First Blood (1982)

John Rambo, Vietnam Vet just wanted something to eat. But the Sheriff of Hope, couldn't allow that. He didn't like the way he looked and thus we get a great action movie where the former Green Beret goes wild, taking on the Sheriff and his deputies, the National Guard and his own demons. The most realistic and enjoyable of the Rambo movies, Stallone actually acts in this as well as being an action star. Excellent movie.

One of the best action films ever. Despite what people remember the character of Rambo as, the original film is a proper post-Vietnam thriller, reflecting the anxiety and conflict felt in the US after the war in the late '70s. It's also way ahead of its time - even today you'd see some backlash if a film was made where the police were essentially the villains. Gritty and emotional, First Blood deserves to be separated from the silliness the Rambo series eventually become.

Watched this movie numerous time since its release in 1982 . One of the all time great action movies. Stallone's best movie. The character of John Rambo is so identified with Stallone that it's amusing to note how many actors were considered for the role, including Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Taking a huge leap forward for Action/Adventure films, "Rambo: First Blood" get's the job for fans of the genre, and can even welcome newcomers. It may not be a perfect movie, but I absolutely loved it for what it was. As a former vet, John Rambo (Stallone) has escaped prison and is on the loose, fighting to stay alive. Throughout his fight we get glimpses of what happened to him during the war and the depth of his character becomes far more detailed than one might expect. I loved the action, the characters, and the story, but the script could have been a bit smarter I suppose. These filmmakers pumped out everything they had and damn, this is one hell of a ride!

First Blood is in my opinion, Sly Stallone's best film and best performance that made him an icon in the action genre. Sly is John Rambo, a highly decorated Vietnam War vet and former Green Beret that is passing through the small town of New Hope, Washington for a little grub and is stopped and harassed by its sheriff(played by Brian Dennehy). The sheriff tells Rambo that he is not welcome in his town and escorts him to the city limits. Rambo ignores the sheriff and is arrested for vagrancy. When in custody at the police station, he is beaten and abused by the local deputies. He then beats them up, steals a motorcycle and heads into the mountains. Armed only with his hunting knife, the local police, state police and national guard don't stand a chance. John Rambo's character is mostly developed through the dialouge of other characters. This works well and Stallone truly delivered a very grueling and totally believable performance. Richard Crenna gave an excellent performance as Col. Trautman and it is never clear how he will handle the situation with Rambo until the end of the film. While First Blood is an action film(and one of the best),the film is very well made, the story and character development are fluent and the acting is solid. The Rambo franchise is often associated with ultra patriotism and right wing politics(which are prevalent in the next two films), but the character of John Rambo is nothing like that in this film. If anything, he hates the US government as they have abandoned him. He is an outsider struggling to find his place in society. Authority figures such as the small town sheriff try to shun him and beat him down and he reacts by fighting back and blowing up the town. As tough and as skilled as Rambo is, Stallone played John as a very tragic, flawed social outcast that wants to live a peaceful life, but is driven to violence by the local law enforcement authorities that won't leave him alone. First Blood is one of my all time favorites and by far the best movie in the series.