Rambo

I watched First Blood Part II when I was still very young. I remember watching it with my family in a now-defunct cinema in my neighbourhood Ang Mo Kio (when it was still called a New Town in those times). The movie literally blew my mind away.

I remember coming across the newspapers in which the movie advertisements cried out:" Rambo is King!", "No. 1 in Singapore!" For months I would imagine myself as Rambo fighting imaginary enemies, with his huge machine gun and bow and explosive arrows.

For me the movie had Everything - an outcast hero, a beautiful damsel who could more than hold her own (and familiarly Asian), unambiguous enemies, helpless POWs waiting to be rescued, plenty of instant punishments for the wicked, ungrateful people whom Rambo worked for (and whom in the end got their just deserts), superb songs, and a happy ending. I couldn't have asked for more. First Blood Part II was for many many years my all-time No. 1 movie. And after more than 20 years, it still lists amongst my all-time favourites.

Years later I watched First Blood (Part 1). My now older senses connected straight away with this movie. Once again there was the same formula which made Part II a success, albeit without the damsel, less firepower (but nonetheless still instant punishment for the wicked).

Then came First Blood Part III. Again another superb movie. This time more firepower, more arrow explosives, and still the same Rambo cloaked in the armour of invincibility.

Despite many bad reviews by the press, and also by adults saying the movie was too incredible, too political (democracy vs communism, or what-have-yous...), I was never swayed. In fact some people even went as far as to suggest the whole series was to promote America and to demean her adversaries. Or in Part II, sour grapes because America kinda lost the battle in Vietnam.

While acknowledging that those could be the reasons of the producers, or that the movie could be used as a propaganda, I refuse to let them take away the merits of the series. What my mind does not accept cannot affect me. If I focus on the good things the movie has to offer, the bad ones cannot influence me. To me the series is about self-sacrifice, helping the weak, and blowing away the bad guys, and in the process Rambo being invincible.

Okay, Part 4 is coming out soon. I have watched the trailers. Rambo is bulkier and much older - Part III was produced in 1988, so it has since been 20 years... The movie promises to be super-gore, because as Stallone puts it, he wants to present the grim nature of the situation in Cambodia.

I'm certain the movie will attract some controversies, or maybe lots of controversies. But, by now, the readers should know the state of mind I bring with me when I watch this movie.