RAMBO

Running out of ideas.   How long can I keep up blogging every week?  We’ll see, won’t we?  This is actually #708.  

Recently I caught the fifth and most recent, and presumably the last, Rambo film in the movie theater.  I’d seen the first one, of course, in the movie theater in Paris when it came out; I probably saw #2 and 3 on VHS/DVD, and saw #4 on DVD.   I’ll keep it brief as I don’t have a lot to say about this anyway but I still feel the character and films are worth discussing briefly.

RAMBO (First Blood) (1982).   Sylvester Stallone, an aging Vietnam veteran, seeks out one of his ever-dwindling comrades in Twin Peaks, Washington, only to be physically harassed by local police who aren’t particularly nice and accuse him of vagrancy simply for being “not from around here”.   They even physically abuse him, though it appears to fall short of rectal intrusion.  Even so, the experience is unpleasant, evocative of his experiences in Vietnam, and above all totally unjustified.

 

So he fights back, winding up in the nearby forest, successfully defending himself against the local National Guard unit – obviously none of whom have any actual combat experience, let alone with the US Special Forces, aka Green Berets.   His former commander, Colonel Trautman (Richard Crenna) shows up and advises the locals of who they’re dealing with, and finally gets to speak to Rambo himself.   The man expresses intense frustration at the way his fellow veterans were treated after the war, which is something we can understand.   Certainly the sheriff, Teasle (Brian Dennehy) isn’t particularly likeable. 

Remarkably, despite much ammo being shot and explosions and property damage, only one fatality – the sheriff falling from the helicopter – which was unintentional on Rambo’s part.  Angry, yes, but not vindictive or sadistic – his violence is measured, targeted, and precise.

RAMBO II (1985).   Rambo returns to Vietnam, ostensibly to ascertain that no POWs still exist, instead finding that they are there.  He teams up with a Vietnamese operative, Co Bao, is captured by the NVA and tortured by their Soviet advisors, but eventually breaks free, destroys the POW camp, rescues the POWs, and returns to camp to confront Murdock (Napier).  Yet again, he’s been set up to fail.   Nonetheless he gets a pardon but stays in Thailand. 

RAMBO III (1988).  He’s recruited again, this time to work in Afghanistan, at this time occupied by the Soviets who are having their own “Vietnam” there fighting the Mujahedeen (which would include Osama Bin Laden, though he’s not mentioned).  Though initially refusing to go, he changes his mind when Red Forman lets him know that Trautman was captured by the Russians.  So… he goes anyway and gets to fight the Russians again.   More violence and explosions, approaching the ridiculous.  This could be considered the nadir of the series.

RAMBO IV (2008).   After a long break (20 years), the series resumes, this time in Burma.   Eschewing any overt political agenda, the bad guys are simply brutal military regime bastards who both sides of our own political spectrum can probably dislike.   The violence and bloodshed are there, of course, but seem to be toned down into more plausible parameters.   The whole thing has a more sober, sedate, measured feel to it:  let’s pick some plain old bad guys and keep the violence to relatively sensible levels.  It’s still not a chick flick, but it’s a blow-em-up film that jaded liberal dudes can enjoy and feel like they still have testicles. 

RAMBO V (2019).   Another long break (11 years), and we’re back again.  This time Rambo goes to Tijuana, Mexico to rescue his friend’s granddaughter Gabriela who went there to find her natural father.  After her father abruptly (but predictably) rejects her offer to reconcile, she winds up in a local club, is drugged, kidnapped, presumably raped, and involuntarily addicted to heroin.    Rambo tracks her down, is beaten up by the bad guys – who are presumably also drug dealers – and manages to survive and return.   This time he brutally wipes out one of the pair of bad guys, the Martinez brothers, and gives the other the clues necessary to lead the man and his small army back to Rambo’s own home, where we know he will dispatch them in turn.  Naturally the climax is a big battle we can all sink our teeth into and enjoy.

The ending is ambiguous in the sense that it has a nice “wrap up the series” feel to it, but we see that despite his injuries, Rambo is still alive.  Like #IV, the bad guys are cartel bastards who neither side has any interest in defending.  I can say I enjoyed it, and from what I understand most others who have seen it feel the same.  Will there be another one?  We’ll see.   

Rocky

I finally watched the last of these films, having seen a few of them in the past.  I never considered myself much of a fan of the films, but I can’t say they’re particularly loathesome, vile, unwatchable, boring, or otherwise objectionable and avoidable.  I wouldn’t advise anyone to sit down and watch them all back-to-back in a marathon, but none of them merit avoiding.  Here’s the deal.

Rocky (1976).  The first one.  Opponent: Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).  Creed is the heavyweight champion but finds no one willing to fight him anymore – everyone’s having their hair done.  He picks Rocky, an amateur boxer from the slums of Philadelphia – he even has a part-time job as a local mob enforcer.  Eventually there’s a fight, and while Rocky loses, it’s by a decision and not a knockout, which is somewhat of a victory for him and a de facto loss for Creed.  Lots of Philadelphia featured, which is OK if you’re a fan of the city.

            I recall when this came out in the US, but it had heavy competition:  “Star Wars”.  I only watched it from start to finish recently.  I can’t say I’m a fan of boxing or Stallone, but I do feel his performance was superlative. 

