ROTTEN TOMATOES: Stallone Says Rambo Can't Count Past Four

Stallone Says Rambo Can't Count Past Four

Chillingly refuses to rule out Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot 2.

by Jeff Giles | February 01, 2008

If you read the report about Harvey Weinstein wanting more Rambo sequels and feared for the artistic integrity of the franchise, you can rest easy -- Sylvester Stallone has said it won't happen.

He could just be playing hardball with the studio, of course, but we prefer to take Sly at his word, and here's what he told The Guardian:

"This is the last Rambo just as Rocky Balboa is the last Rocky. I can't go any further. It was a miracle that it even got done."

The fourth Rambo debuted last weekend to a surprising second-place finish behind Meet the Spartans. Not the most dignified way for the character to go out, but hey -- you can certainly do worse than a 35 percent Tomatometer and #2 at the box office, and maybe Stallone doesn't want to find that out the hard way.

Source: The Guardian

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(1-20 of 29 posts) | Reply

jhc36 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 06:23 AM

Oh well. Rambo was fun. good 'ol bloody fun.

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jeanpaul writes:
on Feb 01 2008 06:37 AM

Actually, much I as like "JOHN RAMBO" and as much as I respect the character of JOHN, I think Stallone brought it to a decent, neat and deserving closure for the character at the ending of "John Rambo"--- where the anguished soldier at last returns home and to maybe some amount of rest, which he so very deserves.

I think Stallone ended both sagas of Rambo and Rocky on a fine, well made note. Even if they can make another Rambo-- I think it'd be nice if they left it the way Stallone has left it. That'd be better.

Any way, it's interesting what John Rambo's dad's name is (or was, for that matter)--- you see "R. Rambo" imprinted on the mailbox. I wonder, if they'd let us know what the "R" stands for.

In any case, Welcome home, John. And thanks for everything.

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Elixor writes:
on Feb 01 2008 06:52 AM

Thank you Stallone.

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DarthWonka writes:
on Feb 01 2008 07:56 AM

Awww, but what about Rambo: The Darfur Assignment

or Rambo: Bane of Bin Ladin?

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taguro writes:
on Feb 01 2008 07:59 AM

Well arnie said game over to the terminator series so why can't stallone say game over to rambo and rocky. It's nice that they can pocket some extra cash at an older age but does he really wanr to risk injurying himself seriously?
Plus there are thousands of new roles he could do... no?

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Shatter24 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 07:59 AM

Thank you so much, Stallone, for bringing Rocky and Rambo to such well-conceived closure. Well done.

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John Z. Delorean writes:
on Feb 01 2008 08:04 AM

In all seriousness Stallone deserves credit for giving those characters the proper endings and leaving it alone if it did take 20 years. Good looking on that Sly now lets get to work on Cobra 2 and Tango And Cash vs. Lethal Weapon!

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rsav1976 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 08:13 AM

It doesn't deserve the 35% tomatometer at all. I'm convinced that a majority of critics didn't even bother to watch the movie as a read more misleading and erroneous reviews for this film than almost any that I've ever seen. It was a solid good time, and earned its R rating through and through. Anyway, I hope that Sly keeps his word as Rambo was an appropriate ending to the franchise.

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Gimy writes:
on Feb 01 2008 08:17 AM

a miracle Mr Stallone...or HgH?

"stallone says rambo can't count past four". nominate that for best title on here...ever. haha. now, go make a corny list of "best ever titles" so we can complain how dumb it is...chap chap!

by the way, i still think the whole "rambo's son" idea could work, at least thats more plausible than Rambo going crazy in another 20 years...at a nursing home, fighting for his life from the insane orderlies and blowing up grandma's oxygen tank just to escape.

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djadeli writes:
on Feb 01 2008 09:19 AM

I agree with rsav1976 that critics are probably just speculating as to how Rambo was going to be. Anyone who was a fan of the old Rambo movies, not to mention just balls out action movies, would have to say they were pleasantly surprised by the new Rambo. I'm an old school action fan and I'm just as jaded as everyone else that they don't make action movies like this anymore. This delivered on all fronts and even restored the respect that Stallone deserves. For old times sake, go watch Cliffhanger. Not Stop or my Mom will shoot.

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BarbarianMonster writes:
on Feb 01 2008 11:10 AM

Rambo IV was better than Saving Private Ryan, and that's all I have to say about that.

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zgberg writes:
on Feb 01 2008 12:49 PM

In reply to this comment (#1545652)
"Tango and Cash, Cash and Tango...if its not one, its the other" - Jack Palance's character.

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quietus28 writes:
on Feb 01 2008 01:35 PM

In reply to this comment (#1545660)
Rambo's son? Then they could start a new cross-over franchise, either called Rambo, Jr. or Son of Rambo.

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FireflyFan4evr writes:
on Feb 01 2008 05:59 PM

In reply to this comment (#1546433)
Unless you'd like to count the movie "Son of Rambow" as a cross-over franchise... but, it's not nearly as bad as you'd think from the title. It's about English kids trying to make their own action movie on a home-video camera.

(Reply to this)

bijibadness writes:
on Feb 01 2008 06:57 PM

In reply to this comment (#1546163)
whoa, what? just...oh man

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AripBudi writes:
on Feb 01 2008 07:30 PM

In reply to this comment (#1547235)
Forget about Rambo, he won't pass 5 minutes against Bourne.

