Rambo: Last Blood

The new Rambo flick, Rambo: Last Blood, the fifth in the series and supposedly the final chapter of the saga (we’ll see), is not “joyless” like one notable critic described it or even “overtly political” whatsoever like the rest of the groupthink critics would have you believe (what movie were these critics watching exactly and did they even see it?! It wasn’t the same movie I saw!). According to these “woke AF” critics, who all wrote the same exact review, BTW, this was some kind of “ultra-conservative,” “FOX News,” “MAGA,” “fantasy,” “that doesn’t belong in 2019.” What?!

Critics didn’t say the same things about 2008’s Rambo and that was a complete politically incorrect bloodbath. In fact, that movie was framed like a comeback story for Stallone, at least that was the narrative the entertainment media set at the time. Eleven years and one controversial president later, even Rambo is somehow about Trump. It’s really not, of course, unless you’re weak-minded and just believe what you’re told.

We’re supposed to be offended that this movie stereotypes Mexico and Mexicans, as if the Rambo universe has suddenly become insensitive to cultures. News flash, people: the Rambo movies have always been insensitive to cultures as minority stereotypes are basically all John Rambo has ever killed! These critics are just now figuring this out? I don’t buy it. They didn’t seem to care when Rambo was turning Asians and Muslims into human hamburger. Besides, John Rambo is an equal opportunity killer – in First Blood he mostly slaughtered suburban white cops (that ought to give him a free pass in 2019).

Stallone is a known minority in Hollywood, he’s a conservative, so maybe that’s the reason for the sudden hate toward the old white man? Who knows? But the idea that there isn’t violence, kidnapping, and sex trafficking coming out of Northern Mexico is totally absurd. Google is your friend, look it up. Or go spend one night in Juarez, Mexico, and see how that works out for you. Critics weren’t critical of how the Liam Neeson Taken movies stereotyped Eastern Europeans. That was fine and dandy, because they were white. Speaking of Liam Neeson, Rambo: Last Blood makes the Taken movies seem like Sesame Street in comparison.

This movie has some of the most creative and beautiful shots by cinematographer Brendan Galvin as well as some of the goriest (in a non-cheesy sense) kill scenes to ever grace an action yarn. John Rambo brutally kills about fifteen people with a claw hammer and it only gets more bloody and over-the-top from there. Not a movie for sensitive or easily offended folks in the first place, but to get your undies in a wad over this requires some imaginative over-exaggeration and mental gymnastics.

[R]