First Blood

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Richard G. Great movie. Saw it again, recently, I was amused by the young David Caruso playing a relatively minor role. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/16/25 Full Review Ray C First Blood is a tense and gritty action-survival film that offers a powerful portrayal of PTSD in war veterans. The action is grounded and realistic, enhanced by the atmospheric small-town setting. Sylvester Stallone delivers a compelling lead performance, supported by a solid ensemble cast. Brian Dennehy also shines as the main antagonist. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/08/25 Full Review Kevin P An amazing action thriller movie with some severely underrated hidden depths as it plays more like a post-war drama with action as the icing on the cake. That being said, the action itself is fantastic. The film's more grounded and somber tone makes the action even more exciting and methodical. All shot in some gorgeous scenery of the Pacific Northwest. From the epic motorcycle chase to the thrilling slasher scene as Rambo sneaks up and takes down the entire police squad in the woods. But you really feel for Rambo as he basically had a PTSD episode after getting bullied and beaten by corrupt cops, who pick on him for being a "drifter" homeless vet, despite his medal of honor green beret status. The big "thanks" for his service. Most of the police force are despicable and it’s so satisfying to see Rambo beat them up. As the manhunt escalates, the whole film becomes a microcosm of the Vietnam War, as the Sheriff's ego gets inflamed and he is willing to let his own men die from guerrilla warfare in "a war you can't win". All epically summarized in a badass debate between the sheriff and Rambo's former green beret colonel. Funny enough, the Colonel reminds me of Principal Skinner from the Simpson (they look and sound very similar and are both former Vietnam green berets). The climax had me on the edge of my seat with all the clever and brutal battle tactics used by Rambo in his last stand against the town. But then it's resolved in a heartbreaking emotional breakdown by Rambo as he stands down to the Colonel after the final standoff. Rambo actually subverts all the macho action stars he influenced. He's clever, he's introverted, he even cries. A mysterious man of few words. All played brilliantly by Sylvester Stallone in a much more subdued performance than what he's famous for. But he's also a killing machine now wandering aimlessly with no family or purpose left. But Ironically, he's MUCH different than his sequel or novel counterpart, as he only kills one person in this entire movie. And even that was an accident in self-defense. Same goes for the messaging as this film is clearly critical of corrupt police brutality and the mistreatment of veterans with PTSD, while the later sequels just focus on the awesomeness of proxy war explosion extravaganza. The end credits song feels unfitting as a typical lighter tone 80's pop song. But to be honest, that's the only real flaw of the film. Everything else is perfecto. A great action drama that's way deeper than any of its sequels or imitators. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/30/25 Full Review Kyle C Going into First Blood, I expected a straight-up ‘80s action movie. What I got instead was something much sadder and smarter: a tragedy about PTSD, small-town hostility, and the failures of law enforcement. The setup is simple. Rambo, a Vietnam veteran, drifts into a small Pacific Northwest town where he’s treated like a criminal just for existing. A power-hungry sheriff escalates the situation, and from there it spirals into a war that never needed to happen. It’s not subtle—flashbacks, trauma, and heavy-handed parallels abound—but the themes are universal. Being unwelcome because of your past or how you look still hits hard today. I appreciated how sympathetic Rambo is. He doesn’t do anything wrong at first; he’s abused, dismissed, and pushed into survival mode. The film makes it clear he needs help, not incarceration. It almost plays like an argument for replacing police with mental health specialists, decades before that conversation entered the mainstream. The action sequences are tense.The cliff jump stunt is brutal, and Rambo’s resourcefulness keeps the middle stretch fun to watch. He’s a badass, but it doesn’t overwhelm the tragedy of the situation. The movie isn’t flawless. The audio often feels flat, the storm effects are laughable, and the shifting points of view occasionally hurt the tension. Also, I don’t buy that shooting one telephone pole would knock out power to an entire town, but what do I know? But the location shooting is gorgeous, and some lines like “In town, you’re the law. Out here, it’s me.” are instant classics. What really makes First Blood work is the ending. Rambo’s emotional breakdown is devastating. His final speech isn’t polished or coherent, but that’s exactly what makes it hit. It feels raw, broken, and real. By then it’s clear: this isn’t an action movie, it’s a story about a man destroyed by war and abandoned by the country he fought for. It’s wild to think this eventually became a franchise of increasingly over-the-top action sequels, because this first outing is way more thoughtful than I expected. Overall, First Blood is a surprisingly mature and tragic film hiding inside an action movie shell. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/22/25 Full Review Tyler G Enjoyable action thriller/survivalist story. Really well paced. The first 30 minutes is full of awesome stunt work. Richard Crenna is really good in it. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/15/25 Full Review Gareth v The first outing for John Rambo is a lean, grounded action thriller that’s far more about tension and survival than the explosive spectacle the series would later become. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/09/25 Full Review Read all reviews

First Blood

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