Rambo: Last BloodI saw this movie on Friday, and for the most part did not like it because the 3rd act was overly violent, poorly edited, and seemed try to justify and glorify the violence with clips from the previous Rambo movies as some sort of character development. Over the last few days as I've thought about it some more, I've just been getting more and more pissed off because I really like Rambo as a character, and as a finale it is just poor. I've now re-watched all of the other Rambo movies, and all are superior to this entry to varying degrees.
First,
Rambo: Last Blood is bit of a MAGA fantasy due to the violence that crosses the border from Mexico into Arizona used to justify Rambo's actions. But that is completely separate from whether the movie is any good. There are plenty of movies out there that I like just fine despite the fact that they have kind of f**ked up subtexts.
Second, the story, what of it extists, is fairly bleak.
Third, don't expect a return of anything like this epic soundtrack. I can't even remember the movie's action theme while I'm writing this now.
Fourth, the finale set piece treats the bad guys like a bunch of idiots, and as I said ealier, it seems really poorly edited. After waiting for the entire movie (70+ minutes?) for this to start I was a bit shocked at what a mess it was.
In fact, after I subsequently saw Rambo: First Blood Part 2 I realised the finale of Last Blood is lifted pretty much straight from RFB2 after Co gets killed, and he goes on the rampage against the Vietnamese and Russian military. That movie just gave Rambo couple of extra righteous motivations besides revenge.
Fifth, I feel like someone edited the hell out of this movie to remove large chunks of obvious plot development that would have given it much more heart. Rambo's stories have always existed within a society whose failure of or abuse by institutions have triggered him into action, and ultimately there is some recognition by members of the institution of their failure. From the small town residents of Hope in
First Blood, to his CIA handlers in
Rambo: First Blood 2, to the pacifist missionaries in
Rambo (2008), the violence usually shocks people into some sort of change in perspective. If you've seen this movie, there is a point about 2/3 through where its pretty obvious that Mexican or US law enforcement would step in and fail, and then subsequently realize how badly they have failed in the finale. I honestly can't imagine any decent script writer constructing this story and leaving that out, but with it missing, the movie descends into a notion that extreme violence for revenge is somehow satisfying for Rambo and the viewing audience. I thought that idea was thoroughly debunked by the end of
First Blood.
And finally, this is probably my weakest criticism because it describes what I wish this movie was, John Rambo is
- a Green Beret that served in Vietnam
- lost most of his team, captured and tortured by the Viet Cong, and who escaped captivity on his own,
- shot up a Washington town in '82 and killed at least one police officer,
- tried in US court and jailed,
- subsequently released in '85 for a secret mission where he rescued about 6 US POWs still being held in Vietnam against his handler's orders and with them trying to kill him,
- lives in a buddhist monastery in Thailand, while stick fighting for extra cash,
- fought with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan in '88, and
- lives as a guide, fisherman, and snake handler in Thailand for 2 decades until '08
NO ONE seems to realize any of this, and Rambo barely acknowledges it. C'mon man! You're telling me this is supposed to be the final Rambo movie, and none of this comes up? John is back on US soil and as far as we can tell, doesn't have interactions with the VA or other veterans, doesn't have law enforcement checking on him given his history, and doesn't even comment on US troops in Afghanistan or Iraq?
Anyway, that's my feelings on the film right now. If you're into extreme violence with little point, then this is the movie for you. I personally don't want to remember Rambo this way.
