My first introduction to Rambo was probably back in the ‘90s, with the Rambo-parody in Weird Al’s UHF. You know—unreal, ripped arms firing a ridiculously massive machine gun with impeccable aim and supernatural invincibility. Truth be told, from the outside, the Rambo character has kind of become a caricature of himself. So when my friend Chris insisted that I give the first Rambo film a shot, I was pretty skeptical. But, I actually really liked it!
Vietnam War vet John Rambo wanders into the small town of Hope, Washington where he is pushed around and arrested by the local Sheriff for assumed vagrancy. Though initially docile, he is increasingly pushed to the edge until he breaks free in a PTSD-fueled skirmish. The deputies chase Rambo into the woods where his Green Beret training kicks in and keeps him one step ahead of the search party. There, he must trust his survival instincts and guerrilla warfare training to fend off the abusive cops.
This movie was awesome! It was kind of “John Wick” meets “The Deer Hunter”—the story of a killing machine who, wanting to be left alone, was pushed into a war he didn’t ask for. Damaged by capture and unwilling to fight, the character had far more depth than I imagined going in. Initially representative of Vietnam War vets' welcome home, his struggle in the film serves as a stand-in for the whole of the War (just back here in America), with damp forests replacing the humid jungles. That's some deep shit!
That’s not to say that this movie didn’t have the flair of an ‘80s action movie! The first time Rambo leapt 50 feet from a cliff onto a tree, I rolled my eyes a bit. And certainly, the final Battle of Hope sequence was both on the nose and over the top (acting included). Still, the film earns each of these moments through the balance it strikes with its clever characters and somewhat somber tone. I don’t know when I’ll get around to the silly sequels, but I’m kind of looking forward to them now!