Review of First Blood (1982) by Ben F — 13 Jan 2010

Let's go back in time for a moment. It's the 80's, and you have just asserted yourself into a line of overly cliche movie genres, spanning to all kinds of categories. In 1982, the action genre was actually starting to get more and more kind of "shoot-em up" like. I consider "First Blood" to be the first of these films, but it's actually done right. It's a great action movie.

The plot goes a little something like this. John Rambo is an ex green berret (or however you spell it) from the Vietnam war. He has come home, back to the United States, and is looking for an old friend from the war. He learns that his friend has died from cancer, and John is very upset. As John is walking in the town, a Sheriff picks him up. The sheriff asks him to leave town, but John pretty much resists, and he is put under arrest. In the police station, John get's some horrific nostalgic memories of being tortured in Vietnam, and goes nuts. He escapes the station, and the rest of the film is a fugitive movie. The plot is very simple to understand, and it works really well for this movie.

This movie is a little cliche, but it's also smart. Instead of having senseless violence, this film takes into consideration the idea of stealth, and attempting not to be scene (Something that the next films don't try to do.) I really like watching this movie for that reason.

The acting is nothing special from any of the actors, but everyone gives a pretty good performance, including Stallone. It's action movie acting, and nothing more.

But the intensity that this film has to offer, is just awesome. You KNOW it's 80's when you watch it, and it's just a classic of that decade. "First Blood" is an awesome, badass movie......Hell yeah.