Rambo: First Blood Part II
Encyclopedia
Rambo: First Blood Part II (also known as Rambo II) is a 1985 action film
. A sequel to 1982's First Blood
, it is the second installment in the Rambo series starring Sylvester Stallone
, who reprises his role as Vietnam
veteran
John Rambo
. Picking up where the first film left, the sequel is set in the context of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue
; it sees Rambo released from prison by Federal order to document the possible existence of POWs
in Vietnam
, under the belief that he will find nothing, thus enabling the government to sweep the issue under the rug.
Rambo: First Blood Part II was directed by George P. Cosmatos. The film was on the ballot for the American Film Institute
's 100 Years... 100 Cheers
, a list of America's most inspiring movies. Entertainment Weekly
ranked the movie number 23 on its list of The Best Rock-'em, Sock-'em Movies of the Past 25 Years.
(Richard Crenna
). Trautman offers Rambo the chance to be released from prison after the events of the first film
and given full clemency, but on condition of him going into Vietnam
to search for American POWs
. Rambo meets Marshal Murdock (Charles Napier
), an American bureaucrat who is in charge of the operation and he tells Rambo that the American public is demanding knowledge about the POWs and they want a trained commando to go in and search for them. Rambo is briefed that he is only to photograph the POWs and not to rescue them, nor is he to engage any enemy soldiers. Rambo reluctantly agrees and he is then told that an agent of the American government will be there to receive him in the jungles of Vietnam.
Rambo parachutes into the Vietnamese jungles, but loses most of his equipment in the process and is left only with his knives, his bow, and arrows. He meets the agent, a local woman named Co-Bao (Julia Nickson), who wants to go to the United States, and who arranges for her and Rambo to go upstream with a group of river pirates. Rambo comes to the camp, and in contradiction to his briefing, he finds American prisoners there and rescues one of them from a makeshift crucifixion
. Later at the camp, a patrol discovers a dead sentry whom Rambo eliminated with a throwing knife. In response, a large patrol goes out into the jungles in search of the (unknown to them) intruder. Rambo, Co and the American POW escape with the pirates, but are attacked by a Vietnam People's Navy
gunboat
and are promptly betrayed by the pirates, who fear the military's reprisals should they not cooperate; Rambo sends Co and the POW to safety and manages to destroy the gunboat with an RPG-7
and kill all the pirates. When Rambo calls for extraction, he is denied as Murdock fears what will happen to him and his party if the American public come to know about it.
Rambo and the American POW are recaptured. Rambo's wrists are bound to an oxen yoke and he is lowered partially naked into a leech-infested cesspool (or possibly a pit dug especially for the purpose of torture). Later Rambo learns that the Soviet Army
is aiding the Vietnamese and training them, and is tortured badly by a Soviet officer, Lt. Col. Podovsky (Steven Berkoff
) and his silent, robust henchman Sergeant Yushin. Rambo is ordered to contact the American military and tell them that they should not send any more commandos for rescue operations in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Co enters the camp in the guise of a prostitute
and comes to the hut in which Rambo is held captive. Rambo agrees to Podovsky's condition, but instead threatens Murdock on the radio that he is "coming to get you." He then escapes from captivity into a nearby jungle with Co's help. Co then tends to Rambo's wounds and begins to implore him to take her to the United States. Rambo agrees and they kiss; however, they are then attacked by some Vietnamese soldiers and Co is killed. Rambo kills them all (except for their commander, who escapes, but is later killed by one of Rambo's exploding arrows) and then buries Co's body in the jungle.
Following his escape, the camp's Soviet and Vietnamese soldiers are sent to look for him. Rambo assembles his weapons, and using guerrilla warfare
tactics, is able to kill a large number of enemy troops. He proceeds to a small enemy camp and destroys it and several vehicles with explosive arrows. He hijacks a UH-1N Twin Huey
helicopter from the Soviets after killing Sergeant Yushin and proceeds towards the POW camp. He destroys most of the camp with the helicopter, then lands and arms himself with the M60 machine gun that is mounted on the Huey, kills the remaining soldiers, and rescues all the POWs. They get to the helicopter and head towards the American camp in Thailand. Lt. Col. Podovsky chases them in his Mil Mi-24
helicopter gunship. Although Rambo's helicopter is heavily damaged by Podovsky's helicopter, he manages to land his helicopter on a river, then fakes his death. When Podovsky comes near him and gets careless, Rambo fires a LAW
at Podovsky's chopper, obliterating it.
