Rambo: Last Blood (also known as Rambo V[2][3] and Rambo V: Last Blood[4]) is a 2019 American action thriller film directed by Adrian Grunberg and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also reprises his role as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. A sequel to Rambo (2008) and the fifth installment in the Rambo franchise, it co-stars Paz Vega, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Adriana Barraza, Yvette Monreal, Genie Kim, Joaquín Cosío, and Oscar Jaenada. The story follows Rambo as he travels to Mexico to save his niece, who has been kidnapped by the Mexican cartel.
Plans for a fifth film were announced on and off again since 2008, with different iterations developed and cancelled. It was finally officially announced in May 2018, and production began that October in Bulgaria, lasting through December.
Rambo: Last Blood is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on September 20, 2019, by Lionsgate. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who criticized its large amount of gore and violence, as well as perceived xenophobic stereotypes.
Plot
11 years after returning to the United States from Thailand, John Rambo now lives in Bowie, Arizona and works on his long-estranged family's ranch with his niece Gabrielle. Though his life is free from the violence that long defined it, Rambo still suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, which Gabrielle helps him cope with.
A nursing student with a promising future, Gabrielle insists on visiting Mexico to visit her estranged father despite Rambo's wishes not, out of knowing Mexico is crime-filled. Deciding to refuse hearing his words, Gabrielle leaves to Mexico.
When she arrives, both her longtime friend and father and dismissive and distant towards her. Her father leaves, while Gabrielle and her friend go to a night club, at which point her companion reveals her true intentions; leading her into the hands of a local drug cartel trafficking in sex slaves.
Rambo quickly learns of Gabrielle's disappearance and travels south to find her. Her former friend refuses information, but manages to track her down to the night club where she was abducted. He enters into an altercation with several thugs and is severely injured.
A local journalist covering the cartels, Carmen Delgado, witness the fight and helps Rambo recuperate from his injuries.
Having learned Gabrielle's location, Rambo equips himself with weapons and knives and raids the cartel's hideout, killing several men in the process and successfully rescuing his niece. However, as a result of an earlier drug overdose, she dies returning home. Rambo subsequently buries her near their house and mourns her demise.
Enraged, Rambo returns to Mexico and asks Carmen to help him locate the cartel members. At night; he is raiding the house of the leader's brother and after slaughtering his bodyguards, decapitates him and dumps the head on the road back to Arizona. The leader, Hugo Martinez, learns of his brother's murder and assembles his men to murder Rambo, whilst still keeping his cartel and sex trafficking functional.
The cartel arrives at Rambo's house, but he manages to eliminate them one by one using booby traps set around his property despite sustaining some injuries.
In his ranch, Rambo confronts Martinez and shoots arrows at him before ripping out his heart with his knife, killing him. Carmine leaves back to Mexico, but not before saying goodbye to Rambo, thanking him in the process for assisting her.
Rambo proclaims that he will keep the spirits of his loved ones alive as he sits back on a rocking chair, on his porch, once again alone, as he is now officially retired.
