The Movie Review: Rambo III

Sylvester Stallone is considered to be one of the most famous male actors for action movies since the 1980s. He is famous for his action movies such as Rambo and Rocky Balboa. Sylvester Stallone plays the character by the name of John Rambo in his action movie. John Rambo is a former American soldier who serves in the Vietnam War. He is living in the city of Bangkok at the beginning of the movie. Rambo was making a living in underground fighting in Bangkok. He recognises two American officials who are looking for him at the fighting ring. Colonel Trautman is the friend and the former military commander of John Rambo’s unit in Vietnam. Robert Griggs is a CIA operative stationed at the United States Embassy in Bangkok. Colonel Trautman and Griggs try to enlist Rambo for a mission in Afghanistan but he refuses their offer. The American government was providing military weapons to the Mujahidden rebels during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Rambo III is a propaganda movie produced by the Hollywood movie industries to support the American intervention in Afghanistan during the cold war.

Western values have a negative impact on the cultural institutions which are part of the Hollywood movie industries. Robert Griggs mentions to Rambo: “Nobody knows where Afghanistan is on the map.” It explains the ignorance that most Western people have regarding other cultures around the world. Robert Griggs mentions to Rambo that Colonel Trautman was captured by the Soviet military in Afghanistan. He was sentenced to a military prison by the Soviet forces in Afghanistan. Rambo decides to go on a rescue mission to save his friend’s life all by himself. Rambo III is a typical macho movie where the male character is not afraid of death and he is portrayed as being very muscular. Rambo meets a local Afghan rebel by the name of Mousa in Pakistan. Mousa provides weapons and information to Rambo about the military prison in Afghanistan. Colonel Trautman is tortured by Colonel Raysen who is the military commander of the base. Rambo meets the Mujahiddeen army at a local village in Afghanistan. The Mujahiddeen army is portrayed as being friendly to the Americans in the movie. They share a common enemy together. The Mujahiddeen are freedom fighters who will become the Taliban and Al Qaeda in reality. They will become the enemy of the United States after the attack on New York City.

Afghan children are fighting along side with the Mujahiddeen rebels in the movie for the freedom of their country. The Soviet military was raping and torturing innocent men, women, and children in the movie. It portrays the Soviet military as being uncivilised to the Afghans. Rambo and Mousa cooperate to free Colonel Trautman and the rest of the Afghan detainees from the military prison in Afghanistan. Rambo kills Colonel Rausen toward the end of the movie. The Mujahiddeen achieved a military victory against the Soviet Union in this particular region of Afghanistan. This movie gives us the wrong impression that it is all right for child soldiers to fight for the honour of their country. What is the limitation in portraying child soldiers dying for a cause in a Hollywood movie today?