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Jason Bourne? Give me a break. This is Rambo: A repugnant romp with Burmese politics, fuelled by weary cynicism and an ex-Green Beret killing machine with a machete. Admittedly, this is enough to make even the '80s action junkie vomit from sheer nostalgic excitement.

The new film (which, strangely, has no sign of a “IV” in its title) reprises Stallone’s role as the ex-soldier living in the Thai jungle. He captures poisonous snakes and dabbles in blacksmithing, basically just to pass the time and pay the rent.

The inevitability of Rambo coming out of retirement is motivated by a group of Christian aid workers being captured by the Burmese army shortly after they hired him to ferry them upriver. Sure, they’re rather annoying in their attempts at making a show of sanctity in the face of everyone’s favourite muscle bound warrior; however, much like Trautman in Rambo III, they’re necessary in driving the plot forward and making Rambo realise that killing is really the only thing he does well.

And, boy, does he do it well. With the movie having a relatively short running time (eighty minutes, minus the credits), the action is packed with flying limbs, beheadings, sexual assaults on women, and even human-munching-pigs. There’s even a scene where the big man manages to rip out a guy’s larynx with his bare hands. Nice.

Undoubtedly, actions speak louder than words, and Rambo was never really one for much dialogue anyway. What Sly cares about is grossness here, and this film is gorier, meaner and uglier than anything he has been affiliated with before.
The now sixty-year-old Producer/Writer/Director appropriately develops his character John Rambo as the quiet hero, who's aged significantly, but still with the core character elements that attracted fans to the previous movies. We may never really know much about the depth of Rambo’s character other than him being sceptical about his missions, having a tendency to grunt a lot, and when he’s pushed, “killing’s as easy as breathing".

This film could have potentially moved in a variety of different directions; however, Stallone modestly builds from the elements of a traditional action film, and stays true to the genre. Presented are magnificent examples of muscular tone (Stallone is still in immaculate shape for his age), which is drizzled with manly sweat and glistened with the blood of his new enemies. There's even a nice bookend to First Blood in the final few minutes, which will no doubt please the hardcore fans.

Give Stallone credit: He knows what his fans want and is willing to give. It appears to me that the guy’s heart is in what he does, with a desire to forward the strengths of the previous movies in the franchise (which is a lot more than can be said for the team of morons behind the Alien vs Predator movies recently).

Truth be told, it took me a while to come to terms with what I had just seen when I watched this film for the first time. Not only was this Sylvester Stallone’s explosive, unapologetic portrayal of the Burmese Civil War, but it was the year 2008, and to my own disbelief I had just walked out of the premier of a new Rambo movie.

Considering that all '80s action junkies need a fix from time to time, I felt delighted when I found mine.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2008.