Post by Argonaut on Jan 27, 2008 12:56:24 GMT -8
RAMBO (2008)
imdb.com/title/tt0462499/
NOTE: The text of this review was taken from my post at the Stallonezone.com forums.
I've been turning it over and over and over in my head, trying to decide what I think of it. I don't know if I will truly be able to decide if I like it until some time has gone by. Anyways, here's some scattered thoughts.
I have never been entirely comfortable with modern movies. I'm just a young'n, but I was raised on classic movies on vhs and dvd. I never saw any of the older Rambo movies on theaters, and I haven't seen much else in theaters. Here and there I watch a movie in theaters, but mostly all of my favorite movies have been watched at home on DVD. So it was really an interesting experience seeing Rambo on the big screen. On the one hand it was a much more modern film, but it had Rambo in it and occasionally the classic Goldsmith theme.
It was really big and intense on the big screen, but I'm used to dvd so I'd probably enjoy it more there. Still, it was a pretty good movie. I'd already spoiled myself to just about everything, but it was still quite a movie.
Like I said, though, I am much more comfortable with stuff from the 80s. So this was kind of a weird experience. Tonally, Rambo 4 is completely different from the other ones. At the end of Rambo 2 I do feel like jumping up and cheering at the screen, but I didn't get that at all at the end of Rambo 4. It was pretty sobering really.
I guess that's one of my biggest problems with it. It's a really good movie. It's just totally different from the other ones. So I guess there are a lot of conflicting thoughts and feelings about it. Once I get over the fact that this is not like the other Rambo movies, I can recognize it as a great movie.
I should mention everything I really liked about it. Stallone, for one, deserves some sort of oscar and perhaps sainthood for how incredible he was in this movie. He embodied the role perfectly and I was utterly blown away by how intense and powerful he was at his age. When he was running to plant that claymore on the bomb I sort of went, "WHOAH. That mother can really run." I mean d**n he was running like a cheetah. That was awesome.
The music was always a big worry. I'm a huge fan of classic scores and this was a much more modern score. I wish it had been more orchestral, but then that wouldn't have fit the movie's darker and more primal tone.
The mercs were surprisingly cool. So cool that I kind of felt like they were taking up too many awesome moments that should have been Rambo's. That Lewis guy was great. I loved the part where he was yelling at Tint and calling him a lady-c*** to get him riled up. That was utterly badass. Schoolboy was cool. I liked seeing him look up at Rambo at the end with respect.
The missionaries were not nearly as bad as everyone seems to think they are. The acting was not that bad and I sort of understood them. I was raised SDA Christian so I can really understand that attitude. That part at the end where Sarah's boyfriend grabs a rock and takes on a soldier was good. His character needed that moment. I like how after he did it he was still sort of shocked and disgusted at what he'd done. But he knew it was what had to be done.
That's pretty much how all of Rambo 4 felt. It never felt like I was supposed to really enjoy the killing. It was just something that needed to be done. I didn't feel like cheering about anything and it was more realistic that way.
That dream sequence was awesome.
Most of the best moments were given away in the trailers and clips, but they were still pretty cool. A lot of my complaints didn't matter in the final product. The cg wasn't that bad. I'm not that big on shaky-cam, but it was probably the best usage of shaky-cam I've ever seen, unlike The Bourne Ultimatum. I could actually tell what was going on really well. And it really adds to that gritty modern war movie vibe.
The ending was good, but I felt sort of empty afterwards. Seeing Rambo standing alone up on the hill looking down on everyone felt sort of depressing. I've struggled with feelings of isolation myself so I could really understand him there. Sarah runs to her boyfriend and almost forgets about Rambo. The part where the missionary dude looks up and waves was good. Sarah looking and Schoolboy looking was good, but then Rambo just sort of walks off. I think it fit the character, but it was kind of depressing still.
