First Blood
By Charles Cassady Jr.,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
First, most popular Rambo movie is bloody and violent.

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First Blood
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Based on 11 parent reviews
A very good action movies for older kids
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Rambo: First Blood review
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What's the Story?
FIRST BLOOD introduced John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a cross between G.I. Joe and Tarzan, and an icon of American film in the 1980s. We see him first as a shaggy-haired drifter trying to visit an old platoon comrade in rural Washington state -- where he learns that the man, his last surviving friend, has died of Agent Orange-related cancer. The downcast Rambo is subsequently sighted by bullying local cops, and is harassed and arrested for vagrancy. When the small-town lawmen brutalize him in the town jail, flashbacks to Rambo's wartime torture by Viet Cong push the well-trained Green Beret back into full combat mode and instincts. Escaping into the wilderness, he fights back using guerilla weapons and tactics. Ultimately, he makes one-man war on the entire town with captured National Guard firepower.
Is It Any Good?
This '80s classic is a crude but often effective actioner. Even if its worthwhile themes about the country's treatment of its soldiers kind of get lost in the fiery mayhem and the now-classic pose of the Rocky leading man brandishing enormous rifles and bandoliers.
The problem-plagued production shot alternate endings, one in which Rambo died, another in which he didn't. Audience reaction to First Blood made the filmmakers take the softer option -- and made the producers very wealthy when the film and its sequels became a hit. At least Rambo got to deliver a powerful climactic monologue (the only time he speaks at length) that puts into words the vet's feelings of anger and betrayal. And that reminds us that Stallone could be a fine actor, when not caricaturing himself.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the difference between the military and the civilian mindsets in First Blood, and how Rambo was educated by the Army: "When in doubt, kill."
You can also discuss the shabby treatment of American Vietnam veterans compared to that of other war vets, and how Hollywood's portrayals of those veterans -- as either psychos or super commandos -- contributed to the problem.
Families can also talk about whether the amount of violence in the movie is fitting, given its subject matter. Are there times when violence needs to be graphic to get a filmmaker's point across? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 22, 1982
- On DVD or streaming: November 23, 2004
- Cast: Brian Dennehy , David Caruso , Richard Crenna , Sylvester Stallone
- Director: Ted Kotcheff
- Studio: Artisan Entertainment
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Run time: 97 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- Last updated: June 1, 2023
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