This movie can be found in Amazon Prime and Airtel Movies
LANGUAGE: English
RUNTIME: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
DIRECTOR: Adrian Grunberg
Since the release of its trailer and first look Rambo: Last Blood was receiving quite a lot of hype especially from the fans of the franchise from the 80’s era looking forward to seeing their old hero for one last time and off course from diehard Stallone fans because the trailer was enough to say that Stallone is back in the beastly action mode and just like the previous instalments of the franchise this one would have a lot of gory action to display…or probably more. Did it live up to the hype??Well we’ll see….
Firstly, speaking about the plot of the movie, on paper the plot of Rambo: Last Blood is quite simple. John Rambo is now leading a peaceful life with his newfound family which includes a 17-year-old girl called Gabrielle and her grandmother Maria Beltran, who also happens to be a good friend of his. He helps people in need, loves Gabrielle like a father and yet the ghastly memories of his fellow comrades from his army days haunt him to this day in spite of him trying his best to lead a normal life and move on. However, a sudden chain of events that occurs due to Gabrielle going to Mexico for personal reasons starts of a brutal game of vengeance and Rambo is ultimately forced to walk down the memory lane and unleash the monster he had overshadowed all these years with immense effort. He is now head to head with the Mexican flesh mafia and this time the war is personal. This is the basic premise of the movie. We’ll discuss more about the plot further on.
Now, speaking about the performances all the actors have done a commendable job. However, special mentions must go to the following people.
Sylvester Stallone returns as John Rambo and he is fantastic. Stallone is very good at speaking with his eyes and he shines during brutal sequences where his ruthlessness is evidently seen in his eyes. However, there were certain sequences where he could have done better in terms of expressions and body language especially during a few emotional sequences. However, as always it is Stallone’s action sequences that make him stand out the most. It is indeed insane that he can pull off such acrobatic and challenging action sequences in his trademark classy and effortless manner even at the age of 74. It is undebatable that since the first instalment of the franchise, Rambo’s character hasn’t been diluted at all. He is still as capable as he was and kudos to Stallone for keeping it that way.
Yvette Monreal does a satisfactory job as Gabrielle. Although the role doesn’t have much weightlifting to do, she also has her moments especially during the emotional sequences in which she does shine out.
Sergio Peris Mencheta and Oscar Jaenada as Hugo and Victor Martinez respectively do a commendable job too. They are the ruthless antagonists running the Mexican cartels.
Thirdly, one of the most notable things in Rambo: Last Blood among others is its top-notch cinematography and lighting. The movie starts off with a sequence where amidst heavy rains, John Rambo goes on horseback to save some people trapped in a forest. This sequence is beautifully shot and is visually appealing. There are several sequences throughout the film where the camerawork is extremely noteworthy especially the aerial shots. Also, due credit must be given to the locations the makers have shot in and the extraordinary set design. The tunnels that Rambo has built to store his arms and ammunition looks spectacular and has been designed exceptionally well which really pays off and takes the grandeur of the climax fight sequence ten notches higher. Also, the Mexican cartels have been captured perfectly and look very real and raw due to the perfectly chosen locations to shoot at.
However, it can be said without a doubt that the biggest strength of the film lies in its brilliantly choreographed action sequences. The action sequences are extremely raw, gory and unapologetically brutal. It definitely isn’t meant for the faint hearted. But, action movie lovers and the fans of the franchise will definitely be happy that the quality of action sequences or the display of gore hasn’t reduced at all.
The dialogues in the film too deserves due credit and some of them really stay with the audience for long. The editing in the film is also appreciable and some of the scene transitions look extremely impressive.
Nevertheless, Rambo: Last Blood is definitely far from a flawless film. It suffers from a significant number of flaws which cannot be ignored. Firstly, the biggest demerit of the film is its extremely predictable storyline. The film offers almost nothing new from what we saw in the trailer and can easily be predicted way before the climax. The next most significant demerit of the film is the lack of depth in characters. Apart from the characters of Rambo and Gabrielle there is absolutely no depth in any characters whatsoever. This statement is especially true in case of the antagonists of the film Hugo and Victor Martinez. There is very little information shown regarding them and the cartels they run. A film always feels incomplete without a proper antagonist to counter the protagonist effectively and unfortunately that void in the film is quite distinct. How did the antagonists become so powerful? What made them start these cartels? How exactly do these cartels work and who helps them with it? Unfortunately, such vital questions are left completely unanswered and the antagonists of the film are reduced to mere puppets who simply exist so that Rambo can kick their asses eventually. Even though the actors try their best to give justice to their characters (which they do to a certain extent too) the lack of depth in them is too evident to go unnoticed. Thirdly the direction by Adrian Grunberg is too mediocre and the film gains pace only towards the last 15 to 20 mins. There are some completely unnecessary sequences included especially during the first half which could have easily been cut. If the director had thought of including more details about important things such as the working of the cartels instead, it would have given room for thickening of the plot as well. Fourthly, the plot also felt disjoint at places. There is a sequence where John asks for help from a journalist towards the climax. The problem is we have no clue about what she did to help him or what help he asked of her. However, fortunately there aren’t many sequences like this.
As stated before there are quite a lot of demerits in the film that are quite evident to an intelligent viewer. However, the insane action sequence towards the climax is so epic that most of the stated demerits get overshadowed due to it. This is undoubtedly the greatest portion of the film and is an absolute treat to watch not just because of the spectacular shooting of the sequence or the brilliant set design but because the action is so grotesque, bloody and stylish that it hooks the viewers throughout the sequence and we can’t help but notice the immense detailing that has gone into the making of the action sequences.
Hence, to conclude with let us answer the vital question. Did the film live up to its hype? Well, it certainly demanded a thicker plot considering how famous this character is. However, we got much more from the action sequences than we had really expected and after all isn’t that something this franchise is known for? Hence, films like this definitely needs to be viewed by hardcore action film lovers just for the pure love of action films without expecting much from the plot’s standpoint. Also, the brilliant work done at a cinematic level by the makers in capturing perfectly what they intend to capture is a big surprise too. And finally, was this an honourable farewell to our classic hero? Well, it might not be the best of what John deserved, but it certainly is an extremely honourable farewell. So, is this movie enjoyable and worth watching then?? Hell yeah!!!
RATING: 3/5
