Rambo IV gets the green light

White Supremacists? Why not just have Rambo fight cybernetic Nazis from outer space? It would be nearly as believeable and shove about the same extreme level of villainy down our throats.

Stupid idea.

I'll always cherish the hours I spent watching the Rambo movies when I was a kid...but there is no way that I'm going to see this



I think that's the plan for Rambo V

Welp, they've got balls for trying this now, i'll give them that. Agreed that this is stupid, the days of that type of action film have long since past, I loved them and still love them and the days when they were in their prime, but they just won't work now.

These films aren't like Die Hard where they could concievably come up with a story that would be interesting and modernized, audiences expect certai staples with Rambo...

1. He eventually gets shirtless and sweaty.

2. He have his trademark Bowie knife.

3. He wipes out an entire army while only getting some minor flesh wounds himself.

and

4. He, in the end, gives a big patriotic speech before slowly walking off into the sunset.

All of those elements are tired now i'm sorry to say, and a Rambo film without them will be unacceptable.

"Viet-Nam vet and former POW goes on yet another killing spree. AARP spokesperson refuses comment. news at 11"

They can't do this without Richard Crenna. I guess they should bring back Charles Napier.

As much as Stallone seems to be a thoroughly decent guy in interviews and such, his ability to get meatier roles must be nonexistent if he has to fall back on tripe like this. The article does mention an interesting project for him, though: directing a biopic of Edgar Allen Poe before production on Rambo IV starts...

I feel bad for the guy being pigeonholed into the "muscle star" category, and hope that the Poe project opens doors that should've been opened after Copland.

Interesting that in his [Stallone's] recent appearance on 'Las Vegas' he kept repeating "I don't want to be thought of as only the muscle" when referring to the character's CIA background.

I think it will be interesting. Although I haven't seen any of the Rambo movies, it seems like a movie to pay homage to a genre long forgotten since the 80s.

Chuck Norris should come back and do a Delta Force movie too.

The first Rambo was really good. BTW, Stallone could be taken seriously as something other than muscle, but he's lost the eye of the tiger. He's a rich man with lots of commitment, but he's lacking passion and vision. Studios have made a lot of money off him in the past, and they'd at least hear him out if he really had something worthwhile to pitch, as opposed to something gimmicky. What do I mean by gimmicky? Well, any pitch that starts out with, "Wouldn't it be cool if..." This is not the same guy who sat and wrote Rocky, then dedicated his life to seeing it made. Stallone is doing Rambo and Rocky movies because he doesn't have to do as much of a sell job to the studios. He also doesn't have to invest as much in learning and inhabiting the characters, because he already knows them. I don't like to see Hollywood chew them up and spit them out, but in the case of Stallone, I think his rewards are just about what his talents merit.

If Stallone sits and talks to the right people, he will figure out what he is today, and what type of movies he should be in. Then he will write or find those vehicles. If they're good and not too expensive (he may need to take back-end points instead of all up-front money), studios may take a bit of a risk with him. If he touches the public, they'll come see him.

I couldn't take another Rambo Movie, First Blood, good I actually like the second one with the POWs, but the third one was so off beat though out of the complete set, Rambo III look and sound the best, but anyway no more Sly, let it die...

It's his own fault, though - his career over the past ten-odd years has seemed to be a cycle of doing something good and unexpected to get noticed again, then wasting his new credibility by signing for a couple of rotten action movies.

I like the guy, and I think if he decided he wasn't going to do an action movie ever again, or at least that he wouldn't take anything less than an excellent script, he'd get a lot more respect. If he wants to get on the Clint Eastwood career track, best of luck, but he's got to stick with it, and not jump off as soon as someone offers him a couple million for a random action movie.

No way, i hope he holds out for Gen. Tomahawk in a live-action G.I.Joe movie. Sylvester Stallone can play COBRA villain Crocmaster. Jim Carrey has to play the part of Dr. Mindbender.

IMO he should do a sequel to Demolition Man, I always wanted to see a sequel to that one. Also, why wasn't there ever a Tango & Cash 2? I really love that movie.

Jason,
I know what you mean about him doing something different and then blowing it with his next film. He goes and does a great film like Copland only to go on to do drivel like Driven. Hey, drivel driven, try saying that 5 times really fast!

Whew, that was a tough one to do. I could use a Tango & Cash 2, but Demolition Man, yikes

Geepers...another Rambo? Like others have said, when Sly is interviewed, he really does seem like an intelligent fellow. So why, oh why, does he take on such projects? Quick cash? Perhaps...but does he really need more money?

I just keep thinking if I had his fame and money (and looks...I'll admit it!) there would be so many cool projects that I could develop. I sure would not go back and dip into the old well of the 80's action flick.

My butt in a seat, Twizzlers in hand.

Wonder if he will die in this one?

It's stupid because of who his nemesis will be? Not simply because they're doing Rambo IV???

Sequels aren't inherently bad to me. It's just that there's such a demand for them to "top" the previous one that they eventually end up over the top.

But can it top Death Wish 3, the greatest over-the-top sequel ever!