In the end of the final credits the injured Rambo leaves his ranch on a horse and rides off into the sunset.[5]
Cast
Main article: List of Rambo characters
Sylvester Stallone as John J. Rambo
Paz Vega as Carmen Delgado
Sergio Peris-Mencheta as Hugo Martinez
Adriana Barraza as Maria Beltran
Yvette Monreal as Gabrielle
Genie Kim
Joaquín Cosío
Óscar Jaenada as Victor Martinez
Marco de la O as Miguel
Louis Mandylor as Sheriff
Aaron Cohen as State Police Captain
Sheila Shah as Alejandra
Díana Bermudez as Juanita
Fenessa Pineda as Jezel
Production
Development
In February 2008, Sylvester Stallone revealed that making a fifth film would depend on the success of the fourth film, stating he was "gearing one up" and that it would "be quite different".[6] In March 2008, Stallone revealed he was "half-way through" writing Rambo V, stating that it would not be another war movie, with Bulgaria being considered to double as Rambo's home in Arizona.[7][8][9] In February 2009, Stallone revealed that he was proceeding with the fifth film but stated, "the conflict is whether to do it in America or a foreign country".[10]
In August 2009, Millennium Films green-lit the film with Stallone writing, directing and starring. At that time, the plot focused on Rambo battling human traffickers and drug lords to rescue a young girl abducted near the U.S.–Mexico border.[11] In September 2009, Stallone revealed that the film would be titled Rambo V: The Savage Hunt. The film would have been loosely based on Hunter by James Byron Huggins and would have focused on Rambo leading an elite special forces kill team to hunt and kill a genetically engineered creature.[12] Nu Image/Millennium Films released a poster and synopsis for The Savage Hunt.[13] In November 2009, it was reported that the plot had reverted to Rambo crossing the Mexican border to rescue a girl who had been kidnapped.[14]
In May 2010, Stallone revealed he was "done" with the character, stating, "I think Rambo’s pretty well done. I don’t think there’ll be any more. I’m about 99% sure, I was going to do it... but I feel that with Rocky Balboa, that character came complete circle. He went home. But for Rambo to go on another adventure might be, I think, misinterpreted as a mercenary gesture and not necessary. I don’t want that to happen."[15] At the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Millennium Films and Nu Image advertised Rambo V with posters and handouts.[16] Following an interview with Stallone for Ain't It Cool News, in which the director expressed his desire to end the franchise, Harry Knowles reported that, "He then told me that the folks behind those posters essentially said that if Sly didn't do it - someone else would. And Sly seems fine with that."[17]
In 2011, Sean Hood was hired to write a new script titled Rambo: Last Stand that Hood described as "more in line with the small-town thriller of First Blood.[18] In 2012, Hood revealed that Rambo V had been put on hold in order for Stallone to finish The Expendables 2. Hood also revealed his uncertainty whether the film would be similar to Unforgiven or a passing-of-the-torch.[19] In August 2013, it was announced that Entertainment One and Nu Image would develop and produce a Rambo TV series with Stallone.[20] In June 2014, German film company Splendid Films confirmed that Stallone had started writing the script for Rambo V, with Stallone describing it as his version of No Country for Old Men.[21] In September 2014, it was revealed that the film would be titled Rambo: Last Blood, with Stallone directing.[22]
In 2015, Stallone and Rambo creator David Morrell re-developed the story for Rambo V. Stallone wanted a "soulful journey" for the character that Morrell described as a "really emotional, powerful story". Stallone pitched the idea to the producers, but they wanted to proceed with the human trafficking story instead, abandoning Stallone and Morrell's idea.[23] In October 2015, Stallone pondered on the possibility of a prequel, stating, "It's intriguing to find the whys and wherefores of how people have become what they are. The traumas, the loss and the tragedy of being in Vietnam would certainly be a great challenge for a young actor, and it would be ironic that Rambo directs younger Rambo having played it for twenty years plus".[24] In 2016, Sylvester Stallone revealed that Rambo V was no longer in production.[25]
Pre-production
In May 2018, Rambo: Last Blood was re-announced and was scheduled to begin filming in September, with the plot focusing on Rambo taking on a Mexican drug cartel.[26] As per mediation resolved on August 21, 2019 through Leslie Mackey of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and agreed upon by Avi Lerner of Balboa Productions, Dan Gordon was awarded a primary "story by" credit for the film.[27] Stallone was confirmed to be co-writing the script with Matt Cirulnick, but seemed unlikely to direct.[28] That same month, Stallone confirmed that the film is scheduled for a fall 2019 release.[29] In August 2018, Adrian Grunberg was announced as the director.[30] In September 2018, Adriana Barraza was added to the cast as Maria.[31] In October 2018, Paz Vega,[32] Yvette Monreal,[33] Sergio Peris-Mencheta,[34] Oscar Jaenada, and Joaquín Cosío[35] were cast in the film. In May 2019, Louis Mandylor, Sheila Shah, Dimitri Vegas, and Genie Kim (aka Yenah Han) were revealed to have been cast without prior announcement.[36][37][38]
