The problematic hero of the war in Vietnam Sylvester Stallone John Rambo first appeared on the screens in the film “First Blood” in 1982, but it was the sequel in 1985 that really established this character as we know him today. A long-haired, bare-breasted, seriously ripped killing machine, who goes off to fight alone again in the Vietnam War – and this time wins!
Critics may not have liked him, but Rambo. “First Blood, Part 2” became a film that really cemented Stallone’s status as a Hollywood action hero. Here are some facts about the film that you may not have known.
1. The film’s plot contains similarities to a real-life rescue attempt
It may seem rather far-fetched, but the plot of Rambo: First Blood Part 2 is remarkably similar to a real-life rescue attempt made in the 1980s, when American commandos prepared to rescue prisoners of war they suspected were being held in the South. East Asia. The mission was eventually abandoned when Vietnam veteran Colonel Bo Gritz began planning his own solo rescue raid, and a government investigation later concluded that the whole thing was in fact an attempt to defraud the families of missing service members, despite the fact that, it is estimated that there were two and a half. half a thousand Vietnam veterans were still missing at the time of filming.
2. Rip-off movie Missing in Action managed to get released first
The first draft of the film’s script was written in 1983 by Terminator, Aliens and Titanic director James Cameron under the title First Blood 2: The Mission. Although Cameron co-wrote the film’s script, Stallone himself did a lot of rewriting of the script before the cameras rolled. However, Cameron’s early appeal was noticed by many in Hollywood, including producers Menahem Golan and Göran Globus of Cannon Films. Because of the gap between Cameron’s script writing and the film’s production, Cannon Films was able to rush into production on its own knockoff: Chuck Norris’s The Missing. In fact, it was released in November 1984, six months before Rambo: First Blood. Part II.”RELATED:
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3. It’s Sylvester Stallone’s least favourite film in the franchise
When he was asked to rank the Rambo films on the UK chat show The Graham Norton Show, Sylvester Stallone surprised some fans by revealing that Rambo: First Blood Part II was his least favourite entry in the franchise. Stallone described it as being “like a cartoon.” Critics largely agree, as Rambo: First Blood Part II carries only a 33% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – but this is still better than the paltry 26% awarded to the final entry in the series, 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood.
4. It is the only Rambo film to have been nominated for an Academy Award
Rambo: First Blood Part II is the second of five Rambo films, having been succeeded by Rambo III in 1988, Rambo (aka John Rambo) in 2008 and Rambo: Last Blood in 2019, and it is the only film in the franchise to have been nominated for an Academy Award. The late sound engineer Frederick Brown received a nomination in the Best Sound Editing category, but lost out to Charles Campbell and Robert Rutledge for their work on Back to the Future.
5. Stallone and Martin Kove got in a brawl at a Mexican disco during the shoot
Rambo: First Blood Part II co-stars Martin Kove (best known as Sensei John Kreese in the Karate Kid/Cobra Kai franchise) as Ericson, a fellow US soldier who winds up butting heads with Rambo. However, Kove recalls having Stallone’s back when they went to a disco in Acapulco, Mexico during production. Because of Stallone’s fame, he was constantly declining offers to dance with women, until one woman’s boyfriend complained, “you too good to dance with my girl?” Fists soon started flying, before Stallone’s bodyguards intervened, literally picking the actor up over their shoulders and carrying him out.
6. An emotional scene was re-edited after test screening audiences laughed
The emotional scene in which Julia Nickson’s Agent Co Phuong Bao dies in Rambo’s arms following an ambush had to be re-edited after it caused test screening audiences to laugh rather than cry. The scene originally featured a shot where John Rambo screams an over the top “No!” that echoes three times, but the out of place audience laughter saw it edited into the far more subtle moment that you see in the finished film.RELATED:
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7. A special effects technician was killed during the shoot
Rambo: First Blood Part II is dedicated to Clifford P. Wenger Jr., a special effects technician who tragically lost his life during the film’s shoot when an explosion was triggered prematurely. Wenger, whose father also worked in the same profession, had previously overseen special effects on films such as The Island of Dr. Moreau, Hooper and City on Fire.
8. Producers suggested that Sylvester Stallone should be partnered with John Travolta
The original James Cameron draft of Rambo: First Blood Part II didn’t see Rambo head out into the Vietnamese jungle in search of POWs alone. Cameron gave Rambo a younger, technology-savvy partner – and producers wanted John Travolta for the part. Travolta had not long since worked with Stallone, when the Rambo actor directed 1983’s Saturday Night Fever sequel Staying Alive. However, Stallone was not keen on the idea of Rambo having a partner, and when he rewrote the script he removed this supporting character completely.
9. Stallone went through a “torturous” training and workout regimen
Stallone was already in great shape for the original First Blood in 1982, but he really pulled out all the stops for the sequel. According to the 2019 documentary Search for the Last Action Hero, Stallone underwent a “excruciating” eight-month training program to get in shape for the film, and also learned various survival, fighting and archery skills. The actor took this improved physique right into his next film, Rocky IV, which also turned out to be one of his biggest hits.