Rambo

Feb 22 2008 Evening Chronicle

TWENTY years after Rambo’s last bloodthirsty tour of duty, Sylvester Stallone’s iconic warrior stumbles out of retirement to wreak havoc on the oppressive Burmese military.

In his role as director, co-writer and leading man, Stallone’s intentions are noble, refocusing the spotlight on the long-running civil war between ruling forces and the Karen People of Burma, who have been tortured and murdered for nearly 60 years.

However, grafting a relentlessly violent action-thriller on to a real-life genocide leaves a very nasty taste in the mouth.

The underlying message couldn’t be clearer: if you want a resolution to the conflict, send in America and let Uncle Sam blow the country to smithereens.

If that’s true, then Stallone should be hyperventilating by the end credits over the film’s huge body count.

Former Green Beret John Rambo (Stallone) lives and works on the Salween River, close to the Thailand-Burma border, supplying cobras and pythons to a village.

Christian missionaries approach Rambo to take them and their fellow do-gooders up river to Burma, where they hope to nurse the sick. But the community comes under attack from the Burmese military and the missionaries are taken hostage.

Time has not been kind to the brawny star.

At 61, he looks his age – so much so, you have to wonder if Rambo will be able to navigate the perilous jungle terrain without a Zimmer. Action sequences are breathlessly orchestrated but wanton destruction on such a massive scale is exhausting.

(18, 91 mins) Action/thriller. Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Paul Schulze, Graham McTavish, Matthew Marsden, Tim Kang, Ray Gallegos, Jake La Botz. Director: Sylvester Stallone.

SWEARING; SEX; VIOLENCE