Rambo: First Blood Part II would have been a very different sequel if not for the changes Sylvester Stallone made to James Cameron’s original script.
James Cameron wrote the first draft for Rambo: First Blood Part II before Sylvester Stallone made some major changes to the script. James Cameron worked on Rambo: First Blood Part II prior to the release of The Terminator and Aliens, the latter of which he wrote at the same time as the First Blood sequel. Cameron and Stallone are both credited as screenwriters on Rambo: First Blood Part II, but the franchise’s leading man had final say on what made the cut. Sylvester Stallone rewrote or removed much of James Cameron’s work, resulting in a Rambo movie very different from Cameron’s original vision.
James Cameron’s Rambo Would Have Been Hospitalized
The psychological effect of war was more pronounced in original writer James Cameron’s script, which began with Colonel Trautman finding John Rambo in the neuropsychiatric ward of a veterans hospital. Instead, Sylvester Stallone invited Trautman to visit Rambo in the labor camp. Throughout the series, it is clear that the war had an impact on Rambo, but the legal system apparently deemed him sane enough not to require mental health treatment. The changes portray Rambo less as a victim of his experiences and more as a product of his actions. Cameron later returned to his idea of starting the sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day with the main character hospitalized.
Since John Rambo was admitted to a neuropsychiatric ward, this would have cast doubt on his participation in the rescue operation. In the film, Colonel Troutman tells Rambo, “The computer has detected your name as one of the three most capable of completing the mission.” Despite Rambo’s obvious combat skills and military experience over the years, it is unlikely that the military would choose someone who has been hospitalized for a secret mission. One of the other names the computer found would have been a better fit, given Rambo’s psychological state.
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Cameron’s Rambo Would Have Had A Comedic Sidekick
The producers of Rambo: First Blood Part 2 wanted Rambo to be accompanied by his sidekick on his rescue mission, and supposedly had John Travolta playing the role. Travolta and other actors almost played Rambo in First Blood before the role went to Sylvester Stallone. Cameron’s first project features an assistant who not only helps the protagonist with technological knowledge, but also provides comedic assistance. Stallone’s script ultimately eliminated this idea. However, Rambo provided some help through Vietnamese resistance fighter Co Phuong Bao, played by Julia Nixon.
Co Phuong Bao adds an emotional layer to Rambo: First Blood Part 2 that wouldn’t have been there if John Travolta had starred in Rambo 2 as a comedic sidekick. Co Phuong Bao forces Rambo to talk about his past, and they eventually begin an affair together. After Lieutenant Tai of the North Vietnamese Army kills Ko Bao, Rambo continues his mission with renewed vigor, seeking revenge for her death. Rambo’s story becomes even more tragic when his best chance at a normal life is suddenly taken away.
James Cameron Gave the Prisoners of War Detailed Backstories
The POWs are at the center of Rambo: The Story of Blood Part One, and according to James Cameron’s original plan, they would have been more developed characters. Cameron wrote complex backstories for each prisoner that would be revealed throughout the story. Stallone cut out much of this material, creating a grittier, simpler narrative that focused on Rambo rather than the men he saves.
West’s detailed backstory would have lengthened the film’s runtime and changed the pace of the action. Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo: First Clood Part II script gets into the action faster and doesn’t deviate from its main storyline. In some cases, Stallone also edited the interactions between Rambo and the prisoners to further reduce runtime and keep the dialogue more streamlined.
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Stallone’s Final Script Had More Extreme Violence
James Cameron’s script for the Rambo sequel was more violent in nature than the first film, as it sent Rambo on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines. However, Cameron tried to walk the same fine line as First Blood, which essentially portrayed Rambo as a highly skilled killer despite only having to kill one person. Instead, Rambo relies on his cunning and ingenuity to destroy the forces that oppose him.
In Sylvester Stallone’s rewrite of the sequel, Rambo kills more indiscriminately and probably more often than James Cameron intended. For example, in the climax, Rambo does not try to escape in secret. He flies into the camp by helicopter, destroying everything in his path with a barrage of bullets and rockets, and then continues on foot and bombards the area with machine gun fire.
Stallone’s Rewrites Were More Political
Certain lines of dialogue in Rambo: First Blood Part II, such as John Rambo’s speech to Colonel Sam Trautman at the end of Rambo II, may seem political in nature. James Cameron’s script distanced itself from these elements of the sequel, with the original draft presenting a somewhat realistic story about a persecuted Vietnam War veteran without the politics. Despite some of the dialogue Stallone gave Rambo, the star publicly stated that Rambo should never have made a political statement.
Stallone clarified Rambo’s point (via THR), saying, “Rambo is completely neutral. He doesn’t even live in this country. He feels despised by her.” This sentiment is evident in the final speech of Rambo: First Blood Part II, in which Rambo reveals that all he and every other guy who fought in Vietnam wants is “for our country to love us as much as we do.” we love her.” However, if James Cameron’s less politically charged script for Rambo First Blood: Part II had stood, he might not have had to point out that distinction.