So, itīs sly time for aTomiK. First the original Rambo trilogy, then Rambo ī08 and finally The Expendables.
Watched First Blood yesterday, last time saw it about 20 years ago. Of course i still love it.
Sylvester Stallone is great, fantastic role from him. Richard Crenna is also very good as Colonel Trautman and you gotta love Brian Dennehy and Jack Starrett as bad policemen. It was nice to see Michael Talbot(Miami Vice) and David Caruso in supporting roles.
The Jerry Goldsmith score is classic stuff once again. The end credits tune "Itīs a Long Road" is also good, i heard some Toto influences and found out that the Paich brothers were involved.
[ 20. March 2011, 07:58: Message edited by: aTomiK ]
Posted by The Good Package (Member # 9492) on :
i thought it was great. Dennehy was a great villain, good story, lots of neat scenes.
i will give you a war you wont believe
Posted by Logan 5 (Member # 1467) on :
I seem to recall this was pre-dated by a movie with Dirk Benedict that had the same plot ('Ruckus').
I liked First Blood. It was nicely gritty and realistic. This is before Rambo became an invincible killing machine caricature.
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Yeah, i like Ruckus too but itīs not this good and the soundtrack was awful
"First Blood" is an oustanding movie. I actually prefer this style of action movie over the Rambo sequels that followed.
aTomiK.. I picked "First Blood" up check on Blu-ray and recently watched it for the first time in years. I remembered that David Caruso was in it, but it still amazes me to see him so young.
Brian Dennehy was just so good as the small town sherriff that pushed Rambo over the edge.
"I could have killed 'em all, I could kill you. In town you're the law, out here it's me. Don't push it. Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go. Let it go."
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
As noted in my top 20 list, First Blood is one of my all time favs...again, one of those movies I've seen 20+ times as a kid.
I love the score at the beginning when Rambo is first coming into town. And, as aTomiK noted, the end credits song is great. I actually wonder if Sly has input re the music in his films....tons of great songs in his movies and many seem to have the same "feel". Hmmmmm...wonder what a Sly soundtrack would look like? Survivor, Kenny Loggins, Dan Hill....
Fond memories of going to see part 2 at the drive-in with my entire family crunched into the car. Our drive-in typically never played movies for thir fist time round, meaning, they played new releases (ones still in theatres), but only after they were at the local theatre. For some reason, Rambo: First Blood Part 2 went straight to the drive-in, prior to going to our theatre. It seemed like the line of cars waiting to get in was a mile long....I even remember feeling anxiety as it got darker and darker and we were not yet in....thought they were going to start the movie without me!
And ahhhh...the Rambo survivor knife. I recall going to an army surplus store with my Dad on the way to the city and I hesitantly presented the knife as something I wanted...thinking for sure he would say "no".....he said "YESSS". This would seem like an even greater feat if you knew my Dad....kinda felt like Ralphie getting his BB gun in A Christmas Story.
* Sorry long winded....I lovvvve these movies!!!
Posted by Bernie_Lomax (Member # 8571) on :
I loved First Blood and the latest one. The others didn't really do it for me.
Posted by Jack Gannon (Member # 9144) on :
I liked the First one, but for me the Second one was the greatest. The right amount of realism and theatricality. The perfect blend of over the top fun and gritty realistic carnage. My kind of movie. Plus a very beautiful woman thrown in for good measure, I also thought Jerry Goldsmith's music had even more of a pulse in this one.
Posted by 80'sRocked (Member # 6979) on :
First Blood is a masterpiece for me and in my top 10 of fave 80s movies ever....I watch it every time it's on tv and again at least once a year I pop in my dvd. The others are just ok for me....
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Watched Rambo: First Blood part II today. Once again, i saw this last time about 20 years ago.
I think that this is a very good cold war action fantasy. Stallone is in top form and Crenna is also back. Charles Napier is the american sleazebag this time. The other villains are Vietnamese and Russian soldiers. Btw the word "expendable" is mentioned several times in the flick.
I had absolutely no idea that James Cameron co-wrote this with Sly. They say that the movie was was ostensibly directed by George P. Cosmatos and it was later revealed that Stallone had most of the directorial control during filming.
Like Jack Gannon said the Jerry Goldsmith score is even better this time, if thatīs possible. The end credits tune "Peace in Our Life" is ok, sung by Slyīs brother Frank Stallone.
Rambo 2 won many Raspberry awards (Oscars to me ) but it was insanely succesful.
In the first movie it was all about the knife, this time they created a nice bow with exploding arrows.
I also remember the Commodore 64 Rambo game. It was huge fun to play it, especially with unlimited lives
I love First Blood and the second one. I remember being single buying the first one and renting the next two about 8 years ago. Much like Halloween people remember more violence and killing than there actually is. The mud scene had to be the influence for the predator one.
We are DEVO
Posted by skatexedge (Member # 5712) on :
First Blood is a straight up classic action movie. It had a lot of heart and I never get tired of watching it.
