RAMBO III REVIEW

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To mark the 3rd year mark of the US Occupancy of Iraq, I watched RAMBO III again (semi-related). And what a treat it was, let me tell you. Highlights, Checklists & Political Angles are as follows:

HIGHLIGHTS:
* Best back-spin-face camera intro to a character ever.

* Rambo brutally stick-fighting in old bangkok warehouses to give money to the buddist monks. Hilarious.

* Washington Suit: "I want you to know up front that if you're captured... we'll deny any particpation or even knowledge of your existence."
Rambo: "I'm used to it." Classic on many levels.

* Rambo crawls through a mine-field, surviving only with his rad serated-edge knife and his mad skillz. ("And they call it a mine! A mine!!!") Let's see Chuck Norris do THAT!

* The Evil Soviets torturing their prisoners! Bad, Soviets, bad! Only the American Military can do that, you silly-billys!

* Soviet Baddie: "Who do you think this man [Rambo] is? God?"
Col. Trautman: "No...God would have mercy.........HE won't." Brilliant.

* Rambo gets impaled through stomach, front-to-back, by metal rod? No problem. He just pushes it out, stuffs the bloody tunnel-wound with black powder and ignites it. Presto! Self cauterization. Piece of cake.

* Classic fight scene against the "Big Russian Bear Soldier" above cave entrance. How does Rambo take him out? Combo Roundkick/Hanging/Grenade. Sweet.

* Rambo and the Colonel take on a fleet of tanks with only their machine guns, balls and delusions of Godhood. And survive.

* Final Battle: Rambo in a tank vs Soviet Baddie in helicopter. Playing Chicken. Tank. Helicopter. Playing Chicken. Genius.

CHECKLIST:
-Token Rambo head band? Check.
-Rambo narly knife? Check.
-Rambo knife throw to the neck? Check.
-Little kid sidekick? Check.
-Taunt to Bad Guy over radio? Check.
-Rambo made boobytraps? Check.
-Promotion of glow sticks? Check.
-Overly used detonation plot device? Check.
-Rambo and rocket launcher? Check.
-Climb a cliff with just bare hands? Check.
-Rescue POWs from Soviet Prison, again? Check.
-Escape with said POWs in helicopter, again? Check.
-Chase in dark, wet, underground stone tunnels? Check.
-One POW shot in back while trying to escape on helicopter, again? Check.
-Helicopter during escape of rescued POWs shot down, again? Check.
-Explosive tip arrows from Rambo Bow? Check (get it? "Rambo Bow"...Ram-Bo...)
-Rambo "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" ? Check.
-Craptastic 80s unknown song at Credits? Check.

POLITICAL ANGLES:
* Rambo fights for/alongside the Afghani freedom fighters against the Evil Soviets. Funny thing, the Afghani/Soviet war is where Osama Bin Laden became a hero to many. If you look closely, you may see him in the background as an Xtra.

* Colonel to Soviet Villian: "You started this damn war! Now you have to deal with it! Everyday, your War Machine loses ground to a bunch of poorly armed poorly equipped freedom fighters. The fact is you underestimated your competition. If you'd studied your history, you'd know these peple have never given up to anyone. They'd rather die than be slaves to an invading army. You can't defeat a people like that. We tried. We already had our Vetnam! Now you're going to have yours." Hmmmm, that sounds familiar.

* Pitch to get Rambo to help: "This is a holy war. To die fighting the oppressors is an honor."

* At the end, the film is "Dedicated to the gallant people of Afghanistan." It's funny, because if this movie came out in the last 4 years, it would have labeled as "Liberal Propaganda Bullshit." Yet, in 1989, its Pro-Reagan-America in all its glory.

ONE MORE THING:
* One of the weakest elements to the Rambo series has always been the casting of Colonel Trautman by Richard Crenna. He truly is terrible. They should have cast him with Chuck Norris. Seriously, think about it....Missing In Action...hel-lo!

*While Rambo III was entertaining at best, I still think FIRST BLOOD (the first of the Rambo movies) is a great flick! It wasn't until RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PT II did the character and series get a little silly. So, if anything, check out FIRST BLOOD if you haven't seen it before. If you have, give it another viewing!