Rambo: Last Blood Reviews

Even for hardcore Rambo fans, the idea of a fifth instalment seemed excessive and unnecessary, given the note-perfect ending of 2008's Rambo which brings the titular character full circle. But co-writer and star Sylvester Stallone manages to do the impossible, cooking up a new story which meaningfully contributes to John Rambo's character arc and delivers the type of balls-to-the-wall, vicious mayhem that fans attend these motion pictures to witness. Rambo: Last Blood is a different type of Rambo movie, more solemn and character-focused, to the extent that some believe this should not be part of the series at all. However, with the weight of Rambo's history behind it, the material has more significance and context. Directed by newcomer Adrian Grunberg (Get the Gringo), perhaps the most refreshing thing about Last Blood is its unwillingness to force a political agenda or subscribe to ever-changing standards of political correctness, making it feel like a nasty, old-fashioned, manly revenge picture from the 1970s.

Peacefully living on his late father's ranch in rural Arizona, Vietnam War veteran John Rambo (Stallone) keeps his inner demons under control with pharmaceutical assistance, spending his days taking care of the property's horses as well as forging blades in his underground sanctuary. While he prefers solitude, Rambo maintains a close relationship with housekeeper Maria (Adriana Barraza), and serves as a guardian for her 18-year-old granddaughter Gabrielle (Yvette Monreal) who is about to leave for college. Curious about the world, Gabrielle tracks down her absentee father (Marco de la O) in Mexico, harbouring a desire to confront him about why he abandoned the family. Rambo is quick to dissuade the young woman, but she defies his advice, travelling south of the border only to become ensnared in a cartel sex trafficking ring run by Hugo (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) and his hothead brother Victor (Óscar Jaenada). Rambo sets out to save his loved one without hesitation, awakening the dormant beast within himself as he navigates the violent city. Rambo's mission also attracts the attention of journalist Carmen (Paz Vega), who previously lost a loved one to the ruthless cartel's operation.

The previous sequels dropped Rambo into a real-life, ripped-from-the-headlines setting that is relevant to the era, such as Vietnam in Rambo: First Blood Part II, and the Burmese Civil War in 2008's Rambo. This fifth movie continues along the same lines, setting its sights on human trafficking and forced prostitution in Mexico, which is an ongoing international concern. At just over 100 minutes in length, Last Blood has sufficient narrative breathing room, with unhurried early scenes between Rambo and his de facto family before trouble strikes in Mexico, while the screenplay additionally explores the aging soldier's broken mental state at this point in his life. The underlying theme at play here is how someone like Rambo can attain peace after living in a self-described world of death, trying to stay in control as he attempts the serene family lifestyle, using the horses as therapy. To Rambo, who still suffers from PTSD, his underground tunnels represent a Minotaur's Labyrinth of madness and memories, sparking aggressive Vietnam flashbacks. By taking the fight underground, he harnesses the violent trauma associated with these tunnels to kill his enemies, giving more substance to the climax. Like the fourth Rambo film, it might seem like I am reading too much into Last Blood, but again, I believe the critics are not reading enough into it, or acknowledging the story's thematic foundation.

Written by Stallone and Matt Cirulnick, Last Blood does enough to build palpable relationships between the characters, creating a sense of humanity amid the chaos. Furthermore, it helps that the scenes between Rambo and Gabrielle feel genuine as opposed to perfunctory, including a standout moment in which Rambo delivers an emotional speech to his niece at the end of the second act. Now in his early 70s, Stallone confidently slips back into his iconic role, playing a world-weary Rambo who struggles to keep a lid on his animalistic instincts. Thankfully, the movie resists the temptation to give Rambo a younger protégé, with Last Blood remaining Stallone's show from start to end. Proficient support is provided by Monreal and Barraza, while Peris-Mencheta is a credible villain. Additionally, like the fourth film's depiction of Myanmar, the scenes involving violence and prostitution in Mexico are nihilistic and grim, making it all the more satisfying when Rambo finally unleashes hell upon the cartel army. However, one story element which feels short-changed is the subplot involving Carmen, while Gabrielle's father is oddly insignificant as well, though any further material involving either character would probably be too generic and slow down the narrative.

Last Blood adopts a stark tonal change, feeling more like Logan, Sicario or Unforgiven than the jingoistic, cheesy Regan-era Rambo sequels of the 1980s. Although Rambo does not hesitate to carry out violent acts, this follow-up is not as action-packed as its predecessors, with most of the carnage reserved for the big climax, which is perhaps the most vicious, violent set-piece of the series to date. First Blood memorably showed us Rambo's ingenuity with guerrilla warfare, but he refrained from actually killing, while the sequels involved Rambo being on the offensive as he wasted countless enemies with large weapons. In Last Blood, we finally get to see Rambo unleash his guerrilla training to kill, and it is truly a sight to behold. Under Grunberg's focused direction, the final ten minutes or so amount to a taut succession of gory slayings, showing that Rambo is still a relentless one-man force to be feared. Moreover, the R rating is pushed to its boundaries, showing the gory consequences of Rambo's traps as he becomes a slasher movie antagonist, swiftly moving around his tunnel network as he mercilessly slaughters the cartel intruders. When Rambo cuts loose, it's heart-pounding cinema, sure to provoke goosebumps and foot stomping. It is also more impactful directly because of the lengthy build-up preceding it. Meanwhile, Brian Tyler returns as composer, reusing a few recognisable cues and making astute use of the iconic Rambo theme. This is not Tyler at his best, but the music ramps up the intensity and underscores the emotion effectively.

Contrasted against the cheap, straight-to-video Escape Plan sequels, Rambo: Last Blood carries appreciable gravitas, while the story's execution is effectively sincere. It is a formulaic movie from a narrative standpoint, while villains are predictably cartoonish, but there are some unexpected plot developments which feel appropriate given the subject matter, and it creates a satisfying ending for Rambo nearly forty years after the release of First Blood. It is not on the same level as First Blood (not many movies are), and it lacks the urgency of the fourth instalment, but it still delivers the goods, even without Rambo's trademark long hair and bandana (and even with some mediocre digital effects). Be sure to stick around for the first part of the end credits, as it recaps the franchise and adds more to Last Blood's ending.