Film Reviews

Rambo

• Rating:
• Director: Sylvester Stallone
• Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Graham McTavish
• Details: USA / Germany / 91mins (18)

John Rambo is living a relatively quiet life in the jungles of Thailand, when a bunch of missionaries come to him and ask to be guided through the war-torn country of Burma to bring supplies to the needy. Hesitant at first, he relents when his veiny heartstrings are tugged by a fit woman doctor, inflicting a well-delivered guilt trip. After taking them to the perilous country, they are then attacked and held prisoner by some wrong-sort military types who make the Vietcong look like sacked Blue Peter presenters with potato guns. Rambo is forced (by his conscience) to attempt a daring rescue mission along with some hesitant mercenaries. There are distinct feelings of conflict upon viewing Sylvester Stallone's latest franchise bookend . The man who has seemingly crawled out from the career rock under which he was lying took everyone by surprise with the financial and critical success of Rocky Balboa, and is now revisiting another (arguably less successful) but equally iconic character. The results are decidedly mixed, and lack the heart of Balboa. Your enjoyment will depend heavily on your expectations; meaning, if you can forgive two-bit characterisation, clunky dialogue, atrocious acting and a main villain who utters about three sentences in the entire film, and are just in it for the explosions and general blood-soaked carnage, then you'll lap it up. When the action finally does get going, it does so with almost air-thumping pleasure - this ranks easily as one of the most violent action movies I have ever seen. Limbs are blown off, people decapitated and holes the size of footballs are inflicted on numerous henchmen stupid enough to get in the geriatric one-man-army's way. It's got the penetrative action that some claimed was missing from Die Hard 4.0 because of the rating, but is no better a film. Fans of the franchise will not be disappointed - which is seemingly Stallone's sole intention, as he has aimed low (and just about) hit the target.

Review by Mike Sheridan