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With Sylvester Stallone featuring in multiple Rocky and Rambo sequels throughout the 1980s, there is little wonder why he got type-cast, or why interest in both franchises continued to decline. 1982's First Blood remains an excellent action-drama which is notable for emphasising the pain of Vietnam veterans in a compelling, stirring and exciting way. But the sequel, 1985's Rambo: First Blood Part II, degenerates into an over-the-top action show-reel which bears little resemblance to its predecessor. 1988's Rambo III continues the tradition of its immediate predecessor, taking us even farther from the iconic character as originally conceived. With any meaningful or substantial sense of poignancy vanishing from the series, the character of Rambo becomes a larger-than-life, prototypical American action hero here. There's absolutely nothing in this third Rambo adventure that has not been previously seen - it's full of violent action, minimalistic dialogue and more explosions than the mind can fathom. Nevertheless, Rambo III is a lot of fun for its target audience, and it succeeds as a brainless action ride.
A somewhat propagandist return of John Rambo (Stallone), this entry in the series once again puts the titular hero in the middle of a political topic of the period - in this case, it's the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Rambo III finds the troubled Vietnam veteran living a secluded life in a monastery. However, when Rambo learns that his former commanding officer, Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), has been captured by the Soviets, he takes it upon himself to wage a one-man war on the Russian forces to rescue his old friend. With assistance from some Afghan rebels, Rambo amasses enough ammunition to start World War 3, and heads into Soviet Territory. From this point onwards, the movie is nothing but action, with the badass protagonist taking the fight to the Russians the best way he knows how.
Upon release in 1988, Rambo III did not click with critics and movie-goers; it was heavily panned, and only grossed a third of its predecessor's box office earnings, which is particularly troubling since it was produced for a reported $63 million, the highest budget in film history at the time. Considering the disappointing box office, it's no wonder the Rambo series subsequently lay dormant for 20 years. For all of this, however, the film is not a total loss. Supported by a tremendous budget, director Peter MacDonald (who replaced Russell Mulcahy not long into filming) creates the most epic-feeling instalment in the franchise, with exotic locations as well as lots of guns, fiery explosions, big action sequences, and helicopters. In keeping with action films of the period, there are also cheesy one-liners and villainous villains, in addition to a vast body count. And, of course, the film is frequently badass. Although the dialogue is utterly risible from time to time, there are some notable interactions which are sure to provoke big dumb grins. It is all accompanied by a flavoursome, rousing musical score courtesy of franchise mainstay Jerry Goldsmith.
Aside from the frequently awesome action sequences, Rambo III does aim for a heartfelt message and tries to bring Rambo full circle. However, these ideas are half-hearted, buried underneath the relentless set-pieces - in short, the filmmakers are unable to emulate the heart or poignancy which characterised First Blood. Additionally, although Rambo III succeeds as a big dumb '80s action film, it can be criticised for its sheer ridiculousness. Rambo and his rebel amigos encounter a number of preposterous situations throughout the film and make it out alive, making this the silliest entry in the series. What happened to the grounded action of First Blood?! Rambo III is also painfully by-the-numbers, and the first half tends to drag - this is actually the longest entry in the series to date, despite being the most thematically slim. On the acting front, Stallone's performance (perhaps deservedly) earned him another Razzie Award for Worst Actor. In addition, the film was also nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Supporting Actor (for Crenna).
All things considered, Rambo III is a perfectly adequate way to pass 100 minutes of your life. This is the weakest in the Rambo canon, but it's certainly entertaining, and fans will get what they yearn for in terms of explosions, stunts, high body counts and memorable kills. If you're not a die-hard action nut, though, there is absolutely nothing in this outing that will appeal to you. The film may be dedicated to the people of Afghanistan, yet the politics of the film are laughable - Rambo could have been fighting alongside any foreign army facing a Communist threat, and the film would have been virtually identical in execution. In spite of its flaws, Rambo III remains an enjoyable piece of work that makes up in thrills what it lacks in relevance.
6.2/10