The cast couldn't have been better. Stallone, Dennehy, Crenna....they became the characters and made them real!
Five Stars! *****
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Watched Rambo III last night. Itīs the weakest link of the original trilogy but still a good movie. Great action sequences and huge explosions, shrapnels flying everywhere. You have to respect these old school action flicks, NO cgi. Itīs a miracle nobody got killed while making the movie.
This time Rambo fights in Afghanistan (shot in Israel) But like i said earlier when we talked about the Warbus movies, desert action can never beat jungle action.
This time Colonel Trautman gets a piece of the action too but the movie would have been better without the kid sidekick. Stallone looks very cool, love his long hair.
Goldsmithīs score is not as good as in previous movies, although they recycle old themes a lot. Never liked the end credits tune "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother".
Canīt wait to finally see Rambo ī08!
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
aTomiK....say it ain't so....you don't like "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Bother"
I think you'll really like the new Rambo. As you no doubt already know, Sly looks a bit freaky...OK....a lot freaky.....but still nice to see him back in action. Enjoy....
Posted by Jack Gannon (Member # 9144) on :
aTomik have to agree with you about III being the weakest link, though I dig "He Ain't Heavy" I just got a little bored with some of the bad guys, who kind of seemed like rehashed versions of the Russians from No.2.
I'll tell you what I think is the only draw back to the new Rambo before you watch it, and that is like any other film made nowadays is the way it is shot. Once again you have that shaky documentary style of film making which looks even choppier with today's cameras. Other than that the film is not to bad. But coming off the previous three, you'll proably feel like the production down graded to an over the counter Wal-Mart digital camera.
Posted by JAY LEE (Member # 6345) on :
The Rambo flicks were a huuuuge part of my childhood. Oh yeah, I was running around the woods wearing a red headband and a toy gun, many a times. I was even Rambo for halloween once. But since it was so cold, and my mom wouldn't let me go barechested, she made a skincolored t-shirt with muscle definition drawn on, and a bandolier. good times
First Blood is the best of the bunch. An american classic, and a full on masterpiece in the action genre. Which is pretty impressive, considering its kill count of 1
Part 2 is also a classic, but in the cheesier end of the scale. Maybe one of the best jungle action flicks of all time.
Part 3 is great, but as most of you stated, the weakest link in the original trilogy.
The new one was just ok for me. It didn't need to be made. Sly was too old, the shaky cam was annoying, and the gory violence felt a little ridiculous. But it definitely could have been worse.
Might post my own thoughts on these films, some time.
A fun bit of trivia: The italian polizzioteschi flick Syndicate Sadists (1975) was actually the first film to use the name Rambo for its protagonist. Italian director Umberto Lenzi reportedly picked up the David Morrell novel in an airport, and liked the name and character enough, to name Tomas Milian's tough guy lead in the film, Rambo, and borrowing a few character traits from the novel.
Posted by The Good Package (Member # 9492) on :
A funny Rambo video I found on Youtube, with Jailbreak by ACDC
I actually popped in First Blood last night, and it still kicks my a$$ to this day. It hasn't lost a step. An all time classic.
Posted by Helen_S (Member # 5804) on :
These are all on the tele over the next few days, so think I'll watch them for the first time since probably the 90's.
Posted by Helen_S (Member # 5804) on :
Just watched the first 2 back to back The first was flawless. Why hadn't I seen this in years. Dennehy was so good and it had me sobbing at the end. The second was fun but more in a goofier way, lacking a lot of the heart and tension of the first I felt.
Recording the 3rd now for tomorrow
Edit: That one was a bit of a chore to sit through.
[ 28. July 2011, 10:30: Message edited by: Helen_S ]
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
Don't Push it with the Rambo threads, don't push it or I'll give you a review like you wouldn't believe...
Another topic by aTomiK. Yes these movies are great.
First Blood: Modern classic, with the best alternative ending of all time. Rambo: OTT nonsense but enjoyable nonsense nonetheless. Rambo III: Excellent, OTT and very underrated.
Now if only our corrupt governments had paid more attention to Rambo III back in the day:
Mousa: This is Afghanistan... Alexander the Great try to conquer this country... then Genghis Khan, then the British. Now Russia. But Afghan people fight hard, they never be defeated. Ancient enemy make prayer about these people... you wish to hear?
Rambo: Um-hum.
Mousa: Very good. It says, 'May God deliver us from the venom of the Cobra, teeth of the tiger, and the vengeance of the Afghan.' Understand what this means?
Rambo: That you guys don't take any ****?
Mousa: Yes... something like this. Posted by Logan 5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:Why hadn't I seen this in years. Dennehy was so good and it had me sobbing at the end.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
) but it was insanely succesful.
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
The first was flawless. Why hadn't I seen this in years. Dennehy was so good and it had me sobbing at the end. The second was fun but more in a goofier way, lacking a lot of the heart and tension of the first I felt.