Rambo then returns to the base and wrecks Murdock's command center. He threatens Murdock with a knife, challenging him to find and rescue the remaining American POWs in Vietnam. Trautman then comforts Rambo and tries to pacify him. An angry Rambo responds that he only wants his country to love its soldiers as much as its soldiers love it. As Rambo leaves, Trautman asks him, "How will you live, John?" To which Rambo replies, "Day by day." The film credits roll as Rambo walks off into the distance while his mentor watches him.
to play Rambo's partner, but Stallone veto
ed the idea. Lee Marvin
(who was considered to play Colonel Trautman in the first film) was also originally set to play Marshall Murdock, but declined. James Cameron wrote a first draft under the title First Blood II, which originally had the idea of Travolta as Rambo's partner, but the concept was dropped and Stallone rewrote the script to have Rambo go solo.
. The waterfall explosion scene was shot in Acapulco
, Guerrero, Mexico and the rest of the movie in Tecoanapa
, Guerrero
, Mexico.
. In the 6th Golden Raspberry Awards, the film won the award for Worst Picture, Worst Actor for Sylvester Stallone
, Worst Screenplay for the story written by Kevin Jarre
, the screenplay written by James Cameron
and Sylvester Stallone, and characters created by David Morrell
, and Worst Original Song for "Peace in Our Life" by Frank Stallone
, lyrics by Stallone, and music by Stallone, Peter Schless and Jerry Goldsmith
. The film was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress for Julia Nickson-Soul
, the Worst Director for George Cosmatos, and the Worst New Star for Julia Nickson-Soul.
Despite the negative reception, it was very popular among the audience and fans alike and has since become a cult classic
, also the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing. and won the Golden Screen in Germany.
in 2nd place with $189,015,611, First Blood
in 3rd place with $125,212,904 and Rambo
taking 4th place with $113,244,290. Rambo: First Blood Part II is Stallone's second biggest movie of all time, just slightly behind Rocky IV
, which took $300,473,716, also in 1985, making it Stallone's most successful year ever with over $600m for the two movies.
, conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra
. The main song in the movie is sung by Stallone's brother, singer/songwriter Frank Stallone
. Varèse Sarabande
issued the original soundtrack album.
Note: As released in the United Kingdom by That's Entertainment Records (the British licensee for Varèse Sarabande at the time), the UK version placed "Peace In Our Life" between "Betrayed" and "Escape From Torture," thus making "Day By Day" the final track.
In 1999 Silva America released an expanded edition with the cues in film order. Previously unreleased music is in bold.
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
. A sequel to 1982's First Blood
First Blood
First Blood is a 1982 action thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam War veteran, with Sheriff Will Teasle as his nemesis and Colonel Samuel Trautman as his former commander and only ally...
, it is the second installment in the Rambo series starring Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
, who reprises his role as Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran
War Veteran
War Veteran is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick. It was first published in If magazine in March 1955.-Plot summary:The plot concerns an old man who claims to have travelled back in time from a future in which Earth has lost a devastating war to its own Martian and Venusian colonies...
John Rambo
John Rambo
John Rambo is an iconic fictional character and the basis of the Rambo saga. He first appeared in the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, but later became more famous in the film series, played by Sylvester Stallone...
. Picking up where the first film left, the sequel is set in the context of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue
Vietnam War POW/MIA issue
The Vietnam War POW/MIA issue concerns the fate of United States servicemen who were reported as missing in action during the Vietnam War and associated theaters of operation in Southeast Asia...
; it sees Rambo released from prison by Federal order to document the possible existence of POWs
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, under the belief that he will find nothing, thus enabling the government to sweep the issue under the rug.
Rambo: First Blood Part II was directed by George P. Cosmatos. The film was on the ballot for the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
's 100 Years... 100 Cheers
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers
100 Years…100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies is a list of the most inspiring films as determined by the American Film Institute. It is part of the AFI 100 Years… series, which has been compiling lists of the greatest films of all time in various categories since 1998...
