Rambo 4

My laptop is officially dead. Peroid. I'll only be able to update via my brother's laptop, that is, if he'd let me! The CNY celebrations are just a couple of days away! I'll be sending the lappy for servicing tomorrow and hopefully no extra costs will be incurred.



I went to Causeway Point to watch Rambo 4 with GF and Ivan yesterday. It was a really short movie. It's really not the type of movie that I would watch. In fact I haven't caught any Rambo movies before this one. With regards to the three things that would probably freak censors out, violence is the thing that freaks me out the most.

Rambo 4 doesn't fail to deliver almost endless scenes of violence. Expect blood spilling, leaking, splurting and flowing all over the place. I was studying all the things that make up a good picture (I just couldn't help it after the 206 lesson), noticing the details that were put in or left out and things like framing and where the character was placed in the picture. All the techniques used weren't exactly groundbreaking but they were effective in telling the story. The plot was rather predictable. You just know some of the characters can't die. Rambo is certainly one of those who has the immunity idol steadfast in his hands.

Some of the violence was acceptable. At other times, the pounding music and flashing images leading up to the great explosion were just so cliche yet effective in drumming up the adrenaline that I looked away from the screen and wished for the bloody bomb to go off already.

Dog sniffs trail. Cut to Rambo running through forest. Dog gets closer to bomb. Cuts to Rambo running through forest. Soldier gets frustrated and gets closer to the bomb. Cuts to Rambo running through forest. Soldier inches towards bomb. Cuts to Rambo running through forest.

And during this time there seemed to be no end to the music's crescendo.

Is it really necessary!?

It was entertaining and the pacing was tight overall so I guess it is worth a watch. Stallone looks really old though.

Other things that went through my mind was the fact that violence is indeed going on everywhere in the world. Some people have no choice but to defend their right to live. Others step in to help because they feel that they have something to give. Still others go on their daily lives in oblivion, earning big bucks through technology or fashion, completely detached from the reality of such bloodbaths.

Ooh and all that running in forests really got me thinking: will I survive fighting against people who are soldiers for a living despite having gone through 2 years of military training?

I think not.

Live for nothing. Or die for something.