Rambo Movies

Inspired by the 1972 novel by David Morrell, First Blood tells the story of a Vietnam vet trying to return to society. His run in with a local sheriff escalates into an arrest, escape, then a full scale man hunt. However, in this man hunt it is the escapee hunting the captors.

Colonel Trautman, Rambo's commanding officer in Vietnam shows up, not to rescue Rambo from the police, but to rescue them from him. Turns out Rambo is an "expert in guerrilla warfare, "a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In Vietnam his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period!"

If Sheriff Teasle is planning on taking a hundred men to take on Rambo, he better not forget a good supply of body bags.

After his discretions in First Blood, John Rambo is doing time, working in a Labor Camp. Colonel Trautman shows up with an offer he can't refuse: a Presidential pardon and a chance to help POWs still captive in Vietnam.

Marshal Murdock is in charge of the operation and informs Rambo that he is to document POW existence, but not to engage the enemy.

This is a promise Rambo clearly has no intention of keeping. Wit the help of native girl named Co-Bao, Rambo infiltrates the prison camp and frees one of the hostages, only for Murdock to renege on his promise of extraction. Rambo is captured by the Vietnamese and the Soviet Army, who are working together.

Time for Rambo to do what he does best...

Rambo is kicking back in Thailand, helping to build a Buddhist temple and enjoying the odd stick fighting match for money.

Colonel Trautman shows up to try and enlist Rambo's help in a mission to supply weapons to Afghan rebels who are fighting the Soviets in the Soviet-Afghan War. The Afghan civilians are suffering under the Soviet military. Rambo refuses, however, saying he has put in his time. Trautman decides to continue on the mission without Rambo. Trautman and his men are captured by the Soviets.

Once again, it's time for Rambo to do what he does best...

It's 2008 and Rambo is still kicking it in Thailand, in a village near the Burmese border. He spends him time catching snakes to sell to the village, fishing with his bow and arrow, and doing repairs on his boat. A group of missionaries approach him to take them into Burma on his boat. They want to give aid to a tribe who are suffering greatly under the Burmese military. Rambo refuses, knowing the mission is hopeless. However, he is convinced to take them by Sarah, one of the missionaries. Rambo takes them up river to drop them off, stopping briefly to kill some pirates on the way.

However, two missionaries get killed and the rest captures. Rambo finds this out when mercenaries show up to go in and rescue the missionaries.

One last time, it's time for Rambo to do what he does best...

Rambo (2008) looks to be the final installment by Sylvestor Stallone into the Rambo franchise. It is the bloodiest of all of the Rambo movies, with 236 kills.

In First Blood:

"You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In Vietnam his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well Rambo was the best."

In First Blood Part II:

"Pressure? Let me just say that Rambo is the best combat vet I've ever seen. A pure fighting machine with only a desire - to win a war that someone else lost. And if winning means he has to die - he'll die. No fear, no regrets. And one more thing, what you choose to call hell, he calls home."

In Rambo III

"God would have mercy. He won't."

First Blood:
"Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don't turn it off! It wasn't my war! You asked me, I didn't ask you! And I did what I had to do to win! But somebody wouldn't let us win! And I come back to the world and I see all those maggots at the airport, protesting me, spitting. Calling me baby killer and all kinds of vile crap! Who are they to protest me? Who are they? Unless they've been me and been there and know what the hell they're yelling about!"

First Blood Part II:
"I want, what they want, and every other guy who came over here and spilled his guts and gave everything he had, wants! For our country to love us as much as we love it! That's what I want!"

Rambo III:
Swapped insight for witty one liners:
Colonel Trautman: What do we do?
Rambo: Well, surrounding them's out of the question

Hamid: What's that?
Rambo: It's a blue light.
Hamid: What does it do?
Rambo: It turns blue.

Colonel Trautman: That was close John. How are you?
Rambo: Well done.
(after swinging through fire)

Zaysen: Who are you?
Rambo: Your worst nightmare.

Rambo:
"You know what you are... what you're made of. War is in your blood. Don't fight it. You didn't kill for your country. You killed for yourself. God's never gonna make that go away. When you're pushed, killing's as easy as breathing."

In two movies of the series, Rambo perfoms some pretty intensive battlefield surgery... on himself. Fortunately, as we find out in Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rambo cross trained as a Medic.

In First Blood Rambo falls through a big pine tree and cuts his arm. Rambo uses some thread from a canvas sack and stiches himself up.

In Rambo III Rambo receives wood shrapnel in the side, it goes right through. After finding safety in a cave he pushes the wood through and out the front. He then empties gun powder from a bullet into the hole and lights it, sealing the wound.

Rambo likes to walk away at the end of his films, preferably into the distance, and ideally while the credits roll up. This is the best way to portray a man who is always wandering; never feeling like he belongs.

In First Blood he is taken away in hand cuffs. Him and the guards walk into the distance, although the camera settles on a close up of him before rolling the credits.

In Rambo: First Blood Part II he walks off shirtless into the wilderness. Credits roll.

In Rambo III he and Colonel Trautman drive off, but the camera settles on the Afghan fighters riding their horses off into the distance while the credits roll.

At the end of Rambo, John Rambo walks up the really long driveway to his Dad's house. The credits roll one last time.

I am based in New Zealand and I enjoy writing about rugby, movies and music and am also interested in property investment and travel. I operate a rugby blog and a site dedicated to Tarantino movies and merchandise and contribute to a Property Investment Tips site.