Movie Review: Rambo IV


How do I review a film like this? It’s this internal struggle of whether to take it seriously or accept it for what it is: a corny, over-the-top action thriller. That’s what I hoped for, and that’s exactly what Rambo provides the audience with.
John Rambo (none other than Sylvester Stallone) returns after 20 years, now living in Thailand. His mission: to help bring a group of nice Christian Americans safely up a river to war-torn Burma to bring medical supplies. Traveling up a river in a small boat through a war-devastated country, sounds kind of like Apocalypse Now only Marlon Brando does not wait at the end of the river for us. Only a bunch of crazed rebels.
Stallone delivers an Oscar Worthy performance (just kidding). His performance is just like that of the rest of the series; much grunting and shouting and a whole lot of killing.
Whether you should see it, it’s all up to you. If you want to see a violent work of art, go see There Will Be Blood or No Country for Old Men instead. Those of you looking for a fun 90 minutes at the movies filled with brutal killing and hammy laughs, this is the movie for you. I had a blast, and most likely, so will you.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/10821737841625119601 Jon

    Ian, I dont mean to take issue with your review, but to imply that No Country for Old Men would satisfy the same movie goer’s need as Rambo, I disagree with. Rambo was blood guts guns and gore begining to end. NCOM was plot/story driven. Did rambo even have a plot? I must have missed it when my attention was instead drawn to the beautiful depiction of the anti-personel mines capibilities. Rambo was exactly what should have been expected, non stop over the top carnage. THAT is why I went to see it. No character development, no factual grounding, completely suspended reality. This isnt to imply that NCOM is more realistic, but rather that “realism” was not in the creators mind when making Rambo. One should walk out of NCOM thinking of what happended to the charicters, Rambo patrons would only discuss which explosions created the coolest effects. All in all, I think that both have their own unique target market and BOTH sucessfully achieved their ends. NCOM perhaps appeals to the Rambo demographic but that was not their primary aim. In my opinion Rambo should not be viewed with the same artistic eye as NCOM. If you name is Vlad Tepes, NCOM would not meet your needs anywhere close to the blood drenched Rambo.
    Fuzz

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/10821737841625119601 Jon

    please do excuse, I mis read your review, you do not imply that the fill the same desire! MY BAD! please feel free to delete my ramblings!

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/03535468365333337862 Ian Phillips

    Although Rambo does finally return home in the end, that’s deep man…real deep

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/10821737841625119601 Jon

    no one needs to even hang around the theater that long. the last shot fired, ok there is the door lets use it! thank god there wasnt some “heartfelt” homecoming scene with R.Rambo. Sly knew to not even go there, his audience just doesnt care

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/03535468365333337862 Ian Phillips

    That’s the strongest(and probably the only strong)point of Sly’s writing/directing of the film: it’s not a sequel begging ending like the end of most action films, he finally realized it was time to end this character, and it should be this way.