Despite an opening montage that tells us Rambo is going to Say Stuff and Be About Something, it proceeds from that point to be a luridly messy action flick that has its roots in the exploitation flicks of the sixties. Sadly, writer/director/star Sylvester Stallone – who really got the final Rocky movie right – has nowhere near the same feel for his John J. Rambo character.
Nineteen years after the highly disappointing Rambo III, Sylvester Stallone attempts to bring the character’s saga to a satisfying conclusion in the same way that he turned that trick for Rocky Balboa in the film of the same name. Unfortunately, for this final instalment in Rambo’s life, Stallone alone write the script – for all three previous movies, he had writing partners [for the superb but awkwardly titled Rambo: First Blood, Part II, he worked with John Cameron]. On his own, Stallone shows that he really doesn’t own the character in the same way he owns his battered pugilist.
As I say, the film opens with a montage of horrifying shots of the victims of the genocide being carried out in Burma [now known as Myanmar]. From there, we get a glimpse of what life Rambo has made for himself by capturing snakes [too many cobras, cries the exasperated owner of the el cheapo tourist show where a lone man plays with two cobras as fascinated non-natives watch]. When he isn’t selling snakes to the show, he bow fishes and shares his catch with the poorer of his neighbors.
Then a group of medical missionaries arrive and ask him to take them into Burma. It’s not until the blonde and beautiful missionary, Sarah [Julie Benz] questions his faith [the variety thereof, not its existence] that he takes them where they want to go – but not before being waylaid by pirates, whom he dispatches quickly and bloodily.
Then the village where the missionaries are working is attacked by the military and the missionaries taken captive. Which leads to the pastor of Christ Church of Colorado [Ken Howard] appearing at Rambo’s home to ask for his help to lead some mercenaries on a rescue mission. Said mercenaries are a typical agglomeration of personalities: the leader, a mouthy a**hole named Lewis; the mysterious En-Joo [Tim Kang], a ‘golly gee’ guy nicknamed Schoolboy [Matthew Marsden]; a redneck named Reese [Jake La Botz], and the world weary Diaz [Rey Gallegos]. You can practically tell who’s going to die before they reach their destination.
From there, Rambo becomes a luridly silly exercise in Blowing Stuff Up and shooting huge holes in all sorts of people: men, women, children – it pretty much doesn’t matter that the genocide of the Karen people is really happening. Here that genocide is line on which hangs all manner of destruction.
None of the character is particularly well realized; none is particularly sympathetic save for Sarah, but that’s only because Julie Benz has soulful eyes and looks good while covered in mud, holding her hands over her ears in an attempt to block the horrendous noise of big guns and bigger explosions [I did not know that a claymore could take out the equivalent of two city blocks in area and left behind a large, ominous mushroom cloud!].
Stallone frames his action scenes as messily as possible, though a SteadiCam would have been just as effective when you consider that we see men go from a state of humanity to pink mist on screen, and get holes punched through them through which you could throw a softball. In combination with the luridly manipulative score, it’s clear that Stallone is trying to create an epic by sheer force of will. It just doesn’t happen.
Even the surprising ending [which harkens back to the first time Sarah spoke to Rambo] that occurs over the closing credits is more a manipulation than a heartfelt conclusion to a saga that never quite was.
If you’re looking for a fast, efficient, violent movie with pretty much no redeeming value, then Rambo is for you. If you’re looking for a saga-closer with the smarts and heart of Rocky Balboa, this ain’t it!
Final Grade: C-