, a list of America's most inspiring movies. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
ranked the movie number 23 on its list of The Best Rock-'em, Sock-'em Movies of the Past 25 Years.
Plot
John Rambo, having been tried, convicted, and sentenced to time at hard labor, is working in a labor camp prison when he gets a visit from his former commander, Colonel Sam TrautmanColonel Sam Trautman
Colonel Samuel "Sam" Trautman is a fictional character in the Rambo novel and film series. His first appearance was in David Morrell's novel First Blood. His character was expanded on in the film series where he was played by Richard Crenna, although Kirk Douglas was cast in the part, been...
(Richard Crenna
Richard Crenna
Richard Donald Crenna was an American motion picture, television, and radio actor and occasional television director. He starred in such motion pictures as The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, Body Heat, the first three Rambo movies, Hot Shots! Part Deux, and The Flamingo Kid...
). Trautman offers Rambo the chance to be released from prison after the events of the first film
First Blood
First Blood is a 1982 action thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam War veteran, with Sheriff Will Teasle as his nemesis and Colonel Samuel Trautman as his former commander and only ally...
and given full clemency, but on condition of him going into Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
to search for American POWs
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. Rambo meets Marshal Murdock (Charles Napier
Charles Napier (actor)
Charles L. Napier was an American actor, known for his portrayals of square-jawed tough guys and military types.-Early life:...
), an American bureaucrat who is in charge of the operation and he tells Rambo that the American public is demanding knowledge about the POWs and they want a trained commando to go in and search for them. Rambo is briefed that he is only to photograph the POWs and not to rescue them, nor is he to engage any enemy soldiers. Rambo reluctantly agrees and he is then told that an agent of the American government will be there to receive him in the jungles of Vietnam.
Rambo parachutes into the Vietnamese jungles, but loses most of his equipment in the process and is left only with his knives, his bow, and arrows. He meets the agent, a local woman named Co-Bao (Julia Nickson), who wants to go to the United States, and who arranges for her and Rambo to go upstream with a group of river pirates. Rambo comes to the camp, and in contradiction to his briefing, he finds American prisoners there and rescues one of them from a makeshift crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
. Later at the camp, a patrol discovers a dead sentry whom Rambo eliminated with a throwing knife. In response, a large patrol goes out into the jungles in search of the (unknown to them) intruder. Rambo, Co and the American POW escape with the pirates, but are attacked by a Vietnam People's Navy
Vietnam People's Navy
The Vietnam People's Navy is part of the Vietnam People's Army and is responsible for the protection of national waters, islands, and interests of the maritime economy, as well as for the coordination of maritime police, customs service and the border defense force.-History:Following the Geneva...
gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
and are promptly betrayed by the pirates, who fear the military's reprisals should they not cooperate; Rambo sends Co and the POW to safety and manages to destroy the gunboat with an RPG-7
RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
and kill all the pirates. When Rambo calls for extraction, he is denied as Murdock fears what will happen to him and his party if the American public come to know about it.
Rambo and the American POW are recaptured. Rambo's wrists are bound to an oxen yoke and he is lowered partially naked into a leech-infested cesspool (or possibly a pit dug especially for the purpose of torture). Later Rambo learns that the Soviet Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
is aiding the Vietnamese and training them, and is tortured badly by a Soviet officer, Lt. Col. Podovsky (Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
) and his silent, robust henchman Sergeant Yushin. Rambo is ordered to contact the American military and tell them that they should not send any more commandos for rescue operations in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Co enters the camp in the guise of a prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
and comes to the hut in which Rambo is held captive. Rambo agrees to Podovsky's condition, but instead threatens Murdock on the radio that he is "coming to get you." He then escapes from captivity into a nearby jungle with Co's help. Co then tends to Rambo's wounds and begins to implore him to take her to the United States. Rambo agrees and they kiss; however, they are then attacked by some Vietnamese soldiers and Co is killed. Rambo kills them all (except for their commander, who escapes, but is later killed by one of Rambo's exploding arrows) and then buries Co's body in the jungle.
Following his escape, the camp's Soviet and Vietnamese soldiers are sent to look for him. Rambo assembles his weapons, and using guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
tactics, is able to kill a large number of enemy troops. He proceeds to a small enemy camp and destroys it and several vehicles with explosive arrows. He hijacks a UH-1N Twin Huey
UH-1N Twin Huey
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...
helicopter from the Soviets after killing Sergeant Yushin and proceeds towards the POW camp. He destroys most of the camp with the helicopter, then lands and arms himself with the M60 machine gun that is mounted on the Huey, kills the remaining soldiers, and rescues all the POWs. They get to the helicopter and head towards the American camp in Thailand. Lt. Col. Podovsky chases them in his Mil Mi-24
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
helicopter gunship. Although Rambo's helicopter is heavily damaged by Podovsky's helicopter, he manages to land his helicopter on a river, then fakes his death. When Podovsky comes near him and gets careless, Rambo fires a LAW
M72 LAW
The M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, and Frank A. Spinale et al...
at Podovsky's chopper, obliterating it.
Rambo then returns to the base and wrecks Murdock's command center. He threatens Murdock with a knife, challenging him to find and rescue the remaining American POWs in Vietnam. Trautman then comforts Rambo and tries to pacify him. An angry Rambo responds that he only wants his country to love its soldiers as much as its soldiers love it. As Rambo leaves, Trautman asks him, "How will you live, John?" To which Rambo replies, "Day by day." The film credits roll as Rambo walks off into the distance while his mentor watches him.
Production
The producers of the movie considered that Rambo would have a partner in the rescue mission of POWs. The producers allegedly wanted John TravoltaJohn Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
to play Rambo's partner, but Stallone veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
ed the idea. Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
(who was considered to play Colonel Trautman in the first film) was also originally set to play Marshall Murdock, but declined. James Cameron wrote a first draft under the title First Blood II, which originally had the idea of Travolta as Rambo's partner, but the concept was dropped and Stallone rewrote the script to have Rambo go solo.
Filming schedule
The movie was shot between June 1984 and August 1984. According to several members from the set, Stallone directed the majority of the film, despite not receiving co-director credit. The action scenes and political themes in the film were all staged by Stallone.Shooting locations
The movie was shot entirely on location in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The waterfall explosion scene was shot in Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, Guerrero, Mexico and the rest of the movie in Tecoanapa
Tecoanapa
Tecoanapa is a city and seat of the municipality of Tecoanapa, in the state of Guerrero, south-western Mexico....
, Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
, Mexico.
Cast
- Sylvester StalloneSylvester StalloneMichael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
as John J. Rambo - Richard CrennaRichard CrennaRichard Donald Crenna was an American motion picture, television, and radio actor and occasional television director. He starred in such motion pictures as The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, Body Heat, the first three Rambo movies, Hot Shots! Part Deux, and The Flamingo Kid...
as Col. Samuel Trautman - Charles NapierCharles Napier (actor)Charles L. Napier was an American actor, known for his portrayals of square-jawed tough guys and military types.-Early life:...
as Marshall Murdock - Steven BerkoffSteven BerkoffSteven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
as Lt. Col. Podovsky - Julia Nickson as Co-Bao
- Martin KoveMartin KoveMartin Kove is an American actor who has appeared in feature films and television series.-Film appearances:His best-known roles may have been on the 1980s hit CBS television series Cagney & Lacey as Detective Victor Isbecki and in the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid as Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese...
as Ericson - George CheungGeorge CheungGeorge Kee Cheung is a Chinese actor, stunt man, and singer with an extensive career in American television and film dating back to the mid-1970s, often playing Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mongolian parts...
as Capt Vinh - Andy WoodAndy WoodAndy Wood is a British skeleton racer who has competed since 2004. His best World Cup finish was 11th at St. Moritz, Switzerland in January 2009.-Reference:...
as Banks - William Ghent as Capt. Vinh (POW camp commander)
- Voyo Goric as Sgt. Yushin
- Dana Lee as Captain Kinh
- Baoan ColemanBaoan ColemanBaoan Coleman is an American actor. He had a supporting role in Rambo: First Blood Part II. He has also had smaller roles in other films including Rules of Engagement , and was the voice of Vietnamese immigrant Mr. Hyunh in Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold! animated series.-External links:...
