Rambo: Last Blood

[MaulFan]

I just heard about this movie today, I've been hoping for years he wouldn't do Rambo 5, not because I don't think it could be good, but because 4 ended the series so well in my eyes, the story has a perfect ending and now it won't, you can't have a better ending than the character coming full circle and literally going back on the journey that started it all.

 

[Snake Plissken]

I think so too. Rambo 4 was a much better end than crappy Rambo 3. I guess he's going to do a Rambo 6 if this does well... he's already doing Rocky VII...

 

[Magpie 7]

Rambo 6 has a green light as long as 5 doesn't bomb, Sly will write and direct the sixth film but its very likely that a younger actor will portray the character in what's expected to be about Rambo in Vietnam.

The only problem I see with R5 is they keep changing direction, we've had genetically enhanced monster and drug cartel's but it looks like they're going with Trautman's daughter being kidnapped by sex trafficker's from Mexico. Rambo will go and rescue her but the bad guys follow him back to Bowie, Arizona for the big shoot out. If this is Sly's last appearance as Rambo i'd love to see him bring back a few characters that Rambo has run into before who may feel they owe Rambo. They could bring David Caruso's Mitch back this time as sheriff of Bowie, may be Kurtwood Smith as CIA's Bob Griggs, there's a few more too.

 

[MaulFan]

All of those cameos would feel too forced and bring the movie down and this could already be a bomb. I love Rambo and part of me loves the prospect of a new movie, but I'm fearing another Rocky 5 and i was so happy with the way 4 ended the series, i hate to see that ruined because Sly couldn't let go of the character or something, 4 just felt like the war within and without were finally over for him.

 

[Magpie 7]

Well yes and no, if you look at the material that Sly says inspired R5 would you say Woody Harrelson felt forced into No Country For Old Men? To me it makes perfect sense to give it more of an ensemble film feel. It worked to a lesser effect with R4 when you had the mercs helping Rambo, it meant Rambo wasn't expected to be Superman like he was in R2 and R3.

If R4 had ended with Rambo entering the farm and coming face to face with his father, followed by a brief scene of reconciliation then the series would've finished there and I doubt R5 would've been made no matter what. The ending brought Rambo full circle, but it didn't end Rambo's story.

 

[MaulFan]

I'm not saying an ensemble wouldn't work, I thought Rambo 4 worked fine, I just mean that the specific characters from the past you're talking about bringing back, I don't see any scenario to justify those people showing back up in his life that wouldn't feel forced, I just don't think there's any natural way it could happen where I could accept it as fitting for the story and not a desperate attempt to work them in.

I say stick to new characters, the only character that should ever return is Trautman and I'd be all for another dream montage or something to bring him back again. Regardless of blood, Trautman is probably more Rambo's father than his birth father.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

Not really into this movie since I felt Rambo tied up the series very well.

 

[Magpie 7]

Sorry but Trautman is dead, Sly said the day Richard (Crenna) died was the day Trautman died. My idea of having character's from other film's in the series just ties everything together and I don't see it as too much of a stretch for Mitch to have moved states after Rambo's rampage in Hope, so why not have him as sheriff of Bowie? Seeing as the story is after Rambo rescue's Trautman's daughter they return to Bowie for Rambo's last stand it wouldn't be out of place for the town sheriff to get involved would it? The chances are that for a heavily armed Rambo to cross the US-Mexican border and find the human sex traffickers he'd need help from the intelligence services, so why not have a CIA liason and who better than a spook he knows like Bob Griggs. And remember Rambo doesn't trust many people, in all the films you can count on one hand the number of people he trusts. Well that's my reasons but in all probability we won't see any existing characters other than Rambo, not even Schoolboy.

 

[Adolfo]

Rambo and Dutch vs Predator.........it'll make half a billion $$

 

[CallMeTheDoctor]

It would be a bit forced. Not to mention it would literally sound like The Last Stand with Arnie mixed with Taken. I did like the ending of 4, but like Sam and Dean, people like Rambo have only one way of going out. I would like some other younger guys. Not to make it like Expendables, but I really did like School boy in 4. I can dig him trying to save Trautman's daughter, but that just sounds ****ed. Trautman had this vibe about his only family was his comrade, didn't strike me as a person to try and make a family.

