Rambo: Review By casparjah

John Rambo, the killing machine was back, if only for 91 minutes. And boy, what a ride it was.

First let me address the story. I gave the story a 4.5. The biggest reason was my surprise at the fact it tried for substance. Something not really present since First Blood. There were some cliches there, but, hey this IS a Rambo movie after all. The idea he is on a rescue mission, but not really was good. It kept things believeable for those of us who remember all the originals. Rambo should be at peace somewhere hiding away. Hell, he was trying to in the first one, and at the start of the second one too. I also have to say that even though the end is predictable and a little cheesy, I think it closes out the Rambo saga well. It was what First Blood was all about to begin with. The long journey home of a soldier. Nice, touch.

Now, the acting. Okay, this is Stallone here. He isn't an Oscar winning actor in this role. But, he doesn't have to be. He only had to be believeable, which I was surprised to see that he was. A quiet man, at peace with the world and himself. I believed it. A far cry from the screaming, headband wearing freak that Rambo became when he ended up in Afghanistan in III.

Now, I gave a little lower score here because I was looking for more from Julie Benz. But, alas, they did not use her fully. I have followed some of her stuff since she first showed up on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (TV), and the "Jawbreaker" movie. Now, she isn't a prize winner either, but there was more that she could've brought. But, alas, the story didn't allow for it. Sad, just sad. The others in the film were suitable. And that is all they had to be for this to work.

Directing and visuals...WOW! Let me say it again, WOW! The level of detail, gore, body parts, etc. It was scary realistic. I found I was really enjoying the action. And here is the funny thing. The movie probably upped the body count over previous Rambo movies. But it did it with class and a few .50 cals. Amazing show.

So, this movie is NOT for kids. Where the extreme nature of previous Rambo films was high, but the realism was a little foggy, shall we say, this movie made me think of Saving Private Ryan with its realism. And that is why I think I was impressed. Now, was this a great film? Not exactly, but the small details surprised me and that made it so enjoyable.