as Gunboat Captain - Steve Williams as Lifer
- Don CollinsDon CollinsDonald Collins is an American former professional basketball player. Collins was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 1980 National Basketball Association draft...
as POW #1
Reception
Overall reactions from critics was generally negative. The film earned a 29% "Rotten" rating in the review aggregate website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. In the 6th Golden Raspberry Awards, the film won the award for Worst Picture, Worst Actor for Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
, Worst Screenplay for the story written by Kevin Jarre
Kevin Jarre
Kevin Jarre was an American screenwriter, actor, and film producer.Jarre was born in Detroit, Michigan, to actress Laura Devon who subsequently married Maurice Jarre in the mid-1960s, and hence was the adoptive half-brother to French composer Jean-Michel Jarre...
, the screenplay written by James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
and Sylvester Stallone, and characters created by David Morrell
David Morrell
David Morrell is a Canadian-American novelist, best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become the successful Rambo film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. He has written 28 novels, and his work has been translated into 26 languages...
, and Worst Original Song for "Peace in Our Life" by Frank Stallone
Frank Stallone
Frank P. Stallone, Jr. is an American actor, singer/guitarist and Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nominated songwriter. He has appeared in many Hollywood films and television. He is the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone.-Early life:...
, lyrics by Stallone, and music by Stallone, Peter Schless and Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
. The film was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress for Julia Nickson-Soul
Julia Nickson-Soul
Julia Nickson-Soul is an actress. She first came to the attention of audiences in the United States in the Sylvester Stallone film, Rambo: First Blood Part II...
, the Worst Director for George Cosmatos, and the Worst New Star for Julia Nickson-Soul.
Despite the negative reception, it was very popular among the audience and fans alike and has since become a cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
, also the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing. and won the Golden Screen in Germany.
Box office
Rambo: First Blood Part II opened in the US on May 22, 1985, and was the #1 movie that weekend, taking $20,176,217 on 2,074 screens (which made it the first film in the US to be shown on 2,000+ screens). Overall, in the US, the movie took $150,415,432 and then took $149,985,000 internationally, giving Rambo: First Blood Part II a box office total of $300,400,432. The movie is easily the most successful of the Rambo series, with Rambo IIIRambo III
Rambo III is an American Action film released on May 25, 1988. It is the third film in the Rambo series following First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II...
in 2nd place with $189,015,611, First Blood
First Blood
First Blood is a 1982 action thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam War veteran, with Sheriff Will Teasle as his nemesis and Colonel Samuel Trautman as his former commander and only ally...
in 3rd place with $125,212,904 and Rambo
Rambo (film)
Rambo is a 2008 German/American Action film starring Sylvester Stallone returning and reprising his famous role as legendary Cold War/Vietnam veteran John Rambo. Stallone also co-wrote and directed the film. It is the fourth and most recent installment in the Rambo franchise, twenty years since...
taking 4th place with $113,244,290. Rambo: First Blood Part II is Stallone's second biggest movie of all time, just slightly behind Rocky IV
Rocky IV
Rocky IV is a 1985 American film written by, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the fourth and most financially successful entry in the Rocky franchise...
, which took $300,473,716, also in 1985, making it Stallone's most successful year ever with over $600m for the two movies.
Rentals and overall figures
The movie made $78,919,000 in rentals in the US alone. DVD's of each of the first three movies in the series have been released and selling since 1998, but no figures are available for these as of yet. As the movie took $300,400,432 at the box office and $78,919,000 from US rentals, it is estimated that with European/international DVD sales of Rambo: First Blood Part II, the overall take for the movie is somewhere in the region of $400–500m.Soundtrack
The musical score for the movie was done by Jerry GoldsmithJerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
, conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra
National Philharmonic Orchestra
The National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA producer Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader / contractor Sidney Sax due in part to the requirements of the Reader's Digest-History:...
. The main song in the movie is sung by Stallone's brother, singer/songwriter Frank Stallone
Frank Stallone
Frank P. Stallone, Jr. is an American actor, singer/guitarist and Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nominated songwriter. He has appeared in many Hollywood films and television. He is the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone.-Early life:...
. Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
issued the original soundtrack album.
