Rambo Series Episode 5

It’s been 11 years. The world has changed. John Rambo, however, has not-he’s just tried to keep a lid on it. That lid blows when his “niece” is abducted by a Mexican cartel, and Rambo is out for Last Blood.  Should this be Rambo’s final mission? Join Arnie, Brock, and Jakob for this review to find out!

As we finish our series looking back at the Rambo films, novels, and novelizations, Arnie sits down with author David Morrell. Morrell wrote First Blood over a decade before Stallone portrayed the character on screen, and then Morrell returned to Rambo by novelizing the screenplays for the first two film sequels. Now the author opens up about why he chose to adapt someone else’s story for his character, his thoughts on the films and the Rambo cartoon series, and how Rambo has influenced his career.

Rambo Series Episode 4

Twenty years after Rambo III crashed harder than a tank into a chopper, John Rambo returned in Rambo. Fresh off his comeback as Rocky, Sylvester Stallone stepped back into the bandana, this time heading to war-torn Burma for a rescue mission that quickly spirals into full-scale carnage. This fourth installment ditches glossy ’80s bombast for brutal, unflinching violence. But does this stripped-down, ultra-violent Rambo mark a worthy evolution for the character, or does it prove the franchise should have stayed buried in Cold War nostalgia? Arnie, Brock, and Jakob lock and load to decide whether this 21st-century return redeems the series or simply escalates the body count.

This week, we look at Rambo 3, written by David Morrell, author of the original Rambo novel, First Blood. The film was a financial disappointment and almost killed the Rambo film franchise, but was the book our worst literary nightmare, or could Morrell save this plotline from the torture? Listen to find out! Then come back next week as Arnie sits down with David Morrell to discuss all three Rambo novels!

Also, listen to Arnie’s interview with First Blood author David Morell:

Rambo Series Episode 3

After Rambo: First Blood Part II detonated at the box office, another mission was inevitable. Sylvester Stallone returned once more in Rambo III, sending John Rambo into war-torn Afghanistan to rescue his captured mentor, Colonel Trautman, and take the fight to Soviet forces. Trading jungles for deserts, the third installment ups the scale again with bigger explosions, heavier weaponry, and a geopolitical backdrop ripped straight from late-Cold War headlines. But decades later, does Rambo III feel hopelessly dated, or does it deliver pure ’80s action excess at its most entertaining? Arnie, Jakob, and Brock saddle up to decide whether this sequel still packs a punch or has been left behind by history.

Rambo made his first appearance in 1972 in David Morrell’s novel First Blood, which was then adapted into a film. The film was a huge success, and so a sequel was made, written by James Cameron and Sylvester Stallone. As movie novelizations were big business, a novel was commissioned. None of this is shocking until you look closely at the cover–Rambo’s original creator, David Morrell, returned to write the novelization of his character in a story in which he had no input. This is a very unique situation, and since Now Playing Podcast is reviewing all the Rambo films, we felt this movie novelization would be worth a look. Listen to find out if we were right!

Also, listen to Arnie’s interview with First Blood author David Morell:

Rambo Series Episode 2

In 1985, Sylvester Stallone brought John Rambo back to theaters with Rambo: First Blood Part II. This time, the mission sends Rambo back to Vietnam to rescue American POWs, turning the brooding survival story of the original into a full-throttle action spectacle. With corrupt bureaucrats, double-crosses, heavy artillery, and those unforgettable exploding arrowheads, Rambo II doubles down on muscle and patriotism, cementing Rambo as a pop culture icon of the era. But does this sequel deliver cathartic action-hero triumph, or does it sacrifice substance for spectacle? Brock, Jakob, and Arnie continue their Rambo retrospective by dissecting whether this was a victorious return or an electrifying misfire.

Now Playing Podcast is spending November reviewing all the Rambo films, so let’s also look back to Rambo’s origin in David Morrell’s 1972 classic novel, First Blood. How does the book compare to the legend? Listen to Arnie’s review to find out!

Also, listen to Arnie’s interview with First Blood author David Morell: