USA 1982 Directed by Ted Kotcheff. Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Brian Dennehy, David Caruso.

The first and best Rambo movie. Here drifting Vietnam vet John Rambo aimlessly on a main road. A narrow-minded sheriff finds to his fear that the unkempt vagrant is on his way to his town, and offer him a lift in his police car. Sheriff Will Teasle drives right through the town and drops him off on the outskirts of it, there he kindly but firmly make clear to Rambo that he doesn´t want any trouble in his town, and he therefore should continue to next town instead. But Rambo not feels like walking another thirty miles to have some food in his stomach, and turns back again. The sheriff lose his temper and arrest him. Rambo hasn´t recovered from the Vietnam war yet, and when he get provoked at the police-station, his animal instincts arouses within him again. He fight his way free and flee up to the woods with the cops close upon his heels. What they don´t know is that Rambo was the Vietnam wars worst killing machine, who they now have exasperated.

"First Blood" is by no means so speculative in showing violence, as the two sequels are. The fact is that it only occurs one death in the whole film. It also has a message that demonstrates how hard it was for the Vietnam vets to come home again. The unstable Rambo is all the time provoked to all that he causes. The action scenes aren´t just as bombastic as in the second and third, and looks at times almost somewhat dated. On the other hand has "First Blood" a much better story and better casting. Brian Dennehy is very convincing as sheriff Will Teasle (has he ever been weak?), and no one could have act Rambo better than Sylvester Stallone. A warning however for the pathetic ending when Rambo blubber and talking incoherent as a little baby. Sly is best when he don´t talk so much. The first hour of "First Blood" is brilliant, but then I think it slows down a bit. That´s the reason why I don´t give it a four in rating.

Kent Palmgren

Thrilling Movie Review