Why Rambo 4 Had The Best Version Of Stallone's Expendables

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Here's why 2008's Rambo had the best iteration of Sylvester Stallone's Expendables. The image of Rambo audiences know best comes from Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rambo III. These turned the soldier into a muscle-bound, bazooka-wielding action hero capable of taking on armies single-handed. The lukewarm response to the third film, combined with action movies moving in a different direction, saw Stallone retire Rambo for the 1990s. When he finally dusted off the character's headband for 2008's sequel of the same name, the star consciously moved away from the previous sequels.

Stallone came to believe that Rambo's movie sequels glamourized war, so he wanted to make a darker war movie that also brought the character back to his depiction in the original First Blood novel. Rambo saw the titular character leading a rescue mission into Burma, and the sequel became infamous for its gory carnage and high bodycount. Despite its unflinching violence, Rambo's relentless pace and Stallone's taut direction have seen it come to be regarded as one of the best sequels.

Related: Every Expendables Character Who Was Supposed To Die (& Why They Were Spared)

In the aftermath of Rambo's success — which proved there was still an audience for the R-rated action fare that used to dominate during the 1980s — Stallone set about building himself a new franchise. This led to The Expendables, where Stallone's Barney Ross runs a crew of mercenaries with different skills. The original idea for the movie was to make more of a grounded action thriller, but as more icons like Dolph Lundgren and Bruce Wills were added, it morphed into an '80s love letter. The Expendables movies are guilty pleasures, but they all fall short of their potential and none