Could John Rambo be about to make another unexpected comeback?!
After we all thought it was over after last year’s ‘Rambo: Last Blood‘, there may be hope for all the fans of Sylvester Stallone‘s Vietnam veteran after all. Despite a lackluster box office and critical failure of the last film, Stallone has hinted at the character’s return. There has been a release of a ‘Rambo: Last Blood‘ extended cut which has hit Amazon Prime in the United States (But Not in the U.K as of yet) and has made its debut on Apple TV. To promote the film, Stallone dropped a piece on Instagram saying:
“This is the cut I worked on and ALWAYS thought this CUT was MUCH, much better than the theatrical release. If you saw Rambo Last Blood in the theater, you owe it to yourself to see the REAL cut. Thank You”
In a separate post, the actor went on to say:
“SEE THE REAL JOURNEY-‘YOU JUST DON’T TURN IT OFF!!!!!’ MAKE IT #1 THIS WEEKEND! (He could be back) Much respect, Sly.”
So, what exactly does this ‘Real’ cut of the film contain that was missing from the U.S and the U.K release? Well, as I have seen a cut of the film that was shown outside these two territories, it could be this cut that Stallone is referring to. In this alternate version, there is a different opening than the two countries saw, regarding Rambo rescuing some campers from a flood, extended scenes with Rambo and Gabrielle and Maria, his housekeeper and various other scenes that were missing from the original U.S and U.K versions that featured in the international cut of the film. Did it make the film any better? To a certain extent, yes they do but it will be interesting to find out exactly what this version of the film really is.
As for the return of the character, where exactly could he go next? Apparently, there is an idea for Rambo to ride into a Native American tribe and receive treatment for his injuries suffered during the climax of ‘Last Blood‘ which would mean the new film would take place almost at the exact point the last film ended but where could it go after that? There again is an idea for relatives of the slain cartel brothers coming after Rambo for revenge for the deaths of their loved ones. This too is an interesting idea but it remains to be seen whether any of these ideas come to pass in a sixth film. Remember, at one time, Rambo was due to take on a monster from Outer Space in the fifth film but thankfully, that idea fell by the wayside.
Stallone has also dropped a bombshell on another of his creations. While promoting the new cut of ‘Last Blood‘, Stallone was asked by a fan:
“Awesome! Amazon Prime has been running it (Last Blood) for the past couple of months as well. But if this is available tomorrow for purchase I’m on it! How about the director’s cut of ‘Rocky Balboa’?”
Stallone then dropped his bombshell:
“I am not doing that but I am doing a director’s cut on Rocky IV which will be amazing!!!!!!”
Yo! Hold on! A director’s cut of ‘Rocky IV‘? Count me in! I watched the film back in the day and even though I enjoyed it, I felt something was missing from the film. The editing seemed a little TOO tight to me and, even though I know films lose certain scenes during the editing process, I remember seeing different scenes during the trailer for the film that was absent from the theatrical release of the film. Certain scenes of Rocky going on the attack against Drago in the final fight were missing and a scene of the boxing licensing committee refusing to give Rocky a license to fight Drago was also edited out. Perhaps these scenes and many others that were left on the cutting room floor will now make a welcome appearance in this new version of the film. It is still unknown where this director’s cut will appear, whether it be a theatrical release or go onto Amazon Prime, Apple TV or other streaming services or will hit DVD and Blu-ray. But as long as the film is restored and given its due after 35 years, I’m all for it.
Now, can we please see the REAL cuts of ‘Tango & Cash‘ and ‘Cobra‘ next, please, Sly?
The Future of the Force. The future of pop culture writing.
Carl Roberts is a Senior Staff Writer and Books and Literature Correspondent for The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter @CarlRoberts2 where he uses the force frequently!
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Author
Carl Roberts is the News Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
