rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States, Germany; 2008; aka John Rambo
Directed by Sylvester Stallone; produced by Kevin King, Avi Lerner, Sylvester Stallone, John Thompson; written by Art Monterastelli, Sylvester Stallone
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Matthew Marsden, Graham McTavish, Rey Gallegos, Jake La Botz
I am conflicted about this fourth installment in the 'Rambo'-series. Fans will like or maybe even love it. I had something between a good time and a nauseating fealing. The reason is the seriousness the film brings with its subject, the way we have to look at it and how one man ridiculously solves many problems, at least concerning one village. I do not mind serious films, or one man saving the world, but those things do not really go together.
'Rambo' shows Burma as the last place on earth you want to find yourself in such detail, it is hard to enjoy the action. Then Sylvester Stallone enters the screen and a smile surfaces; mindless fun seems to be around the corner. But before you know it body parts of innocent villagers are flying through the air, and the smile disappears, even while Stallone is in the middle of it all. It feels just wrong.
Luckily the attention slowly changes from the horrors of the common people to the military regime against guns for hire, including John Rambo, although all he has to do is bring them to Burma with his boat. Of course he has to join them, since "this is what we do," and chaos starts. The final act of the film exists out of machine gun action in the 'Saving Private Ryan' kind of way, and, admittedly, I was pretty impressed.
I said fans will probably like this film, and to be honest that should do it. Why would you watch a fourth film if you did not like the others? Stallone made a better comeback with his 'Rocky Balboa', but 'Rambo' pleases those who should be. For that I will await the fifth part and try to enjoy more.