Action Film Evolution

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Lore & Background

Three years after the incident in Hope, Washington, former U.S. Army Green Beret John Rambo is imprisoned at a penal labor facility until Colonel Sam Trautman offers him a deal: a solo infiltration mission to confirm reports of POWs in Vietnam in exchange for a presidential pardon. Rambo meets helicopter pilot Michael Ericson, his partner Lifer, and bureaucrat Marshall Roger Murdock in Thailand. He is strictly ordered to document the camp but not to engage or rescue anyone. During insertion, Rambo's parachute catches, forcing him to jettison gear and rely only on knives and a bow and arrow. He confirms POWs exist and frees one, Banks, against orders. When river pirates betray them, Rambo kills the pirates and disables a gunboat with an RPG. At the extraction point, Trautman attempts a rescue, but Murdock aborts it, leaving Rambo and Banks to be captured by the Vietnamese.

In Their Own Story

Back at base, Trautman confronts Murdock about the sham mission, accusing him of ignoring evidence because rescuing "a bunch of forgotten ghosts" would force the U.S. to start another war. In captivity, Soviet liaison Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Podovsky and Sergeant Yushin torture Rambo with electric shocks until he agrees to broadcast a warning message. He dials a secret frequency but threatens Murdock, declaring, "I'm coming to get you." Rambo overpowers his captors with the help of agent Co Bao, who infiltrated the camp. They attempt to flee, but Lieutenant Tay shoots Co. Rambo buries her in the mud, cutting a red headband from her dress and donning her necklace as a vow. Using guerilla tactics, Rambo kills Tay with an explosive-tipped arrow, avenging her death. He hijacks a helicopter after killing Yushin who attacked from it, then uses it to bombard the camp. After faking a crash to trick Podovsky in his Mil Mi-24 attack helicopter, Rambo destroys him with a rocket launcher and frees Banks and other POWs.

Reader's Guide

The production of this sequel began when Carolco Pictures sold foreign rights in 1983, initially targeting a December 1984 release before moving it to August 1, 1985. Screenwriter Kevin Jarre wrote the initial story treatment while living on dog food, proposing Rambo search for POWs in Southeast Asia. James Cameron was hired to write the first draft of the screenplay, titled First Blood II: The Mission, concurrently working on The Terminator and Aliens. Cameron noted his script was more violent and a "very broad, stylized adventure" compared to the small-town setting of the first film. Stallone later took over scriptwriting duties for the final draft, adding political nuances like Trautman's right-wing stance versus Murdock's cynicism. Producers wanted John Travolta as Rambo's sidekick, but Stallone vetoed it; Lee Marvin was offered the role of Murdock but declined, leading to Charles Napier casting. Before filming, Stallone underwent torturous training to build his musculature.

Did You Know?

• The film was nominated for Best Sound Effects Editing at the 58th Academy Awards.
• Rambo: First Blood Part II won four Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, out of seven nominations.
• Kevin Jarre received sole story credit while James Cameron and Stallone shared screenplay credit.
• In his original draft, James Cameron had Rambo partnered with a tech-y sidekick and delayed action for nearly 30–40 pages.
• The movie was ranked number 23 on Entertainment Weekly's 2009 list of "The Best Rock-'em, Sock-'em Movies of the Past 25 Years."