First Blood: Part II - 1985

Anabasis N.V.

Directed by George P. Cosmatos

Cast:

• John Rambo – Sylvester Stallone
• Col. Sam Trautman – Richard Crenna
• Marshall Murdoch – Charles Napier
• Lt. Col. Podovsky – Steven Berkoff
• Co – Julia Nickson
• Ericson – Martin Kove
• Tay – George Cheung
• Banks – Andy Wood
• Capt. Vinh – William Ghent
• Sgt. Yushin – Voyo Goric
• Capt. Kinh – Dana Lee

Story: Three years after his brush with the law, John Rambo is doing hard labor at a Military prison when Col. Trautman shows up at the gate. He has a proposition for Rambo that might earn him a presidential pardon. He is verify a Vietnamese prison camp, the one he escaped from in Vietnam, is empty and there are no American prisoners being held there. He is inserted by parachute and is almost killed when his gear becomes entangled on the aircraft, but manages to cut himself free. He meets up with his guide, a lovely Vietnamese girl named Co, and proceeds to the camp, only to find there are prisoners being held. When he and one of the prisoners reach the extraction point, Murdoch, the CIA agent in charge, orders the helicopter to abort the mission, leaving Rambo and the prisoner to be recaptured by the Vietnamese and Soviet soldiers. Rambo is interrogated and tortured, but manages to escape with a new mission: Find Murdoch!

Review: Second film in the franchise and heading slowly downhill. While the level of action is certainly maintained in this second installment of the legendary Rambo, the film seems just a bit under the excitement level of the first. The addition of the Soviets in this film is certainly an accusation from Stallone's perspective, and I am sure managed to ruffle a few diplomatic feathers at the time [there was a Soviet Union in 1985, kiddies]. Because of that, the film was shot in Malaysia, since we had no real relationship with Vietnam at that time. So you have to understand the crew was working in miserable conditions with mosquitoes large enough to hold a gun on you while they sucked your blood and humidity thick enough to slice and eat for breakfast. As to the characters, Rambo seems a bit mellower following a three year stint of making little ones out of big ones. Trautman seems like he has lost his self confidence when dealing with Murdoch. And speaking of Murdoch (played by Charles Napier), would you ever trust a word this guy says? Martin Kove is the perpetual pseudo tough guy who has a small and fairly inconsequential role. The remaining cast is straightforward and somewhat boring, but overall the film is entertaining and does have the merit of putting the POW/MIA issue on the forefront. Rated R for violence, disturbing scenes, and language, First Blood 2 is worth seeing once and collectible if you have the set or love Stallone.

First Blood - 1982

Anabasis N.V., Elcajo Productions

directed by Ted Kotcheff

Cast:

• John Rambo – Sylvester Stallone
• Sheriff Teasle – Brian Dennehy
• Col. Sam Trautman – Richard Crenna
• Deputy Kern – Bill McKinney
• Deputy Galt – Jack Starret
• Deputy Balford – Michael Talbot
• Deputy Ward – Chris Mulkey
• Mitch – David Caruso

Story: John J. Rambo is a Vietnam vet home from the war, on a mission to catch up with some of the people he served with. He's on foot, hasn't shaved for a while, traveling by foot or thumb, wearing a field jacket and carrying a duffel bag over his shoulder. He gets bad news, the last living member of his unit died from Agent Orange poisoning. So he's drifting when a small town sheriff sees him and politely but firmly escorts him to the other side of his town. But Rambo doesn't see why he should travel another 30 miles up the road to get a meal and turns around, so the Sheriff Teasle decides to arrest him for vagrancy. When he is being processed, one of the deputies, a sadistic bastard, decides to teach him a lesson and becomes abusive. Rambo has a flashback to a memory from Vietnam and explodes in a burst of fury, injuring several deputies and escaping into the mountains and woods outside of town. The Sheriff and his deputies pursue him into the woods, but when they try to capture him, they find out they are dealing with much more than a common ordinary veteran. Rambo is a Green Beret with several decorations, including the Congressional Medal of Honor. His job in enemy territory was to kill enemy troops. Period. He is a one man army who brings the town to its knees and teaches the Sheriff that abusing power is not the same as enforcing the law.

Review: The birth of the franchise and my favorite of the Rambo movies. Sylvester Stallone is not the super vet in this film, at least not physically. (He gets bigger and bigger as his career moves forward, check out The Expendables.) The acting in this film is straightforward and honest. The deputies are locals who don't have a lot of experience in dealing with violence, the sadistic jailer gets his comeuppance soon enough, and Brian Dennehy is the sheriff who realizes he probably screwed up, but doesn't want to admit it. How dare some drifter challenge him in his town! Stallone is the lost soul, the disenfranchised loner who returned from a war to be met with protestors instead of open arms. Richard Crenna (R.I.P.) portrays the would be mediator who tries to defuse the situation. Underneath all the violence, you have to remember that the character Rambo has done nothing wrong, and is being pursued unjustly. Underlying the movie is a statement about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the way returning veterans are treated, even today. So while the adrenaline junkies among us usually praise the action in this film (and there is certainly some worthy action), most people tend to forget this film is a political statement that simply lays out the facts and lets you be the judge. Rated R for violence, language, and some disturbing images, this film is a collectible for any serious collection.

