First Blood (Rambo: First Blood) poster & wallpaper
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Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Brian Dennehy, David Caruso, Jack Starrett ... see more see more... , Michael Talbott , David Crowley , Chris Mulkey , Don MacKay , Alf Humphreys , John McLiam , Bill McKinney , Bruce Barbour , Stephen Dimopoulos , Bruce Greenwood , Gary Hetherington , Craig Huston , Robert Metcalfe , Suzee Pai , Patrick Stack , Frank Tamburo , Charles Tamburro , Mike Winlaw , Stephen E. Miller , David Peterson , Donald Adams , Raimund Stamm

First Blood is the Sylvester Stallone film that unleashed "Rambo" onto an unsuspecting world. Wandering into a small, hostile town, ex-Green Beret John Rambo (Stallone) is targeted for persecution and... read more read more... abuse by potbellied Sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy). When he can stand no more, Rambo goes bonkers, killing a deputy and heading into the surrounding hills, armed to the teeth. Only after Rambo has picked off practically every law enforcement officer within a radius of 50 miles do the local authorities bring in his former commanding officer, Trautman (Richard Crenna), for advice. Trautman's response -- that the locals had better get a lot of body bags ready -- is hardly encouraging. First Blood proved to be one of Stallone's biggest non-Rocky hits. Kirk Douglas had originally been cast as Trautman, but he quit the project when the producers refused to cave in to his demand that Trautman kill Rambo in the finale. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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81% liked it

116,471 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

36 critics

R, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: Ted Kotcheff

Release Date: October 1, 1982

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DVD Release Date: August 29, 2000

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Stats: 6,520 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (6,520)

  • DreamExtractor
    June 25, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Great beginning to a legendary series.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    May 10, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Sylvester Stallone had already carved himself a niche with the Rocky films. But to me, the ultimate Stallone films has got to be the Rambo franchise. First Blood is the first of four flawless action film, and it set the standard of many action film that would follow. After return... read moreing from the war, Vietnam vet John Rambo drifts across the U.S in search of his war buddy. When he finds out he's passed on due to exposure to Agent Orange, he keeps on walking. Walking to a small town where an overzealous Sheriff takes an imediate disliking to him. He gets arrested and subsequently abused. Unfortunatly for Rambo he experiences flashbacks fom the war and VERY unfortunately for the Sheriffs department, he escapes and starts to wage a one man war against the police department. What follows is chaos and mayhem as the police officers can't capture him. First Blood is quite possibly one of the best films that Sylvester Stallone has ever played in and he gives one terrific performance. Compared to the other three films in the series, First Blood is the Rambo film thats kind of toned down in terms of action. Theres lots of action of course, but compared to the three others; First Blood is the 'softer' one of the bunch. The filmmakers of the following franchise opted to give a more adrenaline pulse pounding edge to the story thats not fully developed with this film, but we do get a taste of what is to come. First Blood is nonetheless a solid action film that concentrates more on it's story than on the action. Which is a good thing and it's what makes this film a must see. Sure it's an action film with a lot of action packed moments, but First Blood combines elements of a thriller as well. A well balanced film that gives you a taste of what's to come in one of the most adrenaline action packed franchises in the genres history.
  • ajv2688
    January 12, 2011
    ajv2688
    The most popular action movie of the decade, it's got a good story and a lot of exciting action. I highly recommend it.
  • MovieGeek13
    January 6, 2011
    MovieGeek13
    First Blood sets itself apart from most war movies, as well as the sequels that would soon come after it, in that it deals with the hero removed from the war trying to reintegrate back into civilized society. Like the similar themed The Deer Hunter, First Blood shows that these ... read more"killing machines" are actually too physically, mentally, and most of all emotionally scarred to just return to their pre-war selves. It's not their fault; it's the fault of the country that sent them to war in the first place.
    John Rambo, played very well by Sylvester Stallone, has come to the ironically named town of Hope to deliver something to a friend of his who he served alongside in Vietnam. He learns that his friend died. With nowhere to go, no friends to see, Rambo wanders the town until he's picked up by the town sheriff and driven to the city limits. The sheriff doesn't want him there, saying that his kind are not welcome in the town. Rambo shows some resistance, and is arrested unjustly. The abuse that the rest of the officers show him set him off on a violent rampage and soon, the entire force is after him. Rambo survives only by doing what he was trained to do for war.
    The film isn't afraid to look at this issue from both sides. The ignorance of the police represent the ignorance of anyone who assumes they know what Vietnam was about even though they never were there. But war changes man for the worst, and because of that, Rambo can never just blend in with these ignorant folk. The film's climax reveals the film as a tragedy.
    The sequels celebrate Rambo's ability to kill people in graphic and vicious ways. This film, the original Rambo movie, mourns the man who could be forever lost to this ability.
  • LoughnerWasLucid
    December 6, 2010
    LoughnerWasLucid
    The Essential "watch-how-he-kills-this-bad guy-he-must-have-been-a-boyscout" movie
  • skeletonking101
    October 3, 2010
    skeletonking101
    one of the best action films ive ever seen. though some action scenes are so over the top they're funny like the scene where Rambo keeps blowing up the cars, still a fantastic action movie. Its probably the only action movie i have ever seen where i almost cried at the end i was ... read moreabout two seconds away from crying during the monologue Rambo made at the end of the movie.
  • stevenecarrier
    September 10, 2010
    stevenecarrier
    "First Blood" is a rare action film that transcends it's genre to be something intellectually stimulating. Sylvester Stallone turns in a memorable action performance with an intense range of emotional depth. As a portrait of a man's inner war unleashed on a small town, "First Blo... read moreod" is a fantastic study on masculinity as a personality trait and how that trait can come to violent opposition.
  • Deano78
    August 21, 2010
    Deano78
    A cult classic the sequels got slightly worse, but this is a great film.
  • ythelastman89
    August 10, 2010
    ythelastman89
    It can really be taken as two entirely different movies, a straight up action/adventure or a post-Vietnam drama. I kind've see it as a little bit of both. Sylvester Stallone gives one of his many amazing performances as the tortured soul John Rambo, with no experience in anything... read more but extreme violence. The film's setting and shooting style is perfect for creating a claustrophobic and suspenseful feeling. While I think it's definitely taken some time to get used to, this really is an amazing and unique piece of film history. Not only does it keep you entertained, but it involves real issues that aren't just there for impact.
  • bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
    July 21, 2010
    bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
    B+