My personal view is that the perfect ending would have been the original ending in First Blood, so any other way is fine, because it's too late to have gotten the perfect ending.

 

[Snake Plissken]

First Blood - Great

First Blood: Part II - Good

Rambo III - Meh

Rambo - Pretty Good

I didn't expect Rambo to be anything worthwhile, but when they started throwing children in fire, wow

It was a nice ending, and was a better end cap to crappy Rambo III.

 

[Rambler]

I agree with everything you just wrote Snake!!

 

[Snake Plissken]

 

[CallMeTheDoctor]

I always go II to 4, never really did like III. ONly part I liked was the bow vs. helicopter scene but that's a recycled scene from II.

 

[MaulFan]

I enjoy the whole franchise. I can see where many don't care for Rambo 3, that was actually the first and only Rambo movie I saw for a long time, it was the newest when I was a kid and they aired it on TV back in the 80s when edited for TV really meant something so it was like PG, PG-13 level by the time they were done. I also grew up on the old cartoon and had the toys from it, so I grew up thinking of Rambo as the shirtless guy with the bandana kicking ass. When I finally saw Rambo 2 I was excited because now he had the red bandana like the cartoon lol. First Blood was the last one I saw, I wondered for awhile why he was in jail at the start of 2. Back then it was just VHS and not ever shop had every movie in my small town so it was a hunt, eventually I got tapes of all 3. For a long time First Blood didn't do much for me, it wasn't Rambo as I knew him, that was the odd movie and 2 and 3 were Rambo. As I grew up, I came to admire the quality of it as a film and see the character as one over the whole series.

My absolute favorite movie in the series is Rambo, I just love his character arc in it, the music, the action, it's a great blend of action from 2 and 3 and story from 1. After that it's Rambo 2, just love everything in that movie, the knife's my favorite of all, his look will always be the iconic look for me, the music was great, the action was perfect. After that I'd say 3 and then First Blood. Again, I will give First Blood credit as being the best crafted of all the movies and number 1 in that regard, but it's probably the least overall satisfying for me as I came to be a fan of the series. Had I seen that first, I might feel totally differently but this is how I came to know him. I'm the same with Rocky, I grew up on Rocky 3 and 4 and those left distinct marks on me so by the time I saw 1 and 2, they felt very strange to me and somewhat boring at times. As I got older I grew to appreciate them and that's why Rocky Balboa is my favorite, it has everything I love from the series in one film.

 

[CallMeTheDoctor]

I forgot people said he needs to stop rocky, but he is only the trainer thus time around for Creeds grandson. So don't see the hate for Rocky. Balboa ended pretty amazingly well. Not everyone can win but can give it their all.

 

[MaulFan]

Even though the Rocky character is returning, I look at Creed as it's own thing, even if it's worse than Rocky 5, it's not a Rocky story so I won't care, the Rocky story has a perfect ending and I'm good with it.

The Rambo story has a perfect ending, and I pray this 5th film somehow finds a way to offer and equally fitting ending where I won't walk away wishing it stopped at 4. I really have a very hard time imagining what story could be told that makes me feel glad that what 4 did is somewhat negated. I'm not totally doom and gloom, I'm holding out hope that the Sly who found magic in Rocky Balboa and Rambo has enough left to give us an equally good 5th installment and that ego Sly from Rocky 5 times is not setting in again and making a poor decision. I was fine with Barney Ross being the new Rambo of sorts, I like the character and the Expendables films, I don't NEED more Rambo, but I will welcome it, I love the character too much to turn my back on a film with Sly in it as the character.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Even though the Rocky character is returning, I look at Creed as it's own thing, even if it's worse than Rocky 5, it's not a Rocky story so I won't care, the Rocky story has a perfect ending and I'm good with it.

The Rambo story has a perfect ending, and I pray this 5th film somehow finds a way to offer and equally fitting ending where I won't walk away wishing it stopped at 4. I really have a very hard time imagining what story could be told that makes me feel glad that what 4 did is somewhat negated. I'm not totally doom and gloom, I'm holding out hope that the Sly who found magic in Rocky Balboa and Rambo has enough left to give us an equally good 5th installment and that ego Sly from Rocky 5 times is not setting in again and making a poor decision. I was fine with Barney Ross being the new Rambo of sorts, I like the character and the Expendables films, I don't NEED more Rambo, but I will welcome it, I love the character too much to turn my back on a film with Sly in it as the character.

