My Favorite John Rambo Knockoffs
One of the most popular and most often replicated action star gimmicks is the war-veteran turned unlikely hero bit made famous by John Rambo. It was the role, way back in 1982, that solidified Sylvester Stallone as more than just a one-trick pony. Released the same year as Rocky III, First Blood took the returning Special Forces veteran John Rambo and put him in situations that were new but yet all too familiar. Many of the scenes would be recreated in movies for years to come and it’s not surprising to see many movies trying to create new heroes in our current generation of action stars using an updated version of the character. No matter how many times I see the PTSD-laden veteran, pushed to his virtual breaking point, become a hero again, nothing will ever beat First Blood. That doesn’t mean, however, that filmmakers should stop trying.
Missing in Action (1984) – James Braddock
The Mr. Pibb to Rambo’s Dr. Pepper, James Braddock is as close to John Rambo in his badassery as probably any other action hero out there. Like any great war veteran hero, they were at one time or another a prisoner of war. That means they had be subjected to tortures that are borderline worse than living (like watching a Channing Tatum movie marathon!) but escaped. Chuck Norris’s performance is on another level (compared to other Norris performances) and could easily be viewed as his greatest character.
Deadly Prey (1987) – Mike Danton
Some men are born with a naturally rare awesomeness that lays dormant until just the right moment. That is how I would describe the unbelievable killing power of Mike Danton. He was trained by the now evil Colonel Hogan, and he was without a doubt the best of the best. Well, he still is. If you haven’t seen Deadly Prey then you need to remedy that a.s.a.p. as it’s filled with knife-stabbing action and more amazing mullets than just about any other movie in history.
The Hunted (2003) – Aaron Hallam
Unlike the James Braddock’s of the world, The Hunted‘s Aaron Hallam’s post traumatic stress disorder causes him to go batshit crazy and go on a killing rampage. It’s very much a version of First Blood where John Rambo doesn’t get pushed first and instead starts killing locals until his former trainer has to take him down. In fact, it’s probably closer to the book version of First Blood than the movie is. Either way, it’s very cool and worth your time just to see Tommy Lee Jones in a knife fight!
Honorable Mention: Rolling Thunder (1977) – Charles Rane
The good Major returned to his hometown from Vietnam as a hero. The only bad thing is that some thugs attempt to steal some of these gifts and they unknowingly start a war with Rane that could take all of their lives. Rolling Thunder falls under the Honorable Mention portion because Charles Rane graced the screen a good five years before John Rambo and while Thunder is more of a straight-up revenge story, it will appeal to any fans of First Blood as well.
