I really love the fact this film begins with our “protagonist” in a hopeful scene that leads us to believe this will be a story following a positive theme of a hero’s journey. Only to later be chewed into a gruesome reality about humans coming back from hell and how they are abandoned in their own homes. I’m not 100% certain that this was the directors intent for this film, but this was something that I found fascinating..coming from RAMBO. Love that. Good stuff. This is still a hero’s journey though. Through Rambo’s own will to survive, his experiences and remembering his trauma, he’s able to forge light in his own mental cave. He has shown the strength to physically pull himself and overcome his physical element. The maturity within the ending is what really makes this explosive film feel worth igniting in the first place. “Where is everybody?” …..those lines hit. Great film! (apologies for the random paragraphs..quick thought bubbles.)

@zeedeezio

Жыл бұрын

Gotta say... all the Rambo movies are worthwhile. My order of excellence would be #1, #4, #2, #5, #3... check em all out man!

@mrtveye6682

Жыл бұрын

@Trashthlete True. Esp. the 3rd one is pure 80s cold war propaganda, similar to Rocky 4. They are still quite good, entertaining action movies, but they never got nearly to the depth of the 1st one again.

@woeshaling6421

Жыл бұрын

vietnam was different in many ways. apart from the war itself, the spectre of it spread beyond the war far into the 80's. imo it pushed reagan's rise to power in a big way and in turn put his power into a major media push. first blood is a faithful adaptation of a veteran's experience. the rest of rambo is pure propaganda. attempting to reestablish US hegemony, as you will see.

@Andrew-up3dr

Жыл бұрын

If I'm not mistaken didn't rambo commit suicide in the original ending to the film?

@Andrew-up3dr

Жыл бұрын

@@woeshaling6421 rambo is the only good sequel to first blood imo

Sylvester Stallone's acting at the end when he broke down was really powerful. It shows how good of an actor he really is when given good material.

@JamesVSCinema

Жыл бұрын

I have a feeling the tears from the actor whose the kernel was probably real.

@RictorIAG

Жыл бұрын

Have you ever heard him talk about it on Howard Stern? In the original cut he talked throughout the entire film. Sly said it was so bad he tried to buy the movie back so he could burn it. Instead they re-edited it and took out almost all of his lines. They wanted others to talk about him instead of him talking about himself.

@gregorygant4242

Жыл бұрын

This is a great movie , a classic . But that end scene ,where he shows his breaking down from PTSD, his humanity , where the world he comes back to shows him no humanity ,is the scene that is so awesome and makes the whole movie . I saw this when I was a kid , loved it ,now I'm in my 40's , still love it !

@PCGameplayism

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesVSCinema what is a kernel?

@darkzer0670

Жыл бұрын

Kernel? James, James my boy..........😬🤣😁

"People start fucking around with the law and all hell breaks loose" is probably the best line in the movie because that's exactly what the sheriff did to start all of it he fucked around with his power of "the law" to hassle rambo and all hell broke loose

@The_Kiosk

Жыл бұрын

He did indeed find out the hard way.

@lesroquel

Жыл бұрын

If he would have just let Rambo get a hot meal and a room for the night, he would have just kept on his way home, but then wed have no movie

First Blood is a well-written, well-acted story with a real message. The sequels don't do this film justice.

@ethansteen8880

Жыл бұрын

The only other Rambo movie I can watch after this is 4, that one still explores Rambo a bit

@olpossum5186

Жыл бұрын

for real. they should have stopped after the 1st.

@pavel1kometa

Жыл бұрын

@@olpossum5186 And sacrifice 800 million dollars worth of franchise haha, hard to argue for that. Plus, even though the other movies are different, still made amazing childhood for millions kids all around the world, me included.

@seansteele1269

Жыл бұрын

After Rambo John Kreese went home and opened a karate dojo.

@gafortheloveofgamenfilm1159

Жыл бұрын

Tho I love the Rambo films you are right sir

I saw this theatrically when I was 15 with my parents. This movie was so unexpected because the marketing made it look like a straight forward action film and this is something more. Stallone’s performance in the last 10 minutes is Oscar worthy.👍

@JamesVSCinema

Жыл бұрын

Brilliant work from the filmmakers and marketing haha

One of the elements from the novel, First Blood, that was not included in the film is that Sheriff Teasle is a Korean War veteran. It's only hinted at with certain scenes, such as where Teasle is acting more like a military leader with his deputies during the hunt for Rambo in the forest, as well as the scene with Teasle sitting in his office with several medals on display in the cabinet behind his desk. This went further into explaining Teasle's resentment of John Rambo, as many Korean War veterans at the time felt that Korea had become a forgotten war, and that their service and sacrifice had been forgotten along with it in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Korean War vets also resented some Vietnam veterans who returned from the war with seemingly anti-patriotic sentiments, including criticism of the US government and its involvement in Southeast Asia.