Rocky Balboa is pretty self-contained. Although I'm sure Stallone will at least spar with Creed.

 

[CallMeTheDoctor]

I see Balboa trying to be more a father figure. Kind of like in RB.


My thing about Rambo is that he only should end in one way. I mean that's the most disgraceful way to go (IMO). I agree the ending was great, but look at how he had a connection to his team. To know everyone is dead except for him. He doesn't want to live, or at least deal with the reality of the world i.e. imprisonment, poverty, enslavement, corruption, religion and so on. I think Rambo dying is the right ending. I love the original Rambo death. I was sadden by the fact he was killed, but at least he didn't have to deal with ****. I mean people need to remember how Americans were *******s to our veterans, and seeing all the **** Rambo had to deal with; I just don't feel he needed to suffer more in the ********.

Again that's all me. I just think there are certain movie/tv characters that can only go out with death.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

I enjoy the whole franchise. I can see where many don't care for Rambo 3, that was actually the first and only Rambo movie I saw for a long time, it was the newest when I was a kid and they aired it on TV back in the 80s when edited for TV really meant something so it was like PG, PG-13 level by the time they were done. I also grew up on the old cartoon and had the toys from it, so I grew up thinking of Rambo as the shirtless guy with the bandana kicking ass. When I finally saw Rambo 2 I was excited because now he had the red bandana like the cartoon lol. First Blood was the last one I saw, I wondered for awhile why he was in jail at the start of 2. Back then it was just VHS and not ever shop had every movie in my small town so it was a hunt, eventually I got tapes of all 3. For a long time First Blood didn't do much for me, it wasn't Rambo as I knew him, that was the odd movie and 2 and 3 were Rambo. As I grew up, I came to admire the quality of it as a film and see the character as one over the whole series.

My absolute favorite movie in the series is Rambo, I just love his character arc in it, the music, the action, it's a great blend of action from 2 and 3 and story from 1. After that it's Rambo 2, just love everything in that movie, the knife's my favorite of all, his look will always be the iconic look for me, the music was great, the action was perfect. After that I'd say 3 and then First Blood. Again, I will give First Blood credit as being the best crafted of all the movies and number 1 in that regard, but it's probably the least overall satisfying for me as I came to be a fan of the series. Had I seen that first, I might feel totally differently but this is how I came to know him. I'm the same with Rocky, I grew up on Rocky 3 and 4 and those left distinct marks on me so by the time I saw 1 and 2, they felt very strange to me and somewhat boring at times. As I got older I grew to appreciate them and that's why Rocky Balboa is my favorite, it has everything I love from the series in one film.

Yeah, I used to watch the cartoon and had the toys too. I also loved the Rambo 2 knife, and speaking of witch he used it in Rambo 4 in a deleted scene, but he threw it away, but then he had to make a new later on I guess that's why it was deleted. Rambo 4 is my second favorite, but the only thing I didn't love was the knife, even though I like it more now than I used to.

I see Balboa trying to be more a father figure. Kind of like in RB.


My thing about Rambo is that he only should end in one way. I mean that's the most disgraceful way to go (IMO). I agree the ending was great, but look at how he had a connection to his team. To know everyone is dead except for him. He doesn't want to live, or at least deal with the reality of the world i.e. imprisonment, poverty, enslavement, corruption, religion and so on. I think Rambo dying is the right ending. I love the original Rambo death. I was sadden by the fact he was killed, but at least he didn't have to deal with ****. I mean people need to remember how Americans were *******s to our veterans, and seeing all the **** Rambo had to deal with; I just don't feel he needed to suffer more in the ********.

Again that's all me. I just think there are certain movie/tv characters that can only go out with death.

I think Rambo dying seems like the way to go, but it would mean the end of the franchise, unless they make a prequel, which would be cool if they did. A film about his time in Vietnam and how he changed into the Rambo that we know would be cool, to see a younger Rambo, Trautman, and the team mentioned in First Blood.