Filming
Principal photography began on October 2, 2018 in Bulgaria.[39][40] It was previously scheduled to begin on September 1, 2018,[41][42] and before that on October 27, 2014, in Shreveport, Louisiana.[43][44] Barraza filmed her scenes in Tenerife (Canary Islands).[31] Principal photography was completed on December 4, 2018.[45] Additional photography took place at the end of May 2019.[46][47]
Music
Brian Tyler returned to score the film.[48] A remixed version of "Old Town Road" was used for the trailer.[49]
Release
Marketing
In May 2018, Millennium Films brought the project to Cannes to generate interest and sales.[28] Stallone verified that he would share images and videos from the film's set on his Instagram as the film approaches its release.[50][51] In February 2019, Stallone revealed images on his Instagram of Rambo's adopted family,[52] combat history,[53] and the character Gabrielle's intentions to travel to Mexico to find her father.[54] In March 2019, Stallone revealed via his Instagram an image of Rambo covered in blood and aiming his signature bow.[55]
In May 2019, it was revealed that Stallone will present exclusive images at Cannes to coincide with a special "first-look" screening of the film at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès on May 24, 2019.[56] The first trailer was revealed at Cannes on May 24, 2019.[57] The teaser trailer was released on May 30, 2019[58] and drew comparisons to Logan and Unforgiven.[59] On August 1, 2019, Stallone revealed the theatrical release poster on his Instagram.[60] On August 20, 2019, Stallone released the second trailer on his Instagram.[61] On September 4, 2019, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema announced it would host a marathon of all five Rambo films to commemorate the release of Rambo: Last Blood.[62]
Theatrical
Rambo: Last Blood is scheduled to be released on September 20, 2019.[63] Dadi purchased the Chinese distribution rights and agreed to an eight-figure co-financing deal.[64] On July 30, 2019, the MPAA assigned the film an R-rating.[65]
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, Rambo: Last Blood will be released alongside Ad Astra and Downton Abbey, and is projected to gross $23–25 million from 3,500 theaters in its opening weekend.[66]
Critical response
The review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes assigned the film an approval rating of 34%, with an average rating of 4.67/10, based on reviews from 38 critics. The website's critical consensus reads: "Like the sequels that preceded it, Rambo: Last Blood is content to indulge in bloody violence at the expense of its main character's once-poignant story."[67] Metacritic said the film received "generally unfavorable reviews," with an overall weighted average of 33 out of 100 based on 15 critics.[68]
Many critics reported being appalled by the brutality of the film's action scenes. Peter Debruge of Variety called it "horrible, gut-wrenching carnage to witness, and yet, it's been calibrated to elicit whoops and cheers from fans, who've faithfully followed along as Rambo evolved."[69] Vince Mancini of Uproxx wrote that "[i]t's so genuinely horrific I'm convinced there are real-life cartel videos celebrating the torture of rivals that are less gory. I was either howling with nervous laughter or covering my face the entire time."[70] Witney Seibold in IGN called it "over-the-top in a way that isn't fun," and compared its amount of gore with that of a slasher film.[71]
By contrast, Don Kaye in Den of Geek! said he "didn't find [the violence] disturbing per se, but rather jarring in the way it takes on an almost comic book tone after the more elegiac effect the movie was striving for earlier."[72]
Some critics also accused the film of xenophobia, citing its alleged stereotypical depiction of Hispanics and Latinos as criminals, and its portrayal of Mexico as a country that is besieged with crime.[70][69][73] Seibold said, "I understand that Rambo films have rarely been bastions of cultural togetherness, but in 2019, these broad stereotypes are offensive and dated and downright irresponsible."[71] Eric Kohn of IndieWire, who gave the film a grade of D+, said: "In 2019's hypersensitive cultural environment, the depiction of murderous Mexican crime bosses and their cowering sex slaves encountering a literal white savior doesn’t go down so easy."[73]
Future
During Cannes 2019, Stallone said he would continue portraying Rambo if the fifth film succeeds.[74] Grunberg, however, said that Last Blood "closes the circle", hoping it would conclude the franchise.[75] In September 2019, Stallone confirmed that he has plans for a prequel to the series; although he would not reprise the title role, he would like to explore who Rambo was before the war:
I always thought of Rambo when he was 16 or 17 – I hope they can do the prequel – he was the best person you could find. He was the captain of the team; he was the most popular kid in school; super athlete. He was like Jim Thorpe, and the war is what changed him. If you saw him before, he was like the perfect guy.[76]
Stallone has also spoken with JoBlo.com about his Indian reservation idea for the fifth Rambo film.
