambo 3 unfortunately couldn't repeat the success of this installment.
BEST IN THE SERIES! ! ! ! !.......2005-07-21
The Rambo films have always been known for bieng good action films and in my opinion this is by far the best one.
This film has the most action out of the lot too.
It includes rediculus bullet dodging, Rambo's usual unlimited supply of ammo and some "mini atom bombs" that Rambo would obviously put on the end of an arrow and get perfect shots every time when firing them from his super high-tec fold-up bow.
Apart from all this non-sence this film is actully aleright (not like the crap third film) and includes some great shoot-outs.
This film isn't good enough to have 4 stars but is still a good action film wich beats all the other films in the series.
"They sent him on a mission and set him up to fail...".......2003-12-16
John Wayne did not make a sequel. Even in the John Ford Calvary Trilogy he plays three different characters. Gary Cooper did not make a sequel and neither did Clark Gable. Of course, they had the advantage of living before the Age of Inevitable Sequels. I bring this up only because while I realize Sylvester Stallone would have a lot less money without all the sequels that he made, but I was simply wondering if he would have had a better reputation? "Rocky II" gave us a happier ending than "Rocky," but did that not miss the point of the original? "Rocky III" was a slick thrill ride compared to "Rocky," but did it have more heart?
Those rhetorical queries lead us to today's object lesson, "Rambo: First Blood Part II," the 1985 sequel to Stallone's "First Blood" (Part I). The original had the virtue of exploiting the plight of Vietnam vets in a way that was at least sympathetic in contrast to the onslaught of movies and television shows that insisted on making American troops back from Vietnam the replacement for all those aging Nazis as the bad guys. There were some pretty good action sequences as Rambo took on the local cops (especially the one in the forest), and then Stallone got to break his character's stoic silence and launch into a rant about how badly our troops were treated by the government and their fellow citizens when they returned. Then three years later we got "Rambo: First Blood Part II."
The title alone tells you that the emphasis is on the character, which we can acknowledge without going off the deep end on how the name has five letters and begins with a "R." The problem, and where the sequel fails compared to the original, is that the script has to find somebody stupid enough to make the mistakes that the hick sheriff did in the original and his sadistic deputy did the first time around. The set up is that Colonel Samuel Troutman (Richard Crenna) gets John Rambo (Stallone) out of prison for a black op to bring back POW's still being held in Vietnam by a sadistic prison camp commandant (William Ghent) and a Russian officer (Steven Berkoff). Rambo is teamed up with Co Bao (Julia Nickson), a former Vietnames freedom fighter, who manages to touch our hero's heart, every during all the excitement. Of course Rambo wants to get the POWs out of the prison camp, but he ends up being betrayed by the guy running the operation (Charles Napier) and his henchman (Martin Kove) as once again American foreign policy rears its ugly head. This means that Rambo is going to have to accomplish his mission regardless of what real echelons clowns might want.
Obviously the situation here is contrived, but it is the rare sequel that does not try to stick to the original proven formula as much as possible. The problems are that it is hard to believe that these people would go out of their way to bring a living killing machine as a loose cannon on a secret mission like this and that the film finds its relevance in keeping alive the idea that the Vietcong have been keeping American prisoners ever since the war ended. "Rambo: First Blood Part II" served as a rallying point for those who believed that to be the case, which I find being tantamount to adding insult to injury. If you accept the premise of the plot then the film has a certain power, but I cannot but consider the whole thing to be just too manipulative and exploitative.
Once again on the DVD for this sequel the extras tend to treat the film better than it deserves. Director George P. Cosmatos does the commentary track and despite some extended periods of silence does offer some insights into why things were done the way they were done. But I like the featurette in which "First Blood" author David Morrell discusses the entire Rambo trilogy in terms of Joseph Campbell's structure of myth. As some one who routinely makes students use highbrow theoretical concepts to look at popular culture texts, I love this kind of thing. Even better, Morrell is on track with his analysis. This does not make the film any better, but it does give a sense for some of the levels on which the film worked.
