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It was sheer fate that, following the box office success of First Blood in 1982, Sylvester Stallone would return as John J. Rambo in a sequel, denoting the beginning of another film franchise for Stallone (his other being Rocky). For 1985's Rambo: First Blood Part II, however, Stallone and co-writer James Cameron (!) place more emphasis on the action, in the process discarding First Blood's heart and depth. This is not necessarily a drawback, mind you - although it lacks the classiness and intelligence of its predecessor, Rambo: First Blood Part II is a fun, cartoonish, brainless action blockbuster which throttles forward at breakneck pace from one ridiculous set-piece to the next. Considerably upping the ante in terms of action, mayhem and body count, this sequel is wildly implausible but irresistibly enjoyable for those who enjoy this brand of '80s-era entertainment.
First Blood Part II finds Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Stallone) incarcerated in a manual labour prison following his actions in First Blood. He is soon approached by his former commander and friend Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna), who makes Rambo a deal that could land him a presidential pardon. Rambo's mission is to head into the jungles of Vietnam to gather intelligence on a prison camp where American MIAs might still be held captive some ten years after the war ended. Thus, Rambo is dropped into the middle of the jungle, but is soon betrayed and left for dead by bureaucratic government official Murdock (Charles Napier) while surrounded by hundreds of Vietnamese soldiers. Once Rambo is set loose, bullets fly and blood is spilled. Despite the inclusion of a third-act speech in which Rambo laments the treatment of Vietnam veterans by the United States government, the meaningful subtext of First Blood is absent. There is little wonder why this film earned Razzie Awards for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay...
Close behind Commando in the ranking of "most iconic '80s action movie", First Blood Part II continues the tradition of a one-man army single-handedly laying waste to hundreds of bad guys. Also, like Commando, Rambo relies more on his brawn than his brains. With huge muscles, even bigger machine guns, explosive-tipped arrows and the iconic Rambo survival knife, the film supports the "peace through superior firepower" mantra of the Ronald Regan era which saw the Soviet Union collapse and the Americans winning the Cold War. Nobody will mistake First Blood Part II as a quality movie from a critical standpoint, mind you, as it's predictable, lacking in original ideas, and repetitive. After all, this is merely a badass macho male fantasy which was ostensibly created to convince Americans that they could have won Vietnam if only John Rambo was let loose on the Vietnamese troops. To the credit of director George P. Cosmatos (Cobra), the action is well-handled and spectacular, while the film also benefits from returning composer Jerry Goldsmith's exciting score.
It's not often that an actor portrays more than one popular, identifiable hero. Harrison Ford notably pulled it off with Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and CIA agent Jack Ryan. But Stallone also did it, playing both Rocky Balboa and John J. Rambo (and, more recently, Barney Ross in the Expendables series). While Rocky was everyone's favourite underdog, Rambo is a character who emphasises the roots of America's resentment over losing the Vietnam War. Naturally, Americans like to win, and the Rambo series therefore provides this type of prototypical, patriotic fantasy. Rambo: First Blood Part II marked the decline of Stallone's career as an actor, though - he proved his acting chops in First Blood and 1976's Rocky, but, as he continued to star in more action movies (Cobra, Demolition Man, Tango & Cash) and Rocky sequels, he became more of a presence than an actual actor. He also became a mainstay at the Razzie Awards, earning frequent nominations. Stallone's performance here is undoubtedly pedestrian and at times laughable, yet he's still an appealing presence and a convincing man of action. The supporting actors are mostly effective, from Napier as a shady bureaucrat to the recognisable Steven Berkoff (Octopussy, A Clockwork Orange) as a Soviet Lieutenant Colonel, while Crenna remains a superlative Colonel Trautman.
At the end of the day, Rambo: First Blood Part II is a tour de force of '80s-style action. With Vietnam in the peripheries, the movie is also similar to the Chuck Norris vehicle Missing in Action, which was released a year prior. Of course, the '80s was all about Vietnam - the notion of American MIAs still being held captive in Vietnam was the subject of several action films (Missing in Action, Uncommon Valor), while the war itself was explored in several classics (Platoon, Full Metal Jacket). Look, First Blood Part II may be as mindless as they come, but it's hardly dull. It cannot be defended as anything other than a guilty pleasure, and that's good enough as long as you have a taste for the action genre.
6.9/10
