Review of First Blood (1982) by Vincent T — 31 May 2011

First Blood is the film that pretty much set the benchmark for the slew of 1980's action films. This one man army, survival type action set in a post-Vietnam era. One critic praised the film and quoted that he was dissapointed that this film has become the flagship for many action films that rely on a high kill/gore count.

The second Rambo is great, haven't seen the third film but the fourth one kicked ass. But what those other installments do not have is the dramatic aspect of First Blood. One may watch the film and wonder how did we get a shoot em up, high octane action series from watching First Blood. In the First installment we actually build up emotion for this character becuase these type of individuals exists. Rambo represents the veterans who not only deal with Post-War syndrome but also the issue of attempting to reintegrate into society. So many people do not realize or respect these army vets for the sacrifice they have made to maintain peace in our country. First Blood is a salute to those brave individuals who fight for our freedom. So when we watch the film we are emotionally attached to Rambo. We feel the pain that his character goes through when he is fighting his way through the woods, we cheer for him when he causes mayhem in the town by shooting up a police station and blowing up a gas station. I know it may seem weird but what I mean is that we enjoy when characters surpass our expectations. The police in the film thought they could capture Rambo with all the men and firepower they had only to be surprised by the survival expertise of Rambo.

That is what represents the best of 80's action films. The hero never gives up.....it is evident in films like Die Hard,Commando,etc. Even when times are bad, when the character is down, they never give up they keep fighting. That is why First Blood is the best in the series its not about explosions, gunfire or the highest kill count, its about the message. When the going gets tough, the tough keep on going.