Review of First Blood (1982) by Caesar M — 23 Jul 2012

Slyvester Stallone has play two iconic characters over the decades earning his spot in movie history for those roles. One of those characters is John Rambo who is easily one of the most iconic of action heroes.

Rambo: First Blood is a somber reflection of the hardships that faced Vietnam War veteran Rambo upon his return to his native country. Unlike it sequels which would portray Rambo as a killing machine, the original will always be the best when it comes to tension and storytelling. Rambo is vulnerable and sympathetic about killing. He's tortures by his past which the film utilizes to its advantages for some great dramatic scenes and amazing dialogue at the end. One scene in particular was flawless, when Rambo takes out a team of disorganized officers without killing them. This scene has the right music, an ire atmosphere like any good horror movie, and most importantly the way the scene is capture is unmatched in tension. While I did enjoy the plot of First Blood, I did think how the conflict got started was childish for adults. Rambo wanted some food so he hitch hikes with the sheriff who take him out of town, Rambo walks back and is arrested for carrying a conceal weapon, police brutality assures, and there's your conflict. While Rambo does have good reasoning for his action, the people after him simply want him dead which is not a good way to portray police officers and the National Guard. Despite some flaws Rambo: First Blood provides violence and great drama with an interesting character.

I viewed this recently and I never notice that Stallone is off-screen for most of the movie. Which is odd considering he's on the cover and the so-call star of the movie. Nonetheless he does what he does best when it comes to action and deliver a very heartfelt performance in the ending when he's surrounded by policemen in a police station. Brian Dennehy who plays Teasle makes a great villain. Surprisingly the movie best moments aren't when Rambo is in action, but it's when Brian Dennehy and Richard Crenna (who plays the Colonel) are sharing scenes together. The chemistry between them heighten the plot and brings out the best when it comes delivering drama. The cinematography is amazing as well, the scene involving Rambo hanging off a cliff while being shot by a sniper in a helicopter is exhilarating. Hard work was put into this and it delivers on it experience.

Now I can't end a review on Rambo: First Blood without mentioning the novel it's based of, which I'm sure you probably didn't know existed. The novel is called First Blood and written by David Morrell who likes putting knifes on his book covers. I personally prefer the movie adaption for adding more to Rambo character. In the novel, Rambo is not the good guy, as he basically flips out and kills a whole town because the Vietnam War drove him insane. Also, the book's ending is depressing, as Rambo stops his rampage only to be shot in the face by Teasle and Rambo dies satisfied knowing that his time has come. The strange thing is the novel received a sequel despite Rambo dying and with no explanation either. Also giving writing credit to Stallone and strangely James Cameron. The novel is not a bad read, but this is one of those cases when the movie version is superior over it novel counterpart.

Rambo: First Blood is features Stallone in his iconic role providing on violence and a effective story. This is easily one of Stallone finest movie and one of the best in the action genre.