Rambo: Last Blood (2019) Review

"All the ones I've loved are now ghosts."
-John Rambo



Eleven years after the last film, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) lives on his late father's ranch in  Arizona with his friend, Maria (Adriana Barraza), and her granddaughter, Gabriela (Yvette Monreal).  When Gabriela goes missing in Mexico, Rambo crosses the border to track her down and will kill anyone who gets in his way.

I'll be spoiling this movie below, so I'll say this; it's an okay film.  Nothing special and not really necessary, but it's okay.  Don't spend any money on it.  Watch it on a streaming service.


What Works:

Sylvester Stallone is solid as always as Rambo.  He really gets this character and is very believable.  His arc this time around is definitely heartbreaking.

The 3rd act is really fun.  We get to see Rambo taking on his attackers with booby traps.  This sequence is brutal, but an absolute blast.  The kills are graphic and incredibly over the top.  It's the perfect sequence to watch with a few beers and some friends.  It's a great time.

Finally, Gabriela's death is shocking and sad.  I really thought she was going to make it.  It's hands-down the saddest death in the series and is a great motivator to set up the 3rd act.


What Sucks:

The first two acts of the movie are simply generic.  It's the same plot as Taken, it's just set in Mexico.  There isn't really enough action to hold one's interest during all of this.  Another action set piece or two would have really helped.

Paz Vega's character, Carmen, doesn't really get a satisfying conclusion.  She has a great reason for going after the human trafficking ring as well, but never has her story wrapped up.  I get that this is Rambo's story, but why have this character if we aren't going to give her a conclusion?

This movie feels the least like a Rambo movie.  Like I said, it's more of a Taken film and it doesn't feel connected to the rest of the series.  There aren't many references to the past films and it probably shouldn't have been a Rambo movie.  It should have been an original film of some sort.

Finally, I don't like that the movie is called Last Blood when it doesn't wrap up the series.  There are talks of a 6th film happening.  Last Blood should be the last movie and it doesn't end like the final film in the series.  It leaves too much open for a future film.


Verdict:

Rambo: Last Blood has an excellent 3rd act, a brutal, emotional death, and a solid performance from Stallone, but the first two acts are generic and don't feel like a Rambo movie, Carmen's story isn't wrapped up, and the movie shouldn't have been called Last Blood.  It's fine, but don't spend money on it.

 6/10: Okay 


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