Back in 2006, Sylvester Stallone made Rocky Balboa, a film so good it not only washed out the bad taste left by Rocky IV and the atrocious Rocky V, it ranked with the classic first film. The praise he received for it was the best marketing Sly was gonna get for his announced Rambo sequel, which takes our shell-shocked hero into Burma. As someone who hated the beyond over-the-top Rambo sequels (Rambo vs. Vietnam, really?), I figured I'd give it a shot. I mean, if he could pull Rocky out of the Stygian failure it was in, why not Ramo? Lo and behold, Sly has made one of the best theater movies ever and unquestionably the best blockbuster to come out in January.
This time, Stallone gives us the barest of bones plot to set things up, which is a welcome relief to the attempted depth of the first two Rambo sequels. Sly takes a group of missionaries into Burma, then has to go back in to save them when the inevitable occurs. Rambo is joined by a group of mercenaries hired by the missionaries' church to find them. Soon, the rescue mission turns into the war we're expecting from John Rambo.
Sly uses actual film instead of digitally throwing in severed body parts and blood, lending this film the most realistic violence since Saving Private Ryan (Grindhouse used regular film too, but you wouldn't call zombie killing realistic now would you?). Every bloodbath looks all the more grisly. Following the basic plot setup, we never get more than a minute or two without something exploding, which is a wise move that detracts from Stallone's visibly aged body and that blank stoic face that elicits laughter instead of intimidation.
The last act of the film is so epic that it pushed 300 out of the way and cemented this film as the best theater experience I have ever had. I don't normally cheer at a film (it's not like the actors can hear you), but I was going wild for this film. Since t has no plot to speak of and most lines are laughably bad, I wouldn't call this a masterpiece of film, but it's certainly one of the most thrilling action films you will ever see.
This time, Stallone gives us the barest of bones plot to set things up, which is a welcome relief to the attempted depth of the first two Rambo sequels. Sly takes a group of missionaries into Burma, then has to go back in to save them when the inevitable occurs. Rambo is joined by a group of mercenaries hired by the missionaries' church to find them. Soon, the rescue mission turns into the war we're expecting from John Rambo.
Sly uses actual film instead of digitally throwing in severed body parts and blood, lending this film the most realistic violence since Saving Private Ryan (Grindhouse used regular film too, but you wouldn't call zombie killing realistic now would you?). Every bloodbath looks all the more grisly. Following the basic plot setup, we never get more than a minute or two without something exploding, which is a wise move that detracts from Stallone's visibly aged body and that blank stoic face that elicits laughter instead of intimidation.
The last act of the film is so epic that it pushed 300 out of the way and cemented this film as the best theater experience I have ever had. I don't normally cheer at a film (it's not like the actors can hear you), but I was going wild for this film. Since t has no plot to speak of and most lines are laughably bad, I wouldn't call this a masterpiece of film, but it's certainly one of the most thrilling action films you will ever see.