How about Stallone doing DEATH WISH 6, as the long-lost son of Charles Bronson?

That's strange to hear .

The idea sounds stupid but I'm there . Can't wait.

If you want to see Rambo be entertaining once again, just watch Hot Shots Part Deux. In fact, that film should have signaled to the entire world that Rambo's days of being taken seriously were now over.

Stallone was on Fox News recently and in an interview mentioned this project a bit. He said it was more of a return to what the first film was trying to do with the character. He liked the aspect that it was Rambo, kind of "out of his element" on the battlefield and that it was a good story. He seemed excited about it.

Just a couple of points:

1.) I don't know maybe Im just in the minority (which I don't mind) but I'd much rather see Stallone pursue another Rambo film than another Rocky.

2.) As I have always said, this forum is uneccessarily hard on Stallone. Personally, I miss the old school action heroes. When Stallone, Eastwood, Schwarzenegger, and Norris were on screen they brought a certain sense of conviction, a sense of believability to the action hero image. Today you have jokers like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Orlando Bloom, and Keanu Reeves all trying to be action heroes.

3.) If many of you realized the positive impact that Rambo has had on today's action films then there probably wouldn't be so much negativity to the idea of a 4th Rambo film.

4.) Personally, I think Rambo III was a well done and very underrated action film. I think Stallone was smart to put the character in Afghanistan as opposed to having him go back to Vietnam and rehash the same things he did in pt.2. That's what killed the Braddock (Chuck Norris) franchise, among other things.

5.)
Im so tired of someone always bringing up Die Hard as the end all be all of action films, especially when comparing it to the Rambo films. If it wasn't for Rambo there would be no Die Hard or Lethal Weapon for that matter. Die Hard 1 was a great film, but beyond that you have to ask yourself how many times can one guy keep running into terrorists. At least the plots in Rambo are a natural extension of the previous film.

Well its been a good 20 years since Rambo's heyday circa 1985, but still I think Rocky VI would be a worse idea (especailly without Talia Shire).

I dunno it sounds well at least somewhat imaginative. I was expecting something totally unoriginal like Rambo hunting down Bin Laden or something, lol.

If Stallone really wanted to have another hit though, why doesn't he do Demolition Man 2? Cut your salary, but accept points in order to get Sandra Bullock and Wesley Snipes back.

I think that's one potential franchise that he has that could be a hit in the $100-$200 million range. That's a strong cast that appeals across the board too, its not just relying on Sly to sell tickets as Bullock and Snipes can also carry a movie, but neither have had too many hits lately either.

And today with the CGI that we have, you could probably do a lot more with the action scenes.

Rocky or Rambo ... while I understand they have strong nostalgic value for Sly, probably wouldn't earn more than $50 million a piece for either of them. Also, can Stallone really get into the type of shape that people expect a Rambo or Rocky to be in? I guess Arnold did it for T3, but he says he wouldn't be able to do it again, and he's a former Mr. Universe.

Coreyll,
i'm an old school action man myself, I grew up in the 80's with Commando, Missing in Action, Cobra the Rambo trilogy and every other action film you can think of.

However, that doesn't mean that i'm incapable of recocnizing when an idea isn't a very good one. I would love it if it worked, but as I said those days are gone and honestly don't think it will work, unless they do somehing radically different with it that reenergizes the franchise which, sad to say, isn't likely.

Also, why be down on todays action stars? I can't say I care for Ben Affleck, but Matt Damon was great in the Bourne films and your comment about Keanu Reeves is way off the mark as well. Speed is one of the most exciting and kinetic films ever filmed and he also did a geat job in Point Break also.

And I will say this, for me action films don't get any better than the Die Hard series. They may owe a lot to Rambo but that's where my loyalties to Rambo end. The Rambo films are equally as silly and improbable as the Die Hard films, so no, I don't have to ask myself how one man keeps running into terrorists, because, hey, how does one man keep surviving when he's facing entire villages and even whole COUNTRIES!? That's a can of worms that just shouldn't be opened.

Before/After pics of Arnold around T3 were startling to me. I couldn't imagine Arnold being that out of shape.

Stallone looks reasonably in shape, but I don't know. Movie magic can help a bit. Then again, Rambo tends to go shirtless quite a bit.

For me, Rocky vs. Rambo is a clear choice. I've liked every Rocky movie on some level -- even Rocky V. I clearly see the dropoff, and yet I can enjoy them for what they are. Rambo III feels ridiculous to me, especially when compared to the original First Blood.

In the end, for me... a character like Rambo doesn't really continue on indefinitely, but a boxer does age, and you can continue to tell interesting stories about his life as he does.

Then again, it really doesn't matter. As I said, unless Stallone is willing to get really serious about what he's developing, it's going to basically suck. Everything he needs to know about his movie career is covered in Rocky III. He simply does not have the eye of the tiger at the moment. He needs to come up with a really compelling story, then take his time and do a good job of writing it. None of this farming it out to writers-for-hire and such. They make passable entertainment, but more often than not, their lack of passion for the subject matter shows.