When Rambo III released in May 1988, critics hated it. Roger Ebert gave it 1.5 stars, calling it "a violent cartoon." Audiences were confused. The film made money ($189 million worldwide), but it was considered a disappointment compared to First Blood Part II .
Critics and fans generally agree that this "tightening" is what made the film a classic. rambo first blood 3 hour version
When the first assembly of First Blood was screened for , he was so horrified by the result that he reportedly became physically ill. The 3.5-hour version was described as a career-ending disaster, leading Stallone and his agent to offer to buy the negatives just so they could destroy them. Key differences in the original 3-hour cut included: When Rambo III released in May 1988, critics hated it
Why didn't we get the tragic version? The answer lies in the brutal reality of Hollywood test screenings. Critics and fans generally agree that this "tightening"
Stallone, notorious for over-shooting, reportedly filmed over 200 hours of footage. The original assembly cut—the first time a director slaps all the filmed scenes together in chronological order—ran
But for years, rumors persisted that the original cut was much longer, darker, and lacked the explosive finale of the released version.
Sylvester Stallone was reportedly so horrified by this initial version that he called it "the worst movie ever made" and jokingly offered to buy the negatives just to burn them. He feared it would end his career because the pacing was sluggish and the character's dialogue felt "cheesy" or excessive.