Critic Reviews
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Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
A thoroughly unpleasant project, quite apart from its creepy populist posturing (Stallone seemed determined to become the Huey Long of the movies).
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, Time Out
The body count is rising, Sly's pecs are blowing up, and Rambo himself is becoming more of a brand-name than a character, a mascot for masochism and murderous self-assertion.
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
To anyone who doesn't share the camera's adoration, this sort of behavior becomes so comic that Rambo turns into something of a camp classic.
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Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media
Sly shoots up Vietnam in glorified '80s actioner.
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Radheyan Simonpillai, AskMen.com
What makes this icon so significant is how wholly he was embraced by the Reagan era. After all, it only seems natural to respond to B-movie action stars when your president was one as well.
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Keith Uhlich, UGO
Rambo's significant beefcake factor is so pronounced in First Blood: Part II that it practically begs to be taken as queer-baiting camp.
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Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is
It's awesome
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David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...precisely the sort of unapologetically brutal piece of work that's sorely missing from contemporary multiplexes.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
All in all, it's a pretty offensive movie, especially to the Americans who fought in Vietnam.
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Qualifies as a guilty pleasure, a good-bad 'B' movie.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A "perfect" flick for the Reagan era: a simplistic, distorted comicstrip actioner that nonetheless must have tapped into the collective nightmare that some American soldiers were still held prisoners or were missing in action in Vietnam.
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Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com
Far from credible, but a terrific, cheer-out-loud action film nevertheless. Immediately and deservedly made Stallone's John Rambo a great individualistic screen hero to rival Eastwood's Dirty Harry.
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Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
The one man demolition squad blasts away again!
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...as mindless an adventure movie as you'll find, but it's hardly ever dull.
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Shouldn't this be called Second Blood?
Read all 15 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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Far less dramatic than the first one, and with a level of subtlety so low it almost doesn't exist, but this film still has a good amount of heart to it...it's just buried underneath a massive pile of bodies killed in a ridiculously over the top fashion. Even thought the film… More
Far less dramatic than the first one, and with a level of subtlety so low it almost doesn't exist, but this film still has a good amount of heart to it...it's just buried underneath a massive pile of bodies killed in a ridiculously over the top fashion. Even thought the film is light on character development, and strove to be more of a pure action film (one of the most influential and parodied in fact), it is still entertaining, even though it's really just ok, and not all that good (unbelievable and unrealistic action aside).
That's a shame too, because there could have been a lot of potential here for something on par with, if not better than the first. Shades of this can be seen throughout, and you can tell they had ideas for that sort of thing, but somewhere down the line something happened and they just instead went for the angle they did.
Like I said, it's not really that good, but it is entertaining, and tries to somewhat build on things, even though it mostly relies on silly machismo and mayhem.
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I really did not care about anything that happened during this film, the script is bland and the story is just an excuse to put John Rambo in another action film. Sure, some of the action scenes are very impressive and had my jaw open, but good action doesn't suffice when I… More
I really did not care about anything that happened during this film, the script is bland and the story is just an excuse to put John Rambo in another action film. Sure, some of the action scenes are very impressive and had my jaw open, but good action doesn't suffice when I cringe at the dialogue and the over-the-top acting. This film had so many things going for it, because the first film was so great. I feel like the director of this film was full of himself in thinking that any script for a Rambo film would be good. Throughout the film we get a bit more development of John's character, but it was done perfectly in the first film that it just felt unnecessary here. This film really didn't need to be made, but since it exists I watched it for what it was and had a fun time; However, I will probably not be revisiting this one much.
