Few actors have the good fortune to play a character that proves popular enough to spawn a long-running franchise. Even fewer are fortunate enough to play two such characters. Sylvester Stallone can count himself among that select group. By 1982, he already had three "Rocky" movies under his belt and he was just getting started with Rambo.
"First Blood" introduces us to John Rambo, a Vietnam vet whose combat experiences have left him psychologically scarred and unable to reintegrate into civilian life. After being unjustly persecuted by a small town sheriff, Rambo escapes custody and becomes the subject of a massive manhunt. However, with his training as a Green Beret, Rambo proves to be a highly elusive and deadly target.
This brief synopsis suggests plenty of action and that is indeed one of the hallmarks of the series. This particular movie is unique in that it basically transplants jungle warfare into a rural American setting. The forests of British Columbia stood in for locations in Washington and they provided an excellent backdrop for Rambo's personal war. However, the action is only part of the film's appeal. Instead of presenting Rambo as a mindless killing machine, the movie examines the mental toll of his training and experiences as a soldier. This thoughtfulness is what elevates this movie above a slew of other action movies, including its own sequels.
Stallone is the undisputed star of the picture and I'd have to say that he's not too bad at all here. He's well suited to the physical demands of the role and he contributed a memorable dramatic performance to the movie's climax. In that scene he played opposite Richard Crenna (as Rambo's former C.O.), who was also at his best in that scene. Overall, I think Crenna was pretty good but I'd love to have seen what Kirk Douglas would have done with the role, had he not dropped out just before shooting began. Outside of the impressive climax, the movie's best performance surely belongs to Brian Dennehy as sheriff Will Teasle. He excels as a villain who truly believes that he's the good guy.
With a script that was more intelligent than most and good production values (including a score by Jerry Goldsmith), "First Blood" stood out from the crowd and became the start of a highly successful franchise. The recent "Last Blood" was a disappointing finale to the series but the the first sequel and the 2008 reboot were both satisfying action spectacles. Neither approached the depth of the original but, then again, few action movies have been able to pull off the same mix of action & drama as "First Blood".
"First Blood" introduces us to John Rambo, a Vietnam vet whose combat experiences have left him psychologically scarred and unable to reintegrate into civilian life. After being unjustly persecuted by a small town sheriff, Rambo escapes custody and becomes the subject of a massive manhunt. However, with his training as a Green Beret, Rambo proves to be a highly elusive and deadly target.
This brief synopsis suggests plenty of action and that is indeed one of the hallmarks of the series. This particular movie is unique in that it basically transplants jungle warfare into a rural American setting. The forests of British Columbia stood in for locations in Washington and they provided an excellent backdrop for Rambo's personal war. However, the action is only part of the film's appeal. Instead of presenting Rambo as a mindless killing machine, the movie examines the mental toll of his training and experiences as a soldier. This thoughtfulness is what elevates this movie above a slew of other action movies, including its own sequels.
Stallone is the undisputed star of the picture and I'd have to say that he's not too bad at all here. He's well suited to the physical demands of the role and he contributed a memorable dramatic performance to the movie's climax. In that scene he played opposite Richard Crenna (as Rambo's former C.O.), who was also at his best in that scene. Overall, I think Crenna was pretty good but I'd love to have seen what Kirk Douglas would have done with the role, had he not dropped out just before shooting began. Outside of the impressive climax, the movie's best performance surely belongs to Brian Dennehy as sheriff Will Teasle. He excels as a villain who truly believes that he's the good guy.
With a script that was more intelligent than most and good production values (including a score by Jerry Goldsmith), "First Blood" stood out from the crowd and became the start of a highly successful franchise. The recent "Last Blood" was a disappointing finale to the series but the the first sequel and the 2008 reboot were both satisfying action spectacles. Neither approached the depth of the original but, then again, few action movies have been able to pull off the same mix of action & drama as "First Blood".