It was my first real action movie. Rambo: First Blood part 2. I was a young teenager, and Rambo was the man! My mom had to buy me and my friend the tickets since we were underage. It remained my favorite movie until I was in my 20's (and I switched to "Princess Bride". My ,how we change.)

I've read the novels for all 3 "Rambo" movies and have been a fan for longer than some have been alive, so I figure that qualifies me to make some comments... (I also used to have a Rambo fan magazine and covered my locker and notebooks with Rambo pictures. And I'm not even going to tell you about the lifesize Rambo standup that I had in my room, that I finally let my parents throw away last year...since it was taking up space at their house.)

Here is the order of the "Rambo" movies:
First Blood (1982)
Rambo: First Blood part 2 (1985)
Rambo III (1988)
Rambo (Opening Tomorrow)

As a fan, can I just say that the titles bug me? The third on should have been called Blank: First Blood part 3. I know what happened. "Rambo: First Blood part 2" became known as "Rambo II" so it was natural to name the third one "Rambo III" but it's still incorrect. So the movie opening tomorrow is actually the second movie to be called "Rambo". Weird, huh?

It's pretty obvious what Stallone is doing. He's trying to squeeze the last bit of life out of his two most famous characters. He did it last year with Rocky Balboa, and now here comes, Rambo. The parallels are not very subtle.
Both series became known for sequels that were far different than the original. And now these two final chapters bear the name of the character only with no numbers after it.

Best of luck to him though. I say it as a fan. I think he's trying to follow another trend...people who bought tickets for "The Passion of the Christ". Oh, yeah, I'm serious. Promoting "Rocky Balboa", Stallone made the circuit of conservative radio talk shows, emphasizing Rocky's "family values" and "wholesome entertainment". Now with the "Rambo" plotline being about him rescuing Christian missionaries, I'm sure I'm right.

He also talked about how current movies seem to ignore baby boomers. These two movies are like an aging Baby Boomer's carnal scream, "We've still got it!"(Cue Walt Whitman: "I unleash my barbaric YAWP on the rooftops of the world")

The first movie "First Blood" is amazing. Go watch a clip on youtube or put it in your Netflix queue. It's nothing like the sequels. Like Rocky, Stallone OWNS the character and shows some serious acting chops. Rocky I and "First Blood" are both more like dramas with action sequences. (And the hero loses in the end of both, but not without making a "statement".) All the sequels are just action movies where the hero wins.

"First Blood" was based on a novel by David Morrell (who writes like Robert Ludlum if that's your cup of tea. I went through a Morrell kick after I read "First Blood" and was seriously impressed. He writes great suspense, spy thriller stuff.) Yes, the book is better than the movie, and the movie is good. It's very different than the current "Rambo" persona. (Rambo dies in the end by the way.) First Blood is definitely a commentary on how vietnam vets were treated after the war.

Anyway, I don't watch "R" rated action movies anymore, but there will always be a soft spot in my heart for "Rambo". (Hey, to a teenage boy, the dude's awesome.) I hope this one does well, because I'm still a Stallone fan. (And Reagan liked Rambo too!)

I will always remember the moment in "Rambo: First Blood part 2" when the camera focuses on a muddy cliff and then eyes open. Whoa.