Rocky II (1979).  The first sequel.  Opponent: Apollo Creed (rematch).  I believe I saw this in the theaters when it came out in Paris.  Rocky actually tastes success for a change, but the prior outcome satisfied neither of them and a rematch is the obvious solution.  I like that Rocky bought a Trans Am.  I also like that despite everything going on, Rocky and Apollo still had respect for each other as opponents and as persons. 

Rocky III (1982).  Opponent: Clubber Lang (Mr. T).   There’s a new face, and he’s NOT respectful.  Clubber Lang was the villain we could really hate.  With Mickey’s life hanging in the balance, Rocky is distracted in the first fight and loses to Lang.  Of course there’s a rematch, which Apollo helps Rocky train for at his gym in L.A. – a major change of scenery from Philadelphia.  Rocky and Adrian resolve their issues on the beach, and Rocky hits the gym with a vengeance.  In a sense he’s not merely avenging himself, but also Mickey.  To his credit, Lang seriously trains for the rematch, though it proves not good enough. 

Rocky IV (1985).  Opponent:  Vlad Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Ah, the Cold War, heating up again thanks to Vladimir Putin, Trump’s under-the-radar boyfriend.  Stallone’s real-life wife, Brigitte Nielsen (Red Sonja), played Drago’s wife.  Did Drago have ANY lines?  I don’t recall.  Mind you, this is right about the time Gorbachev took over in Soviet Union (he seems to be loosely identified if not by name) and the Soviets have one last grasp of trying to justify their prior system, while in reality glasnost and perestroika were Gorbachev’s last ditch effort to save the system from itself.  We were still seeing this as a Cold War issue, but if the two sides could resolve their differences in the boxing ring – Olympic boycotts in 1980 (Moscow) and 1984 (L.A.) failing to take care of things – rather than with nukes, so much the better for the rest of us.

Anyhow, the first fight is actually between Apollo Creed and Drago, which Creed treats as a big joke, and winds up dead.  Rocky goes to Russia and trains with logs while his opponent gets the high-tech treatment, somewhat ironic and even unintentionally humorous (were those computers using vacuum tubes?).  Somehow he manages to beat Drago AND turn the local USSR crowd in his favor as well.  “Can’t we all just get along?”  Actually somewhat of a tolerant message amidst the Reagan 80’s, when you think about it. 

Rocky V (1990).   Rocky actually fights – but only at the very end.  Upon returning from Russia (actually, Wyoming) he finds that Paulie gave his accountant a power of attorney which he used to embezzle all their money.  Oops.  Long story short, Rocky has to sell everything and go back to his original neighborhood with Adrian working at the pet store – again.   He trains a new guy, Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison) who turns out to be just a punk.    Not only that, Rocky’s son – played by his own real-life son – is having trouble at the local school and feels neglected because his dad is training Gunn.  The juxtaposition of his son training himself and taking care of the bully with Tommy Gunn’s crash & burn is fun to watch, and at least in my eyes salvages what might otherwise be a stinker. 

Here’s another weird thing. Up to this movie, none of the actors playing Rocky’s opponents – Weathers, Mr. T., Lundgren – were boxers in real life, though Weathers had a background in the NFL (Oakland Raiders).  But Morrison, playing probably the least sympathetic adversary in all these films, was the only one who actually was a professional boxer in real life.  Tarver (see below) was also a professional boxer.  The more you know…

Rocky Balboa (2006).  Opponent: Mason Dixon (Antonio Tarver).  After having retired and trained another fighter (prior movie) Rocky gets back into the ring to fight the current heavyweight champion, a relatively humble and sympathetic guy named Mason Dixon.  Adrian had died since the last film but Paulie is still alive and present, and just as ascerbic as ever.  Rocky’s son is now grown up (no longer played by Stallone’s actual son) but resents being in his shadow. 

            Although Dixon is undefeated, the critics complain that none of his opponents were as tough as Rocky.  A computer simulation – matching Rocky at his peak, not as he is now – predicts that Rocky would win.  With no more credible opponents to fight, Dixon – against his better judgment – is persuaded by his manager to do an exhibition fight in Las Vegas against Rocky.  For his part, Rocky also agrees.  One of Creed’s former trainers agrees to train him.  Sure enough, there’s a fight in Vegas, and it goes to a decision, which is itself a victory for Rocky.  I suppose it’s due to heavy contrast with Gunn, but I found Dixon to be highly likeable as an opponent.    

Creed (2015).   Apollo Creed’s long-long illegitimate son emerges into the spotlight to fight a nasty Everton fan in Liverpool.  Rocky trains him – fighting off cancer at the same time.  Some chick who looks like Lisa Bonet (remember her?) is the kid’s love interest:  Paulie and Adrian are permanent cemetery residents. 

The funny thing is, I am not now nor have ever been a boxing fan.  Nor can I really say I’m a fan of Sylvester Stallone.  But the films were compelling anyway, because they were flat out good stories.  Triumph over adversity, determination, and staying true to values despite opposition and difficulty.  I’d say the films have sympathetic characters, excellent stories, enough drama and action, and an overall uplifting moral message.   Watching them all back to back might get a bit tiresome and repetitive, but each is decent on its own.