Rambo: First Blood, Part 2
by George P. Cosmatos
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Charles Napier, Julia Nickson, Richard Crenna, Steven Berkoff, Sylvester StalloneDirector: George P. Cosmatos
Brand: STALLONE,SYLVESTER
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Producer: Andrew G. Vajna
Producer: Buzz Feitshans
Producer: Mario Kassar
Writer: David Morrell
Writer: James Cameron
Writer: Kevin Jarre
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); Vietnamese (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-11-23
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
Movie Reviews of Rambo: First Blood, Part 2
Movie Review: Rambo Returns To Do What He Does Best...
Summary: 5 Stars
Sometimes in the world of cinema it actually pays to follow the studio's instincts, or at least those of the creative forces behind a film. In the case of the `Rambo' franchise, the instincts of those involved focused on a decision of whether or not to ignore/omit certain aspects to the film's storyline even though it originated from the source material. This decision to make changes to the story, though questioned by some, was a very wise and extremely lucrative one for the series, as it has gone on to be one of the most successful action franchises in history and made the title character into one of America's beloved action heroes. Had those involved in the first film chosen to go with the original ending in the script, and the novel on which the film was based upon, then in the final moments of the movie the character of John Rambo would have committed suicide rather than having Col. Trautman bring him in safely to custody. If that downer, though probably more realistic, ending to the movie had stayed in the film (it was actually filmed, but was removed after test audiences felt it was too depressing), then Rambo would have never gone on to be featured in three more sequels, Sylvester Stallone would be stuck with having Rocky Balboa as the only signature role of his career (though there are worse fates for an actor), and America would have never been given the chance to make John Rambo into the hero and pop culture icon that he is today. As a side note, actor Kirk Douglas was originally cast to play Col. Trautman in "First Blood" but dropped out of the role when he learned of the possible changing of the ending, he wanted the film to remain as true to the book as possible right down to the suicide of John Rambo. Fortunately, all of that didn't happen and due to the great success of "First Blood" the prospect of a sequel was soon made into a reality when director George P. Cosmatos ("Tombstone"), along with stars Sylvester Stallone ("First Blood" and the `Rocky' franchise) and Richard Crenna ("First Blood") brought the highly anticipated, action-packed follow-up "Rambo: First Blood Part 2" to the big screen.
"Rambo: First Blood Part 2" takes place some time after the events of the original film, and John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is serving out his prison sentence in peace. However, when Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna) arrives with a top-secret proposal from the U.S. government that would grant Rambo an early parole, just so long as he does what they are asking of him, Rambo's peaceful existence comes to a rather abrupt end. Per the government's orders, the only way Rambo can gain this early parole is for him to agree to return to Vietnam in search of American POW's left over from the war. With freedom in his grasp, and the possibility of freeing some of his brothers-in-arms, Rambo will stop at nothing to find his fellow American's trapped behind enemy lines, and God be with anyone that gets in his way.
The original film, "First Blood" was an extremely fast-paced, intense survivalist adventure that also served as an interesting study on the treatment of war veteran's by society. For the sequel, "Rambo: First Blood Part 2" the story's focus is shifted somewhat away from the fractured psyche of John Rambo and his mistreatment by U.S. citizen's from his time spent serving in Vietnam, and more onto Rambo's attempts to find and rescue as many of his fellow soldiers as possible. Some critics complained that those responsible for "Rambo: First Blood Part 2" made a mistake in eliminating the heavier story elements and replacing them with even more action than what was contained in the original film. I for one disagree with this sentiment; yes there is a lesser amount of time spent dwelling on the deeper issues of the title character, but audiences would no doubt grow tired of the series if the focus never moved on beyond Rambo's struggle to come to grips with himself and the world around him. The choice to ratchet up the action within the film was a good decision for the filmmakers to make, after all this is an action film (as was the first one), and what would an action film be without plenty of violence, explosions, and weapons galore? Now, you might say well it sounds like the critics complaints may be accurate and that this franchise had become just another action franchise, just with a much more recognizable character as the hero, but other than that it's no different. Well, my response to that is this, yes there's plenty of action all throughout the film, but the heavy elements of the original film are still intact and receive numerous references over the course of the movie. As for the rest of the film's story, there are plenty of interesting plot points and character developing moments to drive the story forward, without needing to rely solely on the action to keep things moving along.
The characters for the film were brought to life by an extremely talented group of actors, comprised primarily of character actors, led by stars Sylvester Stallone and Richard Crenna, both reprising their roles from the original film. I enjoyed seeing Rambo tackle a different kind of villain than the one he had faced in the original movie, the original film featured villains that weren't actually evil people, they were just ordinary, everyday citizens that were too blinded by their prejudices and fear of what they don't understand, that they went too far to protect their way of life. In this film, the villains are much darker and more evil, as we are shown over the course of Rambo's mission in Vietnam to save POW's; however, the villains weren't only those holding our soldiers prisoner, there were also some wolves hiding in sheep's clothing so to speak, that were supposedly working alongside Rambo during his mission. It was this aspect of duplicity within some of the characters that made for numerous interesting sequences throughout the film, serving to create some juicy drama and tension among the characters giving the film a sense of unpredictability, and served as a key reason for why this franchise still remains a cut above the rest of its genre.
For those nay-sayers that want to believe that "Rambo: First Blood Part 2" was the initial signs that the franchise was losing its focus and becoming just another run-of-the-mill action series, I say give the film another look. There is plenty of drama, character development, and plot twists to keep the story moving during the times when Rambo isn't killing someone or blowing something up on screen. Is this sequel as deep as the original film? No, but it isn't shallow by any means either and still contains many of the deep issues that were introduced in "First Blood" without focusing on them completely so as to not seem like a rehash of the first movie. "Rambo: First Blood Part 2" is an extremely exciting, fast-paced, action thrill ride that serves as a fitting sequel to the original film that introduced America to the hero that is John Rambo.
"Rambo: First Blood Part 2" is rated R for violence and language.
Summary of Rambo: First Blood, Part 2
No Description Available.Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 23-NOV-2004
Media Type: DVD
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