Plot
John Rambo is still living a quiet life in Thailand, when he is happened upon by a group of Christian Missionaries, who want him to take them up the river into Burma to get aid to the locals as a war is raging on.
John refuses, and soon discover that they have been taken hostage. Changing his mind, he tags along with an army team to take them up the river in order to help rescue them – and wages war on those keeping them hostage.
Direction
Directed by Sylvester Stallone. The direction is chaotic, and bloody, which does not shy away from the horrors of wartime.
Filmed in the jungles of Thailand, the graphic violence… is a little much at times, and after the umpteenth person is blown to smithereens, it becomes more laughable than anything else.
Cast
Sylvester Stallone returns of course as John Rambo.
Julie Benz plays Sarah, one of the Christian Missionaries.
Paul Schulze plays her husband Michael.
There is Lewis (Graham McTavish), and his team including Matthew Marsden as School Boy, and Tim Kang as En-Joo among others.
Breakdown
Fourth installment in the Rambo franchise, is the weakest by far. At 87m with credits, it is still a drag to watch.
Rambo is still living in Thailand, and decades have passed since his involvment in Afghanistan. He is approaced by some Christian Missionaries, who want him to take them up the river to Burma, where they want to help with the genocide that is occuring… naturally he declines – as it is too dangerous.
He is (minutes later in view time, hours later in ‘film time’) met by the ‘tough but good hearted’ Sarah – who has an emotional plea to him to change his mind. I hated this exchange between these characters, as it all happens way too early in the film – and John is essentially “just” a boat pilot to them. It makes no sense for this type of conversation to take place… anyway… this changes Rambo’s mind – and he takes them. The pacing, could have done with much more work, and even if they added an extra 10 minutes to scren time, this would have made this ‘relationship’ stronger.
This causes more conflict soon after, when they are attacked by pirates, and the ‘peaceful(?)’ John kills the pirates (much to the horror of his Christian passengers… who want to go to a warzone… where people are killing…
He drops them off, and they are attacked and kidnapped by the Burmese following a brutal attack on a small village (one of many greusome war scenes that serve only to show different ways for people to be shot, stabbed or blown up).
Rambo then is asked to go rescue Sarah etc, and he tags along with an SAS group (he wants to go this time, but is rejected by the cliche ‘hard as nails’ SAS boss Lewis. His character is the most frustrating portrayal of over the top – antagonistic to the hero for no reason.
Once up river (again) they have the typical third act bloodbath, where once again we are subjected to as many new ways people can get shot, stabbed, blown up etc. After a while, it is no longer graphic, but just comical.
There is also no ‘real’ villain (unlike the previous films where they have all had tension between John, or at least Sam Trautman). Here he is almost unnamed, and is clearly a horrible man (and a peadophile).
My problem also stemmed with ‘why’ John took things so personal this time around. He did not want to take them up the river orignially, only reluctangly took them in the end… then he begs to join Lewis’ team to save them.
The eventual ‘reunion’ between Sarah and her husband once safe, is supposed to be an ’emotional ending’ but it doesn’t have that effect. Sarah is also the one who talks John into finally reconnecting with his long estranged father back in the states, which we have never heard of before this (surely he would have wanted to see him all the way back in the first film 26 years ago?)
Overall
At 87m with credits, I got bored. This feels like more a passion project from Stallone, to remember his glory days (and add as many brutal ways to die as you can think of).
His chaotic direction, the initial ‘conflict/Rambo’s mission’, his ‘friendship’ with Sarah (and the backstory with his father?) the big bad being pedophile (that is only briefly shown), and the forced emotion is way too forced.
Unfortunately this is a miss on so many levels.
Followed by Last Blood in 2018.
1.5/5
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