Released: September 2019
Director: Adrian Grunberg
Run Time: 90 Minutes
Rated R
Distributor: LionsGate Studios
Genre: Action/Thriller
Cast:
Sylvester Stallone: John Rambo
Paz Vega: Carmen Delgado
Yvette Monreal: Gabrielle
Sergio Peris-Mencheta: Hugo Martinez
Oscar Jaenada: Victor Martinez
Adriana Barraza: Maria Beltran
The 80s was a decade of extraordinary film-making. When it came to science fiction, we got Aliens, The Abyss, and The Terminator. For horror, we got A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, The Evil Dead, Poltergeist,and Hellraiser. The action genre was dominated by two powerhouse action stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Arnold got Commando, Predator, Conan The Barbarian, The Running Man, and Red Heat. Sylvester Stallone had Cobra, Nighthawks, and Tango & Cash. The one franchise that he had that helped define the 80s action scene was Rambo, more specifically, First Blood. While the film was not a straight-up action flick, as it had some serious dramatic moments, First Blood became a smash hit. A few years later, First Blood: Part II was released and eventually Rambo III. While not great masterpieces, these films were a huge part of many kids’ childhoods growing up at this time. In 2008, Mr. Stallone would return to the second of his signature roles: John Rambo in the simply titled, Rambo. 11 years later, Stallone returns for one(possible)last outing as the legendary John Rambo in Rambo: Last Blood.
11 years have past since John Rambo returned from Thailand to his home in Bowie, Arizona. His father has since passed and now he lives on his ranch with his friend, Maria and her granddaughter, Gabrielle. While dealing with PTSD from his time Vietnam, Rambo likes to spend time with Gabrielle riding horses. One night, she gets a phone call from her friend in Mexico saying that her deadbeat father was found. Wanting answers as to why he abandoned her, Gabrielle heads to Mexico to find him only to be kidnapped and forced into prostitution by a nefarious cartel headed by the violent Hugo Martinez. When Maria tells Rambo that she never came back from her friend’s home, Rambo sets off to find his kidnapped niece. It will take all his training as a Green Beret to find her and bring her home. If that premise sounds familiar, it should. It’s a very similar story line to Taken which came out back in 2007 with Liam Neeson also tracking down his lost daughter. Essentially, Rambo: Last Blood is Taken: Rambo Edition. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. It’s a simple premise that that gets you pumped. While sex trafficking was purported to be a huge part of this film, it’s surprisingly superficial. I like the fact that the premise is so simple, because it doesn’t allow for any real major twists. It’s as straight-forward as you can get, and that’s what the Rambo films have always been about: Simplicity and over-the-top action. Having Rambo tackle a real-world issue like sex trafficking isn’t a bad idea, but I think it could’ve been explored a little bit more.
Peformances in Rambo: Last Blood are actually really strong across the board. The opening act when Maria, Gabrielle, and Rambo are all interacting together are some of my favorite character moments in the film. Don’t get me wrong, watching Sylvester Stallone go full on murder-mode when he needs to is something to behold. However, I do like the interactions that he has with Gabrielle. I was heading into the film expecting Yvette Monreal to be this extremely annoying character, when I actually found her to be a charming and likable young woman. I think Yvette has a real future in the industry. Adriana Barraza is fantastic as Maria. She hits all the right notes playing a grandmother and being Rambo’s friend and caretaker. The villains of the film, the Martinez brothers, Hugo and Victor, are nothing more than cardboard cut-out cartoons, essentially. Sure, they’re suitably ruthless, but it’s all skin deep. Sergio Peris-Mencheta plays Hugo and Oscar Jaenada plays his brother Victor. They do well enough with what they’re given, but what they are given is paper-thin. To be fair, though, the Rambo films have always had one-note over-the-top villains, with the exception of the sheriff from the original film. The one character that I think got the short end of the stick was Paz Vega as Carmen Delgado. She basically only exists for exposition, despite the fact that her character also has history with the Martinez cartel.
There have been a lot of folks saying that Last Blood is one of the most violent movies released this year. I don’t think that is necessarily accurate. Make no mistake about it, this film earns its R-rating with some hard-hitting violence, but is it the goriest and most violent film in the series? No. That goes to 2008’s Rambo. That being said, the level of violence in Last Blood is well worth the price of admission. The final 30 minutes alone are absolutely bonkers. There is some CGI blood in here, but the way the movie was filmed and put together, it blends seamlessly with the practical effects. Watching Stallone’s character go to town on the cartel truly is a spectacle to behold. The music by returning composer Brian Tyler is absolutely phenomenal. It’s equal parts action-packed and tragic throughout, and there are certain tracks that are simply beautiful, like “Dusk.” I’ve always loved the music from the Rambo films and this is no exception.
While I absolutely enjoyed the film, there are a few issues that do bring it down. The movie is beautifully shot with wide-camera angles and amazing cinematography, but some of the editing is really bizarre. I looked at some of the images from IMDB(Internet Movie Database), and some of those shots don’t appear in this version of the film at all. It looks like entire sequences were cut out at the last minute to try and bring the run time down. I’m honestly expecting a director’s cut or an extended version of this film at some point in the future because of all this. Some of the characters make some bone-headed moves. When Rambo first heads for the cartel’s headquarters for example, he goes without a plan and ends up getting the crap beat out of him and his niece targeted for even more abuse by her captors. While I absolutely like Gabrielle as a character, the truth of the matter is that she was written to be a victim. In a revenge film, that’s to be expected and I would say that Last Blood qualifies as a revenge film, but some of the screen-writers don’t seem to think very highly of the character at certain points in the film.
Before I wrap up this review, I want to discuss a few things that were said about Last Blood by other reviewers. I’m not going to name names, but some have accused Last Blood of being a right-wing, xenophobic, 2nd Amendment and Trump-loving affair. To be honest, all the Rambo films have had some political slant, but I’m not seeing the the whole right-wing angle here. This is a story that’s been in Stallone’s head for over a decade now and has finally come to fruition. I’m honestly not seeing a political bias here, and this is coming from a liberal who can pick up on things like that in a movie. It’s not a movie that’s going to be for everyone, that’s for sure, but I’m pretty damn sure it’s not some propaganda piece for the NRA or our current administration. That being said, I actually liked this movie far more than I thought I was going to. It’s certainly not perfect and has some glaring issues that could have been solved if the film-makers had more time or made better decisions. If this is to be Stallone’s last ride as John Rambo, what a way to go out. If you are a fan of the previous Rambo films, this comes highly recommended. If you’ve never liked Rambo, this isn’t really going to change your mind.
My Final Recommendation: 8.5/10.