Rambo

For the 1988 NES video game Rambo see Rambo (video game).

Rambo is a trilogy of popular action films based on the characters created by David Morrell in his novel First Blood. The films are: First Blood (1982), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), and Rambo III (1988). A fourth film is expected sometime in 2006. The films focus on a troubled Vietnam War veteran, John J. Rambo, who is greatly skilled in all aspects of survival.

In popular culture, the name has become an eponym for a 'tactic' of mindless aggression. .

Contents 1 First Blood 2 Rambo: First Blood Part II 3 Rambo III 4 Rambo IV 5 The animated series 5.1 Plot 5.2 Complete episode listing 6 Video games 7 Trivia 8 Pop culture references 9 External links

First Blood

Main article: First Blood

The first movie begins with the titular character, played by Sylvester Stallone, returning from the Vietnam War and searching for an old Army buddy. Discovering that his friend had died of cancer, he prepares to move on, but is picked up by the local sheriff, Will Teasle, (Brian Dennehy) who doesn't want transients hanging around town. Teasle attempts to deliver Rambo on the other side of town, past the border; however, Rambo defiantly walks back into town. Sheriff Teasle arrests Rambo and brings him to the station. While Teasle is indifferent to Rambo, one of his deputies sadistically abuses him. During a forced shower with firehose, where he is beaten, Rambo has a wartime flashback of his experience as a POW in Vietnam. Drawing on his skills as a former member of the Army Special Forces, Rambo escapes from the town jail and flees into the local mountains. During the pursuit, a deputy falls to his death from a helicopter while attempting to shoot Rambo. He had led the abuse, but was a good friend of the sheriff, and his death cements the duel between Rambo and Teasle.

The sheriff tries to "hunt" Rambo down; however, Rambo is too well trained, and continuously eludes the posse. The National Guard is then called in.

The Army sends Colonel Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna) to help the sheriff and the National Guard unit capture Rambo. Despite his advice to let Rambo defuse himself, and peacefully arrest him later, Teasle refuses his help. Worried that the Army is trying to protect their "asset," and to settle a personal score, Teasle continues his hunt. Trautman informs the sheriff that he isn't trying to protect Rambo from the sheriff, but to protect the police from Rambo.

The National Guard corner Rambo at a mine enterance. They fire a M-72 LAW into the mine enterance burning Rambo but not killing him. The search is then called off. Rambo then escapes the mine through an alternate exit. His anger is such that he now decides to attack the town. He hijacks a truck along with an M60 machine gun. Entering town, he proceeds to go on a destructive rampage.

After incredible amounts of property damage, Rambo stalks Teasle and is at the point of killing him when Col. Trautman tries to persuade Rambo to surrender. What results is an emotional and political monologue by Rambo: Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don't turn it off! It wasn't my war! You asked me, I didn't ask you! And I did what I had to do to win! But somebody wouldn't let us win!. He also talks about how liberal protestors in America spat on him and decried him for doing what he had to do to win and how he was treated when he returned to the U.S. The film ends with Rambo being escorted from what's left of the town police station in handcuffs. (The filmmakers originally intended for Rambo to commit suicide. This ending was abandoned when test audiences were strangely indifferent to his fate; if there was no great emotional involvement, it was felt that they might as well leave the door open for sequels. In the novel, Rambo is shot by Colonel Trautman).

Rambo: First Blood Part II

The second movie, Rambo: First Blood Part II, has Rambo released from prison by Federal order to document the possible existence of POWs in Vietnam, under the belief that he will find nothing and the government can sweep the issue under the rug. Rambo, with the assistance of a local woman Co Bao (Julia Nickson-Soul), does find American POWs and tries to escape with one. Marshall Murdock (Charles Napier), in charge of the operation, orders that Rambo be abandoned, and all documentation of POWs be destroyed. Rambo is taken into captivity, and tortured by Soviet troops. With the help of Co (who is later killed), Rambo escapes, destroys nearly the entire hostile army, and flies back to Thailand with the rescued POWs. He then threatens Murdock to find the remaining POWs, or Rambo will find them.

