1985 Rambo: First Blood Part II

It is an interesting fact to most movie nerds that the sequel to First Blood is written by James Cameron. It is also an interesting fact that Rambo bares little relation to the Rambo we saw in First Blood. Like James Cameron's Aliens, the action is ramped up and the story is more roller-coaster than drama.

In First Blood, Rambo was a down on his luck ex-army Viet vet looking for work and stumbling across a town who did not want him. He was chased out by the local police and forced into protecting himself from the bullies, using his trained techniques that he had tried to forget and reliving memories he would choose not to. He was a broken man, wanting to fit into a society that wanted to forget the atrocious things he had been forced to do for his country.

Here we find Rambo on a mission to take on the Viet-Cong, single-handedly. Not because the threat is there, but because it needs to be done and America needed its mojo back. Like Rocky, who became the figurehead for the capitalist west, Rambo epitomises the muscle of a culture that fears itself and will ultimately self-destruct.

Sylvester Stallone was huge in the 80's, in both senses of the word. With him and Arnold Schwarzenegger they were the go-to action men. Other men, like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris, were straight to video upstarts in comparison. Yet this was the movie that pretty much stormed the castle and the cards came crashing down. So, enjoy Stallone in his pomp, because Rambo 3 is no good, nor is Cobra.

James Cameron, of course, went on to bigger things himself. He had already done The Terminator, and was about to release Aliens this same year. Terminator 2 and Titanic would be his triumphs, while Avatar held the box office record for some time.

This is the type of movie home video was made for, and it remained a popular choice amongst brainless people for a good few years.