First Blood
First Blood

First Blood

1982Movie93 minEnglish

When former Green Beret John Rambo is harassed by local law enforcement and arrested for vagrancy, he is forced to flee into the mountains and wage an escalating one-man war against his pursuers.

Read Reviews

Insights

IMDb7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes69%
Metacritic61/100
Google Users85%
Director: Ted KotcheffGenres: Action, Adventure, Thriller, Western

Plot Summary

Vietnam War veteran John Rambo struggles to adjust to civilian life and is harassed by a small-town sheriff. When the sheriff and his deputies push him too far, Rambo unleashes his lethal combat skills in a desperate fight for survival against the authorities. He becomes a one-man army, pursued through the wilderness by the National Guard and local law enforcement.

Critical Reception

First Blood was a commercial success and generally well-received by critics for its action sequences and Stallone's performance, though some criticized its violence. It is credited with redefining the action hero archetype and launching the iconic Rambo franchise.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its intense action and Sylvester Stallone's compelling portrayal of a traumatized veteran.
  • Some critics found the film's violence excessive, while others appreciated its exploration of post-war disillusionment.
  • The film's survival and chase sequences were noted for their suspense and effectiveness.

Google audience: Audiences appreciated the film's thrilling action sequences and Sylvester Stallone's performance as John Rambo. Many found it an exciting and intense movie experience, highlighting its memorable chase scenes and Rambo's resilience against overwhelming odds.

Fun Fact

The original novel by David Morrell depicted John Rambo dying at the end of the story; however, test audiences for the film reacted so negatively to Rambo's death that the ending was rewritten to allow him to survive.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review

TMDB Reviews

4 reviews
GenerationofSwine

GenerationofSwin...

Am I the only one that thought that Rambo was supposed to be Native American? Or at least partially so? Anywho... this is NOTHING like the sequels. The basic plot was that a small town tries to bully a Vietnam Vet and gets a little more ...
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Sylvester Stallone Is "John Rambo", a Vietnam War veteran who is shocked to learn that the only other survivor from his crack team of Green Berets has died of a pretty pernicious cancer. He wanders aimlessly looking for a cheeseburger when ...
Wuchak

Wuchak

**_Action/adventure masterpiece about a one-man-army_** Vietnam vet John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) drifts into a Rocky Mountain town looking for a war buddy, only to learn that he died due to exposure to Agent Orange the prior summer. T...
John Chard

John Chard

It was a bad time for everyone, Rambo. It's all in the past now. First Blood is directed by Ted Kotcheff and adapted by Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim and Sylvester Stallone, from the novel written by David Morrell. It stars Stallone...