Rambo V: Last Blood looks like it’s shaping up to be a brutal and vicious entry in the long-running action franchise. With its titular hero dealing with intense PTSD after a lifetime of violence, he’s forced to go up against a brutal cartel as he fights to save the kidnapped daughter of one of his friends.
With the ominous title Last Blood, it’s sounding as if this might be the last hurrah of the now aged warrior. Those who saw 2008’s Rambo will know that Stallone isn’t afraid to take the character into gory and disturbing territory, but these pictures released on his Instagram tease what looks like a no-holds-barred entry in the franchise.
To my eye, these seem less like stills from a cheesy action film and more like some nasty, black-hearted revenge thriller Z-movie. Or, in other words, it looks cool as hell (to the point where they should consider releasing a black and white version of the pic).
One intriguing element in these shots is that it appears that Rambo’s friend’s daughter may have been kidnapped as part of a human trafficking ring, which takes the film into controversial territory. Perhaps I might be reading a little bit too much into these stills, but if Last Blood really is about an aged American soldier crossing the border to rescue white American teenagers forced into sex slavery by a Mexican gang, it’s going to cause one hell of a political stink on release.
Then again, after his recent career uptick, I have faith that Stallone will do this right. John Rambo is his most iconic character after Rocky, and if this does prove to be a fatal adventure for him, Stallone is going to ensure he goes out with a bang.
We’ll find out for certain when Rambo V: Last Blood is released on September 20th. In the meantime, expect a trailer very soon.