Today’s quick review: Rambo: Last Blood. Ten years ago, Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) finally came home to his family’s ranch in Arizona and found a new purpose in life: taking care of his niece Gaby (Yvette Monreal). But when Gaby goes to Mexico by herself to search for the father who abandoned her, she ends up in the clutches of human traffickers, forcing John to use his violent skills to get her back.
Rambo: Last Blood is a gritty action movie and the fifth entry in the Rambo series. Set roughly a decade after the end of the previous film, Last Blood finds John Rambo happily retired, content to raise horses, work on the ranch, and watch over his niece. That all changes when a Mexican gang takes Gaby, setting up the heavy drama and gory violene the series is known for. The result is a film that’s narrow in scope but effective at what it does.
Last Blood follows in the footsteps of Rambo, the previous entry into the series. Like its predecessor, Last Blood spends its first half establishing the stakes before taking a hard turn into action. The tone of the film is heavier than most movies in the genre, with real dangers and a plot that doesn’t pull punches. The film’s darker moments keep it from being the unfettered romp that some viewers may want, but the drama is handled fairly well.
The main draw of Last Blood is violence, and it delivers in spades. John shows his mastery of guerrilla warfare in brutal fashion, with violent and creative traps, ruthless kills, and even more gore than the film’s predecessors. The late start to the action means that it doesn’t last that long, but it makes up for duration with density. The action does feel a little rushed and one-sided as a result, but the sheer spectacle makes this a fair trade.
Rambo: Last Blood is not for the faint of heart. Its heavy tone and pervasive gore mean that it will only appeal to fans of the hardcore side of the action genre, and even these will be split by its choices when it comes to drama and pacing. But within the niche it carves out for itself, Rambo: Last Blood is a solid movie that delivers a good mixture of story and violence. Those hoping for a dark, bloody revenge film should look no farther.
For an action thriller with a similar premise, try Taken. For another Rambo movie in the same vein, try Rambo. For another tale of a father’s revenge, try Death Wish. For the even weightier superhero equivalent, try Logan. For an even more twisted revenge drama, try Oldboy. For more stylized action with similar brutality, try the John Wick series.
6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for viscerally satisfying action.