Rambo III (1988)

Rambo III: Directed by Peter MacDonald, Russell Mulcahy. With Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Marc de Jonge, Kurtwood Smith. Rambo mounts a one-man mission to rescue his friend Colonel Trautman from the clutches of the formidable invading Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

“Man alive, what a classic of the genre! Out of all the spectacular over-the-top action films of the 80u0026#39;s Rambo III is definitely the most violent and over-the-top and a thrill to watch every time. To any and all action film fans, if itu0026#39;s visceral hyper-violence that you seek, well hereu0026#39;s your answer: Rambo III is and will always be one of your best options.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWith the release of Rambo III in May of 1988 Carolcou0026#39;s best and, at the time, most-profitable film franchise had reached itu0026#39;s creative peak and Stallone was in the best shape of his life – and thatu0026#39;s confirmed by the man himself. Itu0026#39;s obvious from the onset Carolco really did break the bank and pulled out all the stops for the third (and best) entry in the series and itu0026#39;s production values reflect that fact, which are way above whatu0026#39;s seen in the earlier films and at the time it was one the most expensive films ever made. Getting right to it, I like virtually every aspect of this movie, from itu0026#39;s massive action sequences to itu0026#39;s set design (the Rusky mountain base!), to itu0026#39;s striking location photography, and then maestro Goldsmithu0026#39;s (always excellent) musical mastery and on the more technical side of things, Rambo IIIu0026#39;s cinematography and film-editing are a masterclass of the genre and for film-making in general, and remain so to this day. But for me itu0026#39;s always been the films magnificent helicopter stunts, which are seen very liberally throughout the movie, that provide the most entertainment. The mighty MI-24 Hind gunship. Tell me, is there any Machine of War thatu0026#39;s more entertaining to bring to the screen than a Hind gunship? I donu0026#39;t think so either and donu0026#39;t forget the T-72 tank.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRambo III capitalized in all ways possible on the momentum of the first two films and remains the crowning achievement of the original trilogy and, without exaggerating, raised the bar of action-movie-excellence to a new level. **Yes, Iu0026#39;m well aware of the fact that, Die Hard, was released just two months later and is better in more ways than not, BUT, Rambo III does pack more bombs, bullets, blood, Hind gunships and testosterone FACTS!**. All in all I think a fellow IMDb reviewer said it best about this amazing action film, with these words: Rambo III is u0026quot;cinematic excess done entirely the right wayu0026quot;. I could not agree more with that statement. So if you like your action films to be: gloriously over-the-top, belching with smoke and fire and marinated in blood, gasoline and testosterone, well than my friend, Rambo III is the action film for you. But, however, on more of a down-note, judging by the current and dismal state of action films (FURY ROAD being very much the exception) itu0026#39;s looking more and more likely that this marvel, born out of the excesses of the 80u0026#39;s, will remain among the best for all times. In present times thereu0026#39;s just too damn many corny comic book flicks, L-A-F Jurassic Park sequels, Jason Statham movies (u0026quot;The Megu0026quot;, anyone), and lastly, the ever-present threat posed by a loathsomely inferior remake – unwanted and unrequested.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf I have any complaints about the movie it would certainly be the questionable need for u0026quot;the kidu0026quot;……and donu0026#39;t forget the moronic u0026quot;goat gameu0026quot; sequence. And on the matter of sound, when compared to the standards of today, the sound mix of Rambo III, is at times, a little out-dated and under-powered unfortunately.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnd now onto the contemptuous side of things. Iu0026#39;ve never even begun (or even tried) to understand the contempt for this enthralling, expertly made, top-tier, action film. Some say that it attempts to u0026quot;glamorizeu0026quot; Russiau0026#39;s military occupation of Afghanistan, which seems illogical to me, because I vividly recall Rambo killing a whole lotta Russianu0026#39;s, the invading force, the infidels, not the Afghans. Some people just like to over-think things – that donu0026#39;t need to be over-thought. Itu0026#39;s not trying to convey some kind of deeply profound message that pulls at your heartstrings, thatu0026#39;s what dramau0026#39;s are for. This as an action film, and of the highest order, stop trying to paint it as something that itu0026#39;s not. Also, some people are so off in their judgement that they actually refer to THIS MOVIE, Rambo III, as being u0026quot;boringu0026quot;. Let that sink in. To those u0026quot;typeu0026quot; of people this is my advice to you: By all means do not hesitate in getting warm, wet, and familiar with the TV show u0026quot;Call the Midwifeu0026quot;, because after all, thatu0026#39;s MUCH more likely to be your thing. Girlfriend.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis movie (and many others) is NOT for: soy boys, vegans, SJW-types, fans of figure-skating and those who wear penny loafers.”