- Main Title (2:12)
- Preparations (1:16)
- The Jump (3:18)
- The Snake (1:48)
- Stories (3:26)
- The Cage (3:55)
- Betrayed (4:22)
- Escape From Torture (3:39)
- Ambush (2:45)
- Revenge (6:14)
- Bowed Down (1:04)
- Pilot Over (1:52)
- Home Flight (3:01)
- Day by Day (2:06)
- Peace In Our Life - music by Frank Stallone, Peter Schless and Jerry Goldsmith; lyrics by Frank Stallone; performed by Frank Stallone (3:18)
Note: As released in the United Kingdom by That's Entertainment Records (the British licensee for Varèse Sarabande at the time), the UK version placed "Peace In Our Life" between "Betrayed" and "Escape From Torture," thus making "Day By Day" the final track.
In 1999 Silva America released an expanded edition with the cues in film order. Previously unreleased music is in bold.
- Main Title (2:14)
- The Map (1:09)
- Preparations (1:18)
- The Jump (3:19)
- The Snake (1:49)
- The Pirates (1:29)
- Stories (3:27)
- The Camp/Forced Entry (2:24)
- The Cage (3:57)
- River Crash/The Gunboat (3:37)
- Betrayed (4:24)
- Bring Him Up/The Eyes (2:06)
- Escape From Torture (3:41)
- Ambush (2:47)
- Revenge (6:16)
- Bowed Down (1:06)
- Pilot Over (1:54)
- Village Raid/Helicopter Fight (4:55)
- Home Flight (3:02)
- Day By Day (2:08)
- Peace In Our Life - Frank Stallone (3:19)
Other media
- A novelizationNovelizationA novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
was written by David MorrellDavid MorrellDavid Morrell is a Canadian-American novelist, best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become the successful Rambo film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. He has written 28 novels, and his work has been translated into 26 languages...
, author of the novel First Blood, on which the first Rambo film was based. - During the 1980s many video games came out in the wake of the series. The plots and characters had many similarities to the games, such as Cross Fire, CommandoCommandoIn English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
and its sequel Bionic CommandoBionic CommandoBionic Commando may refer to the following video games:* Bionic Commando , the original arcade game released in 1987* Bionic Commando , a 1988 NES video game, partly based on the arcade game...
, Guerilla War, DefenderDefenderDefender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li...
, Operation WolfOperation WolfOperation Wolf is a one-player shooter arcade game made by Taito in 1987. It spawned three sequels: Operation Thunderbolt , Operation Wolf 3 and Operation Tiger .-Description:...
, Snake's RevengeSnake's RevengeSnake's Revenge is a stealth action game by Konami released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. The game was produced as a sequel to the NES version of the original Metal Gear, made specifically for the North American and PAL market following the success of the first NES game...
, Gun SmokeGun SmokeGun Smoke may refer to:* Gunsmoke, the radio and television drama* Gun.Smoke, the arcade game...
, and had some inspiration for the popular series ContraContraContra is a Latin preposition meaning "against". It is very frequently abbreviated to con, which is a separate preposition. It may refer to:*Contras, Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries opposed to the Sandinistas...
. - There was a ZX SpectrumZX SpectrumThe ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, AmstradAmstradAmstrad is a British electronics company, now wholly owned by BSkyB. As of 2006, Amstrad's main business is manufacturing Sky Digital interactive boxes....
CPC and Commodore 64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
game of the same name, based upon the movie. There was also an NESNintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
as well as Sega Master SystemSega Master SystemThe is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
, and MSXMSXMSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
and DOSDOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
games based on the film. - Officially licensed knives from the movie, based on Jimmy LileJimmy LileJames Buel Lile, known as Jimmy Lile or The Arkansas Knifesmith , was a knifemaker from Russellville in Pope County, Arkansas, who made the Rambo Knife for the films First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II...
's designs were made by both United Cutlery and Master Cutlery. Master Cutlery fabricated both a standard and Limited Edition version. The Master Cutlery versions are push tang construction, have a hollow aluminum cord gripped handle that contains an emergency survival kit, and a precision compass mounted in the pommel. The stainless guards incorporate standard and Phillips head screwdriver points in the design. They are 1/4" thick 420 J2 stainless blades.