Oh yeah. I had a hard time knowing who exactly survived in the final battle. Was Lewis dying there? Or what? And I saw the redneck guy was dead. The chinese guy definitely bit it, but that other bearded guy made it I think. Most of the missionaries were dead I think besides Sarah and her boyfriend.
I wish Rambo had gotten more kills with his knife and with his bow. There weren't a lot really, but I guess if I hadn't seen everything in the trailers already those moments where he does use it would have been amazing. They built up to them really well. Like that scene where he takes out the gunner. That was pretty cool still.
I wish Trautman had been in it, but of course Crenna is dead. I still thought the movie really needed more of him somehow cuz Trautman was Rambo's only family. I always liked that relationship between Rambo and Trautman. I also kind of wished they'd shown Co Bao in the dream sequence or something. I would think Rambo would still be affected by her death but I don't know.
Since Rambo 4 was going for a more serious and realistic vibe, I think they should have done more with the characters. Rambo especially, but the mercs and missionaries really needed more. And then when the movie sort of abruptly ended I felt like it was missing something. If they make a Rambo 5 I kind of wish they'd have Rambo meeting up with the surviving mercs maybe. I know that sounds like a bad idea, but I just didn't like how unresolved all of the characters felt in that movie.
Rambo walking to his dad's house in the old army jacket was pretty cool. I just think it didn't feel quite as hopeful as it should have. In another thread some of you have brought up the idea of having Trautman's name on the mailbox. I think I would like that much better.
Somebody else mentioned this and I noticed it too. The final look of the film was much more washed out than I'd expected. It was different than the trailers. I hope that on the DVD the colors are much more rich. The jungle didn't look as green as it should have.
As it is, Rambo 4 is really a great movie. It's thrilling and intense and does justice to the Rambo character. It's not exactly what I was hoping for, but it is a thousand times better as a sequel than Live Free or Die Hard. I've been back and forth over and over about how good it is compared to the other Rambo movies. As much as I love Trautman and Jerry Goldsmith, I think it at least ranks above Rambo 3. I do like a lot of things about Rambo 3, but it always felt kind of lame compared to the other two. If they release a box set of all four I would buy that though.
I almost didn't see this movie in theaters, but I'm glad I did. I needed closure at least. Rambo 4 is good enough to buy on DVD, and I think it will be easier for me to like it on DVD, since it's what I'm used to.
In closing, I need to again mention just how proud and amazed at Stallone I am. He was amazing. Seeing him run around through the jungle and through the compound was just incredible. Not once did I think there was a stuntman or cg version of Stallone. He was like a god among men, and yet very believable. Stallone deserves something for this. He deserves to make loads of money off of it and become a superstar. In that final scene on the hilltop Sly looked great. He never looked poofy or flabby at all. He was just hard-core toned manliness. I almost felt ashamed of myself for not being that awesome. Still it didn't make me feel like going and working out like Rambo 2 did. It was more realistic. I watched Rambo last night at 9:00. And afterwards some people clapped. My theater wasn't packed of course but there was a small crowd. I didn't really feel like clapping but I did like the movie a lot I think.
I guess the way I feel about Stallone mirrors how I felt about the mercs and especially Rambo in the end of the movie. I thought he deserved so much more than just a look at the end of the movie, and the mercs deserved something too I think. Rambo taught them to be self-less by the end. And the same goes for Stallone. I have said it more than once already but I'll say it again. Despite my misgivings about Rambo 4, Stallone deserves all the praise he can get for what he's accomplished. It was truly an amazing feat and I can't thank him enough for it. He's made what could be the best action movie, the only true action movie, of the 21st century.
I still need a lot of time to decide what I think of Rambo 4, so I don't know if I can just give it a star rating. That would be too impulsive. I need to see if it stands the test of time like Rambo 1 and 2 have, and to a lesser extent Rambo 3.
So there you have it. My long and drawn out thoughts on Rambo 4. If you read all of that then I thank you.