Plans for a fifth film were announced on and off again since 2008, with different iterations developed and cancelled. It was finally officially announced in May 2018, and production began that October in Bulgaria, lasting through December.
Rambo: Last Blood is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on September 20, 2019, by Lionsgate. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who criticized its large amount of gore and violence, as well as perceived xenophobic stereotypes.
Plot
11 years after returning to the United States from Thailand, John Rambo now lives in Bowie, Arizona and works on his long-estranged family's ranch with his niece Gabrielle. Though his life is free from the violence that long defined it, Rambo still suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, which Gabrielle helps him cope with.
A nursing student with a promising future, Gabrielle insists on visiting Mexico to visit her estranged father despite Rambo's wishes not, out of knowing Mexico is crime-filled. Deciding to refuse hearing his words, Gabrielle leaves to Mexico.
When she arrives, both her longtime friend and father and dismissive and distant towards her. Her father leaves, while Gabrielle and her friend go to a night club, at which point her companion reveals her true intentions; leading her into the hands of a local drug cartel trafficking in sex slaves.
Rambo quickly learns of Gabrielle's disappearance and travels south to find her. Her former friend refuses information, but manages to track her down to the night club where she was abducted. He enters into an altercation with several thugs and is severely injured.
A local journalist covering the cartels, Carmen Delgado, witness the fight and helps Rambo recuperate from his injuries.
Having learned Gabrielle's location, Rambo equips himself with weapons and knives and raids the cartel's hideout, killing several men in the process and successfully rescuing his niece. However, as a result of an earlier drug overdose, she dies returning home. Rambo subsequently buries her near their house and mourns her demise.
Enraged, Rambo returns to Mexico and asks Carmen to help him locate the cartel members. At night; he is raiding the house of the leader's brother and after slaughtering his bodyguards, decapitates him and dumps the head on the road back to Arizona. The leader, Hugo Martinez, learns of his brother's murder and assembles his men to murder Rambo, whilst still keeping his cartel and sex trafficking functional.
The cartel arrives at Rambo's house, but he manages to eliminate them one by one using booby traps set around his property despite sustaining some injuries.
In his ranch, Rambo confronts Martinez and shoots arrows at him before ripping out his heart with his knife, killing him. Carmine leaves back to Mexico, but not before saying goodbye to Rambo, thanking him in the process for assisting her.
Rambo proclaims that he will keep the spirits of his loved ones alive as he sits back on a rocking chair, on his porch, once again alone, as he is now officially retired.
In the end of the final credits the injured Rambo leaves his ranch on a horse and rides off into the sunset.[5]
Cast
Main article: List of Rambo characters
Sylvester Stallone as John J. Rambo
Paz Vega as Carmen Delgado
Sergio Peris-Mencheta as Hugo Martinez
Adriana Barraza as Maria Beltran
Yvette Monreal as Gabrielle
Genie Kim
Joaquín Cosío
Óscar Jaenada as Victor Martinez
Marco de la O as Miguel
Louis Mandylor as Sheriff
Aaron Cohen as State Police Captain
Sheila Shah as Alejandra
Díana Bermudez as Juanita
Fenessa Pineda as Jezel
Production
Development
In February 2008, Sylvester Stallone revealed that making a fifth film would depend on the success of the fourth film, stating he was "gearing one up" and that it would "be quite different".[6] In March 2008, Stallone revealed he was "half-way through" writing Rambo V, stating that it would not be another war movie, with Bulgaria being considered to double as Rambo's home in Arizona.[7][8][9] In February 2009, Stallone revealed that he was proceeding with the fifth film but stated, "the conflict is whether to do it in America or a foreign country".[10]
In August 2009, Millennium Films green-lit the film with Stallone writing, directing and starring. At that time, the plot focused on Rambo battling human traffickers and drug lords to rescue a young girl abducted near the U.S.–Mexico border.[11] In September 2009, Stallone revealed that the film would be titled Rambo V: The Savage Hunt. The film would have been loosely based on Hunter by James Byron Huggins and would have focused on Rambo leading an elite special forces kill team to hunt and kill a genetically engineered creature.[12] Nu Image/Millennium Films released a poster and synopsis for The Savage Hunt.[13] In November 2009, it was reported that the plot had reverted to Rambo crossing the Mexican border to rescue a girl who had been kidnapped.[14]
