20 years had passed since John Rambo last rampaged through the jungle, kllling and yelling, when Sylvester Stallone decided to make this belated fourth installment in the franchise. Career desperation? Perhaps (he also made a sixth Rocky the year before), but completely welcome in my eyes. The good news is Rambo (as it is simply called) is a success. Not as good as First Blood but better than Rambo III, Sly Stallone (starring, directing and writing) certainly looks the part (looking scarily huge and muscular for a 60+ year old man), bringing his unique brand of acting like only he can. As a director, he stages some awesome action scenes and doesn't skimp on the gore; in fact, this is one of the goriest, bloodiest films in recent memory. Limps are lopped off, heads explode, bodies are torn in half, as Rambo and his gang of paper-thin caricature mercenaries dish out some jungle warfare justice. The film's plot does have a semblance of political awareness, shedding some light on the issues in Burma/Myanmar, but it's really a big, dumb action film of the highest order. Melodramatic, overblown, and awesome. Nice one Mr Stallone.
