Rambo III is directed by Peter MacDonald and written by Sylvester Stallone and Sheldon Lettich. It stars Stallone, Richard Crenna, Marc de Jong, Kurtwood Smith, Sasson Gabai and Spiros Focas. Music is scored by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by John Stanier. Plot finds John Rambo (Stallone) trying to lead something resembling a normal life in Thailand. But when his only friend in the world, Colonel Sam Trautman (Crenna), is captured and imprisoned by Soviet forces in Afghanistan, Rambo is thrust in to a deadly mission to break his friend out whilst simultaneously helping mujahideen rebels fight Soviet oppression.
Lets cut to the chase, Rambo III is an irritant to anyone bothered by its politics and portents, but to the action film fan the rewards are many, very much so. Struggling to break even at the American box office back in 88, clearly the Rambo brand in his own country was wearing thin, but globally? It coined it in. Evidently there were enough action film fans out there lapping it up, and rightly so because Rambo III is a fierce and highly octane piece of cinema.
Plot is simplicity, but what stunts, what outrageousness of action construction. Helicopter attacks stir the blood, underground stalk and kills are tense and laced with drama, self surgery is hold your breath time and machismo? Here by the bucket load as Stallone, in magnificent shape, defines once again the Rambo one man army persona. While the wonderful Crenna also gets to kick ass as the finale plays out in a whirl of pyrotechnics and punch the air bravado. It's also a beautifully shot film out of Thailand and Israel, and scored with the usual atomic bluster by Goldsmith.
As usual there's not much depth of characterisation on show, though Rambo does come with a bit more humanity this time, and the insertion of a kid side-kick is as pointless as it is twee. Yet as unsubtle as it is, as true to the Rambo formula as you expect, this is one mighty action film and very much recommended to those looking for high energy thrills and much murder death kill. 7/10
Lets cut to the chase, Rambo III is an irritant to anyone bothered by its politics and portents, but to the action film fan the rewards are many, very much so. Struggling to break even at the American box office back in 88, clearly the Rambo brand in his own country was wearing thin, but globally? It coined it in. Evidently there were enough action film fans out there lapping it up, and rightly so because Rambo III is a fierce and highly octane piece of cinema.
Plot is simplicity, but what stunts, what outrageousness of action construction. Helicopter attacks stir the blood, underground stalk and kills are tense and laced with drama, self surgery is hold your breath time and machismo? Here by the bucket load as Stallone, in magnificent shape, defines once again the Rambo one man army persona. While the wonderful Crenna also gets to kick ass as the finale plays out in a whirl of pyrotechnics and punch the air bravado. It's also a beautifully shot film out of Thailand and Israel, and scored with the usual atomic bluster by Goldsmith.
As usual there's not much depth of characterisation on show, though Rambo does come with a bit more humanity this time, and the insertion of a kid side-kick is as pointless as it is twee. Yet as unsubtle as it is, as true to the Rambo formula as you expect, this is one mighty action film and very much recommended to those looking for high energy thrills and much murder death kill. 7/10