In theaters. Rated R.
After helping the Taliban kick the Russians out of Afghanistan in Rambo III, John Rambo has spent his last few years in war-torn Burma (also known as Myanmar), catching snakes to sell and serving as a river guide with his boat. When a group of naïve Christian missionaries from Colorado ask him to go upriver to deliver medicine, he balks but the female in the group gets to him and encourages him to engage in life and try to help people. Of course the village gets ravaged and the missionaries are taken prisoner. Mercenaries are hired to rescue them and Rambo takes them upriver. Of course, the plan will go awry and Rambo will have to kill lots of people. (Dudes, click below for the rest)
As an actor, Sylvester Stallone doesn’t give himself too much to do, but has carved out 2 very distinct iconic characters. Rocky is heart and soul and Rambo is blood and guts. The fact that they are so different has to count for something. The rest of the actors are sufficient without being distracting or particularly memorable. Stallone is a better writer than a director which is why Rocky Balboa is a better film than Rambo. Not a lot of dialogue is needed here. Some of Stallone’s directorial choices are routine (like the dream sequence) and it’s difficult to distinguish the geography of the characters during the rescue sequence. His best choice is to go to the extreme with the war crimes and violence, although he did pull some punches with the abuse and rape of women (thankfully – he’s got to sell some tickets after all). Making it this violent (4-5 times as gory as Saving Private Ryan - seriously) makes it both memorable and unexpectedly potent, shedding light on the war crimes being committed in Myanmar (and no doubt Iraq).
The movie brings up important issues without even realizing it. Violence is always the answer here - and unavoidable. Even the pacifist Christian doctor who threatens to turn Rambo in for murder early in the movie kills during the climactic battle. Peace through violence is unlike anything Hollywood has released in the past several years. For better or worse, this movie will be played in the Army barracks like Girls Gone Wild at a frathouse. The futility of religion is also shown, but some would argue that no one would have been saved without the persistence of the missionaries. Blessedly, the film avoids the speechifying that made the wrap-ups of First Blood, and Part II (especially II) unravel. It also uses a team instead of Rambo going solo – also an improvement. It’s quite a rush – my adrenal glands give it an A. But my testosterone-soaked brain is still running things - for now. Dudes: B Ladies: C-
The movie brings up important issues without even realizing it. Violence is always the answer here - and unavoidable. Even the pacifist Christian doctor who threatens to turn Rambo in for murder early in the movie kills during the climactic battle. Peace through violence is unlike anything Hollywood has released in the past several years. For better or worse, this movie will be played in the Army barracks like Girls Gone Wild at a frathouse. The futility of religion is also shown, but some would argue that no one would have been saved without the persistence of the missionaries. Blessedly, the film avoids the speechifying that made the wrap-ups of First Blood, and Part II (especially II) unravel. It also uses a team instead of Rambo going solo – also an improvement. It’s quite a rush – my adrenal glands give it an A. But my testosterone-soaked brain is still running things - for now. Dudes: B Ladies: C- 
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