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Sequel to the awesome First Blood, First Blood Part II revolves around John Rambo is sent into Vietnam to take pictures of a supposed abandoned POW camp. When he finds that the camp is still operational, he liberates a POW and subsequently gets betrayed by the men who hired him to get… More
Sequel to the awesome First Blood, First Blood Part II revolves around John Rambo is sent into Vietnam to take pictures of a supposed abandoned POW camp. When he finds that the camp is still operational, he liberates a POW and subsequently gets betrayed by the men who hired him to get the job done. After this, he takes matters into his own hands and takes on half the Vietnamese army and a squad of Russian troops and attempts to rescue the other POWS's. First Blood Part II follows the events of the first film and the mission that Rambo goes on is a chance for him to get pardonned over the events of the first. First Blood Part II is a solid sequel that offers everything you'd expect from a Rambo film. Sure some aspects of the film are silly, but the key words you need to remember is ÈRambo Film' ehen this is a Rambo film, you should expect something over the top. The film delivers the usual top notch action thrills with decent acting, but as usual it's not anything great. But what do you expect in the acting department of a Rambo flick. Though lacking in some aspects of the picture, the film more than makes up for it with it's action. Thats the reason why Rambo films are excellent, the nonstop action. The filmmakers know how to craft a solid actioner, even at times if it's not truly perfect, there are a lot of things going for this film that surpasses the low points. As far as action films are concerned, First Blood Part II delivers everything you'd expect and more. First Blood Part II is an underrated film that doesn't deserve the flack it has received. Sure it's totally different, but theres an interesting plot to keep you entertained. Even if the plot is average, the action is flawless and its what makes this film a blast to watch again and again.
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Much more of an action movie, but it still uses the issue of Vietnam prisoners to make it an insightful and realistic adventure. It's not just about blowing things up, there's a reason it all happens. I really don't see how this is accused of being over the top, nothing… More
Much more of an action movie, but it still uses the issue of Vietnam prisoners to make it an insightful and realistic adventure. It's not just about blowing things up, there's a reason it all happens. I really don't see how this is accused of being over the top, nothing happens that couldn't physically happen in real life. A lot of the credibility does lie with Sylvester Stallone, who always made the character a realistic hero that had a past. John Rambo continues his mission of making peace with the war and himself by doing all the good he can.
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OOOOH! So this is where my preconceptions of Rambo evolved from. Everything that was right about the first film is shat upon, in what can only be described as a warning against ego. Stallone was obviously upset by his conflicted and complex character in the original, so here Rambo has… More
OOOOH! So this is where my preconceptions of Rambo evolved from. Everything that was right about the first film is shat upon, in what can only be described as a warning against ego. Stallone was obviously upset by his conflicted and complex character in the original, so here Rambo has become a heroic God. No excuses were made for his actions in the first, but now every action is justified. With the help of James Cameron, we now have some clear villains. The American government, some seedy Vietnamese savages, and those crafty Russians. Each of these nationalities is personified by easy to spot caricatures. No subtlety, no debate, just unadulterated propaganda bullshit. With lines as painful as "You are not expendable", and "We want our country to love us, as we love it." This is a painful exercise in hilarity. The action is there, but every kill is a glorified moment that is used to make us cheer. There was a cruel darkness to the original, but here we see Rambo not atoning for his sins, but justifying his actions with bullets and bloodshed. If only the original had kept the ending where Rambo committed suicide, we wouldn't have to suffer such incompetent and misguided writing.
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A fair action flick if you love to see a lot of explosions and violence and vengeance, or maybe if you just have nothing better to do and want to kill some time.
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Well, it?s a classic and the blueprint of most modern action films but unfortunately it also represents the beginning of poor sequels to fantastic films all in the name of profit. Shame. Rambo is less cool.
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Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is a prisoner who is picked since he is an extraordinary vet who has won purple hearts among several other honors, to go on a mission in Southeast Asia to rescue POWs (prisoners of war). Being the hero that he is, Rambo isn't satisfied just taking… More
Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is a prisoner who is picked since he is an extraordinary vet who has won purple hearts among several other honors, to go on a mission in Southeast Asia to rescue POWs (prisoners of war). Being the hero that he is, Rambo isn't satisfied just taking photographs of a dangerous and possibly deadly camp, he would rather get into the action and make as many rescues as possible.
Rambo can fly a helicopter better than most full-time pilots, he can shoot the bow & arrow with such skill that Robin Hood wouldn't even stand a chance, and he really knows his stuff when it comes to any kind of fighting with weapons, to say the least.
I've always been a major fan of Sylvester Stallone's action flicks, and "Rambo: First Blood Part II" is one of my absolute favorites. Action movies are my favorite kind of movie, and Sylvester Stallone is probably my favorite action movie actor of all time.
As always, Stallone more than delivers the goods in "Rambo: First Blood Part II." This movie has some of the absolute best action sequences ever put into a film. Even though this film was made in 1985, it has spectacular special effects and edge of the seat action sequences that can stand up even to today's climbing standards of movies.