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Critic Reviews

James Berardinelli
April 30, 2009
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The darker tone, somber subtext, and generally non-exploitative violence allow viewers to enjoy the film not only as an action/thriller but as something with a degree of intelligence and substance. Full Review

Dave Kehr
March 1, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

This action film hangs on an interesting reversal, taking the crazed-killer-in-the-woods theme from Friday the 13th and turning it inside out-- the psychopath is now our hero, a maladjusted ex-Green B... Full Review

March 1, 2007
Variety

Director Ted Kotcheff has all sorts of trouble with this mess, aside from credibility. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Sylvester Stallone is one of the great physical actors in the movies, with a gift for throwing himself so fearlessly into an action scene that we can't understand why somebody doesn't really get hurt. Full Review

Janet Maslin
August 30, 2004
Janet Maslin, New York Times

First Blood is ragged and flashy; it ought to be a big success with audiences that value action for its own sake. Full Review

Charles Cassady
December 14, 2010
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

First and most popular Rambo; and yes, bloody. Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
February 6, 2010
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

As befits a story of internal conflict, Ted Kotcheff lays out the action in an adroit style derived from Anthony Mann Full Review

Keith Uhlich
June 14, 2008
Keith Uhlich, UGO

The entryway to the disturbed psychological headspace of a single man, one bent evermore on survival, instinct trumping all. Full Review

Josh Larsen
May 13, 2008
Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm

...does get loonier as it goes along, yet for a while it's actually a mournful and sobering action-movie treatment of postwar stress. Full Review

Rob Humanick
February 5, 2008
Rob Humanick, Stranger Song

Now that's ballsy. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Galt: [something] We were planning on going to vegas [can't really understand] go buy some chevy [really is that English?] and then Jimmy gets his legs ripped off and fuck *cries*
    • Orval: Let's do some huntin'!
    • Preston: Hunting? We ain't huntin' him, he's huntin' us!
    • Trautman: You did everything to make this private war happen. You've done enough damage. This mission is over, Rambo. Do you understand me? This mission is over! Look at them out there! Look at them! If you won't end this now, they will kill you. Is that what you want? It's over Johnny. It's over!
    • John Rambo: Nothing is over! Nothing! You just don't turn it off! It wasn't my war! You asked me, I didn't ask you! And I did what I had to do to win! But somebody wouldn't let us win! And I come back to the world and I see all those maggots at the airport, protesting me, spitting. Calling me baby killer and all kinds of vile crap! Who are they to protest me? Who are they? Unless they've been me and been there and know what the hell they're yelling about!
    • Trautman: It was a bad time for everyone, Rambo. It's all in the past now.
    • John Rambo: For *you*! For me civilian life is nothing! In the field we had a code of honor, you watch my back, I watch yours. Back here there's nothing!
    • Trautman: You're the last of an elite group, don't end it like this.
    • John Rambo: Back there I could fly a gunship, I could drive a tank, I was in charge of million dollar equipment, back here I can't even hold a job *parking cars*!
    • Teasle: He was just another drifter who broke the law!
    • Trautman: Vagrancy wasn't it? That's gonna look real good on his grave stone in Arlington: Here lies John Rambo, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, survivor of countless incursions behind enemy lines. Killed for vagrancy in Jerkwater, USA.
    • Teasle: Now don't give me any of that crap Trautman. Do you think Rambo was the only guy who had a tough time in Vietnam? He killed a police officer for Christ's sake!
    • Trautman: You're goddamn lucky he didn't kill all of you.
    • Teasle: It's over Johnny.
    • John Rambo: Nothing is over!
    • John Rambo: You know there's more men out there. You know where they are. Find 'em, or I'll find you.
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First Blood (Rambo: First Blood) Trivia

  • Name Rambo's first movie.  Answer »
  • Famous tagline: "What most people call hell, he calls home!". Choose!  Answer »
  • "First Blood" is the title of which movie that has a short sequel following.  Answer »
  • In the opening sequence of "First Blood", what was cited to John Rambo, as the cause of death of his former special forces comrade, Delmore Barry?  Answer »
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