In May 2010, Stallone revealed he was "done" with the character, stating, "I think Rambo’s pretty well done. I don’t think there’ll be any more. I’m about 99% sure, I was going to do it... but I feel that with Rocky Balboa, that character came complete circle. He went home. But for Rambo to go on another adventure might be, I think, misinterpreted as a mercenary gesture and not necessary. I don’t want that to happen."[15] At the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Millennium Films and Nu Image advertised Rambo V with posters and handouts.[16] Following an interview with Stallone for Ain't It Cool News, in which the director expressed his desire to end the franchise, Harry Knowles reported that, "He then told me that the folks behind those posters essentially said that if Sly didn't do it - someone else would. And Sly seems fine with that."[17]
In 2011, Sean Hood was hired to write a new script titled Rambo: Last Stand that Hood described as "more in line with the small-town thriller of First Blood.[18] In 2012, Hood revealed that Rambo V had been put on hold in order for Stallone to finish The Expendables 2. Hood also revealed his uncertainty whether the film would be similar to Unforgiven or a passing-of-the-torch.[19] In August 2013, it was announced that Entertainment One and Nu Image would develop and produce a Rambo TV series with Stallone.[20] In June 2014, German film company Splendid Films confirmed that Stallone had started writing the script for Rambo V, with Stallone describing it as his version of No Country for Old Men.[21] In September 2014, it was revealed that the film would be titled Rambo: Last Blood, with Stallone directing.[22]
In 2015, Stallone and Rambo creator David Morrell re-developed the story for Rambo V. Stallone wanted a "soulful journey" for the character that Morrell described as a "really emotional, powerful story". Stallone pitched the idea to the producers, but they wanted to proceed with the human trafficking story instead, abandoning Stallone and Morrell's idea.[23] In October 2015, Stallone pondered on the possibility of a prequel, stating, "It's intriguing to find the whys and wherefores of how people have become what they are. The traumas, the loss and the tragedy of being in Vietnam would certainly be a great challenge for a young actor, and it would be ironic that Rambo directs younger Rambo having played it for twenty years plus".[24] In 2016, Sylvester Stallone revealed that Rambo V was no longer in production.[25]
Pre-production
In May 2018, Rambo: Last Blood was re-announced and was scheduled to begin filming in September, with the plot focusing on Rambo taking on a Mexican drug cartel.[26] As per mediation resolved on August 21, 2019 through Leslie Mackey of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and agreed upon by Avi Lerner of Balboa Productions, Dan Gordon was awarded a primary "story by" credit for the film.[27] Stallone was confirmed to be co-writing the script with Matt Cirulnick, but seemed unlikely to direct.[28] That same month, Stallone confirmed that the film is scheduled for a fall 2019 release.[29] In August 2018, Adrian Grunberg was announced as the director.[30] In September 2018, Adriana Barraza was added to the cast as Maria.[31] In October 2018, Paz Vega,[32] Yvette Monreal,[33] Sergio Peris-Mencheta,[34] Oscar Jaenada, and Joaquín Cosío[35] were cast in the film. In May 2019, Louis Mandylor, Sheila Shah, Dimitri Vegas, and Genie Kim (aka Yenah Han) were revealed to have been cast without prior announcement.[36][37][38]
Filming
Principal photography began on October 2, 2018 in Bulgaria.[39][40] It was previously scheduled to begin on September 1, 2018,[41][42] and before that on October 27, 2014, in Shreveport, Louisiana.[43][44] Barraza filmed her scenes in Tenerife (Canary Islands).[31] Principal photography was completed on December 4, 2018.[45] Additional photography took place at the end of May 2019.[46][47]
Music
Brian Tyler returned to score the film.[48] A remixed version of "Old Town Road" was used for the trailer.[49]
Release
Marketing