@hopsonkim4952

Жыл бұрын

I interviewed a guy I knew from being a regular customer where I served tables where we talked about his being a Korean War vet and how it had become something of a forgotten war. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, and he was 6’8” and a tank driver in the war it just wrecked him.

@RyoMassaki

Жыл бұрын

That would make Teasle even more of a bad guy, because it would mean he knows in what kind of state Rambo is and triggers/frames him deliberately with extreme malice, in contrast to being just an ignorant small-town Sheriff on a powertrip.

@44excalibur

Жыл бұрын

@@RyoMassaki Well, Teasle and Rambo were from different wars, different generations, different cultures.

@RegazozoGaming

Жыл бұрын

The characters were altered from the Original book quite a bit. Down playing the Sheriffs military experience was smart, most people during this time period would not have been aware of Special Forces and the difference between them and normal military.

@44excalibur

Жыл бұрын

@@RegazozoGaming People knew who the Green Berets were by 1982.

When I watched this film I did not expect that emotional ending.

@JamesVSCinema

Жыл бұрын

Brilliant ending. Nearly choked up.

@stanleydavidlepretre4241

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely agree, the ending was a gut punch. I enjoy when reaction channels I'm subbed to watch this movie and see their reactions, they're always surprised at the movie showing Rambo breaking down. Not sure if you read the book the movie's based on but Trautman and Rambo's end various wildly from what happened in the film.

The "orange stuff" that Delmar Berry's mother referred to at the start of the film was Agent Orange, an herbicide and defoliant chemical used by the US military as a tactical chemical weapon in Vietnam. It was intended to destroy both crops that the Viet Cong used for food supplies and dense foliage that acted as concealment for Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops. The chemical had toxic side effects, however, as nearly three million people (including Vietnam veterans) suffered illness due to Agent Orange, including leukemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and various kinds of cancer, along with birth defects in Vietnamese children.

@jamesalexander5623

Жыл бұрын

I worked with a Vietnam vet who was suffering from agent Orange at the age of 63. He had to retire and i got his job as an inspector. He was helped by the VA in to a new treatment Programme and I'm happy to say he's been in remission for over 14 years! .... He got to enjoy his retirement and his Grandkids!

@44excalibur

Жыл бұрын

@@jamesalexander5623 I'm happy to hear that he's doing well. 🙂

@65cj55

Жыл бұрын

Yes, the Americans didn't give a damn about innocent civilians, they spraying everyone.

@JokerInk-CustomBuilds

Жыл бұрын

Produced by Montesanto, amung others, who today feeds us all gmo foods... Agent Orange was produced in the United States from the late 1940s and was used in industrial agriculture and was also sprayed along railroads and power lines to control undergrowth in forests...

@thedragonlee76

Жыл бұрын

I mom had a family friend who suffered from agent orange and he told me about his experience.He taught me Martial arts.He told me that he had to give stool samples routinely to the VA because he was on disability.Most of the vets had cancer and various types of cancer.

First Blood brought an awareness to the general population about the effects of PTSD was having on a large number of returning soldiers who had experienced the brutalities of war and combat.Each war had a name for it(shell shock was one) but it was never really discussed outside of military hospitals until Viet Nam.People heard of it,but didn't realize just how many people it touched.

It's never actually mentioned in any of the Rambo films, but John Rambo as a Green Beret in the US Army's 1st Special Forces (Airborne) serving in Vietnam would have been a member of the US military's MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command Vietnam - Studies and Observations Group). This was the same unit that Martin Sheen's character in Apocalypse Now, Captain Benjamin Willard, served with. It was a highly classified, multi-service United States special operations unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the Vietnam War. It consisted primarily of personnel from the United States Army Special Forces, the United States Navy SEALs, the United States Air Force (USAF), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and elements of the United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units.

@formatique_arschloch

Жыл бұрын

Let's not forget the soldier of three armies, Finnish Lauri Törni (Larry Thorne) who had an amazing military life, ending in MACV-SOG.

@rafaelalodio5116

Жыл бұрын

I believe some South Vietinamese soldiers also ended up becoming a part of the unit.

