Rambo: First Blood Part II

Rambo destroying computers with a shower of lead is one of the most beautiful mementos of the 1980s, as if Stallone was taking revenge on what would destroy his beloved genre. Paradoxically, in terms of psychology and ideas, the second film doesn't seem so far behind the (already quite retarded) first film, even though, instead of subjective nostalgia, programmable agitations are coming out of Rambo's mouth at the end. Cosmatos's film fits much more into the archetypes of the action 1980s and is irresistibly wooden and theatrical (or entertaining) in the most heated moments. The number of explosions is enormous, the pilot of the largest possible Soviet helicopter has not one red star on his helmet but two (so there is no confusion), and a POW with a machine gun in his hand, as if to remind the viewer of the beautiful ideological mishmash that ruled action Hollywood at the time. Can such a film not be loved even a little? (08/16/2010)

This is a movie that I've seen before and I thought it was the original first Rambo. Now I know my mistake and I'm quite glad that I clarified this chronology. The second film, however, is still a more famous piece, thanks in part to its parodies - see "Hot Shots! Part Deux". Sly and James Cameron, however, wrote a screenplay that is not just a shallow slaughter, but there is still something more here. John Rambo is no longer a man who needs to come to terms with the dark shadow of Vietnam, but he must deal with the consequences of the previous film. He may pay too high a price for freedom. (11/30/2013)

I have a lot of nostalgic memories of my childhood, when the "forbidden" Rambo was a myth for me and my friends during the Bolshevik era, a film that circulated on poorly dubbed cassettes. I'll never forget how we watched it at a friend's house and I felt like the biggest dissident under the sun, or like Rambo. When I saw it again years later, I had to laugh at what a naive but still brisk action film it is, and the fond memory of the weird 80s, full of bad taste :) (09/27/2003)

Unlike the first First Blood, the creators didn't let the viewer discover the movie's message on their own. Instead, they continuously hammered it home, which, in my eyes, somewhat devalued the entire experience. In contrast to the previous film, this time, it was all about action, and as such, I suppose I should forgive it for many things. The movie was filled with clichés, which I can't fault because these films were the birthplace of such clichés. My critique is directed at the creators who persist in using them today. I get that Soviet technology might not have been accessible during the Cold War, but if an Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma could stand in for a Mil Mi-24, why not use another machine produced in Europe instead of the overused Bell 212? The action itself was well-executed and satisfying, but I couldn't overlook the mishandled details. The sound accompanying the firing of each arrow was so loud that Rambo could have been running with an AK. Artillery mines fired from mortars would probably have to hit someone directly because the creators purposefully omitted their terrifying fragmenting effect. And here's a piece of advice: never, I repeat, never use any rocket launcher in a small enclosed space. Aside from these issues, it was a typical 80s action fairy tale, which I sometimes find laughable, but I enjoy it nevertheless. / Lesson learned: If you're too young to remember 80s movies, go for something more recent. (11/15/2022)

John Rambo got burned the second time around just like he did the first time. Once again, the ones he trusted were the explicitly bad ones, and once again, he took a pretty brutal revenge on them. It’s amazing how back then action movies were filmed with respect for the viewer. I enjoyed everything about it. The scenes with the bombing of the local wilderness were fantastic and that’s something absolutely unprecedented nowadays in movies. These days, digital effects are involved in everything and that’s not interesting at all, let alone honest. There aren’t many proper action movies, but if there’s one I’d like to rewatch, then it’s definitely Rambo. I’m rating it with four stars mostly because story-wise it’s practically the same as the first instalment. And Rambo’s speech in the finale wasn’t so great either. I was blown away by the first instalment more. Anyway, it’s awesome. It’s a classic, need I say more? (10/09/2012)