In May 2018, Millennium Films brought the project to Cannes to generate interest and sales.[28] Stallone verified that he would share images and videos from the film's set on his Instagram as the film approaches its release.[50][51] In February 2019, Stallone revealed images on his Instagram of Rambo's adopted family,[52] combat history,[53] and the character Gabrielle's intentions to travel to Mexico to find her father.[54] In March 2019, Stallone revealed via his Instagram an image of Rambo covered in blood and aiming his signature bow.[55]
In May 2019, it was revealed that Stallone will present exclusive images at Cannes to coincide with a special "first-look" screening of the film at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès on May 24, 2019.[56] The first trailer was revealed at Cannes on May 24, 2019.[57] The teaser trailer was released on May 30, 2019[58] and drew comparisons to Logan and Unforgiven.[59] On August 1, 2019, Stallone revealed the theatrical release poster on his Instagram.[60] On August 20, 2019, Stallone released the second trailer on his Instagram.[61] On September 4, 2019, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema announced it would host a marathon of all five Rambo films to commemorate the release of Rambo: Last Blood.[62]
Theatrical
Rambo: Last Blood is scheduled to be released on September 20, 2019.[63] Dadi purchased the Chinese distribution rights and agreed to an eight-figure co-financing deal.[64] On July 30, 2019, the MPAA assigned the film an R-rating.[65]
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, Rambo: Last Blood will be released alongside Ad Astra and Downton Abbey, and is projected to gross $23–25 million from 3,500 theaters in its opening weekend.[66]
Critical response
The review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes assigned the film an approval rating of 34%, with an average rating of 4.67/10, based on reviews from 38 critics. The website's critical consensus reads: "Like the sequels that preceded it, Rambo: Last Blood is content to indulge in bloody violence at the expense of its main character's once-poignant story."[67] Metacritic said the film received "generally unfavorable reviews," with an overall weighted average of 33 out of 100 based on 15 critics.[68]
Many critics reported being appalled by the brutality of the film's action scenes. Peter Debruge of Variety called it "horrible, gut-wrenching carnage to witness, and yet, it's been calibrated to elicit whoops and cheers from fans, who've faithfully followed along as Rambo evolved."[69] Vince Mancini of Uproxx wrote that "[i]t's so genuinely horrific I'm convinced there are real-life cartel videos celebrating the torture of rivals that are less gory. I was either howling with nervous laughter or covering my face the entire time."[70] Witney Seibold in IGN called it "over-the-top in a way that isn't fun," and compared its amount of gore with that of a slasher film.[71]
By contrast, Don Kaye in Den of Geek! said he "didn't find [the violence] disturbing per se, but rather jarring in the way it takes on an almost comic book tone after the more elegiac effect the movie was striving for earlier."[72]
Some critics also accused the film of xenophobia, citing its alleged stereotypical depiction of Hispanics and Latinos as criminals, and its portrayal of Mexico as a country that is besieged with crime.[70][69][73] Seibold said, "I understand that Rambo films have rarely been bastions of cultural togetherness, but in 2019, these broad stereotypes are offensive and dated and downright irresponsible."[71] Eric Kohn of IndieWire, who gave the film a grade of D+, said: "In 2019's hypersensitive cultural environment, the depiction of murderous Mexican crime bosses and their cowering sex slaves encountering a literal white savior doesn’t go down so easy."[73]
Future
During Cannes 2019, Stallone said he would continue portraying Rambo if the fifth film succeeds.[74] Grunberg, however, said that Last Blood "closes the circle", hoping it would conclude the franchise.[75] In September 2019, Stallone confirmed that he has plans for a prequel to the series; although he would not reprise the title role, he would like to explore who Rambo was before the war:
I always thought of Rambo when he was 16 or 17 – I hope they can do the prequel – he was the best person you could find. He was the captain of the team; he was the most popular kid in school; super athlete. He was like Jim Thorpe, and the war is what changed him. If you saw him before, he was like the perfect guy.[76]
Stallone has also spoken with JoBlo.com about his Indian reservation idea for the fifth Rambo film.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق