Rambo

I bought this DVD in May, making it one of the more recently backlogged movies on my shelf. Looking for a quick movie to get out of the way last night, I put it on. I had pretty low expectations. My expectations were low because I have seen the previous three Rambo films. While I found the first one (First Blood) to be somewhat of an interesting commentary on the psychological damages suffered by some Vietnam War veterans, I can honestly say that the ensuing sequels were two of the most plotless and awful movies I have ever seen. Having been made in the '80s, they were also dated in terms of special effects, so it was touch to enjoy them even on a strictly action-based level. Enter Rambo number 4 (simply called "Rambo"). This film was quite possibly even less plot-based than the previous installments. But I loved it. While the action was not quite as over-the-top as Rambo III's - no helicopters were blown up with a bow and arrow this time around - it was far more enjoyable because it no longer felt dated. Instead, as the Burmese body count grew, I was treated with some of the goriest and most brutal action I've ever seen. Soupy chunks of human bodies flew everywhere as grenades and landmines exploded. Deep red liquid gushed out of 95% of the people that appeared in the movie, extras included, at some point. There were at least five beheadings, some blade-based, and others due to cranial gunshots. Plot-wise, the movie felt eerily similar to a WWE film in the vein of Steve Austin's stink bomb, The Condemned, or John Cena's even worse attempt, The Marine. I mean, this was just ridiculous. And yet, all this having been said, the film still seems to take itself just seriously enough so as not to betray the audience. It toes the line with enough restraint to avoid jumping up into the "completely ridiculous" category, a la Kill Bill or Death Race. Every killing was just realistic enough to stay at least somewhat plausible in my mind. Oh, and don't put off seeing the movie just because you haven't seen the first three. There's absolutely no prior knowledge of the Rambo series needed. When a movie and its predecessors all lack plots, it's tough to feel as though you're missing something by skipping an installment or going out of turn. So where does Rambo rank? Well, the plot's a fat F, and the acting is no better than a C-minus. But did Stallone set out to make an Oscar nominee of a film? Of course not. You have to grade Rambo on its own terms. Action? Long pauses between it did detract from the overall rush of excitement, but the movie boasts a higher body count than length in minutes. B-plus. Thrill? I've seen my share of R-rated violence, but this took things to a whole new level. At one point, a baby is torn away from his mother, thrown into a burning house, and then torched with a flamethrower. Amazing! A-plus. I could go on, but I think you get the point. Rambo is everything it set out to be, and nothing more. And that's fine by me.