Jumping around the Web like a jackrabbit hopped up on Red Bull, I noticed a little write-up that skirted under my radar. I don’t know how it happened, but there it was in black and white. Lionsgate has announced there will be a fifth, that’s right folks, a fifth flick to the Rambo saga. And you thought life couldn’t get any better – shame on you.
Millennium Film officially gave the greenlight for the newest Rambo flick on Aug. 31 and it looks slated for a 2011 release. After a 20-year hiatus between volumes three and four in the franchise, Sylvester Stallone was quick to grab the knife, throw on his oversized sweatshirt and be ready to slice and dice once again. I just hope story prevails over carnage this time.
The first three flicks had their share of blood, people getting snared in traps and shot with explosive arrows, but in 2008’s Rambo, it went to the extreme. When the trailers first began popping up and they were using Drowning Pool’s “Bodies”, viewers knew they were in for one helluva bloody flick and there were most certainly right.
More times than not, it was easy for an audience to collapse under the weight of the over the top bloody sequences in the film. I have since begun referring to those moments as “Stalloney Bologna”. The definition of the term is, “when in doubt – gore it out”. More times that I could count, it seemed he came to a roadblock and solved the problem by a very simple recipe. One part weapon, one part snarl and one big, heaping part fake blood and body parts.
Before he begins his latest journey as John Rambo, Stallone will be directing and starring in “Expendables” alongside Jason Statham and Jet Li. He also will be lending his voice to “The Zoo Keeper”. For anyone thinking Stallone is too old to be playing Rambo once again, check out some of the photos coming form the set of “Expendables”. Two words folks — Holy Crap!
But now back to the task at hand.
While combing the interweb, I caught sight of another interesting Stallone quote. It was from some time back, but he noted that the newest film “would not be a war movie”. What does that mean? Are we going to see the softer side of Sly? I hope so.
What I hope audiences will see is a more cerebral John Rambo, who after years of fighting bloody campaigns, has decided to hang up the war blade, take off the headband and assume a more peaceful approach. Rambo should don a new dress casual business like demeanor and work with his adversaries to come to a peaceful, logical outcome that is beneficial to all involved.
Who the hell am I kidding?
Sharpen up the blade, Johnny – there’s work to be done.