Rambo 4 and The Expendables are not funny(but I loved both)

Cafe Society
1

I’m late to the game in commenting on Rambo 4(as I call it) and have also just seen the Expendables.

  1. I absolutely loved Rambo 4. The only Rambo movie I really liked, actually. Even First Blood was only OK in my opinion.

This is actually, for some reason, the most violent movie I think I’ve ever seen. While more people die in other movies I’ve seen, the depiction of the violence in this movie really got to me. For me, it did not seem cartoonish, though I can see that some might think so.

I would not want a Rambo 5. This one ended it for me.

  1. The Expendables - This got negative reviews? I loved this movie. I mean, it was a decent 80’s action movie. I especially liked the last 25 minutes or so, where the action really took over.

I think Stallone is actually a much better director(and screenwriter) than people give him credit for. I mean, these are far from Oscar worthy movies, but I thought both were better than a vast majority of movies I’ve seen in the last couple years.

Did anyone else like these or am I alone?

2

Haven’t seen Rambo 4, so I have no comment on it.

I laughed through most of The Expendables. I found it funny in the same way I found Natural Born Killers funny. It has that crazy, over-the-top violence that is so ridiculous it’s funny. Any movie where, in the first five minutes, a bad guy gets shot with a weapon so powerful that causes his torso & legs to fly in opposite directions, ya gotta laugh. The plot wasn’t horrible, just predictable. It was entertaining. And, Mickey Rourke had one pretty decent moment, but I wouldn’t want anyone to hold their breath for any Oscars. That’s about the best review I can give it.

3

I guess I see your point on the Expendables. I did smile a lot watching it.

I kind of like Stallone’s digital violence special effects.

Hey, it’s way better than Cobra or nearly any of Dolph’s movies.

4

The last Rambo and Rocky movies are the only ones that I like from their series. I enjoyed The Expendables, but I doubt I buy it.

5

Yeah, too bad nobody remembers that he has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay and won for Best Actor.

6

He won for best Actor. When?

7

He was nominated for the '76 Rocky. Mea culpa on the win.

8

Rambo 5 is in pre-production mode. Rambo 5 is going to bring Rambo back to the USA (his hometown).

9

Wikipedia seems to think that Rambo 5 was cancelled, possibly because of how back Stone Cold messed up his neck, I’m guessing…

10

To answer the OP:

I really liked both. Forced my mum to go see Expendables on my birthday. I preferred Rambo 4. It bordered on being a snuff film, IMO, but it was done with such a flair, a near-operatic grandeur, that I couldn’t help but absolutely love it.

11

Yeah, Stallone more or less ended any chance for a Rambo 5 recently.

12

I haven’t caught The Expendables, I may have to wait for the DVD release, but I loved Rambo (4).

It was reviewed in the AV Club’s “I watched this on purpose”. Until then I hadn’t checked reviews and didn’t realise there was any sort of negative reaction to it. They seemed surprised to come up with their own final opinion; “This is a strange one, because I don’t know if I’d characterize any of Rambo as a total waste of time. It’s a briskly paced, well-shot action movie, with realistically disgusting depictions of war”.

I didn’t think Rambo might be anything else than that. What it does, it does as well as it needs to.

13

Oh, thank you! I hadn’t heard of this.

14

I thought the Expendables was great fun. As mentioned, it was an 80s action flick - and I have fond memories of them. I will see a sequel if they do one (and I suspect that they will.)