John Rambo's former Vietnam superior, Colonel Samuel Trautman, has been assigned to lead a mission to help the Mujahedeen rebels who are fighting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but the Buddhist Rambo turns down Trautman's request that Rambo help out. When the mission goes belly up and Trautman is kidnapped and tortured by Russian Colonel Zaysen, Rambo launches a rescue effort and allies himself with the Mujahedeen rebels and gets their help in trying to rescue Trautman from Zaysen.
Written by Todd Baldridge
Original director Russell Mulcahy was replaced after two weeks of filming by Peter MacDonald due to creative differences. Three cinematographers (directors of photography) also succeeded.
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Goofs
Revealing mistakes:
In the shot of the helicopter exploding, seen through the sight of the heavy machine gun, it can be seen for a fraction of a second that the chopper is actually a relatively crude model suspended from a wire.
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Quotes
[after barely escaping the explosion of a fuel bomb dropped by a helicopter]
Colonel Trautman:
That was close John. How are you? Rambo:
Well done. See more »