Amazon.co.uk Review
After Rocky and its sequels, Sylvester Stallone cast about for another character that would bring him the same kind of box-office hit--and found it in disillusioned Vietnam vet John Rambo in First Blood, a solid little action thriller. So when all else failed, Stallone went back to the same well in hopes of recapturing the same commercial success. Which this film did. But where First Blood was a no-nonsense thriller that pitted Stallone against a worthy (and not necessarily bad) Brian Dennehy, this one is a sadistic chest-thumper in which Rambo gets to go back to Vietnam: ostensibly, he is there to rescue missing POWs, but in fact the movie was a lame excuse for him to refight the Vietnam War--and win. Audiences ate up the cruel Vietcong (and their Russian manipulators) and Stallone's bogus heroics, but it was strictly by-the-numbers action. --Marshall Fine
The Rambo trilogy is also available on DVD as a complete set.
Customer Reviews:
Poor Sequel to First Blood.......2008-02-25
After his violent rampage in First Blood, Vietnam war hero John Rambo is serving hard time breaking rocks in prison when he is offered a chance at freedom by his mentor Col. Trautman. If Rambo will agree to go back behind enemy lines in Vietnam to gather evidence that the Vietcong are still holding American POW's, then the President will pardon his crimes. Soon Rambo is parachuting into the jungle armed with nothing but a Bowie knife, bow and arrows and a red headband.
Whilst First Blood was a surprisingly good action thriller, First Blood part II is just an excuse for unimaginative violence. The dialogue is poor considering James Cameron co-wrote it (I wonder how much Stallone re-wrote?) and the story is as weak as Stallones performance. As it says in the Amazon review above, First Blood II was just an excuse for America to fight the Vietnamese and win. There are some decent action moments and anyone who was a kid in the 80's will no doubt enjoy it a bit, but unfortunately the franchise went downhill after the original.
Like this? Try: Predator
More shallow than part one, but enjoyable all the same.......2007-06-25
When we left John J Rambo at the end of First Blood, he was being carted off to jail for his various crimes against small town police officers. In this sequel, his old war buddy Colonel Troutman pulls him out for a special mission: he's to go back into Vietnam and gather evidence that American troops are still being kept prisoner there. Did you hear that, Rambo? Just gather some evidence. Once he's there, however, Rambo goes all, well, Rambo again, and before you know it he's single-handedly re-fighting the Vietnam war with the aid of some explosive-tipped arrows, his trusty giant serrated knife, and a pretty Vietnamese girl. Oh, Rambo... For a man who's supposed to be a good soldier, you're not very good at following orders.
After the interesting mix of action and commentary on the mistreatment of veterans in part one, part two takes the story and the character in a different direction. Gone is First Blood's shell-shocked misfit who was pushed too far, and in his place we have a one man army on a crusade to right the wrong of America's defeat in Vietnam. This is the Rambo who would become one of the more hyperbolic representations of American might, which doesn't quite sit right with the feel of the first film.
That said, if it's overblown eighties action you're looking for, this one should suit you fine. It's all pretty ridiculous, but there's a certain amount of entertainment to be had from watching Rambo as he shoots half the Vietnamese army, stabs the other half, and blows up a bunch of Russians for good measure - all while surrounded by some kind of magical bulletproof forcefield. This is ninety minutes of fighting, explosions and helicopters, plus Sylvester Stallone flexing, clenching and squeezing every ounce of macho energy he can muster out of his 5 foot 7 frame.
When it comes to indomitable (scratch that - invulnerable) heroes, Rambo sits near the top of the tree, so those who can overlook (or maybe even enjoy) the ludicrous excesses of this one will find plenty to like.
Tears, sweat and blood are swapped for pure testosterone........2007-05-13
This film was a super success in the cinema halls. Unlike its predecessor, there is far less character development and tears, sweat and blood are swapped for pure testosterone. The screenplay and editing though are brilliant and there is not a single boring moment except the over zealous patriotic ending. Popular during the Cold War period, Rambo 3 unfortunately couldn't repeat the success of this installment.
BEST IN THE SERIES! ! ! ! !.......2005-07-21
The Rambo films have always been known for bieng good action films and in my opinion this is by far the best one.
This film has the most action out of the lot too.
It includes rediculus bullet dodging, Rambo's usual unlimited supply of ammo and some "mini atom bombs" that Rambo would obviously put on the end of an arrow and get perfect shots every time when firing them from his super high-tec fold-up bow.
Apart from all this non-sence this film is actully aleright (not like the crap third film) and includes some great shoot-outs.
