Sunday 28 December 2008

Disaster Year: 2008 Awards - Most Exciting Use Of A Decaying 80s Cultural Icon: Rambo



Most Exciting Use Of A Decaying 80s Cultural Icon: Rambo

Sylvester Stallone is so bulging and massive in this year's Rambo he reminded me of Frankenstein's Monster, or a Jason Vorhees bogeyman figure. He's a nightmare. Pumped full of HGH steroids, Stallone is a towering mass of vein bursting hyper-muscles. The lumbering frame and mountain-man gait is a world away from Stallone's last appearance as the titular Green Beret, there he was weepy eyes and steely sinew. Cajoled out of his stomp slumber by a pretty / dull missionary, Stallone ends the film rending his way through the entire Burmese army with an anti-aircraft gun.

Most critical appraisals of the film seem to be undecided about whether it's exploitative for featuring a real conflict zone complete with gore-gag grue; or that it's anti-exploitative for showing the pulverising realities of modern conflict. I suppose it's unfortunate (as far as the issue goes) that it's tied to an 80s style one-man army narrative, with Stallone winning the day. Although, would anyone want to 'be' what Stallone is in Rambo?

1 comment:

Dianna said...

For millions of people Sly can do no wrong. His RAMBO will forever live on in the hearts of people around the world as will ROCKY. - WE LOVE YA, SLY!!