Francis X. Lord

A bare bones action thriller that earns every beat of its lean 90 minute runtime. The characters are well set-up, the premise entirely believable in the context of post-Vietnam America and the action is credible. Few action films cover all three of those bases that together effectively immerse you in the narrative so completely. Sylvester Stallone shines as a Vietnam vet suffering with PTSD, trying to fit in a world that doesn't seem to want him. After he visits his one surviving friend only to discover he has since died from cancer, the product of Agent Orange exposure, wandering the road alone he encounters an overzealous Sheriff who won't so much as let the man eat a meal in his town. Rambo decides he's had enough, defies the Sheriff and, from that point on, all hell is destined to break loose.