Review: RAMBO

So it was a very eventful weekend, movie wise, for me…I finally broke out of my shell and went to TWO count them two movies.

Not that it really counts since the first movie I took in was a second viewing of Cloverfield ….which only got better the second time around. I didn’t even really mind all the set up work. But, that’s not the movie I was really excited about seeing this weekend I was looking forward to a little Opus known as RAMBO (Rambo #4 for those scoring at home).

Going into the movie here were the areas of concern for me:
1) It was starring Sylvester Stallone
2) it was written by Sylvester Stallone
3) it was produced by Sylvester Stallone
4) it was directed by Sylvester Stallone
5) SYLVESTER STALLONE IS 61 YEARS OLD

But, I am a twenty something male who owns and loves the other three movies so it was really a given that I would show up to the theatre for this one too. Plus, it has one of my favorite actresses in the form of Julie Benz (Old school Angel Alum, and current Dexter hottie).

Stallone has said in interviews that the violence in this movie is ramped up to bring attention to the plight of people in Burma….since day in and day out these are the situation that they have to actually deal with!

As for said violence...Carrie Rickey of the Philadelphia Enquirer referred to it as “a slab of action Porn”. Not really sure what that means? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we all love it but hate to have other people know we love it!! Or, I could be way off base.

From an acting perspective….Stallone knows his range and stays there…and for a character who really has no true emotions left…it works well. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see a senior citizen move as well as he did in his return to the role. I was also happy to see that when the final climactic battle gets underway….Rambo shows his age a little…enough said.

I also thought that Julie Benz played the damsel in distress roll well. She was the obvious moral compass of the movie. I would have loved more screen time for her. I thought that maybe she would get John Rambo to open up a little bit…could have been interesting.

But, overall I would say that if you are looking for a good action movie (and Stallone still knows action) with a ton of shooting, killing, exploding heads (thought I was watching a George Romero zombie flick there for a second!) this movie is the guilty pleasure you have been waiting for.

No motion sickness issues like with Cloverfield, no indepth emotional storyline to worry about…no distracting best acting award winners to make you think…just John Rambo, a bow and arrow, some guns and a lot of pissed off Burmese soldiers!!