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Rambo: First Blood Part II

Play trailer 2:25 Poster for Rambo: First Blood Part II R 1985 1h 36m Action Adventure Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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33% Tomatometer 45 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is doing hard time in jail when his former boss, Col. Troutman (Richard Crenna), offers him a deal. If Rambo travels to Vietnam to try to find the American prisoners of war, his criminal record will be expunged. Rambo takes the reconnaissance assignment and agrees not to get involved in any of the action. However, when his Vietnamese lover, Co Bao (Julia Nickson), is killed by American forces, Rambo forgets his promise and takes matters into his own hands.
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Rambo: First Blood Part II

Rambo: First Blood Part II

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Critics Consensus

First Blood Part II offers enough mayhem to satisfy genre fans, but remains a regressive sequel that turns its once-compelling protagonist into just another muscled action berserker.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker The director, George P. Cosmatos, gives this near-psychotic material -- a mixture of Catholic iconography and Soldier of Fortune pulp -- a veneer of professionalism, but the looniness is always there. Sep 13, 2023 Full Review Ian Nathan Empire Magazine Reappraisal is not due. Rated: 2/5 Apr 17, 2019 Full Review Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune So powerful and intoxicating is this kind of movie hero that when we see him operating in a flaw-riddled movie like ''Rambo'' we realize that heroic action can override almost any script. Rated: 3/4 Apr 17, 2019 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …still fun to watch despite the head-spinning hypocrisy… Rated: 3/5 Aug 23, 2022 Full Review James Olsen Starburst Presents staggeringly dumb and tiresome gung-heroics, with Sylvester Stallone at his flag-waving funniest. Jul 22, 2022 Full Review Eleanor O'Sullivan Asbury Park Press (NJ) Mountains, mud, mutilation and mortars can't keep Rambo down, but a heavyhanded plot, unrelenting violence and a screeching soundtrack deliver pummeling blows to viewers. Aug 13, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Julian C This movie is nothing like the first one. James Cameron and Sylvester Stallone made this movie with a lot more action and I like it. I like the jungle setting of Rambo, which suits his combat style very well. The only thing that I am mixed on is there is no plot; it's just Rambo destroying the Vietnam military base and freeing all the POWs. But, at the same time I still enjoy the movie as much as the first one. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/12/25 Full Review Guilherme M Rambo II shows an seemingly basic history, but it evolves well, and with the special touch of action, just like Rambo fans like. It's a movie for the fans not only because of Rambo, but Sylvester Stallone incredible acting. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/26/25 Full Review Maai K Stuck in the past. Too insensitive. The plot drags. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/08/25 Full Review Kyle C First Blood is a surprisingly grounded character study wrapped in an action film. Part II trades all that away for explosions, clichés, and sweat. The movie opens with a nice bit of misdirection, but it quickly dives into every trope imaginable, right down to the “top-secret mission gone wrong” setup that gets Rambo out of prison in record time. The plot is basically on rails: he’s told not to rescue the POWs, so of course he does. The early plane sequence is a lazy excuse for an action beat, and from there it’s just one set piece after another with almost no tension or moral ambiguity. In the first film, Rambo’s resourcefulness made him compelling; here, he’s just an indestructible action figure. The supporting cast doesn’t help much. His local contact, Co, is meant to be a foil—someone who wants peace and normalcy while Rambo lives for combat—but her dialogue and accent make the scenes hard to take seriously. Her inevitable death is pure cheese, and the movie’s attempts at emotional depth fall flat. There are a few fun moments like the guard in flip-flops and Rambo camouflaged in the mud, but most of it feels like watching a bad video game. The film leans hard on “good guys vs. bad guys” simplicity, completely dropping the moral complexity and PTSD themes that made First Blood so effective. By the time Rambo delivers his awkward final speech, the movie has long since lost any emotional core. There’s plenty of muscle and explosions, but not much heart or reason. It’s not unwatchable, but it’s a hollow follow-up that mistakes noise for intensity. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 10/05/25 Full Review Kevin P An entertaining guilty pleasure dumb fun action flick that's the epitome of 80s shoot em' ups. Not nearly as good as the original, but arguably more iconic. This is arguably what most people think of when they hear the name Rambo (myself included when I was a kid). As a sequel to the First Blood, it's very jarring with how insanely different tone, themes, character building, and story quality are when compared to the original (also a LOT of coke product placement). Rambo barely talks and his character is shallower now. The acting from some of the side characters is rather wooden. But I do like the returning Colonel Trautman, as well as the slimy Murdock and the villainous Russian Commando. As for pros, the movie is unabashedly laser focused on the action set pieces, and it definitely delivers. The action scenes are awesome with Rambo tearing up hordes of men and scorching the entire bases with his one-man army standoff. It's equally cheesy and cool, despite the paper-thin characters and acting. Jerry Goldsmith's score is also solid, and they did a good job with the on-site location shooting of the jungle scenes. It feels like an entirely different franchise than First Blood, but it owns up to its premise and is a lot of fun if you turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/01/25 Full Review Michael M Classic action flick. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Rambo: First Blood Part II

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Rambo: First Blood Part II

Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - The Helicopter Fight Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - The Helicopter Fight 2:38 Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Rambo Kisses Co Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Rambo Kisses Co 2:33 Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Rambo's Boat Battle Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Rambo's Boat Battle 2:16 Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Rambo Escapes Torture Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Rambo Escapes Torture 3:00 Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Bow and Arrow Bombs Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Bow and Arrow Bombs 2:26 Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - The Helicopter Battle Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - The Helicopter Battle 3:00 Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Rambo Saves the POWs Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Rambo Saves the POWs 2:55 Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Mission Accomplished Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Mission Accomplished 2:12 Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Leaving Rambo Behind Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Leaving Rambo Behind 3:00 Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Rambo Kills Enemy Soldiers Rambo: First Blood Part II: Official Clip - Rambo Kills Enemy Soldiers 2:56 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is doing hard time in jail when his former boss, Col. Troutman (Richard Crenna), offers him a deal. If Rambo travels to Vietnam to try to find the American prisoners of war, his criminal record will be expunged. Rambo takes the reconnaissance assignment and agrees not to get involved in any of the action. However, when his Vietnamese lover, Co Bao (Julia Nickson), is killed by American forces, Rambo forgets his promise and takes matters into his own hands.
Director
George P. Cosmatos
Producer
Buzz Feitshans
Screenwriter
Kevin Jarre, Sylvester Stallone, James Cameron
Distributor
Artisan Entertainment, TriStar Pictures, Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Anabasis N.V.
Rating
R
Genre
Action, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 24, 1985, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$150.2M
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Dolby SR, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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