Caffeinated Clint
Like a trailer-park shower, Sylvester Stallone goes hot and cold on a fifth “Rambo”.
Shortly after the release of 2008’s “Rambo”, Sly had suggested “Rambo 5” was inching closer to a Nikon (there were even sales posters for the film doing the rounds at the various film markets around the world; whether or not that was the production company trying to interest buyers to snap up pre-sales for a film Sly wasn’t even officially attached to at that stage, I don’t know…), but he seemingly cooled on the idea shortly after. The main reason for the reluctance seems to be the absence of a good, fitting story (one idea had Rambo taking on some sort of Predator-esque figure in the jungle; another had him taking on a Mexican drug cartel.) But in recent times, the 66-year-old has also suggested he might be too old to bring back the muscly war vet.
With the resurgence in all these ‘real men, real muscle’ action movies of late, most notably “The Expendables” franchise, but also the dozen or so projects Arnold Schwarzenegger has coming out, there seems to be renewed interest in Rambo again.
While Stallone isn’t saying for sure that John Rambo will make one final reappearance on the big screen, the man’s comments of late do suggest a reprise could be in the cards again.
Back in May, the actor told MTV News that he’d like the character to go out in a ‘Blaze of Glory’.
“I know there is [another story to tell]. It’s one thing where you lay down the final culmination of your life where you can articulate it, but also act on it where [Rambo] realizes what his destiny really is. It’s not to be a farmer, it’s not to be obscure; it’s to go out in a blaze of glory in a heroic fashion. But is he really doing it for himself or is he doing it because that’s just his id? That’s who he is.”
At the time, Sly suggested the idea of Rambo going knife-to-knife with Mexican crime gangs was still of interest. A scenario in Mexico seems to be a good bet, since the setting whisper has cropped up numerous times over the years.
This week, while in Rome, Stallone told reporters that “Rambo 5” might happen – if his body agrees to it.
“If my damn body holds up, it’ll be really good”, Digital Spy quoted Stallone. “Otherwise it won’t be Rambo fighting, it’ll be Rambo fighting arthritis,” Stallone joked.
If “Rambo 5” comes to fruition, it’s likely it’ll encompass an epic, highly-emotional conclusion to the plight of the character (much like “Rocky Balboa” did its main character) – as Stallone’s ‘Blaze of Glory’ comments suggestion. I do wonder… Sly has said before he wants Rambo to go home, but is home for Rambo the peace and tranquility of the family homestead, or is it the action-man’s Valhalla in the sky? Whatever the case, I do hope that final scenes hints at Rambo finally getting the ‘time-out’ he’s been owed for years now.
