Thanks! This is great for Julie Benz. I wonder how I missed that she was going to have such a large role in this.

newcj | August 10, 05:07 CET

Are the Rambo films at all worth watching ? I used to like some of Stallone's action flicks in the `90s as a teen (Cliffhanger, Demolition Man). I have yet to see a single Rocky.

Kris | August 10, 05:21 CET

Wow. You're not kidding about the violence. That's almost Saw/Hostel levels.

KernelM | August 10, 05:53 CET

I personally don't like the Rambo films and this one seems more over-the-top. There are a couple of good Rocky films, though - the first two and the most recent.

crossoverman | August 10, 05:56 CET

I won't be seeing this, I think - but from what I could tell, Julie looks like she's doing a great job. She's a fine actress. Actually, though not a big fan of The Stallone, he seemed pretty believable and sorta moving...

But I don't think I'd last ten minutes watching this.

QuoterGal | August 10, 06:09 CET

Kris, do yourself a favor and watch Rocky.

Also, watch First Blood. Anyone who says Stallone can't act has never seen First Blood. The last scene in it where he has a full mental and emotional breakdown on screen is amazing. I decided to hide spoilers (even though its extremely old) just in case.

[ edited by Superrodan on 2007-08-10 03:16 ]

Superrodan | August 10, 06:15 CET

I'm partial to Rocky III. Mr. T was just too cool, and it's hard to top Eye of the Tiger. Carl Weathers rocks, too.

Succatash | August 10, 07:58 CET

I love Rambo. I really need to watch the first one again. It's been years.

Good on Julie Benz! This is pretty high profile.

orphea | August 10, 10:24 CET

I am constantly amazed at how the film industry can take a very good film (such as First Blood - I'm with Superrodan on this) and turn it into an awful franchise. It seems to me that the people who made Rambo II->IV haven't seen (or understood) First Blood; and this is all the more strange as Stallone was producer on this first Rambo film.

The Rocky franchise was a little less terrible, but most of its movies were nevertheless far below the first one (which contained much more emotion and actor play than the others).

Le Comité | August 10, 12:17 CET

First Blood was awesome, especially the ending.
It worked well as a stand-alone film, i'm just glad that this amazing warrior will return in what will hopefully be a worthy closing for this series.
The Rocky franchise is a little different, one and two were good. The series fell and was redeemed imo, with Rocky 6.

Vergil | August 10, 14:47 CET

I agree about 'Rocky Balboa'/6 bringing it back to form (though I actually enjoyed III and IV in their own slightly silly way - V was just a waste of time and space) and i'd love to see him do the same with 'John Rambo' for 'First Blood' (a pretty decent film, with, I agree, a pretty decent performance by Stallone) i.e. take the opportunity to deconstruct the character a bit, give himself a chance to question what Rambo came to symbolise and what that means in the modern world.

The book of 'First Blood' is also really good, BTW, maybe the best "chase novel" i've read and depicts an edgier, nastier, more complex John Rambo with a metaphorical under-current about the generation gap and fathers and sons as well as the 'Vietnam war come home' allegory of the film. The author (David Morrell) actually went on to write the novelisations for (I think) both sequels (which may come as a surprise to anyone that's read the book with its 'different' ending to the film) because he couldn't stand the idea of a hack treatment of the character.

(i'm an absolute sucker for 'hooks' in novels, BTW, and the opening of 'First Blood' is an understated doozy IMO - which I can't remember well enough to do justice ;)

Hope this is good for all our sakes but if not, I hope it's at least successful for Julie Benz's, she deserves the exposure.

Saje | August 10, 15:45 CET

Wow, Saje, I read the First Blood novel too and really liked it. Definitely a much more complex John Rambo in there.

Of the above-mentioned films, only Rocky 5 totally stunk, imo. I haven't seen 6 yet so must get around to that. Rambo 2 and 3 were over the top, but didn't stink like Rocky 5. I'd take any over Cliffhanger.

I'm so tickled to see Julie Benz in a role like this. Good for her.

WhoIsOmega? | August 10, 16:42 CET

It feels like that was enough of that movie, as much as I like Julie Benz.

Also, the Prayer of St. Francis was a relevant part of the verse back when Xander defeated Willow. Funny how the same words go with stopping the bad guy with a yellow crayon versus ripping out their throat with your bare hands.

CaptainB | August 10, 18:17 CET

The first Rambo film was about a discarded, emotionally dysfunctional (but still possessed of full lethal capabilities) vet who wanted nothing better than to be left alone, and how his PTSD induced an ever-escalating feedback loop with a police force that thought if they just squeezed hard enough, they'd get compliance. It's not very ra-ra, "let's have some explosions and breasts." It's worth watching, and I suspect it'll become rather timely again, in an uncomfortable manner, within about eight years.

I like watching Julie Benz in just about anything. Although not physically convincing as a teenager, in Jawbreaker her acting made you forget that she was a grown woman. Loved her in what I have seen in Dexter.

Ocular | August 10, 18:52 CET