Daylight - 1996

Davis Entertainment, Universal Pictures

Directed by Rob Cohen

Cast:

• Kit Latura – Sylvester Stallone
• Madelyne Thompson – Amy Brenneman
• Roy Nord – Viggo Mortensen
• Frank Kraft – Dan Hedaya
• Stephen Crighton – Jay O. Sanders
• Sarah Crighton – Karen Young
• Eleanor Trilling – Claire Bloom
• Mikey – Renoly Santiago
• Vincent – Sage Stallone
• Norman Bassett – Barry Newman
• Grace Calloway – Vanessa Bell Calloway
• George Tyrell – Stan Shaw

Story: A chain of events leads to an explosion and collapse in a tunnel leading in and out of New York City. The former chief of Emergency Services, Kit Latura, is a driving a limousine at one end of the tunnel and witnesses the initial explosion. As his two passengers are doctors, he hurries them out of the car, then rushes to aid injured people. When he has done all he can at the scene, he hurries off to find the current chief of Emergency Services to lend his expertise and experience, but is rejected because he was let go under questionable circumstances. Seconds later the new chief dies in a collapse, and Latura becomes the leader by default and volunteers to go into the tunnel to aide in rescuing the survivors. Its a one way ticket, with no way to get out once he is there. Once he is there, he must fight to keep the survivors from killing each other and make them work together to survive.

Review: Non-stop action with little lead in or lag, this is one of the best low budget (only $80 million to make) action films in the Stallone arsenal. The first 15 minutes of the film is lead in, and only as much character development as we need. Amy Brenneman (Judging Amy, Heat) is a disgruntled screen writer who has had it with New York. Jay O. Sanders and Karen Young, along with daughter Danielle Harris, are a dysfunctional family recovering from a separation. Throw in a bus load of Juvenile offenders in a Corrections bus (among them Sage Stallone and Renoly Santiago), a tunnel guard (Stan Shaw) with romantic attachments to a safety observer (Vanessa Bell Calloway), a hot shot extreme sports hero (Viggo Mortensen) trying to make a publicity coup out of the situation, and elderly couple with their dog, and you have the makings of a film with plenty of angst, drama, paranoia and panic. Stallone plays Kit Latura, formerly the head of the EMS division who was fired a few years back when he lost people in a tunnel explosion and collapse. He is a man of principles who immediately assumes personal responsibility for rescuing the survivors. He risks his life to reach them and works with difficulty to keep them together and alive. When the City Engineers begin to dig out the tunnel, allowing the pressure that is keeping the water from rising, he must find a way to keep them alive while trying to decide how to escape. Rated R for death and destruction, this edge of your seat drama has plenty of fine performances to keep the viewers interested. Collectible is a coin toss. If you are a Stallone fan or you like good action films, you might want this one on the shelf.

Driven - 2001

Franchise Pictures, Epsilon Motion Pictures, Trackform Film Productions

Directed by Renny Harlin

Cast:

• Joe Tanto - Sylvester Stallone
• Carl Henry – Burt Reynolds
• Jimmy Bly – Kip Pardue
• Lucretia Clan – Stacy Edwards
• Beau Brandenburg – Til Schweiger
• Cathy Heguy – Gina Gershon
• Sophia Simone – Estelle Warren
• Memo Moreno – Cristian de la Fuente
• Demille Bly – Robert Sean Leonard

Story: A hot, young race driver, Jimmy Bly, is losing his focus, and his teammate isn't listening to instructions. Carl Henry, the team owner, decides to bring back a former champion, Joe Tanto, he can control to help Jimmy back to his winning focus. This proves to be a daunting task. Jimmy has an overbearing older brother and manager, Demille, who constantly presses him to do publicity and other things. Jimmy has also befriended the estranged fiance, Sophia, of Beau Brandenburg, the current world champion. Add the insular attitude of Demille, and toss in an embedded reporter, Luc, a former girlfriend, Cathy, and the replaced driver, Memo, and you have a plethora of problems besetting the young Jimmy and everyone involved. Tempers flare, feelings are involved, and everyone is tossing in their two cents. In the end, it is life representing art, and there is little to do but live on.

Review: Not one of Stallone's best films, but certainly not his worst (anyone remember Oscar?). The problem with this film is focus. Too many chiefs and not enough indians, too little focus on the characters, questionable racing scenes that focus little on actual racing (which would seem to be a little important when making a film about racing). Take your pick. Stallone comes off too “Rocky” in many scenes, although his brief scenes with the lovely Stacy Edwards are well done. Burt Reynolds plays the role of the hardcore team owner without once cracking his signature smile, which is not only disappointing, but disheartening. Til Schweiger discussing emotions with Stallone? In real life, perhaps, but as two tough guys and champions having a tea and sympathy moment? It just doesn't work. Estelle Warren as a love interest works, with her lithe and lovely manners and obvious beauty, but her emotional level doesn't rise to the part. Perhaps the most unbelievable scene in the film is the emotional moment when Kip Pardue and Sly are racing about the city of Chicago in two experimental cars, violating every traffic law on the books, and endangering hundreds of lives, and yet receive no more than a $25,000.00 fine and no suspensions. In all, the characters are two dimensional at best, superficial at worst, and the film is a waste of just under two hours of your precious time. Rated PG, not collectible, and certainly not one to rent unless you enjoy being bored.