That final scene is heart-wrenching. This is the key to the entire film and a stellar performance from Stallone. Hands down one of the greatest monologues in the history of cinema. Superb.

The opening scenes and that final scene. Truly a kick in the gut. People remember the action but not the depth of the story. Which makes it so…tragic.

That speech at the end. He was speaking for 1000's of soldiers that came back from Vietnam broken mentally and physically and then had to fight another war back in the U.S. against the protests. Stallone did a great job and got very little recognition for it, if I recall. It says something that you were surprised by the speech that it wasn't something talked about much when it probably should've been. The critics blew it off as just a Stallone action vehicle.

I watched it for the first time this year and I had no idea it was actually a legitimately gritty inspection of treatment of Vietnam vets but also the idea that self-defense can easily become a vendetta. So much more nuanced than I ever expected the film to be. I loved it.

@bespectacledheroine7292

Жыл бұрын

@Phillip Banes I think there could be something to be said for a fair shake not being universal especially because Vietnam was such an unpopular war here. I wouldn't be shocked if some of it was exaggerated as it pertains to their treatment on returning home, but also not shocked for something closer to this to have happened and been covered up.

@encrypter46

Жыл бұрын

@Phillip Banes I got out of the Navy in 1970. Two friends came to bring me home and I went out of my way to wear civilian clothes for the long ride home. I could have been somewhat happier that day. When this movie came out, I felt it all over again. And that was 12 years later.

@encrypter46

Жыл бұрын

@Phillip Banes Didn't care to be the subject of insults.

@encrypter46

Жыл бұрын

@Phillip Banes Consider that a blessing!

My dad was a Vietnam vet and this film gave him flashbacks. He both loved and hated it. I was a child and more fascinated with what my dad was going through than Rambo.

@JohnSmith-ys4nl

Жыл бұрын

Son of a Vietnam vet here. I know exactly what you went through.

This, Rocky 1 and Creed should have earned Sly 3 oscars

@gabrielcanejo187

Жыл бұрын

Copland too i think. Ok not quite as much as these 3, it's not really Oscar Worthy but Easily emmy worthy when you add in Sly and the other actors perfomance and the movie itself. It's definitly one of his best works.

Maybe this is reading too far into it, but I love what the quaint little town represents on how it's treated by the other characters. It's that "normal life" that Rambo wants to come back to, at least in some small way, and yet he immediately gets shunned away as soon as he tries. By the end of the movie he can only come back and wreck it out of spite after everything he's been put through.

I can confirm. Life in the 80's was wild.

@jamesalexander5623

Жыл бұрын

It sure was .... I was in the USAF/USAFE stationed in England. Lived in Oxford and partied in London '77 to '86 .... But we did win the Cold War and the Commies never stole a Nuke from our Base!

This movie was so odd. Word got out that it was an action movie. And the sequel was straight up 'MURICA! They were marketed and branded as the ultimate American soldier patriot. But this movie was about a broken man loaded with PTSD and desperate for the father figure in the movie to guide him and help him. It was literally the antithesis of the warrior poet and more the crushing affects of war on a man that has separated from the military and no longer has a set of rules to help him cope with the things he has been through.

I always get the impression Richard Crenna loved playing Trautman, he's just spitting out hilarious and badass one-liners with full sincerity from the moment he shows up in the film. The series loses some poignance after this but the action also increases, and Trautman is always awesome

@ResidentPetrolhead

Жыл бұрын

Greatest hype man in action movie history.

@zmanjz

Жыл бұрын

His "full circle speech from Rambo 3 is one of the most insightful for the type of soldier Rambo has become. That scene alone makes rambo 3 worth watching as a prologue to Rambo 4

@shaunsteele8244

Жыл бұрын

it's over Johnny

You were right about Rambo still being in the war, he's in his OWN war, in his head. That's why he fights, because they pushed him over the edge. So much so, he flipped into simply 'Everyone is an enemy, I must destroy and create a war in which I feel more comfortable in.' So he gave them a battle.

Filmed in Hope, BC Canada. The rest of the Rambo's go into that typical action movie trope (The 2nd dives into MIAs). Enjoyed your reaction as usual.

@JamesVSCinema

Жыл бұрын

Ah cheers, thank you!

@garryiglesias4074

Жыл бұрын

@Phillip Banes Why unfortunately ? Do YOU know that CA is on the same ground as US with common landscapes ?? Or are you uneducated ? "Countries" are just man made imaginary lines... You sound like you put those "imaginary lines" over reality.

