Review of Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) by Stefan G — 06 Feb 2014

Underappreciated by film critics, but loved by many viewers (including myself), this is a movie that defined the classic 80's action movie, the way it should be done. Yes, it lost touch with what made its predecessor a unique film in the first place, but it created a legacy of its own, with countless movies having been made based on this film's commercial success.

At 94 minutes, the length of this film is relatively modest, yet we get an ultimately satisfying action movie. I will admit that the characters aren't as well done as the first movie, but that's because in this movie, Rambo himself is the only character who really matters, and Rambo delivers an excellently manly action performance.

Remember the key word: action, because it's action that defines the film, rather than the story, but that doesn't stop the story from being any good. In fact, the story was great, because it allows for the over-the-top action scenes to fit in a realistic setting without the writers having to sacrifice creative liberties.

The action scenes themselves are well performed and explosively entertaining, and they are an intrinsically important part of the American movie. Without them, it'd be just another film. I don't care what the critics have to say, because they ultimately missed the point.

This was supposed to be a simple, fun action movie, and it delivers on every promise it makes. The real tragedy is that we can't get films like this anymore, not without them being shafted to the side by a culture that seems to have forsaken them and their values.