After the humiliation of Vietnam, the disgust over Watergate, and the four-year presidency of the somber, soul-searching Jimmy Carter, America in the 1980s was ready for a change. Station at the outskirts of Madison, Kentucky.' Rambo's popularity was due especially to the series of films based on the Rambo character, especially the second film, Rambo: First Blood Part II, in which the hero, played by Sylvester Stallone, symbolically 'wins' the Vietnam War. Its success spawned a franchise, consisting of four sequels (co-written by and starring Stallone), an animated television series, a comic books series, a novel series, several video games, and Indian remakes.One of the best known and most popular fictional characters of the 1980s, Rambo was introduced in David Morrell's 1972 novel First Blood with the words, 'His name was Rambo, and he was just some nothing kid for all anybody knew, standing by the pump of a gas Since its release, it has been reappraised by critics, with many highlighting the roles of Stallone, Dennehy, and Crenna, and recognizing it as an influential film in the action genre. In 1985, it also became the first Hollywood blockbuster to be released in China, holding the record for the largest number of tickets sold for an American film until 2018. Initial reviews were mixed, but the film was a box office success, grossing $156 million at the box office. In the film, Rambo is a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam veteran who must rely on his combat and survival skills when a series of brutal events results in him having to survive a massive manhunt by police and government troops near the fictional small town of Hope, Washington.įirst Blood was released in the United States on October 22, 1982. The film is based on the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell, which many directors and studios had unsuccessfully attempted to adapt in the 1970s. It is the first installment in the Rambo franchise, followed by Rambo: First Blood Part II. It co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's mentor Sam Trautman and Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle. Wikipedia Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votesįirst Blood (also known as Rambo: First Blood) is a 1982 American action film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo.

1972 novel first blood