‘Nothing Is Over. Nothing! You Just Don't Switch It Off!’ – From First to Last – An Analysis of Rambo

Abstract

When Rambo Last Blood hit the screens in 2019 to an almost unanimous thumbs down from the critics, it seemed as if Sylvester Stallone's ‘last outing’ as his iconic action hero, John Rambo was to bow out with more of a violent whimper than a spectacular bang. But action heroes never really do know when to quit. There is always one last mission to undertake. In an online interview in September 2019, Stallone indicated that Rambo 6 could well be on the cards. This chapter will discuss not only ideas about ‘Rambo’ as a character and his character arc, but posit the idea that Stallone, through the process of gerontology, has moved through the decades to become not a simplification or distillation of a cinematic action hero, but rather a much more complex one that asks questions about the politics of the era, masculinity, fragility and ageing.

Citation

Gerrard, S. (2022), "‘Nothing Is Over. Nothing! You Just Don't Switch It Off!’ – From First to Last – An Analysis of Rambo ", Gerrard, S. and Middlemost, R. (Ed.) Gender and Action Films 2000 and Beyond (Emerald Studies in Popular Culture and Gender), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 35-48. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-518-020221007