Since his first appearance in 1982’s First Blood, Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo has been an action legend. A surprisingly complex character bolstered by Stallone’s unexpectedly good performance across nearly four decades also sets the franchise apart from usual action fodder.Though, that doesn’t mean the character hasn’t had some missteps along the way. And, now that Rambo: Last Blood has hit theaters and the character has sung his swan song, Def Pen thought it’d be a good time to look back at the franchise. Here’s our definitive ranking of the Rambo franchise:
5. Rambo III – 1988
Even amongst Rambo stans, Rambo III is the one that gets ignored. Having ditched the thought-provoking themes from the first film altogether, Rambo III feels hollow from a storytelling perspective. Not only that, but it also ditched the compelling action and fantastic set pieces of First Blood Part II. What’s left is a film that’s doesn’t work as a commentary on war OR as an action film. Instead, it flounders in late-Cold War hysteria as Rambo takes on seemingly endless waves of Soviet soldiers. It felt like Stallone saw the surprising fan embrace of Rocky IV, which similarly saw the hero take on the entirety of the U.S.S.R., and just tried to run it back with Rambo rather than Balboa. However, Stallone missed the entire point of the franchise by going for balls to the wall action and basically ignoring any sense of guilt, regret, or doubt that John Rambo would’ve felt in the first two films.
4. Rambo – 2008
So, while not the best by any means, Stallone’s 2008 foray back into the Rambo well isn’t bad by any means either. The film lands closer to First Blood Part II in its balance of action and meaning. However, it does flirt pretty heavily with the over-the-top ridiculousness of Rambo III. Plus, the sheer amount of casualties and buckets of blood spilled seems at odds with one of the most prevalent themes of the original films and struggles of the younger character. John Rambo has always been slow to violence, having seen more than his fair share of death and destruction in Vietnam and the earlier films. Had this one landed closer to the original First Blood in its message, I honestly think we’d be on Rambo 6 or 7 right now. Rather than it ending with the fifth installment, Last Blood.
3. Rambo: Last Blood – 2019
Speaking of Rambo: Last Blood, the final installment in the franchise did a surprisingly adept job and finishing off the story. Sure, it falls into similar territory as the two films that precede it as it’s OVER-THE-TOP gory and sees Rambo taking on a Mexican human smuggling ring. But, let’s remember that every Rambo film has tapped into some American hysteria by featuring whatever topical national ‘villains’ are being paraded around. And, for the first time ever really, the character is given a real compelling reason to become a human meat-grinder. I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it yet but because of what happens in this one, no amount of bloody, gory, brutal kills are enough for either Rambo or the audience to feel satisfied. It’s a badass send-off fit only for the most badass action hero of all-time.
2. Rambo: First Blood Part II – 1985
The difference between Rambo: First Blood Part II and First Blood is comprable to the difference between Alien and Aliens. In both cases, the first film is a darker, slower look at one character’s struggle to survive against insurmountable odds. Also in both cases, the second carries the torch for the overt themes but mostly gone are quieter character moments. Instead replaced with bombastic action and epic set pieces. That’s not to say First Blood Part II is bad by any means though, quite the opposite actually. For all it’s flaws as a ‘serious’ film, First Blood Part II did leave an indelible mark on the action drama and helped cement Rambo as a bonafide action legend. And honestly, the few character-centric moments we do get in the film continue to highlight Stallone’s underrated talent and play out as thematic echoes of First Blood.
1. First Blood – 1982
So, growing up I thought, as I’m sure most people did, that Rambo was nothing but a war machine with a thirst for blood and an ironclad will to stay alive. Imagine my surprise when I learn that First Blood, the film that started it all isn’t even an action film in the true sense of the word. Equally a thrilling tale of survival and a thoughtful meditation on the price of war, First Blood sits on a level alone as the best film in the franchise. The John Rambo we see in this one is struggling just to keep his head above water. Plus, Stallone’s true acting talent is unleashed here as a quiet reserved Rambo with the trauma of his fractured psyche obvious in his deliveries and written all over his face throughout. Though themes here carried over into First Blood Part II and, to an extent, Rambo (2008); it was the first film that was unafraid to turn the outward turmoil faced by John Rambo into a reflection of the pain, regret, and unfathomable sadness carried inside the character after the atrocities he faced in war.
