SLY'S COMEBACK!
As you may know, Stallone is in the midst of a career comeback - or perhaps it's a mid-life crisis. When some men reach his age they buy a sports car to make themselves feel better, but a car will not suffice when you are Sly. He is currently shooting Rocky VI aka Rocky Balboa and he has officially signed on to write and direct the next installment of Rambo - which he says he will move straight into when Rocky wraps.
I can't believe what I just wrote. Stallone is making new Rocky and Rambo films... that's some crazy shit!
Rambo III came out in 1988!
Rocky V came out in 1990!
So that's over a 15 year gap on each of these sequels. Stallone himself was born in 1946, meaning this July he will be turning 60!
I'm all for his comeback and unlike the majority of people on the net I have a lot of faith in his skill as a star/writer/director - he wrote all the Rocky films and directed three of them so clearly he is capable of constructing a decent action film; I guess the question is: Does anyone care anymore? Or perhaps, does anyone care outside of his dwindling fanbase? They have modest budgets (by Hollywood standards) so maybe they can make it back and then some? The thing is, Rocky and Rambo are something far bigger than Stallone himself, they are American icons. They are up there with James Bond and Indy. Maybe the famous characters are enough to bring in the audience regardless of Stallone's age and current lack of popularity?
I think it would help if the films acknowledge the fact that their protagonist is now old and incorporate that in as a story element. It worked in the later Star Trek films with the aging trio of Bones, Spock and Kirk poking fun at themselves a little.
Another fear I have is Stallone's face. I noticed that he looked like he was in a constant state of surprise in The Contender; it seems he has had a face lift. It'd be a shame if he has because he always had such a unique and expressive face.
I guess the other question is his ability physically. He's still in great shape - though nothing compared to his old days (and nothing compared to Arnie's impressive physique in the recent Terminator 3). Stallone has always been very convincing physically, not just in how he looks but in how he moves, so I hope he still has what it takes to make a proper action film.
The only remaining question in my mind is: What the hell will these sequels be about? For one thing, the impression I get on Rocky is that it is almost an autobiographical story. Rocky - now old and washed up - gets coaxed back into doing a charity event and rises to the challenge, seeing if he still has what it takes, seeing if he can "go the distance" like he did in the first Rocky. The plot sounds serviceable and frankly, what other direction could it take anyway? It has to revolve around the same premise as the others, that's what Rocky is all about - a big build up to a dramatic fight scene.
Rambo... Now here I really have no idea what the plot could be. There have been many rumors but nothing has been totally confirmed. A while back, according to Stallone, the new plotline sees the character of Rambo as having "assimilated into the tapestry of America," living with his family in relative peace for the past fifteen years but still working for the military, when work pressures force him to move his family to the American outback. The Navajo-Indian former Green Beret and his family are then subject to an attack by white-supremacists, and Rambo has to risk life-and-limb in rescuing his 10-year old daughter from being held hostage... sounds OK, but not exactly the direction I would go in. I heard that James Cameron's original draft of Rambo 2 started with John Rambo in a mental institution, which I thought was quite appropriate given his total emotional breakdown at the end of First Blood - though I guess it's not very heroic!
Ultimately I am excited. It's strange that Arnie, Sly and Willis never did the sequels that everyone wanted back when it would have been appropriate and then, only after a series of mediocre action films did they return - or at least attempted - to the franchises that defined them. After lackluster films like End of Days and Collateral Damage Arnie returned as the Terminator. Willis has been trying to get Die Hard 4.0 off the ground for years now - even though he's previously been quoted as being completely disinterested in John McClane's story an longer. And now after a terrible run of films - Driven, D-Tox, Avenging Angelo - Stallone is finally making the sequels that he should have made 10 years ago. But is it too late?
My fingers are crossed that he does the impossible and pulls it off. I'm rooting for the man. Go Sly!
I can't believe what I just wrote. Stallone is making new Rocky and Rambo films... that's some crazy shit!
Rambo III came out in 1988!
Rocky V came out in 1990!
So that's over a 15 year gap on each of these sequels. Stallone himself was born in 1946, meaning this July he will be turning 60!
A new still from Rocky VI.
I'm all for his comeback and unlike the majority of people on the net I have a lot of faith in his skill as a star/writer/director - he wrote all the Rocky films and directed three of them so clearly he is capable of constructing a decent action film; I guess the question is: Does anyone care anymore? Or perhaps, does anyone care outside of his dwindling fanbase? They have modest budgets (by Hollywood standards) so maybe they can make it back and then some? The thing is, Rocky and Rambo are something far bigger than Stallone himself, they are American icons. They are up there with James Bond and Indy. Maybe the famous characters are enough to bring in the audience regardless of Stallone's age and current lack of popularity?
I think it would help if the films acknowledge the fact that their protagonist is now old and incorporate that in as a story element. It worked in the later Star Trek films with the aging trio of Bones, Spock and Kirk poking fun at themselves a little.
Another fear I have is Stallone's face. I noticed that he looked like he was in a constant state of surprise in The Contender; it seems he has had a face lift. It'd be a shame if he has because he always had such a unique and expressive face.
I guess the other question is his ability physically. He's still in great shape - though nothing compared to his old days (and nothing compared to Arnie's impressive physique in the recent Terminator 3). Stallone has always been very convincing physically, not just in how he looks but in how he moves, so I hope he still has what it takes to make a proper action film.
Rambo 4 will see the addition of Rambo's son, played by Johnny Depp... not!
The only remaining question in my mind is: What the hell will these sequels be about? For one thing, the impression I get on Rocky is that it is almost an autobiographical story. Rocky - now old and washed up - gets coaxed back into doing a charity event and rises to the challenge, seeing if he still has what it takes, seeing if he can "go the distance" like he did in the first Rocky. The plot sounds serviceable and frankly, what other direction could it take anyway? It has to revolve around the same premise as the others, that's what Rocky is all about - a big build up to a dramatic fight scene.
Rambo... Now here I really have no idea what the plot could be. There have been many rumors but nothing has been totally confirmed. A while back, according to Stallone, the new plotline sees the character of Rambo as having "assimilated into the tapestry of America," living with his family in relative peace for the past fifteen years but still working for the military, when work pressures force him to move his family to the American outback. The Navajo-Indian former Green Beret and his family are then subject to an attack by white-supremacists, and Rambo has to risk life-and-limb in rescuing his 10-year old daughter from being held hostage... sounds OK, but not exactly the direction I would go in. I heard that James Cameron's original draft of Rambo 2 started with John Rambo in a mental institution, which I thought was quite appropriate given his total emotional breakdown at the end of First Blood - though I guess it's not very heroic!
Ultimately I am excited. It's strange that Arnie, Sly and Willis never did the sequels that everyone wanted back when it would have been appropriate and then, only after a series of mediocre action films did they return - or at least attempted - to the franchises that defined them. After lackluster films like End of Days and Collateral Damage Arnie returned as the Terminator. Willis has been trying to get Die Hard 4.0 off the ground for years now - even though he's previously been quoted as being completely disinterested in John McClane's story an longer. And now after a terrible run of films - Driven, D-Tox, Avenging Angelo - Stallone is finally making the sequels that he should have made 10 years ago. But is it too late?
"Between us we could buy your country!"
My fingers are crossed that he does the impossible and pulls it off. I'm rooting for the man. Go Sly!
Anything would beat selling pudding right?
posted by Ray_Tango at 11:10 am
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