Rambo III (1988)
Key Takeaways
- Whitey is joined by ’80s action tragics Bones and DJ Glazby to review Rambo III (1988), drawing on an unhealthy familiarity of having watched the franchise over 100 times.
- The hosts break down peak late-’80s action excess, including Sylvester Stallone's outrageous physical condition, massive explosions, big hair, and the iconic red headband.
- The discussion highlights practical filmmaking elements like real explosions, stunt work, and physical effects that give Rambo III a weight missing in modern CGI-heavy movies.
- Behind-the-scenes trivia includes the film's massive budget for its time, an early director change, and its eventual recognition by the Razzies.
- The episode wraps up by ranking the entire Rambo franchise, debating First Blood against the sequels, and answering whether Rambo III still works today.
If a movie was ever made for the Born to Watch treatment, this is it. In our Rambo III 1988 Review, Whitey is joined by two certified ’80s action tragics, Bones and DJ Glazby, to revisit Sylvester Stallone at his biggest, most shredded and possibly most ridiculous. The Russians are back, Colonel Trautman needs rescuing, Afghanistan is the battlefield, and John J. Rambo is about to discover that retirement is apparently not an option.
For Whitey, Rambo isn’t simply another action franchise. John J. Rambo has basically been part of his movie-watching life forever, and Rambo III was the first instalment he saw on the big screen. Bones and Glaz have similar credentials, with all three admitting they’ve probably watched these movies more than 100 times. That level of unhealthy familiarity can only mean one thing: two hours of remembering lines, picking apart scenes and asking questions nobody involved in the production ever expected anyone to ask.
Released in 1988, Rambo III takes everything from the previous film and turns the dial past eleven. Bigger budget. Bigger explosions. Bigger weapons. Bigger muscles. Bigger hair. Stallone is in absolutely outrageous condition, sporting a physique that sends the boys down several completely unnecessary conversational rabbit holes.
The story begins with Rambo attempting to live a peaceful life in Thailand before Colonel Trautman arrives asking for help with a mission into Afghanistan. Rambo declines, Trautman heads off without him and promptly gets himself captured. Naturally, Rambo changes his mind and goes after his old mate.
Simple.
What follows is peak late-’80s action excess.
The boys dive into Rambo's magnificent opening stick fight, that red headband, the suspiciously dangerous spectator arrangements and the logistical nightmare of figuring out who exactly everyone is betting on. There are questions about the ridiculous staircase Trautman climbs to find Rambo, Rambo’s magnificent 1988 hair and whether Colonel Trautman might be one of the oldest soldiers ever voluntarily sent behind enemy lines.
Then there’s Stallone himself.
Rambo talks considerably more this time around, although nobody is going to mistake him for Shakespeare, and the boys discuss whether Sly knew exactly what sort of movie he was making or genuinely believed there was something much more profound buried underneath all those explosions.
One thing everyone can agree on is that the practical action still looks fantastic.
Real explosions, squibs, stunt work, enormous military hardware and physical effects give Rambo III a weight that many modern CGI-heavy action movies struggle to recreate. The cave sequence in particular gets plenty of love, with Whitey arguing that Rambo hunting enemies through the darkness is exactly where the character is at his best. Even the sound of Rambo firing an arrow gets nominated as one of cinema’s great instantly recognisable noises.
There's also plenty of behind-the-scenes madness. The film carried an enormous budget for its time, went through a director change early in production and ultimately became one of the biggest action productions of its era. Somehow, the Razzies still came calling, something the boys have very strong opinions about.
Because this is Born to Watch, Rambo III also leads us into the wider Rambo universe. The boys attempt to rank the entire franchise, debate First Blood versus the increasingly outrageous sequels, revisit Rambo II and discuss where Rambo III belongs among Stallone’s greatest action achievements.
And then comes the most important question.
Does Rambo III still work?
It’s too long. It’s incredibly stupid in places. Its politics have aged in fascinating ways. Colonel Trautman may be surprisingly useless. But when Stallone picks up the bow, the explosions start, and that glorious Jerry Goldsmith score kicks into gear, none of that seems to matter quite as much.
This is Born to Watch, The Movie Review Podcast where we don’t take the movies, or ourselves, too seriously.
Strap yourself in, tighten the headband and prepare for peak Stallone.
Rambo III is back.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens in the plot of Rambo III?
After attempting to live a peaceful life in Thailand, John J. Rambo refuses to help Colonel Trautman on a mission into Afghanistan. When Trautman gets captured, Rambo changes his mind and heads behind enemy lines to rescue his old mate.
Why is Rambo III considered a peak '80s action movie?
Released in 1988, Rambo III turns the action dial past eleven with a bigger budget, massive explosions, huge weapons, incredible physical effects, and Sylvester Stallone in shredded, outrageous condition.
How does the Born To Watch crew rank Rambo III in the franchise?
The hosts debate First Blood versus the increasingly outrageous sequels, discussing where Rambo III fits among Sylvester Stallone's greatest action achievements.