This movie (and the whole Rambo trilogy) is laced with Wagnerian and Arthurian symbolism, including a descent into the underworld, identity with a unique blade, and betrayal by one's countrymen. The red headband Rambo fashions from Co Bao's dress following her death in First Blood Part II represents the garters worn by old chivalrous knights.

There is also a David Morrell novel of the second movie, but unlike the first book this was written after rather than before the movie.

Rambo III

The third movie, Rambo III, sees Rambo going to Afghanistan to rescue Colonel Trautman, who was captured while trying to document the atrocities of the occupying Russian army on the local forces, so the U.S. government would aid them. With the help of the Mujahideen, Rambo is able to rescue Trautman and eliminate the homicidal Russian commander in that region.

The film is seen by many critics as politically confused in that it seems to simultanously delight in seeing the Russians suffer their own Vietnam while at the same time promoting the goodness of the American effort in Vietnam.

Rambo IV

There are rumours about a possible Rambo IV coming in 2006. Quote from Stallone about Rambo IV:

"It won't be what you think - not the same Rambo with the headband. In keeping with some sort of believability, he would be passing the torch to a younger generation of high-tech combatants. We're working on an interesting premise where Rambo is brought back from living on a ranch somewhere, and because of his skills in jungle warfare and survival, he's asked to lead a young group in a search-and-rescue mission. They can't believe this decrepit guy is a war hero, but when their technology fails, they see where Rambo excels."

The major development for Rambo IV occurred in May 2005 when British-based independent media production company, Alpha1Media, published their popular and controversial treatment for the film, titled 'Rambo IV: Holy War.' [1] The company also exclusively broke the news that the film rights for Rambo had been sold by Miramax to Millennium Films.

On October 28, 2005, CNN confirmed on their website of Stallone's plans to produce the fourth Rambo film. They explain the basic plot and production plans[2]:

"Rambo IV" centers on former Vietnam vet John Rambo, who is living a reclusive life back home in the U.S. But when a girl goes missing, he is forced to abandon his quiet lifestyle and take justice into his own hands.

No director is attached, and the screenplay is in the early stages. The independently produced $50 million film is set to begin shooting in the spring in Mexico and the U.S.

The animated series

In 1986, the Rambo series was adaptated in a syndicated animated series titled Rambo and the Forces of Freedom. It ran for 65 episodes. The complete series is currently in the process of being released on DVD. Four volumes in the complete release have been released so far. The cartoon series debuted in April of 1986 as a five part mini series, and was renewed in September as a daily cartoon. However, the series only lasted one season and was cancelled in December of the same year (65 episodes were made in total).

Plot

In the cartoon, Rambo was now part of a team called The Force of Freedom which went on missions around the world battling against the evil organization S.A.V.A.G.E., led by General Warhawk. Although the cartoon was filled with much fighting and gun fire, there was never any sensational violence, blood or gore, and rarely did anyone ever die. Rambo used violence as a last resort and relied on quick thinking and fast moves to outwit his opponents — a character trait not consistent with the film version.

Complete episode listing

Video games

• Rambo (video game) NES title by Acclaim
• Sega Master System Rambo First Blood Part 2
• Sega Genesis System Rambo 3
• Rambo II was turned into a successful video game available for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64.

Trivia

• John Rambo was born in 1946, and is half German and half Italian. He is a qualified helicopter pilot.
• The song was written by Jerry Goldsmith.
• The Japanese title of First Blood is Rambo (ランボー). 'Ranbou' in Japanese, incidentally, means 'violent/rough'.
• There is an actual family of Swedish origin that bears the name Rambo. The name was taken by Peter Gunnarsson (1612-1698) and comes from Ramberget (87 m), located on Hisingen, in northwestern Gothenburg. Some of them have had a military career.
• Peter Gunnarsson Rambo brought apple seeds with him from Sweden. The Rambo Apple is still grown in several of the northeastern states in USA.
• The name 'Rambo' (according to the author David Morrell) came from the author Rimbaud (sometimes pronounced 'Rambo') and the Rambo Apple.

