So it seems that Rambo hasn’t seen his last adventure yet as they’re making a part 5. This time he’ll be making his way into Mexico to take on one of the toughest cartels ever created, and one has to wonder what might be in store for Rambo this time around. If you’ve been watching all these years then you know there’s not a lot that can stop him, not even getting shot up and beaten and almost killed in a dozen different ways has managed to slow this guy down. He’s an unstoppable killing machine that is at the top of his game most times, even when he’s been out of action for so long. But now that he’s coming back it’s time to wonder if this will be his last ride or there’s going to be a resurgence with the character leading up to his eventual decline and possible death.
Seriously, now much longer can some of these characters go on?
Like a lot of the older icons from the past he’s starting to slow down a bit.
That doesn’t make him any less deadly obviously, but it does mean that he’s not quite as capable as he used to be. His stamina and endurance is still impressive, but even Rambo can’t take on an entire cartel without allies to back him up or a truly terrifying weapon to unleash on them. Remember the machine gun from the last film? That was a huge equalizer, and the fact that it helped free up the mercenaries he needed as backup was just another bonus. Rambo is getting older and as a result he’s getting just a bit slower and isn’t as resilient as he used to be. Remember back in the day this guy managed to sprint his way up a mountain all while laying traps behind him and fending off the local police force as well as the town’s small military force. Granted, none of them were cartel members or hardened military, but that’s likely why he took them out so easily. This time however he’ll be going up against cartel members who, according to all reports, would kill just about anyone if they were told to do so.
The chances are he won’t be fighting in a jungle or a desert this time, but in an urban sprawl.
In a lot of movies that feature Mexican cartels you see them shooting it out in cities and towns that are heavily populated. Rambo has usually had a jungle or a desert terrain to fight in, and hasn’t always had to worry about civilian casualties. Unfortunately throughout their history the cartels have never been known to limit civilian casualties as a rule, choosing instead to sow chaos and make their enemies do just as much damage to the populace as they do. Doing damage isn’t that much of a problem for Rambo, but protecting civilians has been at least a part of what he’s been all about throughout the years. He’s not a mindless killer, so going after a cartel in their own territory is going to be difficult to say the least.
There’s a very real danger of killing off the franchise.
Making too many movies and not having a set direction for all of them to follow can be problematic for any franchise. While it can offer some variety and entertain the viewers it runs the risk of giving the audience the impression that no matter where the character goes and what they do they’re going to dominate. Rambo has been hurt in the past but he’s always been this unstoppable killing machine that was bred for war and knows little else. It’s almost the same as the Walker: Texas Ranger complex, no matter what happens he’s going to come out on top and he’ll get to go on living his life. The ending of the last film saw a good and fitting arc that had Rambo returning home ostensibly as one could see his last name on the mailbox, leading people to believe that he was heading back to reconcile with his family after being gone for so long.
There’s really no other way for Rambo to go.
Ever since this iconic line you simply knew that Rambo was not a man that could adapt so easily to civilian life. War is in his blood. It’s what he does, and it’s what he knows. No matter what anyone else says this is the only way for a character like this to go out and have real closure. Whether or not this is Rambo’s final movie, which some of us actually hope it is, he’ll go out in a blaze of glory or with a measure of peace that he sought for so long. One way or another Rambo is going to do things his way, and whoever stands in his path is going to realize their mistake a little too late.
Bring on the bullets, bring on the pain.
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