@Morrison64

Жыл бұрын

Ya, I live about an hour away from hope so every time I drive thru it I think of this movie and the places they filmed it at

@jamesalexander5623

Жыл бұрын

The Canadian Police or the RCMP would have given him something to eat!

@gabrielcanejo187

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesVSCinema The 2th while definitly not much of a Masterpiece as the 1st except as problably the eptomine of Action or Action War Movie is definitely worth a watch/reaction too. Also because while a whole lot less then here, they also talk about important topics amid the whole super action, like the MIA and POW of the Vietnam War and another way they were abandoned, downright betrayed by their country or more accurately it's leaders and politicians.

I've been waiting for this reaction! The first Rambo movie always surprises people, just like it surprised me. You go into it expecting to be your typical action movie, which it definitely has some of that. But the thing that people don't expect is the deep social commentary on what past veterans have gone through. That last scene where he breaks down is honestly what makes this movie.

@johnfriday5169

Жыл бұрын

I've loved this movie since it originally was released. You think your watching one kind of movie but it isn't until the last ten minutes you realize what you've really been watching. To my knowledge this was the first movie to really tackle the subject of damaged men that return from war and the mental trauma they carry with them.

@bfitz1975

Жыл бұрын

@@johnfriday5169 I think The Deer Hunter captured it first

@johnfriday5169

Жыл бұрын

@@bfitz1975 yup, you're right

Your expectations for this film are basically what you will get in the follow up films. This movie is completely unique as it drives home what many Veterans from Vietnam had to endure. Horrible conditions, terrifying scenes of death, watching friends die, and then returning to a Country, that instead of treating them like the heros, shunned them. This movie has an interesting story. The original books character was a stone cold killer, psychotic personallity, PTSD driven slaughter, Stallone rewrote the character to what you see here, notice how through all this carnage he doesnt kill one person, a man who is lost instead of demented. The original cut of the movie was 3 hours long.. Stallone decided to cut almost all of Rambos dialogue and allowed the other characters to tell the back story. James commented on the stylistic choice here and obviously it was wildly successful. I would personally not bother with the rest of the Rambo movies, I own them but have rewatched them only once and found them lacking, generic 80s action movies. This one is the Masterpiece and the rest honestly feel like cash grabs.

@zmanjz

Жыл бұрын

I'd disagree. Rambo 4 serves as a completion to his story and is nearly as good as a character And Rambo 2&3 serve a purpose in getting us from Firstblood to Rambo 4. (I will concede that rambo 5 was a complete mistake to make, and is the only one i refuse to buy on blu ray.) But rambo 2 gives us John Rambo in a war where his skills are unleashed as the soldier he was trained to be. Rambo 3 gives us the excellent "full circle" speech by col. Trautman and a glimpse of John Rambo in afghanistan, but Rambo 4 is the story that bookends Firstblood quite literally.

@RegazozoGaming

Жыл бұрын

@@zmanjz I wasn’t including the newer films and I agree with your take on 4 and 5, 4 was a good film and 5 was… I’ll leave it there. 2 & 3 were 80s action where the first one was action but with a deeper story grounded in an ugly truth, whether or not that was intended it’s how it ended up, Stallone’s rewrite on the character was so well done. 2 and 3 just didn’t have the emotional impact that 1 did and I found them lacking.

First of 5 Rambo movies, and they are all great. This was filmed in the little town of Hope, British Columbia. In the last couple of years they even put up a wooden statue of Rambo in the town.

Stallone is highly underrated in his acting ability. This is still one of the best ending speeches I've seen in cinema.

This film is time capsule of sorts. It's hard to imagine today how Vietnam vets were viewed in our society at that time. This film was very 'subversive' at the time, because it took the trope of the 'dangerous vet' and at first played up to it, then shifted the focus back to society itself to ask how much of this is on 'us', not on 'them.'

@lyhuy7413

Жыл бұрын

Sometimes it’s just my fault sometimes it’s just your fault sometimes it’s just their fault 😊😂

The pain, the trauma, the vilification and rejection from his fellow Americans who have no idea what Vietnam vets went through, Stallone does such a good job of bringing that forth for us to contemplate, it chokes me up every time.

@65cj55

Жыл бұрын

Seeing the Photo of the young naked Vietnamese Girl running with her Skin Melting off from Napalm chokes me up...

Excellent reaction to a phenomenal film. This came out when I was a kid and I feel it is a criminally underrated movie. Love seeing film makers discovering this one. Keep em coming.

This film was great at showing us PTSD from a veteran. I like how the Colonel just listens to Rambo recount his story. That's all he ever wanted. A friend. Someone to listen to.

