Seven years after his discharge, Vietnam War veteran John Rambo travels by foot to visit one of his old comrades, but learns upon his arrival that his friend had died from cancer due to Agent Orangeexposure during the war.
Rambo continues to travel, wandering into the small town of Hope, Washington. He is intercepted by the town's Sheriff, Will Teasle, who considers him an unwanted nuisance. When Rambo asks for directions to a diner, Teasle drives him out of town, and tells him not to return. Rambo returns to town, and Teasle arrests him on charges of vagrancy, resisting arrest, and possessing a concealed knife.
Led by chief deputy Art Galt, Teasle's officers abuse Rambo, triggering flashbacks of the torture he endured as a POW in Vietnam. When they try to dry-shave him with a straight razor, Rambo overwhelms the patrolmen, fights his way outside, regains his knife, and flees into the woods. Teasle organizes a search party with automatic weapons, dogs, and a helicopter to recapture him. During the search, it is revealed that Rambo is a former Green Beret and received the Medal of Honor for his service. Galt spots Rambo and resorts to lethal force in defiance of orders, attempting to shoot Rambo from the helicopter. Trapped on a high cliff over a creek, Rambo leaps into a tree to break his fall, injuring himself in the process. Galt leans out of the helicopter, trying to shoot Rambo, who is hiding behind a tree. Rambo throws a rock, which fractures the helicopter's windshield; the pilot's sudden reaction causes Galt to lose his balance and fall out of the helicopter, taking a deadly plummet onto the jagged rocks below.
Rambo tries to persuade Teasle and his men that it was an accident, and that he wants no more trouble, but the cops open fire and pursue him into a wooded area. Rambo disables the deputies non-lethally one by one using his combat skills, until only Teasle is left. Holding a knife to his throat, Rambo tells him he could have killed them all, but spared their lives and threatens to fight back much harder if Teasle doesn't let go, giving him a war that he won't believe.
Teasle chooses to press the issue, and the state police and national guard are called in to assist in the manhunt. At the same time, Rambo's mentor and former commanding officer, Colonel Sam Trautman arrives. Warning of his former soldier's abilities, which were put to good use in Vietnam, Trautman advises that Rambo be given a gap to slip through so he can be recaptured more safely later. Confident that Rambo is hopelessly outnumbered, Teasle refuses.
Realizing that Rambo stole a police radio while escaping, Teasle does allow Trautman to contact Rambo and try to get him to surrender peacefully. Rambo recognizes the voice of his commanding officer but refuses to give up, condemning Teasle and his deputies for their abuse and noting "They drew first blood." before hanging up to Trautman's chagrin.
A National Guard detachment corners Rambo at the entrance of an abandoned mine. Against orders, they use an M72 LAWrocket, collapsing the entrance and seemingly killing Rambo. He survives, finds an alternative way out of the mine and hijacks a supply truck, which he uses to return to town. From the truck, he takes an M60 machine gun and ammunition. To distract his pursuers, he blows up a gas station, shoots out most of the town's power, and destroys a gun store near the police station.
Teasle has positioned himself on the roof of the station to search for Rambo, and Rambo spots him there during the confusion. The two engage in a brief gunfight, which ends with Teasle being shot and falling through a skylight. Rambo prepares to kill him, but Trautman arrives and warns Rambo that he will be shot if he doesn't surrender. Rambo collapses to the floor in tears where he talks about the events that happened to him in Vietnam and when he returned home. Teasle gets transported to a hospital for medical treatment, while Rambo surrenders to Trautman, and is taken into custody.
first blood (1982)
Seven years after his discharge, Vietnam War veteran John Rambo travels by foot to visit one of his old comrades, but learns upon his arrival that his friend had died from cancer due to Agent Orangeexposure during the war.
Rambo continues to travel, wandering into the small town of Hope, Washington. He is intercepted by the town's Sheriff, Will Teasle, who considers him an unwanted nuisance. When Rambo asks for directions to a diner, Teasle drives him out of town, and tells him not to return. Rambo returns to town, and Teasle arrests him on charges of vagrancy, resisting arrest, and possessing a concealed knife.
Led by chief deputy Art Galt, Teasle's officers abuse Rambo, triggering flashbacks of the torture he endured as a POW in Vietnam. When they try to dry-shave him with a straight razor, Rambo overwhelms the patrolmen, fights his way outside, regains his knife, and flees into the woods. Teasle organizes a search party with automatic weapons, dogs, and a helicopter to recapture him. During the search, it is revealed that Rambo is a former Green Beret and received the Medal of Honor for his service. Galt spots Rambo and resorts to lethal force in defiance of orders, attempting to shoot Rambo from the helicopter. Trapped on a high cliff over a creek, Rambo leaps into a tree to break his fall, injuring himself in the process. Galt leans out of the helicopter, trying to shoot Rambo, who is hiding behind a tree. Rambo throws a rock, which fractures the helicopter's windshield; the pilot's sudden reaction causes Galt to lose his balance and fall out of the helicopter, taking a deadly plummet onto the jagged rocks below.
Rambo tries to persuade Teasle and his men that it was an accident, and that he wants no more trouble, but the cops open fire and pursue him into a wooded area. Rambo disables the deputies non-lethally one by one using his combat skills, until only Teasle is left. Holding a knife to his throat, Rambo tells him he could have killed them all, but spared their lives and threatens to fight back much harder if Teasle doesn't let go, giving him a war that he won't believe.
Teasle chooses to press the issue, and the state police and national guard are called in to assist in the manhunt. At the same time, Rambo's mentor and former commanding officer, Colonel Sam Trautman arrives. Warning of his former soldier's abilities, which were put to good use in Vietnam, Trautman advises that Rambo be given a gap to slip through so he can be recaptured more safely later. Confident that Rambo is hopelessly outnumbered, Teasle refuses.
Realizing that Rambo stole a police radio while escaping, Teasle does allow Trautman to contact Rambo and try to get him to surrender peacefully. Rambo recognizes the voice of his commanding officer but refuses to give up, condemning Teasle and his deputies for their abuse and noting "They drew first blood." before hanging up to Trautman's chagrin.
A National Guard detachment corners Rambo at the entrance of an abandoned mine. Against orders, they use an M72 LAWrocket, collapsing the entrance and seemingly killing Rambo. He survives, finds an alternative way out of the mine and hijacks a supply truck, which he uses to return to town. From the truck, he takes an M60 machine gun and ammunition. To distract his pursuers, he blows up a gas station, shoots out most of the town's power, and destroys a gun store near the police station.
Teasle has positioned himself on the roof of the station to search for Rambo, and Rambo spots him there during the confusion. The two engage in a brief gunfight, which ends with Teasle being shot and falling through a skylight. Rambo prepares to kill him, but Trautman arrives and warns Rambo that he will be shot if he doesn't surrender. Rambo collapses to the floor in tears where he talks about the events that happened to him in Vietnam and when he returned home. Teasle gets transported to a hospital for medical treatment, while Rambo surrenders to Trautman, and is taken into custody.