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RottenRob writes:
on Feb 01 2008 08:33 PM

Rambo was awesome. I think I lost more of my hair from the testosterone surge.

And it would be awfully silly to try to make another one. It was a perfect finish.

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Mariah Carey writes:
on Feb 01 2008 09:48 PM

John Rambo is back %u2014 and so, more importantly, is Sylvester Stallone, the artist and filmmaker. With RAMBO and last year%u2019s triumphant ROCKY BALBOA, Stallone has reclaimed the respect and admiration accorded him early in his career, when his performance as a down-on-his-luck prize fighter from Philadelphia inspired comparisons to Brando and his attendant screenplay was praised for its gritty realism and fragile romanticism. There is plenty of the former and precious little of the latter in the brutal landscape Stallone has committed to celluloid with RAMBO, but that%u2019s as it should be; this isn%u2019t a live-action cartoon %u2014 it%u2019s a nasty, grim, and uncompromising portrait of the savagery of war.

Unfortunately, what all this means is that while RAMBO represents a new peak for the series, the sheer volume and disturbing realism of the carnage onscreen is wearing and anyone expecting the bombastic %u201Cfun%u201D of previous installments is missing the point. Even with a relatively compact running time of just over ninety minutes, the relentless fatalism espoused by the haunted Vietnam vet makes RAMBO seem like a much longer movie. That%u2019s not a criticism %u2014 if anything, it%u2019s a reflection of just how thoroughly Stallone has come to inhabit this character, for we feel the weight of Rambo%u2019s world-weariness in each and every frame.

On a final note, kudos to Stallone for resisting the temptation to %u201Cwater down%u201D his vision of RAMBO to secure a PG rating; John Rambo and Sylvester Stallone are back, integrity intact. ***1/2 (out of four)

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kissman24 writes:
on Feb 02 2008 12:35 AM

The writing is on the wall for this series. There is nowhere else to go with it. Half of the fun of this Rambo is seeing him back after all these years. We missed him -- like Rocky (although a bit less than Rocky). But now that we've seen Rambo again, that part of his allure is gone. The next Rambo would have to solely win us over on quality and I just can't see that ever happening.

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Lieu10antDan writes:
on Feb 02 2008 10:40 AM

Here's the review I sent to Variety Magazine...of course, they'll never print it.

""Rambo," Sylvester Stallone's latest and final franchise entry is a successful end to the story of Vietnam Vet John Rambo. Although, twenty years have passed since the last film, this new film does a satisfying job of wrapping up the hero's unending hunt for resolution.

Unfortunately for the film series, callous critics will be unkind. The character of Rambo devolved through the years from the psychologically wounded ex-vet in the series originator and critical favorite, "First Blood," to become a victim of the Reagan era '80's. Just as we as a nation were caught up in our excess and ability to flex our military might across the planet, the Rambo films did the same. In doing so, he became a target for outdated ridicule in the same way as anyone showing up for a party in a pair of parachute pants might be today.

Just to be clear, the Rambo of movies 2 and 3 was a far cry from the Rambo of "First Blood," and in this fourth installment, a decent job is done of restoring the character's original integrity. The original John Rambo was a decent guy who never quite recovered from the ravages of war and despite the warrior ability within, the first film was clear that he only wanted peace. In "Rambo," we find essentially the same character, only jaded by movie's 2 and 3's efforts to exploit the one thing he did well, which was to kill, a point that Rambo himself is not all that content with.

From his dialogue, we find Rambo aware of his animalistic nature, but lax to engage in any self-celebration for it. In fact, his worn and weary attitude shows from his very first line in the movie.

Also of note is that for fans of the series, despite the almost forgettable value of film number three, this fourth film actually makes films 2 and 3 matter. Taking advantage of themes in both, it pays them off for the character this time, bringing to mind the "Full Circle" speech by the late Richard Crenna in "Rambo III." To be able to salvage anything of worth in that film is worth noting, and yet Stallone as co-writer does exceptionally well by doing so in this showing.

It's clear from interviews that Stallone regrets having sold out during the late 80's and early 90's, a time in which he admits to being a little caught up in himself. Last year's "Rocky Balboa," and this year's "Rambo," make it clear that his fans matter to him, and more importantly than box office, that they matter enough to give both characters story endings they'd be happy to see.

It would be easy to dismiss "Rambo," simply because its popular to criticize Stallone. Doing so, however, shows one's movie snobbery and inablity to understand the masses Stallone has always had an ability to connect with. The characters of Rocky and Rambo have both spoken to the average American, albeit in different ways. Be it the underdog story or the desire to rise above our demons and be understood, Stallone has succeeded in connecting two very iconic characters to their publics for one last time. "Rambo" deserves worthy mention of doing that and in a way that will please fans of the undervalued and underviewed "First Blood" right up to the final credits.

Stallone has stated that for Rambo, he wanted the character to be more tired, worn-down, and beefy looking, and now that he's done that, the uninformed, but self-important critics are quick to insult Stallone personally for looking so old and run down. That criticism is harsh and undeserved.

From the opening scene of the first film now 26 years behind us, to the brilliant last scene of this one in 2008, Stallone has succeeded in giving us two complementary films that perfectly bookend a character who got lost along the way. Just like John Rambo, one can't help but leave the theater content that his character has finally found peace. For that, one can only say "Well done, Sly." And thanks for the ride.

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