This film isn't good enough to have 4 stars but is still a good action film wich beats all the other films in the series.
"They sent him on a mission and set him up to fail...".......2003-12-16
John Wayne did not make a sequel. Even in the John Ford Calvary Trilogy he plays three different characters. Gary Cooper did not make a sequel and neither did Clark Gable. Of course, they had the advantage of living before the Age of Inevitable Sequels. I bring this up only because while I realize Sylvester Stallone would have a lot less money without all the sequels that he made, but I was simply wondering if he would have had a better reputation? "Rocky II" gave us a happier ending than "Rocky," but did that not miss the point of the original? "Rocky III" was a slick thrill ride compared to "Rocky," but did it have more heart?
Those rhetorical queries lead us to today's object lesson, "Rambo: First Blood Part II," the 1985 sequel to Stallone's "First Blood" (Part I). The original had the virtue of exploiting the plight of Vietnam vets in a way that was at least sympathetic in contrast to the onslaught of movies and television shows that insisted on making American troops back from Vietnam the replacement for all those aging Nazis as the bad guys. There were some pretty good action sequences as Rambo took on the local cops (especially the one in the forest), and then Stallone got to break his character's stoic silence and launch into a rant about how badly our troops were treated by the government and their fellow citizens when they returned. Then three years later we got "Rambo: First Blood Part II."
The title alone tells you that the emphasis is on the character, which we can acknowledge without going off the deep end on how the name has five letters and begins with a "R." The problem, and where the sequel fails compared to the original, is that the script has to find somebody stupid enough to make the mistakes that the hick sheriff did in the original and his sadistic deputy did the first time around. The set up is that Colonel Samuel Troutman (Richard Crenna) gets John Rambo (Stallone) out of prison for a black op to bring back POW's still being held in Vietnam by a sadistic prison camp commandant (William Ghent) and a Russian officer (Steven Berkoff). Rambo is teamed up with Co Bao (Julia Nickson), a former Vietnames freedom fighter, who manages to touch our hero's heart, every during all the excitement. Of course Rambo wants to get the POWs out of the prison camp, but he ends up being betrayed by the guy running the operation (Charles Napier) and his henchman (Martin Kove) as once again American foreign policy rears its ugly head. This means that Rambo is going to have to accomplish his mission regardless of what real echelons clowns might want.
Obviously the situation here is contrived, but it is the rare sequel that does not try to stick to the original proven formula as much as possible. The problems are that it is hard to believe that these people would go out of their way to bring a living killing machine as a loose cannon on a secret mission like this and that the film finds its relevance in keeping alive the idea that the Vietcong have been keeping American prisoners ever since the war ended. "Rambo: First Blood Part II" served as a rallying point for those who believed that to be the case, which I find being tantamount to adding insult to injury. If you accept the premise of the plot then the film has a certain power, but I cannot but consider the whole thing to be just too manipulative and exploitative.
Once again on the DVD for this sequel the extras tend to treat the film better than it deserves. Director George P. Cosmatos does the commentary track and despite some extended periods of silence does offer some insights into why things were done the way they were done. But I like the featurette in which "First Blood" author David Morrell discusses the entire Rambo trilogy in terms of Joseph Campbell's structure of myth. As some one who routinely makes students use highbrow theoretical concepts to look at popular culture texts, I love this kind of thing. Even better, Morrell is on track with his analysis. This does not make the film any better, but it does give a sense for some of the levels on which the film worked.
DVD:
- Red Dawn [1984]
- Red Heat [1989]
- Red Sonja [1985] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Renegade Justice [2007]
- Ride With The Devil [1999]
- Rio Bravo (2 Disc Special Edition) [1959]
- Robin Hood - Series 1 Volume 1 [2006]
- Robin Of Sherwood - The Complete Series 2 [1984]
- Romancing The Stone [1984]
- Ronin (Two Disc Special Edition) [1998]
DVD List
DVD
![Rambo: First Blood Part II [1985]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21519BYDMQL.jpg)
![Rambo - First Blood part II [HD DVD] [1985]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/319fBa0%2BklL.jpg)
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![Rambo: First Blood Part II [1985] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/215326A6EFL.jpg)
![Rambo: First Blood Part II [1985] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/2187TXYRF1L.jpg)
![Rambo: First Blood Part II [1985]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21VX4WC5EWL.jpg)