Review of Rambo III (1988) by Stojan K — 01 Jun 2008

Wow, and I thought the newest Rambo (IV) was a little heavy in the propaganda and inaccuracy department! But this one trumps them all by far! The positive and romantic portrayal of Islamic fundamentalist Mujahedeen in this movie is enough today to get someone thrown into Guantanamo Bay! And the Mujahedeen accept Rambo giving a Buddhist trinket to a local boy?!? Aren't these basically the same Afghan "freedom fighters" that ultimately gained notoriety blowing up giant Buddha statues as the xenophobic Taliban?!? This movie is a joke when viewed today; it seems entirely produced to serve Cold War politics.

I sure hope Stallone got a huge paycheck from Reagan! Despite obvious shortcomings, in terms of pure action and historical value (yes, it's interesting to see the American Cold War mentality that went into making this movie and how they viewed the growing ascendancy of Islamic militancy as a welcome development), Rambo III gets a passing grade!