EDIT: Been long enough that I think I can give it a rating. 8/10 for now. One of the best movies of this century.
imdb.com/title/tt0462499/
NOTE: The text of this review was taken from my post at the Stallonezone.com forums.
I've been turning it over and over and over in my head, trying to decide what I think of it. I don't know if I will truly be able to decide if I like it until some time has gone by. Anyways, here's some scattered thoughts.
I have never been entirely comfortable with modern movies. I'm just a young'n, but I was raised on classic movies on vhs and dvd. I never saw any of the older Rambo movies on theaters, and I haven't seen much else in theaters. Here and there I watch a movie in theaters, but mostly all of my favorite movies have been watched at home on DVD. So it was really an interesting experience seeing Rambo on the big screen. On the one hand it was a much more modern film, but it had Rambo in it and occasionally the classic Goldsmith theme.
It was really big and intense on the big screen, but I'm used to dvd so I'd probably enjoy it more there. Still, it was a pretty good movie. I'd already spoiled myself to just about everything, but it was still quite a movie.
Like I said, though, I am much more comfortable with stuff from the 80s. So this was kind of a weird experience. Tonally, Rambo 4 is completely different from the other ones. At the end of Rambo 2 I do feel like jumping up and cheering at the screen, but I didn't get that at all at the end of Rambo 4. It was pretty sobering really.
I guess that's one of my biggest problems with it. It's a really good movie. It's just totally different from the other ones. So I guess there are a lot of conflicting thoughts and feelings about it. Once I get over the fact that this is not like the other Rambo movies, I can recognize it as a great movie.
I should mention everything I really liked about it. Stallone, for one, deserves some sort of oscar and perhaps sainthood for how incredible he was in this movie. He embodied the role perfectly and I was utterly blown away by how intense and powerful he was at his age. When he was running to plant that claymore on the bomb I sort of went, "WHOAH. That mother can really run." I mean d**n he was running like a cheetah. That was awesome.
The music was always a big worry. I'm a huge fan of classic scores and this was a much more modern score. I wish it had been more orchestral, but then that wouldn't have fit the movie's darker and more primal tone.
The mercs were surprisingly cool. So cool that I kind of felt like they were taking up too many awesome moments that should have been Rambo's. That Lewis guy was great. I loved the part where he was yelling at Tint and calling him a lady-c*** to get him riled up. That was utterly badass. Schoolboy was cool. I liked seeing him look up at Rambo at the end with respect.
The missionaries were not nearly as bad as everyone seems to think they are. The acting was not that bad and I sort of understood them. I was raised SDA Christian so I can really understand that attitude. That part at the end where Sarah's boyfriend grabs a rock and takes on a soldier was good. His character needed that moment. I like how after he did it he was still sort of shocked and disgusted at what he'd done. But he knew it was what had to be done.
That's pretty much how all of Rambo 4 felt. It never felt like I was supposed to really enjoy the killing. It was just something that needed to be done. I didn't feel like cheering about anything and it was more realistic that way.
That dream sequence was awesome.
Most of the best moments were given away in the trailers and clips, but they were still pretty cool. A lot of my complaints didn't matter in the final product. The cg wasn't that bad. I'm not that big on shaky-cam, but it was probably the best usage of shaky-cam I've ever seen, unlike The Bourne Ultimatum. I could actually tell what was going on really well. And it really adds to that gritty modern war movie vibe.
The ending was good, but I felt sort of empty afterwards. Seeing Rambo standing alone up on the hill looking down on everyone felt sort of depressing. I've struggled with feelings of isolation myself so I could really understand him there. Sarah runs to her boyfriend and almost forgets about Rambo. The part where the missionary dude looks up and waves was good. Sarah looking and Schoolboy looking was good, but then Rambo just sort of walks off. I think it fit the character, but it was kind of depressing still.
