Rambo Returns

Sylvester Stallone returns in, Rambo, the fourth part of the Rambo series which began in 1982. In this installment, Stallone co-writes, directs, and stars as John Rambo. The film was released on January 25, 2008 in both USA and Germany, grossing $112,481,829 worldwide. Rambo is said to be the most violent story in the series with 262 kills. This amount represents more killings than the three preceding movies combined!

The film begins with an introduction to the horrors taking place in Burma under the rule of Than Shwe. People are viciously being executed for rebelling against Than Shwe authoritarian dictum. John Rambo, a Vietnam veteran has tried to take it easy since he retired from his former role as a soldier. He seeks now only to live a peaceful, secluded life and works gathering snakes to sell to local villages. On occasion, Rambo also transports people from place to place on his boat.

It is precisely his boating services that missionary, Michael Burnett (played by Paul Schulze) seeks. Burnett and the others in the group wish to be taken to Burma for a humanitarian mission. Rambo is reluctant to grant their request as Burma is a war zone, which is exactly the life he has been trying to avoid since his days as a soldier. He eventually agrees to take them and is called back “into action” when pirates attack the boat forcing Rambo to kill them.

Soon after the missionaries arrived at Burma, the Burmese army attacked the villagers killing several of them and capturing the rest. A worried pastor comes to visit Rambo concerned that his missionaries have not yet returned. He asks Rambo to direct the mercenaries to the location where he transported Burnett and the group. It is here, where the story truly begins.