Sylvester Stallone is most known for his part in two massive franchises – Rocky and Rambo. Based on David Morrell‘s character from his 1972 novel First Blood, each movie follows John Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran and former Green Beret who served in an elite unit and received the Medal of Honor. Over the years, the franchise has grown from a drama about the aftermath of war, to a full-blown action series.
In terms of critical acclaim, 1982’s First Blood is widely considered to be the best entry into the franchise. However, each instalment offers its own quirks and standout moments. So, here’s our ranking of every Rambo movie.
5. Rambo III (1988)
By the time Rambo III was released in 1988, the series had shifted in tone much like Stallone’s career. Stallone began his career as much more of a dramatic actor in the first Rocky movie, even landing himself an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. However, he soon transitioned into much more of an action hero. To that, his movies got bigger, campier, and much more over-the-top.
Rambo III sees Rambo embark on a one-man mission to save his friend Colonel Trautman from the formidable invading Soviet forces in Afghanistan who have kidnapped him. The movie had a rather tumultuous production process that saw multiple firings and hirings. Somewhere along the way, the spark was lost and it failed to live up to the first two movies, grossing less at the box office and receiving a slew of negative reviews. While the action scenes are large and loud with a hefty amount of kills, Rambo III was lacking in drama and was over-filled with one-liners akin with the time.
4. Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
Rambo: Last Blood was released in 2019 and saw Sylvester Stallone return to the iconic character whilst also co-writing the script with Matthew Cirulnick and Dan Gordon. The movie picks up a good decade after 2008’s Rambo, where our hero eventually finds peace and returns to his home in Arizona. However, in Last Blood, that peace is soon shattered when his young niece travels to Mexico and is kidnapped by a cartel who force her into the sex trade.
Rambo heads to Mexico to find her, but it’s too late and she dies. From here, his rescue mission turns into a revenge mission as he lures the cartel back to his ranch where he has a series of brutal traps waiting for them (think R-rated Home Alone). Rambo: Last Blood was heavily panned by critics and David Morrell called the film “a mess” and stated he was embarrassed to have his name associated with it. As a Rambo movie, Last Blood falls flat and it’s fair to say Stallone should have left the series at 2008’s well-received Rambo. However, as an action movie, it’s a fun ride that revels in its brutality, making for a tightly-paced, entertaining late night watch.
3. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
Rambo: First Blood Part II came three years after the critically-acclaimed First Blood. Released in 1985, this was a big moment for Stallone, who also released Rocky IV that same year. For his second outing as the fearless John Rambo, First Blood Part II gave audiences a chance to see the character in a more natural environment as he returns to the jungle of Vietnam to rescue a bunch American POWs who are still being held captive there.
Rambo: First Blood Part II represented a significant change in formula that would carry on into the other entries. There was much less drama and a lot more action, as the production had a bigger budget to play with. The movie received mixed reviews but was a major box office success, grossing $150 million in the US and $300 million worldwide, becoming the second highest grossing film at the domestic box office and the third highest grossing film worldwide in 1985.
2. Rambo (2008)
After bursting back onto the scene in 2006 with Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone returned to his other iconic character in the simply titled Rambo in 2008. In terms of tone, Rambo was the closest any sequel had been to the weight and drama of First Blood. The movie catches up with John Rambo who is living a rather quiet existence in Thailand. However, his simple life is thrust into chaos when he guides a group of Christian aid workers into Burma and they never return. From here, he leads a group of mercenaries into the war zone of Burma to save the aid workers.
Rambo was a thick and fast action movie with heart. Audiences got a chance to see how this broken man was still a beast deep inside as he puts himself in danger to save others. The film grossed $113.2 million worldwide against a production budget between $47.5–50 million. However, it was met with mixed reviews. Many praised the movie, whereas others complained about its graphic violence. However, this is what made the movie so raw, as Stallone wanted to accurately depict the situation in Burma, even choosing to shoot nearby to the dangers of Burma.
1. First Blood (1982)
Seeing as First Blood is now widely considered to be one of the greatest action movies of all time, it’s hard to believe that Sylvester Stallone originally hated the end result. In the movie we know today, Rambo barely speaks a word and the action is the main driving force of the picture. Yet originally, First Blood was much more a drama and a character study of John Rambo. That is until Stallone requested to buy the footage so he could burn it. Instead, the movie was cut down from over 180 minutes to a succinct 93 minutes.
First Blood pushed Stallone further into superstar status after the success of the Rocky movies. Also, many credit it as the film that kickstarted the one man army sub genre of action films. To this day, it holds up next to most action movies and serves as one of Stallone’s finest performances, which you could argue was unjustly overlooked come awards season, particularly for his raw and intense monologue at the end of the picture.
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