Oh yeah. I had a hard time knowing who exactly survived in the final battle. Was Lewis dying there? Or what? And I saw the redneck guy was dead. The chinese guy definitely bit it, but that other bearded guy made it I think. Most of the missionaries were dead I think besides Sarah and her boyfriend.
I wish Rambo had gotten more kills with his knife and with his bow. There weren't a lot really, but I guess if I hadn't seen everything in the trailers already those moments where he does use it would have been amazing. They built up to them really well. Like that scene where he takes out the gunner. That was pretty cool still.
I wish Trautman had been in it, but of course Crenna is dead. I still thought the movie really needed more of him somehow cuz Trautman was Rambo's only family. I always liked that relationship between Rambo and Trautman. I also kind of wished they'd shown Co Bao in the dream sequence or something. I would think Rambo would still be affected by her death but I don't know.
Since Rambo 4 was going for a more serious and realistic vibe, I think they should have done more with the characters. Rambo especially, but the mercs and missionaries really needed more. And then when the movie sort of abruptly ended I felt like it was missing something. If they make a Rambo 5 I kind of wish they'd have Rambo meeting up with the surviving mercs maybe. I know that sounds like a bad idea, but I just didn't like how unresolved all of the characters felt in that movie.
Rambo walking to his dad's house in the old army jacket was pretty cool. I just think it didn't feel quite as hopeful as it should have. In another thread some of you have brought up the idea of having Trautman's name on the mailbox. I think I would like that much better.
Somebody else mentioned this and I noticed it too. The final look of the film was much more washed out than I'd expected. It was different than the trailers. I hope that on the DVD the colors are much more rich. The jungle didn't look as green as it should have.
As it is, Rambo 4 is really a great movie. It's thrilling and intense and does justice to the Rambo character. It's not exactly what I was hoping for, but it is a thousand times better as a sequel than Live Free or Die Hard. I've been back and forth over and over about how good it is compared to the other Rambo movies. As much as I love Trautman and Jerry Goldsmith, I think it at least ranks above Rambo 3. I do like a lot of things about Rambo 3, but it always felt kind of lame compared to the other two. If they release a box set of all four I would buy that though.
I almost didn't see this movie in theaters, but I'm glad I did. I needed closure at least. Rambo 4 is good enough to buy on DVD, and I think it will be easier for me to like it on DVD, since it's what I'm used to.
In closing, I need to again mention just how proud and amazed at Stallone I am. He was amazing. Seeing him run around through the jungle and through the compound was just incredible. Not once did I think there was a stuntman or cg version of Stallone. He was like a god among men, and yet very believable. Stallone deserves something for this. He deserves to make loads of money off of it and become a superstar. In that final scene on the hilltop Sly looked great. He never looked poofy or flabby at all. He was just hard-core toned manliness. I almost felt ashamed of myself for not being that awesome. Still it didn't make me feel like going and working out like Rambo 2 did. It was more realistic. I watched Rambo last night at 9:00. And afterwards some people clapped. My theater wasn't packed of course but there was a small crowd. I didn't really feel like clapping but I did like the movie a lot I think.
I guess the way I feel about Stallone mirrors how I felt about the mercs and especially Rambo in the end of the movie. I thought he deserved so much more than just a look at the end of the movie, and the mercs deserved something too I think. Rambo taught them to be self-less by the end. And the same goes for Stallone. I have said it more than once already but I'll say it again. Despite my misgivings about Rambo 4, Stallone deserves all the praise he can get for what he's accomplished. It was truly an amazing feat and I can't thank him enough for it. He's made what could be the best action movie, the only true action movie, of the 21st century.
I still need a lot of time to decide what I think of Rambo 4, so I don't know if I can just give it a star rating. That would be too impulsive. I need to see if it stands the test of time like Rambo 1 and 2 have, and to a lesser extent Rambo 3.
So there you have it. My long and drawn out thoughts on Rambo 4. If you read all of that then I thank you.
EDIT: Been long enough that I think I can give it a rating. 8/10 for now. One of the best movies of this century.