But action isn't all the "Rambo: First Blood Part II" has to offer. It also features a great, suspenseful musical score, a satisfying script, a great plot (and I didn't even reveal half of it to you!), it NEVER gets boring even after watching it several times over and over, and the great compliments could keep rolling from my mind to the keyboard all night.
If you like all-around classic action films, don't hesitate to add "Rambo: First Blood Part II" to your collection. Unlike most sequels to great movies, this one can stand up to the original in shining honor. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001 of this awesome movie!
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Sly proves once more he has phonomenal acting abilities. I really like this movie alot. I like this & the first Rambo movie the best!!!! I love this movie! Sly rocks!!!!! Fantastic Movie. :)
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An action extravanga. George P. Cosmostas' sequel is powerful.
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A lot of negative reviews I see, but what about the heart of the movie? Doesn't it make you remember the main point--Vietnam and the POW's still there? How they were treated when they came home?
So there are flaws in the movie, we know when Rambo fires the missle in the… More
A lot of negative reviews I see, but what about the heart of the movie? Doesn't it make you remember the main point--Vietnam and the POW's still there? How they were treated when they came home?
So there are flaws in the movie, we know when Rambo fires the missle in the helicopter, the guys in back would have been toast, but that didn't matter. It's good against evil; and if you know anything about that time frame, you can see so much "truth" in characters like Murdock and what goes on in reality.
The action is excellent, non-stop, with heart, and instead of critical and harsh comments on acting, look at the Broad Picture here, or like Murdock...did you forget too?
A hell of an action film, well done stunt work (mostly done by Stallone) Well worth watching for many reasons.
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It was very good...but a little too much just shooting and blowing things up in the end
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Not bad, a beefer and more exhilerating action extravaganza. But vert unbeliveabe but still proves to be enjoyable
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I'm glad I saw it if only to see a film spoofed so many times.
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Good and very action-packed, but not quite up to par with the original, nor the latest installment for that matter. I would say it's about equal with Rambo III though.
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Strangely, this is always overlooked in the list of the greatest 'Nam movies ever made! It's over a decade since the war ended, but the dastardly Soviet-sponsored Vietnamese may still be holding American PoWs. Only one man is level-headed enough to collect the definitive… More
Strangely, this is always overlooked in the list of the greatest 'Nam movies ever made! It's over a decade since the war ended, but the dastardly Soviet-sponsored Vietnamese may still be holding American PoWs. Only one man is level-headed enough to collect the definitive proof without waging a one-man Armageddon: combat-addled nutcase, John Rambo. Whatever its faults, "First Blood" was considerably more than just a brainless action movie. It's too easy to pick holes in "Rambo II", but one of the things which struck me was that the glut of villains merely dilutes the audience's loathing for anyone in particular, there being three main bad guys (Charles Napier, Steven Berkoff and the Vietnamese camp commandant) and three significant henchmen (Napier's two cronies and Berkoff's burly torturer). The actress playing Rambo's Vietnamese love interest is clearly more fluent in English than the script's awful lines of ungrammatical dialogue attest, which is probably why her performance is so bad. Predictably, Rambo signs her death warrant by offering to take her back to the States. A couple of interesting credits: the DP was Powell & Pressburger's regular cameraman, the great Jack Cardiff; and James Cameron co-wrote the screenplay.
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A nice follow up to the first movie.
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not as profound as the first, but better as a traditional action flick. basically sly has guns, he uses them, people die. the film reached for the forgotten soldier commentary as which was successfully done in the first film but this time it seemed forced. there was a profound… More
not as profound as the first, but better as a traditional action flick. basically sly has guns, he uses them, people die. the film reached for the forgotten soldier commentary as which was successfully done in the first film but this time it seemed forced. there was a profound statement from rambo at the end when he said that he loved his country, he just wanted his country to love him back. good and classic action flick.
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Out of all the installments,the sequel to FIRST BLOOD,was not only emorous but surpass the boxoffice receipts when it ripped through the list of one of the highest grossing movies of 1985,and one of the biggest action-packed hits of the mid-1980's with Sylvester Stallone… More
Out of all the installments,the sequel to FIRST BLOOD,was not only emorous but surpass the boxoffice receipts when it ripped through the list of one of the highest grossing movies of 1985,and one of the biggest action-packed hits of the mid-1980's with Sylvester Stallone reprising his most famous role.
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My least favourite of the 3. Has a good helicopter chase finale but not as much action as the other two overall.
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
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