Love this movie, still my favorite of all the Rambo films. The small town used in the movie is Hope, B.C. about 100 miles outside of Vancouver. The forest and wilderness areas were filmed at a few location in the Fraser Valley of B.C. Not far from where I am from so I am very familiar with all the locations. Great reaction and review, James. Thank You!

The part where he jumps for the tree he really did that. He didn't really jump from the cliff but he did the stun and broke a few ribs or a rib.

@65cj55

Жыл бұрын

Done the last 10ft and cracked a Rib....

I honestly respect your reactions. They are legit. Thanks and take care.

@OriginalPuro

Жыл бұрын

All reactions are "legit", lol.

@jaipoh3965

Жыл бұрын

@@OriginalPuro lol! not all.

First blood is not just a great action movie it's a great film. Happy Friday to all! Long live the King RIP my platinum Queen 👑

@JamesVSCinema

Жыл бұрын

A damn great film!

Dude, I grew up in the 80's & I knew what you knew about Rambo. Then like 7 years ago I watched it for the 1st time & it blew me away. Didn't know he was fighting in the US, didn't know it was against police, Didn't know anything about that AMAZING final monologue..

This film originally had a different ending. It was the same ending found in the novelnit was based on: First Blood, by David Morrell. He was inspired by all of the students of his that fought in the Vietnam war. The character of Rambo was partially inspired by WW2 hero Audie Murphy. He had PTSD pretty bad.

I would recommend watching Cop Land for another great performance from Stallone. We've come to expect from a lot of his movies in the 80´s and 90´s a certain level of overkill in the acting department. In Cop Land, Stallone is understated, sincere, troubled, in short all the best things from First Blood, and then more besides.

So much about this film works, but what I like best is that you reach the end, and the last monologue changes the meaning of every scene previous. The audience thinks they're watching an action movie until that scene. And then to top it off, the "final boss battle" is a bit anticlimactic, but they sell you so well on the drama that the real climax is a HUG, and the audience needs that hug. That whole change makes the film stick with you, because everything you saw earlier needs to be reevaluated. The whole film is loaded with "not an action movie" hints. They keep the stakes real, spend a lot of time on the antagonists and show that most of the cops and soldiers aren't bad guys, they treat Rambo's injuries seriously, the antagonists get scared, etc. All of that makes Rambo less of a clear cut hero, but all has the audience wishing for a way out where no one get's hurt. We like Rambo, but we don't want to see him cross the line and intentionally kill people. So when we reach the end and it get's switched over to an emotional journey that ends with a hug, it works. One of the best movies ever made, but I avoided it for decades because I thought it was just a plain action flick. If you want to see the others, the most recent 2 aren't bad, but all are more straight-up action movies with Hollywood stakes (saving missionaries, saving POWs, etc.)

The cultural impact this movie had on our generation cannot be understated. If you ever wondered why Gen X can still be seen and heard thanking a soldier for his/her service, First Blood plays a big part in that.

I absolutely LOVE the way this movie is shot, it’s so unique. Not having heroes or villains is a rare thing and I’ve always love the way they handled this. Oh man, as soon as he says “PARKING CARS” It gets to me. His performance was fantastic in that scene.

since I grew up on Rocky and Rambo it always confused me when people would put him in the category of not serious actors 😳I've seen this dozens of times but I will cry every time at that end monologue 😭❤️❤️❤️

This one is easily the best in the series. The ending is indeed powerful. The 2nd is much more action-oriented with a slight touch of drama but it's a classic '80s action movie. The 3rd is fun, not great. The 4th (theatrical cut) is an AMAZING exploitation film yet like the first one still has attention for exploring his character. I completely disliked the 5th one and is no loss to skip it.

@theothernatfife5004

Жыл бұрын

I thought "Uncommon Valor" was a better version of the themes in Rambo II. The 3rd one was amusing but not a great movie. I thought the 4th movie was good. The 5th was interesting, not great, but I liked it and how it ended.

An "Action Movie" serves no purpose unless it has a message behind it. Yhis film was one of the first Post-Viet Nam movies that really took the side of the combat veterans, and got standing ovations in the theaters from Viet Vets. Very emotional.

The book the movie is loosely based on is also amazing. David Morrel, one of his first novels, stated in the book the conflict between the old school Sheriff and the drifter Rambo also represented the Vietnam generation against the Korea War generation and just how that gap could never seem to be closed (from his perspective in the 70s). Amazing book and just such a great movie, too!

