Rambo (2008)

Burma’s long war against the Karen people is real, and Rambo uses it mostly as a backdrop for an action finale. Sylvester Stallone directs himself as an older, quieter John Rambo, catching snakes and running a boat in Thailand, and the first act is legit good: a tired man who’s done fighting, saying no to a group of missionaries again and again. Julie Benz’s Sarah gives the film its conscience. Then the soldiers reach the village, and the movie shows the cruelty against civilians so bluntly that it stops feeling like witness and starts feeling like setup. The mercenary squad is a pack of loud cartoons, and the violence in the last stretch is so extreme it numbs the point instead of sharpening it. The civilians deserved a movie about them. It made $113.2 million worldwide on a reported $47.5 to $50 million. A 4.6 because Stallone clearly cares and the movie confuses volume with meaning. $3,787 says you remember the villagers’ faces from this one long after you’ve forgotten every explosion.

What works: Stallone’s weary, nearly silent lead and a first act that takes its time with a man who wants no more fighting.

What doesn’t: It turns real suffering into setup for a finale so violent that it numbs the point it means to make.

Who it’s for: Longtime Rambo fans who want a grim, short return and can handle very heavy content.