--- title: "Sylvester Stallone just posted the coolest recap of the ‘Rambo’ series" date: "2020-04-29" modified: "2020-10-30" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-culture/rambo-movies-recap/" categories: - "Entertainment" - "Movies and TV" --- # Sylvester Stallone just posted the coolest recap of the ‘Rambo’ series ![]() The 'Rambo' series didn't start off with John Rambo as a one-man Army, hell-bent on killing anyone who stood between him and his mission. But that's what it turned out to be. And now few action movie images are more iconic than Rambo tightening up his trademark red headband. --- ![]() You know the one. The series began as a very poignant, yet action-packed treatise on the treatment of Vietnam veterans in the years following the end of their war. In *First Blood*, there's only one onscreen kill, a guy who falls out of a helicopter for *trying* to kill Rambo. Rambo isn't purposely involved in his death. If you want to know the whole point of the first Rambo movie, you can just watch [John Rambo's speech at the end of the movie](). By *First Blood: Part II*, the idea that John Rambo was just a simple guy with extraordinary training in extraordinary situations, was long gone. In the second Rambo movie, John Rambo is the perfect man to lead a mission back to Vietnam to rescue POWs still held there. Rambo is twice as ripped and definitely kills people in this movie. By Rambo III, he just lays waste to an entire army. If you don't remember any of that, Sylvester Stallone posted a helpful reminder to his Instagram account. From G.I. Joe-level animation for *First Blood*, the VCR-level graphics in between the "trailers," the backyard, action figure quality of the trailer for *First Blood: Part I**I*, to the 8-bit Nintendo-style graphics for the *Rambo III* trailer, everything about this rundown of John Rambo's life is perfect. And perfectly chock-full of late 1980s to early 1990s nostalgia. Whoever came up with this idea – and it very well could have been Stallone himself – needs an award of some kind. A webby, a grammy, a Pulitzer. Something. The fun doesn't stop at the original three *Rambo* movies. The "trailer" for the fourth installment is a nod to a hilarious "Reading Rambo" meme. This comes in the form of a *Rambo IV* children's book, narrated by Sly, describing the most epic and violent Rambo scene in the series' history. ![]() You know the one. If you're interested in watching the entire *Rambo* series recap, check it out on [Stallone's official Instagram feed](). If you're interested in recapping the entire series in its non-cartoon entirety, you can join me on my couch on Thursday as I attempt to contain my overwhelming excitement for the best action movie series since ... ever. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()