@urmintrude

Жыл бұрын

Good thing about the book is that he kills everyone!

One of my all time favorite movies, I love movies with real stunts that are filmed on location, not in studios. I grew up where this was filmed in Hope BC, it's still beautiful today. 👊

That speech at the end is the cherry on top of the film. Just brilliant.

This is so much more than the action film it's marketed as and seen as in mainstream culture. The commentary on PTSD and way Vietnam veterans were treated really hits deep.

@fs127

Жыл бұрын

@Phillip Banes The us military would mostly only lend their toys to movies that weren't critical of the military.

The town is fictional called Hope in Washington state. But it was filmed in Hope British Columbia. The author of first blood based the character of Rambo off of the ww2 war hero Audie Murphy who became a actor but also struggled with PTSD. To continue the Rambo path...... if you want to watch action movies. In my opinion first blood is probably the best out of the series

@jamesalexander5623

Жыл бұрын

"To Hell and Back" was on TCM Tonight!

@lyhuy7413

Жыл бұрын

Canada instead of USA😊😂

A deep dive into PTSD before the term was even coined. It's as true today for the vet returning from Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan as it was for the Vietnam vets. I have a lot of friends and family who suffer today from what they saw and did.

@Anne-pv9cb

Жыл бұрын

It was called shell shocked before that.

I really love this movie. That being said, the last two movies, "Rambo" (2008) and "Rambo: Last Blood" (2019) are my favorites in the series.

Stallone did his own stunts in this including leaping off the cliff. When he screamed when he hit the tree and the ground was real, not acted. He broke ribs on that one. I think Stallone is a great actor and writer and director. He done from ballsy stunts too. Look forward to seeing your reaction to this series.

This film influenced more than just future Rambo films, it had a huge effect on action movies afterwards as well.

This came out while living in Germany. My Step Dad was in the army. I saw this at the base movie theater with a bunch of soldiers. Definitely a unique experience. This movie is surprisingly layered! I really like this one, the others not so much. As an aside, I notice how you like we'll done car chase scenes. I recommend Smokey and the Bandit as a really fun watch.

Basically another version of "The Most Dangerous Game". They have made that story many times. The Running Man is one of my favorite takes on that kind of premise.

This was so great. I believe it was filmed in British Columbia. It has beautiful cinematography and is WAY better than it has any reason to be. Sly's acting is top notch!

@lyhuy7413

Жыл бұрын

Yeah British Columbia Canada 😊😂

Welcome to my childhood bro, I was 7 when this was released, and this is just one of the multitudes of brilliant movies of the 80s This really showed not only how American vets were treated but also the mental anguish they suffered, which is probably why many ended up on the streets, and the difference between what a career soldier can do and what a weekend warrior can or can't do

I THINK THIS IS ONE OF STALLONE'S BEST ACTED ROLES!! THE SCENE AT THE END WHERE HE TELLS THE STORY OF HIS FRIEND GETTING BLOWN UP IS SOME OF THE BEST ACTING THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN BECAUSE EVERY TIME I SEE THAT, AND I'VE SEEN IT DOZENS OF TIMES, IT STILL BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES!!!

Each Rambo covers what is going on in that time,. First blood, he showed what the veterans went through and tell how when they came home were treated! Love the Rambo series. Hope you continue ❤️❤️ great reaction

I saw this when it came out. It is one of the first action movies I ever saw, and it is still one of the best. However, it is also so much more. The final scene is so unexpected and so emotional, it still gets me decades later... I'm happy you got to see it, I knew you would be effected by it. God bless brother.

Absolute classic! Glad you liked it brother!!

They messed with the wrong war veteran in this action adventure thriller film. Before Stallone was cast as Rambo, Harrison Ford, Kurt Russell, Jeff Bridges, Nick Nolte, Charles Bronson, James Caan, James Garner, Burt Reynolds, Steve McQueen, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Robert Redford, Ryan O'Neal, Dustin Hoffman, Martin Sheen, and Clint Eastwood were considered

@JamesVSCinema

Жыл бұрын

That’s awesome holy crap

Your assessment of "First Blood" was brilliant! I always enjoy watching your movie reactions.

So hyped man love the content!

@JamesVSCinema

Жыл бұрын

Appreciate it!! Had a great time with this one.

