Rambo: First Blood Part II

The second installment is clearly the most cerebral work about John Rambo. On the other hand, it is so beautifully crystal clear in its humor ("Rambo, you made good choice") that it has an irreplaceable place within the series. It's never going to be the best Rambo film (that's still the luxurious fourth Rambo for me), but the honestly acknowledged comedic parts and its indelible imprint on pop culture are what make the second one the second one. "What you choose to call ‘hell’, he calls home." (09/21/2019)

The change in style away from the low-key and raw part one is perhaps a little too extreme. John Rambo’s second battle for survival unfortunately degenerated into a pure B-grade action movie. Although the truth is it’s quite fun. Here in the Czech Republic, though, Rambo: First Blood Part II will more likely be remembered as one of the first VHS cult movies, rather than a movie known for its qualities. (02/09/2022)

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)

It's all here - action, corpses, Rambo's stone expressions, blood, of which there is much more than in the first one. Unfortunately, however, there is noticeably less quality filmmaking. The producers tested the audience's reaction with the first film and found that a significant part of moviegoers fall into the category of teenage boys, for whom this is simply enough. The film also had a strong propaganda dimension in the mid-80s, which today can only evoke an indulgent smile. Overall impression: 20%. (05/25/2009)