Rocky Balboa - 2006

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Columbia Pictures, Revolution Studios

Written and Directed by Sylvester Stallone

Cast:

• Rocky Balboa – Sylvester Stallone
• Paulie – Burt Young
• Mason “The Line” Dixon – Antonio Tarver
• Marie – Geraldine Hughes
• Robert Balboa Jr. - Milo Ventimiglia
• Duke – Tony Burton
• Steps – James Francis Kelly III

Story: The aging prizefighter has come full circle. Adrian has passed away, he lives in his old neighborhood, he visits his wife's grave every morning and places flowers on the headstone, and he owns a nice little Italian restaurant. He's still the champ, and people come to his restaurant where his memorabilia is displayed to sit, have a nice meal, and get up close and personal with the former heavyweight champion of the world. His life is routine, but a computer generated fight between him and the current champion, an unpopular fighter named Mason “The Line” Dixon, stirs something within him, and he applies for a boxing license. He runs into Marie, the little girl in the first film who yelled “Up yours, Creepo!” at him for walking her home away from her friends. They become friends, and Rocky befriends her son, Steps. Rocky's son is all grown up, but unhappy. Paulie is still around, but unhappy. Meanwhile, Dixon's managers have heard about Rocky getting his boxing license back and see an exhibition fight as a way of turning around their fighter's career. When Rocky and Dixon meet, Dixon learns the meaning of heart!

Review: The first time I saw the original Rocky, I was at a drive in theater outside of Bremerton, Washington. It was cold, it rained half the time, and you had to idle the car now and then to keep the windows from fogging. But one thing amazed me: during the fight scenes between Rocky and Apollo Creed, you could see the cars shaking. I mean, literally shaking, as if the wind were blowing at high speed. This is the kind of excitement the Rocky series has inspired since 1973, and this final film is no exception. This is the film that reveals the persistent message of every film in the series in detail. “It's not how hard you get hit, it's how many times you can get up and keep going!” Rocky is a singularity in a world of chaos. He is devoted to Adrian, even though she has passed away. He still befriends his brother-in-law, Paulie, even though Paulie has never truly grown up. He is a testament to the persistence of the human spirit, always trying to see the good. The cast, new and old, is perfect in this summation of the series, and Stallone's signature in this film is evident from beginning to end. A must see movie for the family, and an absolute must have for the Rocky collector, or anyone who needs to be reminded we can all be champions if we try.

Demolition Man - 1993

Warner Bros., Silver Pictures

Directed by Marco Brambilla

Cast:

• Detective John Spartan – Sylvester Stallone
• Simon Phoenix – Wesley Snipes
• Lenina Huxley – Sandra Bullock
• Dr. Raymond Cocteau - Sir Nigel Hawthorne
• Alfredo Garcia – Benjamin Bratt
• Chief George Earle – Bob Gunton
• Edgar Friendly – Denis Leary

Story: In the very near future, super criminal Simon Phoenix has taken a bus hostage in the war zone called Los Angeles, and only John Spartan, the Demolition Man, is brave enough to defy him. As he bungee jumps out of the helicopter onto Pheonix's stronghold, he gives his motto “Send a maniac to catch a maniac.”. But his nemesis has framed him for the murder of those passengers, and John is sentenced to 70 years in cryo-suspension, the prison of the day, where he will have his behavior modified by synaptic suggestion. In 2032, Simon Phoenix (who is also a cryo-prisoner), has been thawed for his parole hearing in the San Angeles metro complex prison. Suddenly he knows all the passwords, and how to work the computers that never existed when he was frozen. In order to catch the madman, they release John Spartan, who goes about catching Phoenix with all his training and cunning. Unknown to Spartan and the officers of the San Angeles Metro Complex, the “savior” of their community, Mr. Cocteau, has had Phoenix released for his own selfish purposes.

Review: This has got to be one of the funniest action adventure films ever released. And the beauty of it all is the seriousness with which the actors play their roles. Stallone and Snipes are two 20th century macho types in an Orwellian society where everything is monitored and the police are almost superfluous. Bullock is a radical thinker bored with her perfect society, and Leary is just trying to keep people alive...the people who decided they didn't want to be part of the Perfect society. Now it is worth remembering this film was one of the first shameless product promotion films, with Taco Bell being featured in the film as the only restaurant to survive the Franchise wars, whatever those were. I would classify it as a “pre-comic” movie, with all the trimmings...bad guys and good guys, technological oddities, and a lot of great lines. Worth seeing, PG-13 because of a few lines here and there and a couple of brief shots of nudity. Collectible if you like Stallone, otherwise rent it and return it.