Pop culture references

• Someone who is fighting alone in a difficult situation, or being brave and stupid is often described as "being a Rambo".
• In the video game series Metal Gear, Solid Snake's commander in operation Colonel Roy Campbell bears a resemblance to Colonel Trautman. Solid Snake also wears a bandana and takes on armies almost singlehandedly (albeit in a sneaky, evasive manner, in contrast to Rambo's more "direct" approach). Also, in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the character must survive in a Russian forest, eating whatever is on hand. One of the weapons available is similar to Rambo's trademark M-60. When fired for a sustained period, the character lets out a battle cry.
• In a scene from the 1987 film Wall Street, two men are shown talking in a bar discussing a young executive who has made $650k despite being only 26 years old; one of the men remarks "I'm telling you, the guy is Rambo".
• In Gremlins 2, Gizmo watches the scene in Rambo III where Rambo uses a bow with explosive-tipped arrows, and later dresses up like Rambo, complete with bow and arrow.
• In the action comedy movie Hot Shots! Part Deux, Charlie Sheen's character is a parody of Rambo. (The plot structure of the entire film echoes that of Rambo III.)
• In DC Comics, one of the Green Lantern Corps, Guy Gardner, is nicknamed "Rambo with a Ring".
• In Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arnie's character notices a publicity poster for Rambo, and after reassuring himself of his own strength, disdainfully dismisses Rambo.
• In True Lies, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arnie's on screen wife says "I married Rambo" after he machine guns some terrorists.
• In the computer game Soldat, the "Rambo mode" gametype gives the first player to get a kill a bow and arrow capable of killing in one hit. Other players become the "Rambo" when they kill the current "Rambo". Players are only rewarded for fragging the Rambo.
• Video game character Jazz Jackrabbit is a Rambo-like rabbit, with even the red bandana.
• In the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series, the character of Rocksteady was seen armed with an automatic rifle which resembles the M60 machine gun, Rambo's weapon of choice in the first two Rambo films, in the early episodes of the 1987 series. Another possible reference to Rambo can be found in Rocksteady's attire with Rocksteady wearing a pair of military cargo trousers, combat boots and a singlet as well as Rocksteady sporting a bullet belt and a Bowie knife.
• In the Green Jellÿ song "Three Little Pigs", after the Wolf tries to blow down the third Pig's house, the Pigs "called nine-eleven, like any piggy would" and "they sent out RAMBO, just as fast, as they could" who declares "YO, WOLF-FACE, I'M YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE, YOUR ASS IS MINE!!!" and causes a lot of damage before the wolf falls dead.
• In Lord of War, the son of Andrea Baptise asked Yuri Orlov if he could have the gun of Rambo (M60).
• In Demolition Man, another Stallone movie, villain Simon Pheonix smashes the glass of the musem display of a 20th century soldier, and says "sorry Rambo, I'm gonna need these" before taking the soldier's guns.
• In Tango & Cash, yet another Stallone movie, a policeman asks Stallone's character, Ray Tango, who he thinks he is, "Rambo?". Tango replies that "Rambo is a pussy."
• In the Dead Kennedys song "Stars and Stripes of Corruption", there is a lyric that says "Honesty ain’t all that hard, just put rambo back inside your pants"
• In the Rage Against the Machine song "No Shelter" the lyrics have the lines "Coca-Cola is back in the veins of Saigon, And Rambo too, he got a dope pair of Nikes on".

For the band, see R.A.M.B.O..

Rambo is also the name of a village in Vindeln Municipality and a hill in Åtvidaberg Municipality.

External links

• First Blood at The Internet Movie Database
• Rambo: First Blood Part II at The Internet Movie Database
• Rambo: III at The Internet Movie Database
• Rambo IV at The Internet Movie Database
• Official polish website: http://www.rambo.pl
• Rambo IV: [3]
• Movieprop.com: Rambo
  
  

A screenplay for "First blood"

The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambo:_First_Blood under GFDL