This is the fourth installment in the Rambo franchise that was highly popular and received worldwide throughout the 1980s. You know…back when almost any Sylvester Stallone movie turned into a hit. Tango and Cash, Over the Top, and Cobra were a few of my favorite Sly movies from the 80s, but we all know he ruled the late 70s and all the 80s with two characters: Rocky Balboa and John Rambo. Stallone is now well into his 60s and still in phenomenal condition, but are we really going to buy into this? Well, something that got me curious is the fact that Lionsgate films took control of developing this movie. Why? Well, you know they’re the same company that puts out movies like Saw, American Psycho, The Devils Rejects…just to name a few. Could we expect some graphic scenes? You better believe it!

So Rambo IV or officially titled Rambo took place almost exactly 20 years after the last movie. Almost immediately into the movie, scenes are shown of a violent country where the military is corrupt and are killing innocent civilians for fun, capturing sons and forcing them into their military, and just torturing people to show off their power. The close-ups of dead bodies were disturbing and bodies exploding look like something out of a Mortal Kombat video game. It’s not like we were expecting much dialogue from Stallone in this movie right? It only makes sense add more graphic violence and explosions.

Rambo has become a loner of sorts and is now living among the locals in the Southeastern Asian country of Burma. Tough guy Rambo is kind of a blacksmith and a snake catcher of some sort…his quiet demeanor doesn’t really command much respect and he doesn’t really get any either.

Rambo is found by a group of American doctors that ask him to take them down the river to a specific village where it’s known many people need medical attention. At first he declines…at this point Rambo is heartless and has given up hope on all of humanity…but somehow he reconsiders when a female doctor persistently requests his services and finds a soft spot in him.

On the trip down the river, a gang of boat pirates try to confiscate their boat and were going to cause harm to the female doctor. This is where Rambo flips and takes out three or four guys all by himself. It freaks out couple of the doctors, but they press on.

After the doctors arrive to the village, they settled in quickly and were tending to the injuries of the people. Not long after they got situated, the corrupt military starts setting off explosions and start killing the village people again and captured the doctors as hostages.

Since the doctors never returned, another guy from their group back in the U.S finds Rambo and requests his services to lead a group of mercenaries to where the doctors were dropped off. This is where the rescue mission and the excitement begins.

Although not my favorite installment, I have to say again this is the most violent and graphic of all the Rambo movies I’ve seen…definitely not for the weak of heart. The movie is definitely action packed, the storyline moves quickly, and doesn’t drag on.

Sponge Rating: 6.5/10 sponges

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