Thirty-five years ago today, the most expensive movie ever produced circa 1988 was released rather appropriately on Memorial Day weekend. The buzz was palpable, and there was no reason to think it wouldn't perform as well as "Rambo: First Blood Part II"- Sylvester Stallone's biggest box office hit to date. That didn't happen. Somehow, "Crocodile Dundee II" won the early June war for ticket sales and made more than twice as much money as this action-packed threequel. Paul Hogan's Outback hero had a pop culture moment there, but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone that cares about those comedies now. "Big", "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", and Rambo's friendly rival "Die Hard" were all better, soon-to-be released films in a very-competitive summer. That doesn't tell the whole story, though.
Stallone was mocked by the media for still portraying Russians as maniacal villians with the Cold War winding down. This criticism never made sense to me. It's ENTERTAINMENT, a testosterone-fueled fantasy, and with Vladimir Putin regularly reminding us of grim realities, I think it's safe to say that Sly has been vindicated on that one. Did the ridiculous double feature of "Cobra" and "Over the Top" really put a dent in Sly's once-bulletproof brand? When the smoke cleared, "Rambo III" went on to have a robust afterlife on cable where I always enjoyed it over the years. A 35th anniversary rewatch revealed something that I didn't fully appreciate or realize before all those CGI superheroes took over. This movie is actually awesome.
"III" was filmed in Israel, Thailand, and Arizona. Mega-producer Mario Kassar, his partner Andrew G. Vajna, and Carolco Pictures(the house that Rambo built) put that $60 million budget up on screen with real explosions, real stuntwork, and real sets/locations. The opening stickfight was filmed with a handheld camera by first-time director Peter MacDonald, long before anyone knew the names Ethan Hunt and Jason Bourne. A 41 year old Stallone looks fantastic, with an even more god-like physique than he achieved in "Rocky IV". In the most masculine era in movie history, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and Jean-Claude Van Damme also flexing their muscles, that matters.
Remember when small roles were played by quality actors? I do. Sassan Gabai was an authentic guide, and Spiros Fokas made the most of his disarmingly effective monologue about the plight of the Afghan people. I feel like I'm really in the Middle East.
I'm not suggesting that "Rambo III" should have won Best Picture("Die Hard" should have). I AM suggesting that it may be better than "The Godfather Part III" which got seven Oscar nominations. I'll take it over "Iron Man 3" which made $409 million in America. Money and awards are not the final word on anything. At 102 minutes, this movie can be satisfyingly squeezed in before bedtime, and never gets bogged down by a boring plot or epic pretenses(I'm looking at you, "John Wick: Chapter 4"!). Where else are you going to find a lively game of Buzkashi or a late night in a heavily-guarded Soviet prison/fort? Is Rambo's knife even bigger than it was in the first two films?? The answer's yes. Richard Crenna's Col. Trautman picked a helluva time for humor, but God would have mercy. There's nothing soft about a super-soldier that cauterizes his own wound, casually kills Spetsnaz commandos, and strikes fear into a heartless gunship captain. I think I'm going to watch him do it again right now.