The two things about this movie that are really fascinating and thought provoking, yet also incredibly easy to miss: first, despite us constantly being told that Rambo is a killing machine, who's only task in Vietnam was to "dispose" of the enemy by any means necessary, Rambo actually doesn't kill anyone in the movie. And second, the town that Rambo wanted to just get a quick bite to eat in, and that put up such a fight to keep him out, was named Hope, which is pretty fitting given the PTSD theme of the movie (you can see a "Welcome to Hope" sign on the bridge in the beginning, when the sheriff first hassles him).

I think that, like the original "Alien" this was originally a low-budget film that was a passion project for those involved, but no one ever imagined it spawning a Hollywood Franchise. ....until the box office figures came in and the front office took notice.

Tears almost always well up when I see that final, emotional breakdown. I recently learned the actor playing the sadistic cop Galt also played Gabby Johnson on Blazing Saddles. "The sheriff is a nig-(DONG!)"

This film is one of my all time favorites. Didn't think much of what followed in the series, but this one, I've watched over and over again. I even went to visit where it was filmed in Hope BC ( I live in Australia). Great reaction James.

This was the first film i ever saw on VHS back in the day and i was lucky to see it in theaters for it's 40th anniversary in June..Nice reaction man

In an alternate cut of Rambo's emotional breakdown scene at the end of the film, when Rambo is crying in Troutman's arms, Troutman draws his sidearm and kills Rambo to end his suffering rather than let him get gunned down by the police or end up in prison for life. I believe that's how the book ends as well.

As a kid in the 80s I remember this being one of the most loved actions films.

This is exactly why I’m going back too Older movies like 70s 80s. The stunts are killer!!

When I was younger, I would remember scenes like the tree jump, or the traps and taking out the guys in the woods. Now that I’m older. I remember the scene where John is breaking down and telling the Colonel about what he experienced. That scene is so damn good, because of Stallone’s acting and delivery, but also the writing.

I have ptsd from being tortured and I feel/ relate so much to Rambo. makes me cry

This was filmed in several locations of British Columbia. I have been told that they wanted to film it around the Olympic Forest in western Washington state but most of it wouldn't be allowed but Canada was accommodating. BC offered the stunning landscape, plus the town (Hope, BC) and the use of pyrotechnics and the destruction they wanted in order to more closely follow the book.

@lyhuy7413

Жыл бұрын

Oh Canada instead of yankee USA😊😂

Pretty powerful story even before it was turned into an action movie. In the original novel Rambo dies, put down by the Colonel who trained him, because Rambo had basically declared war on the men who arrested him, assaulted him, and were trying to capture or kill him. Fight back and survive at any cost, as he was trained to do. His death was almost a given. Of course that ending didn't play so well as a Hollywood movie.

Greetings from Finland man!!! Hell yeah you should definitely continue this franchise!!! "I'll be back" 😎

YEAH! This is one of my all time favorite movies. I think I saw this one when I was around 3 or 4 and have loved it ever since

@JamesVSCinema

Жыл бұрын

It’s a damn great film!

@Cobalt9685

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesVSCinema I'm not sure if you are aware, or anyone said it already and if so I apologize, but the movie is based on a novel that is pretty different from the film.

@gabrielcanejo187

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesVSCinema Sherrif really should have let it fucking go.

6:03 I remember that when Stallone elbowed the cop at the station, he actually did break his nose by accident. That's also why he's screaming in the background even after the camera is no longer on him. Also, when Stallone did that jump onto the tree branch, he legitimately broke a rib during the fall and that's why he looks like he was in so much pain. This movie was filmed in Canada, if I remember correctly. Like $50,000 worth of weapons were stolen and they had to guard them for the rest of the filming. A lot of weird stuff happened on this set.

@armchairgeneralissimo

Жыл бұрын

6:27 On one of the takes of the car jumping the tracks the stunt man was driving too fast and broke his back when the chassis of the car smashed into the road. They had to get another stuntman and car to retake the shot as it was too unbelievable that a car could continue to drive after landing so hard.

At the heart of it all, its a commentary on the after effects of war. A true look at PTSD on soldiers returning home and not being able to mentally detach from battle.

This is a top ten action film in my book. Looking forward to your reaction to the sequels, they're all awesome! I remember watching the Rambo animated series during Saturday morning cartoons. This was around the release of Rambo III, in 1988. Good times.

Stallone will always be underrated as an actor.

There are two actors making very early appearances in this movie. The most obvious is David Caruso from NYPD Blue and CSI: Miami as the police officer Mitch. Later in the movie, Clinton Morgan asks a man and Bruce to move in on Rambo. The actor playing Bruce (whose only line is "No way!") is no other than Bruce Greenwood, JFK in Thirteen Days, and Captain Pike in the J. J. Abrams Star Trek movies. Also, the composer of the score is none other than the late but great Jerry Goldsmith. This movie was shot in British Columbia. The town that passes for Hope, WA is actually Hope, BC. This is definitely a great movie. And a great reaction as always, James. Keep up the good work.

In case anyone hasn't answered it yet, the beautiful scenery is courtesy of Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada. The town scenes are indeed shot in Hope, but not Washington State.

"what happened prior?" - james *immediately shows what happened prior* "ahh got it" -james lmfao that was perfect

Beautiful analysis of that final scene

@James, this was filmed in British Columbia, Canada. My thoughts were it was filmed somewhere in the US as well when I watched it the first time. Interesting fact about First Blood : every year on 22nd/23rd October, there's a 1 day festival to celebrate/honor the First Blood movie and the movie is shown in BC, Hope town (public space) as a homage.

Yep. It was Filmed In Hope BC. About an hour or so outside of Vancouver BC. Have watched this movie my whole life. And loved it everytime I watched it. As a boy for the action and then as an Adult...for the commentary of soldiers trauma and Stallone is an epic writer on occasion.

First Blood was a landmark film in cinema history. It really was a game changer in that it was a no hold barred action movie with a relevant plot for the time. PTSD was something that wasn't understood by the public until this film came out. Every action movie that came out for the next decade and beyond heavily took from this movie. Not to mention the huge impact the entire Rambo series had on US culture. Plus it's one of Stallone's best performances. This and Rocky are Sly's alter egos.

Beautiful Washington natural lighting for this. Love the setting choice

This terrain is in Hope, BC. Three hours from where I live and an hour from Vancouver. BC is a jewel of a province.

Awesome Movie and Work Bro, Thanks 👍👍👍👍👍 Greetings from Helsinki, Finland 🇫🇮🇺🇸🇫🇮🇺🇸🇫🇮🇺🇸

The novel gets into Teasel's head a bit more. He was a Korean War vet and earned the Distinguished Service Cross, which is second only to the Medal of Honor in precedence. He has little respect for the Vietnam Vets of the era, and all the people who were claiming to be veterans after the Records Fire destroyed more than 75% of all military records. Transients moved all over the nation claiming to be veterans asking for help (this still happens today), and Teasel had developed this way to keep them moving on. At first, Rambo wasn't getting any special treatment, Teasel just misjudged his man. My father was a Long Range Recon Patrol Team Leader in Vietnam (Airborne Ranger, 2 Silver Stars, 3 Bronze w/ "V", Purple Heart) and often worked with Green Berets. He came home after the war and served 30 years in the Minneapolis Police Department - after his death in 2004 the newest American Legion Post in St. Paul MN was named in his honor and given his badge #5222 as a Post Number. He loved this film because while it rightfully portrayed the cops as the bad guys (Galt especially, as Teasel wasn't aware of any of that before things escalated out of control), it showed the trauma that many returning Vets felt after being sent off to fight and then condemned for years on their return.

I believe the setting in the movie is supposed to be Colorado, but it was filmed entirely in British Columbia.

Not sure what this says about me, but this was my favorite movie when I was 10. I had the edited t.v. version taped that I used to watch a lot. I related to him somehow in my little kid head. 😂I still kind of get misty eyed when he breaks down at the end. I don't really care for any of the other Rambo movies though. Thanks to whoever suggested this, I never would have thought of it. 💛💥

It's such a tight film. Stallone is a legit great actor, which sometimes gets forgotten. And he proves it early in his career in an action revenge movie.

It's a story as old as time man... The public and studio heads took this beautiful movie about the intricacies of society, war and the impact of PTSD and warped it into "haha me like Rambo cool guy who shoot stuff in forest!😎" Glad to see you realizing how much more there is to this character.

May have already been mentioned but if not, this is filmed in Hope BC( about 1.5 hours east of Vancouver). They have a chainsaw carving of him in the centre of town by the municipal hall.

First movie my family rented when we got our first VCR when I was a kid. It was so awesome to have such movie magic at home.

I just watched a documentary on Stallone and his making of the "Director's Cut" of Rocky IV. Stallone explains why he talks the way he does. That he had nerve damage in his jaw as a child and that is why it looks like part of his mouth doesn't work. He said that he had to teach himself to speak again. He said that he still has trouble pronouncing certain words. He also talks about other actors, in general, that don't learn their lines. He said that he not only learns his own lines, but everyone else's too.

Stallone deserved an academy nomination for his end monologue