One of the things that surprised me the most when I watched First Blood for the first time was that it wasn't an action film. Yes it had a lot of stunts and some action sequences but it wasn't the blow things up, in your face, guns blazing action that you might associate with Rambo films. Instead First Blood had a story...an important story...with a character that instilled itself into pop culture infamy forever and its easy to see why and how. First Blood is about stereotyping, profiling, exclusion, war and watching it nowadays makes it even more important than it was then or later on. With eye opening Vietnam films like Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Casualties of War and so forth First Blood did something that those films weren't able to do...take the exact same message and bring it to the mainstream public with one of the biggest stars of the day. In a way First Blood is almost shocking because essentially John Rambo is NOT the hero. I suppose he could be considered the 'anti-hero' but his actions are not saving anyone, and in fact hurting innocent people who can't possibly fight him but try to no avail anyways. Still the message is clear and it's a very story driven film with the creation of a movie icon.

I'll argue with anyone, anytime...Sylvester Stallone is a very talented actor AND a very talented writer. No one could ever touch the character of John Rambo the way he did. Stallone went way beyond the action genre and actually created John Rambo from personality and history and his movements, everything. In this first installment he laid the groundwork for Rambo. Quiet, brooding, scorned, angry, unstable, haunted, deeply emotional but buried beneath all these other emotions. I think that's a hell of a performance in my books. Brian Dennehy is Stallone's rival and does a terrific job playing the conceited and determined small town sheriff who will stop at nothing to bring Rambo down. The two of them have a terrific on screen chemistry and Dennehy is a first rate actor. Richard Crenna adds to the cast as Rambo's only true 'family' and the one person he trusts. Crenna doesn't give a lot of variation to his performance, he's just kind of there to inform everyone of what Rambo is capable of. He is sort of monotoned and straight faced but he's a Rambo series staple and the character he plays is very important.

Watch the end of this film closely for John Rambo's break down in the Grocery store when Traut (Crenna) tells him "It's over." You know the infamous line "Not that it's over." Watch the scene that follows and then tell me that you're not moved and blown away by Stallone's performance. It's real and it's important. First Blood by some will be considered untouchable by the rest because they see it for what it was likely meant to be...a drama...and important drama with a message but the film makers created this incredible character and by the time the film is done you're thinking one thing; I want to see this guy in his element in the action that they speak of and then you have the serializing of Rambo (which you will see by my review is NOT a bad thing.) I suppose I'm judging First Blood on it's merit of being considered an action film because as great as Stallone is and how interesting the film is...I didn't find it mind blowingly entertaining. Still the film is well made an absolute classic and definitely worth seeing. If you're a huge Rambo fan then you can find a lot of hidden details about this mysterious man that Stallone created. It's a must see on any list. 8/10

**************** NOTE

Yesterday on Tuesday January 22/2008 star of big screen hits Heath Ledger passed away in his home. I just want to wish his family, his daughter, and Michelle Williams and all his friends my deepest sympathy and I always believed he was destined to be a big star. I will most certainly miss his work.

In First Blood Sylvester Stallone introduced his second enduring screen character John Rambo, Vietnam veteran of the Special Forces. Those hick law enforcement characters from the Pacific Northwest really didn't know who they were messing with. Even though Richard Crenna did try to steer them straight.

It all begins innocently enough. Sheriff Brian Dennehy the local law where Sly was traveling through gives him a ride out of town and tells him to keep going. Dennehy just doesn't like Sly's looks, not that he's done anything. All Stallone was there to do was visit a Vietnam War buddy whom he finds out has died from cancer most likely gotten from Agent Orange. Not that it was any of Dennehy's business because Stallone wasn't breaking any laws.

But when Dennehy sees him start back to town he then arrests him on the usual charge of vagrancy when they can't think of anything else. But the treatment and disrespect he's shown by the town police brings back memories and he snaps. He injures about six cops breaking jail and Dennehy's hot to get this guy no matter what it costs.

The best I can say for the rest of the film is that Sly makes them pay plenty.

Richard Crenna was Rambo's colonel in Vietnam tries in vain to tell the local and later the state law just what they're up against. Rambo's been trained in survival and killing techniques with or without weapons. He's a pure warrior and even normal fear has been driven right out of him.

For some of us who've had bad experience with the law First Blood was a film we could identify with. Just citizens who get arbitrarily pushed around for one reason or another. I remember wheeling a heavy shopping cart with groceries and laundry on the sidewalk of one of the main thorough fares of my city and a police car just drove right up and blocked my path. When I protested the man in blue threatened to run me in for obstruction of justice. I know exactly how Stallone felt when being pushed around. I suspect many in the theater audiences knew as well.

Stallone makes a lot of mayhem in the Pacific Northwest, the location cinematography for First Blood is just great, it can't be anything else in that part of the country. And Sly Stallone introduced an enduring cinema hero in John Rambo.

Not content with creating one hugely successful film franchise with the iconic ROCKY series, Stallone joined the burgeoning ranks of '80s Hollywood action stars by bringing the character of Rambo to the screen. Of course, the muscle-bound ex-soldier soon became one of the most famous movie creations of all time, so it's interesting to go and look back at his roots in FIRST BLOOD, an adaptation of a dark action novel by David Morrell. Some things were altered in the transition from book to screen, namely the transformation of Rambo into a good guy instead of a misunderstood anti-hero.

Anyway, FIRST BLOOD is a great flick, another fantastic movie made in a very good year for film. When mentioning Rambo, most people think of the two sequels that turned the franchise into a cheesy, over-the-top guns-n-explosives fest along the line of Arnie's COMMANDO. FIRST BLOOD isn't like that – it contains a modicum of realism, even during the pyrotechnic-heavy climax. It's a thoroughly engaging storyline, about a drifter who finds himself up against a corrupt police force, and it's scarily real – as each plot twist plays out, you realise that human nature has never been put so well on screen. Stallone is excellent as the psychotic soldier, and he's given great support from the cast which includes a career-best Brian Dennehy, a hammy Richard Crenna, and many others.

The plot is packed with suspense and achieves a level of primal fear and tension in the woodland setting, reminding me of the similarly-themed SOUTHERN COMFORT in some places. There are many great moments to enjoy as Rambo tackles a totally hateable enemy – the corrupt, bigoted small-town mentality of a police department. His initial prison break is the stuff of legend, while the subsequent stalk-and-slash pursuit in the woods is one of the best portrayal of jungle traps and survival I've seen. What also hits home is how sad the story is – Rambo finally reveals his motivations and reasoning at the climax, and it makes for all-too-real drama. While the fourth film in the series, Rambo, is still my favourite, FIRST BLOOD is nevertheless a fantastic film that's up there with the best and definitely the best of the original trilogy.