AC/AL 2008 93m ENGLISH BN/GV/RP CAST: Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Paul Shulze, Matthew Marsden, Graham McTavish, Tim Kang, Rey Gallegos, Jake La Botz, Maung Maung Khin & Ken Howard CREDITS: Director: Sylvester Stallone; Screenwriters: Art Monterastelli/Sylvester Stallone; Producers: Avi Lerner/Kevin King-Templeton/John Thompson; Director of Photography: Glen MacPherson; Production Designer: Franco-Giacomo Carbone; Editor: Sean Albertson; Costume Designer: Lizz Wolf; Music: Brian Tyler THE SYNOPSIS Former Vietnam Vet John Rambo (Stallone) lives a simple life in a rural Thai village near the Burmese border. He captures snakes for local entertainers and transports groups in his old PT boat for a quiet living. Following repeated pleas, Rambo helps ferry a group of Christian aid workers—led by idealistic Michael Burnett (Schulze) and his better half, Sarah (Benz)—into civil war-torn Burma for a humanitarian mission. After killing a band of marauding river pirates, Rambo delivers the missionaries to their intended village. The mission is going well until the village is attacked, and the missionaries are taken prisoner by the soldiers of cruel Maj. Pa Tee Tint (Khin). The missionaries’ minister, Rev. Marsh (Howard), enlists Rambo to rescue his group. Joining the reluctant-but-determined veteran is a tough gang of mercenaries, led by brutal Lewis (McTavish) and level-headed Schoolboy (Marsden). Burma becomes even bloodier killing field as Rambo unleashes an old-fashioned can of American whoop-ass! THE CRITIQUE As with 2006’s Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone once again steps into the screenwriter/director/producer/star mantle, but comes up with (at best) middling results. Sly Stallone’s 4th go-round as estranged Vietnam Veteran John RAMBO doesn’t break new ground in the long-standing action/adventure series, but proves that you’re never too old to lop off the enemy’s head with a machete or shoot the #@$% out of their dense military encampments. Did I mention that he can still break necks with his bare hands? Creating another Rambo movie in the post 9/11 world may seem archaic at best and silly at worst to many (it was written by Stallone & TV maven Art Monterastelli, by the way). The John Rambo character (created by author David Morrell in 1972) is the hyperbolic prodigal child of the Vietnam War Era while the ensuing movies (1982, 1985 & 1988) are steeped in flag-waving Reaganism & imperialistic pro-Americana values. In other words, Rambo is a product of a by-gone era (much like Rocky, I reckon)--and while I love the Rambo movies, this one left me a tad disappointed by its anemic concept and almost-banal execution. And maybe I’m just getting old, but I was a bit turned-off by the movie’s astonishing violence quotient (236 kills). Now, I’ve nothing against good old-fashioned American violence--but this Rambo flick made Scarface look like a PBS Sunday Night Special! Maybe I’m being a bit harsh on the movie but when comparisons are made with the previous entries in this series, I must say that First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II still stand out as the best (the former a tense, terrific action-drama while the latter is a hyperbolic totem of American manhood and ‘80s Communism-sucks mentality). Hell, even Rambo III--for as corny as it was--had Richard Crenna in it! Though...in all fairness, the beloved actor who played Rambo’s mentor Col. Trautman in the first 3 movies died in 2003, but at least Stallone didn’t try to recast the role or anything like that. Additionally, it is nice to see old Sly step into those well-worn combat boots and kick some ass. And I don’t mean old in a derogatory sense; even in his 60s, Sly can still take on all comers and rip ‘em to shreds! As the movie’s helmer, Director Stallone has a keen eye for detail as well as staging action. Looks like he’s done this before! (And he has...) Much to his credit, Stallone (the filmmaker) has always surrounded himself with top-notch, below-the-line talent--and RAMBO is no exception, as he gets some help courtesy of veteran Canadian cinematographer Glen MacPherson (Trick ‘r Treat/2008’s One Missed Call/Romeo Must Die)--whose verdant, widescreen-lensing brings out both the lush beauty of the jungle and the savagery of combat within it. Tech credits across the board are solid, including some sharp cutting by editor, Sean Albertson (Rocky Balboa/TV’s Cold Case) and terrific stunt work by an army of skilled craftspeople. The appropriately verdant and leafy production design is credited to Eli Roth’s favorite P.D. Franco-Giacomo Carbone (Rocky Balboa/Hostel/Cabin Fever). RAMBO was shot in Thailand (standing in for Burma--a.k.a. Myanmar) and in the USA...all of which looks good for its reported $50,000,000 budget--which they probably spent mostly on blood squibs, re-attachable fake body parts and a good supply of Wheaties for Stallone (who’s bulked up again for the role)! THE BOTTOM LINE Although a tad gory and rather anemic in the plot department, this RAMBO movie is still a must-see for Rambo fans and the Philistines out there who want to relive those hazy, lazy days of good old-fashioned American cinematic violence. Now pass me my damned AK-47 along with the popcorn!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screenwriterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_directorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_producerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movie_starhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_filmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_filmramboseries.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramboscarface1983.htmlfirstblood.htmlramboII.htmlramboIII.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Below_the_line_%28film_production%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinematographeronemissedcall2008.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widescreenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinematographyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_editinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_editing#Film_editorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stunthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Production_designerhttp://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=rambo08.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squib_%28explosive%29shapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6shapeimage_2_link_7shapeimage_2_link_8shapeimage_2_link_9shapeimage_2_link_10shapeimage_2_link_11shapeimage_2_link_12shapeimage_2_link_13shapeimage_2_link_14shapeimage_2_link_15shapeimage_2_link_16shapeimage_2_link_17shapeimage_2_link_18shapeimage_2_link_19shapeimage_2_link_20shapeimage_2_link_21shapeimage_2_link_22shapeimage_2_link_23shapeimage_2_link_24shapeimage_2_link_25shapeimage_2_link_26