Rambo

At 61 years of age, the increasingly plasticised Sylvester Stallone has decided to dig out the wifebeater from the bottom of his drawer and make a return to the gung-ho action territory that made him such a huge star in the bombastic, Reaganite 1980s. So, was it worth his while?

Well, the plot here is basic to say the least, and only really exists to facilitate a bit of good old-fashioned fighting as soon as possible. This time around John Rambo can be found living a basic, comfortable life in a quaint Thai village. When a group of pesky Christian missionaries disrupt his idyllic life and ask him to ferry them into the war-torn neighbouring country to provide aid to the wounded, he of course soon becomes embroiled in trouble and, predictably, lashings of gratuitous violence.

The thing is, the political dubiousness of the prior Rambo films is a subject that his been discussed to death, so perhaps it really is best in this instance to take the film at face value. The pacing is choppy, the stunts are decent, the direction (by Stallone himself) competent, and the script has a few laughs – a mixture of the intentional, and, more often than not, unintentional.

Fair play to Granddad Stallone; he looks alright for an old boy, and you really could sit through worse. Maybe its best that he leaves it here, though. The next one could prove to be a jungle bloodbath too far.

Extras: Audio commentary with Sylvester Stallone and featurettes.

Released on 23rd June 2008 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Written by Ashley Clark.