Grade: B+
Right off the bat I will admit that out of all the 5 “Rambo” movies I have only seen 2008’s “Rambo” and now “Rambo: Last Blood.” To me, the 2008 “Rambo” was a pretty heavy movie. It dealt with Burma and kidnapped missionaries. A few of the scenes were tough to watch as they contained innocent people getting mowed down by a machine gun or being forced to run across a mine filled field. It was a serious movie because unfortunately some of the story was real. Real as if some of that crazy stuff actually happens in the world. The opening credits of the movie contained real footage of some of the horrors that are still going on now. In “Rambo: Last Blood,” while it still deals with the heavy topic of sex trade and the Mexican Cartel, it is done in a way that becomes silly at the end. Not to give anything away but if you have ever wondered what an “R-Rated” “Home Alone” would look like, this movie quenches that curiosity.
In “Rambo: Last Blood” John Rambo (played by Sylvester Stallone), fueled by revenge, takes on the Mexican Cartel. Rambo’s niece, Gabrielle (played by Yvette Monreal), wants to find out why her father abandoned her. Against her uncle’s wishes, she goes to Mexico to find the answer. Unfortunately, she ends up getting sold into sex slavery and Rambo has to use his skills to save her. I cannot progress any further about the story without giving away a huge spoiler but simply put, the story gets personal with Rambo from then on and the audience is gifted with a fun revenge thrill ride.
“Rambo: Last Blood” is easily one of the most graphically violent movies I have ever seen. You will actually see bones being broken, scars given, and people being shot point blank. It is fun, cheesy, 80s style action all served up with a huge side of blood. Everything you should expect from a Rambo movie. The audience cheered and clapped and sometimes even laughed at every blown off head or cut off body part. Yes, it is the definition of gratuitous violence. Yes, you see everything blown off or cut off. Yes, you will laugh at a good portion of it. Do you care because the characters on screen that are getting quickly deleted deserve exactly what’s coming to them because they are the scum of the earth selling teenage girls into sex slavery? No. You simply take it all in with a huge smile because justice is being served.
Needless to say, “Rambo: Last Blood” is not trying to win any Oscar here. Stallone’s acting job in it was fine for what it was. Sometimes he mumbled too much and it was hard to understand him but his actions helped to clarify his lines. Rambo is clearly a guy you do not want to mess with and Stallone portrays the character as best as it can be done.
“Rambo: Last Blood” is an hour and forty-one minutes long and the pacing is so well done that it feels even shorter. It is highly entertaining from start to finish. It contains the typical recipe for any other action movie; guns, hand to hand combat, explosions, blood and a thin story. Obviously, the storyline is very similar to Liam Neeson’s “Taken” and you have seen it before in many more movies, but seeing Stallone still do his thing at 73 is so much fun!
I enjoyed “Rambo: Last Blood” way more than I was expecting and I would gladly see it again because it was so much fun! It does make for a good outing with some of your best friends and you will all walk out of the movie smiling.