I’m as big a fan of Rambo as anyone, but, once you’ve seen that trailer, why bother seeing the movie? You’ve already seen everything you need to see.
Rocky VI . . . Rambo IV . . . can you say “testosterone poisoning”? Stallone needs to find a new artistic direction. I wanna seem him play a flaming, screaming fag!
Rambo was touted as a pretty unique and highly accomplished beret, who was practically in a class of his own. I was never under the impression that there was some viet nam vet stereotype being pushed.
Still, I don’t think that seeing certain characteristics that are common of ex vets is necessarily stereotyping either. Many vets shared experiences, similar problems and mental battles for years.
Rambo was good. Coming out of the 70’s and the powerhouse that it was with movies, and yet before the blood-bath action movies of the 80’s, Rambo was a great fit back then. U.S was also down on itself after Middle East failures, and still down after Vietnam.
Recalling a conversation I had with Sly, he noted that the ending of Rambo was changed after audience feedback. Seeing Rambo dead at the end ruined the movie for many. That’s enlightening, because it showed how the country had come full circle in regards to how it saw Viet nam vets. He had to make Rambo live – at least he felt he did. I was lucky enough to get to know Sly when he made Rocky 5 in Philly as I was a Teamster driver for the cast. One of Sly’s favorite movies is actually Lock Up.