ⓘ Details

Movie TitleRambo: First Blood Part II

Release DateMay 22, 1985 in the United States

TaglineNo man, no law, no war can stop him.

Runtime96 minutes / 1 hour 36 minutes

DirectorGeorge P. Cosmatos

Screenplay Written BySylvester Stallone and James Cameron

Based OnStory by Kevin Jarre; characters from David Morrell’s novel First Blood

Is It a Remake?No. It is the sequel to First Blood and the second film in the Rambo series.

BudgetApproximately $25.5 million per IMDb / $44 million listed by The Numbers

Box OfficeApprox. $150.4 million domestic / Approx. $300.4 million worldwide

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👥 Main Cast

Sylvester StalloneJohn J. Rambo

Richard CrennaColonel Samuel Trautman

Charles NapierMarshal Murdock

Steven BerkoffLt. Col. Podovsky

Julia NicksonCo Bao

Martin KoveEricson

George CheungTay

Andy WoodBanks

William GhentVinh

Voyo GoricSgt. Yushin

Dana LeeCaptain Vinh

Baoan ColemanGunboat Captain

John SterliniPOW #2

Richard Anthony CrennaPOW #3

Steve WilliamsLifer

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🏆 Awards

⭐ Academy Award Nominee — Best Sound Effects Editing, Frederick J. Brown

⭐ Golden Screen Award Winner — Germany

⭐ Razzie Award Winner — Worst Picture

⭐ Razzie Award Winner — Worst Actor, Sylvester Stallone

⭐ Razzie Award Winner — Worst Screenplay, Sylvester Stallone and James Cameron

⭐ Razzie Award Winner — Worst Original Song, “Peace in Our Life”

⭐ No Golden Globe nominations were verified for the film.

⭐ No BAFTA nominations were verified for the film.

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📖 Short Plot Summary

John Rambo is pulled out of prison and sent back to Vietnam on a covert mission to photograph possible American POWs. His orders are simple: observe, do not engage. But when Rambo discovers prisoners are still being held, he refuses to leave them behind. Betrayed by government officials who wanted the mission buried, Rambo escapes captivity, wages war through the jungle, and returns with both rescued POWs and a very direct message for the people who abandoned him.

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❝ Key Quotes

“What most people call hell, he calls home.” — Colonel Trautman

“Sir, do we get to win this time?” — John Rambo

“Murdock, I’m coming to get you.” — John Rambo

“To survive a war, you gotta become war.” — John Rambo

“You know there’s more men out there, and you know where they are. Find ’em, or I’ll find you.” — John Rambo

“Don’t ever count me with you and your scum.” — Colonel Trautman

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💡 Trivia

Director

Rambo: First Blood Part II was directed by George P. Cosmatos.
Cosmatos later directed Cobra and Tombstone.
The sequel shifts Rambo from the haunted survival figure of First Blood into a larger-than-life action icon.
The movie helped define the ultra-muscular 1980s action-hero template.

Cast / Casting

Sylvester Stallone returns as John Rambo and also co-wrote the screenplay.
Richard Crenna returns as Colonel Trautman, Rambo’s former commander and defender.
Charles Napier plays Murdock, the bureaucrat who sends Rambo on a mission designed to fail.
Steven Berkoff plays Soviet officer Podovsky, one of the film’s main villains.
Julia Nickson plays Co Bao, Rambo’s local contact and emotional connection during the mission.

Soundtrack / Score

Jerry Goldsmith composed the film’s score.
Goldsmith returned after scoring First Blood, bringing back heroic and mournful musical themes tied to Rambo.
The soundtrack also includes “Peace in Our Life,” performed by Frank Stallone.
The score mixes military percussion, action cues, electronics, and emotional motifs that make Rambo feel both mythic and damaged.

Location

The story sends Rambo back to Vietnam on a covert POW reconnaissance mission.
Production used Mexico as a major filming location, including Acapulco and Estudios Churubusco.
Thailand was also used for filming jungle and regional sequences.
The jungle setting gives the movie its dominant action playground, from river escapes to helicopter attacks.

Behind-The-Scenes

The screenplay is credited to Sylvester Stallone and James Cameron, from a story by Kevin Jarre.
Buzz Feitshans produced the film.
TriStar Pictures released the film domestically on May 22, 1985.
Box Office Mojo lists a domestic total of approximately $150.4 million and a worldwide total of approximately $300.4 million.
The film became the highest-grossing entry in the Rambo franchise domestically.

Nostalgia

Rambo: First Blood Part II became one of the defining action movies of the Reagan-era 1980s.
The image of Rambo with the headband, bow, knife, machine gun, and oiled-up muscles became instantly iconic.
The film helped transform Rambo into a pop-culture symbol, inspiring toys, video games, parodies, and endless imitators.
Compared with First Blood, this sequel leans hard into explosive revenge fantasy and action-movie wish fulfillment.

Easter Eggs

The title directly positions the movie as a continuation of First Blood, but its tone is much more comic-book action than grounded thriller.
Rambo’s explosive arrows became one of the character’s most famous weapons after this film.
The “Do we get to win this time?” line sums up the sequel’s political and emotional revenge-fantasy framing.
Murdock’s high-tech command center contrasts with Rambo’s survivalist approach, making the betrayal feel even more institutional.
Frank Stallone’s “Peace in Our Life” over the end credits keeps the Stallone family stamp on the movie beyond Sylvester’s starring and writing roles.

Misc.

Rambo: First Blood Part II is rated R.
Box Office Mojo lists the film’s domestic opening at approximately $20.2 million and domestic total at approximately $150.4 million.
The Numbers lists the film’s worldwide gross at approximately $300.4 million.
The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing.
Your 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists Rambo: First Blood Part II as Episode 78, with Don rating it 4.50, Ken rating it 3.00, Jon rating it 4.00, and an overall rating of 3.83.

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