Let's keep those hammers working.
Rambo!
Let's go.
How are you, Johnny?
Good.
That's all.
John, I'm sorry they sent
you to such a hellhole.
I've seen worse.
Yeah, you have, haven't you...
John, I told you that
I'd help you when I could.
Are you interested?
You can't possibly wanna
stay here for another five years.
In here at least, I know where I stand.
Just hear me out first.
A covert operation is being
geared up in the Far East.
Your name was dug
out of computer as one of
three most able to complete the mission.
Mission?
Recon for POWs in Nam.
Why now? Why me?
The prison camp you escaped
from in '71 is the target area.
Nobody knows that
terrain better than you do.
The risk factor is very high.
You'd be temporarily
reinstated in the Forces,
and if the mission's successful,
there may be a presidential pardon.
You interested?
Yeah.
Good...good. I'll get
the necessary clearance.
The next time we meet,
it will be in Thailand
with the Special Ops designate
who runs the operation.
Yes, Sir.
- All clear?
- Yes.
John, I want you to know that I did
what I could to keep you outta here.
I know.
Yeah.
Sir?
Do we get to win this time?
This time, it's up to you...
That'll be all.
How you doin', Rambo? I'm Ericson.
Why don't we make it over to the hangar?
You're the chosen one, huh?
You made a helluva rep'
for yourself in Nam!
Anyway, I'm glad to be workin' with you.
This place may not be heaven,
but at least you're out of the joint!
He's here.
- Morning, John.
- Sir.
This is Marshal Murdock. He's in charge
of Special Operations from Wahington.
Thank you, Colonel.
Rambo, been looking
forward to meeting you.
How was your trip? No problems?
No.
Except for the damned heat, right?
Never felt anything like it!
Come on in, let's get down to business!
I was glancing over your files.
Makes some pretty interesting reading!
Rambo, John J., born 7.6.47,
Bowie, Arizona, of
Indian-German descent.
That's a helluva combination!
Joined the army 8.6.64,
accepted special forces,
specialization: light weapons.
Cross-trained as medic.
Helicopter and language qualified.
stars, 4 bronze, 4 Purple Hearts,
distinguished service
cross, and Medal of Honor.
You got around, didn't ya?
Incredible!
Rambo, you're probably aware
that there's almost 2.500 Americans
still Missing In Action
in South-East Asia.
Most of these boys are presumed killed,
but to the legal families,
Congress and lots of Americans,
it's still a very emotional issue.
Gimme something cold, please!
Rambo, you certainly don't know
as much about me as I do you.
I've honched with the 2nd Battalion,
I lost a lot of good men, so I know
what you and every vet feels now.
Maybe the government didn't care,
maybe certain segments of
the population didn't care,
but my committee cares.
So what his commitee needs is
exclusive proof that
Americans are being held.
Once done, rest sure we'll get 'em back.
Now, if there's any of our
men at this POW target camp,
you'll confirm their presence
by taking photographs.
Photographs?
Just photographs.
Under no circumstances are
you to engage the enemy.
I'm supposed to leave'em there?
I repeat: do not engage the enemy.
Phase 2, Delta Force assault
team led by Colonel Trautman
will handle the extraction.
Okay?
Anyway, I'd just like to say that
I feel with your participation,
this mission has a
better than average chance
to succeed where others have failed.
I'll meet you both in the
operations center in one hour.
From Thailand, across Laos, into the
mountains of Vietnam, to the drop zone.
You'll be flying a ceiling of
- Think you can handle it?
- I'll try.
Since you're going in solo,
you'll have to rely on more
equipment than you ever used before.
And use it!
What I'm sayin' is don't try
the blood-and-guts routine.
Let technology do most of the work.
John, I want you to
try to forget the war.
Remember the mission.
The old Vietnam's dead.
Sir, I'm alive, it's
still alive, ain't it?
You may find this hard to
believe, but all this is for you!
Impressed?
Besides modern computer
devices you can see here,
you'll be issued every
other modern piece
of equipment we have
to ensure your safety.
Rambo, you can feel totally
safe because we have the
most advanced weapons in
the world available to us.
I've always believed that
the mind's the best weapon.
Times change.
For some people.
Don't let me interrupt you, Colonel.
Upon insertion, call in
to base camp on Transat.
Then proceed to Point Hawk September
to rendezvous with the ground contact:
indigenous agent Co Bao.
Is he listening?
Indigenous agent Co Bao.
Colonel!
Are you sure he's still not
unbalanced from the war?
We can't afford to have him
involved in this mission,
he might crack under
the pressure in that hell!
Pressure?
Let me just say that Rambo is the
best combat vet I've ever seen.
A pure fighting machine with only a
desire to win a war that someone else lost.
If winning means he has to
die, he'll die. No fear, no regrets.
And...one more thing:
What you choose to call
"Hell", he calls home!
Stand by!
Start A.P.U.!
D minus 20.
D minus 5.
You got 36 hours to
get the hell in and out.
So don't stop to smell the roses, okay?
Yeah.
If you run into any
trouble, try to get to the
hilltop extraction site
marked on your map.
Ready to roll, Colonel.
- Good luck, son.
- Thanks.
Let's go!
Remember Murdock said he'd
been with the 2nd Battalion,
third Marines in Kon Tum in '66?
Yeah.
The 2nd Battalion was at Kud Sank.
You're the only one I trust.
- Think he'll find someone?
- POWs? Doubtful.
But there's people to satisfy,
questions that have to be answered.
You don't sound too
emotional about it...
It wasn't my war, Colonel.
I'm just here to clean up the mess!
AWACS two-five has acquired.
They're holding timeline.
Affirmative, Wolf Den. Over.
Back in the badlands, my man!
Stand by your position!
- Insertion in 15 seconds.
- Partytime!
Five seconds!
Four...
Three...
Two...
Jumper away.
Shit, what's happening?
A turbulence! He's hung up!
He'll be torn apart!
Condition Red! He's hung up!
- What do you mean he's hung up?
- What's happening?
He's being dragged!
Lifer cut him loose!
I can't free him!
Ericson, abort the mission! Pull out.
That'll kill him! He'll be torn apart!
He's cutting away his equipment.
He's out!
Come in here, this is Dragonfly
one. Do you read me, over?
Dragonfly one, come in, I read you.
- Any visual bearing by flares?
- Negative. We didn't see anything.
Maybe the smartest thing
to do is to abort the mission
right now before there's
any more complications.
I mean who could've
survived something like that?
He deserves the benefit of the doubt.
He's got 36 hours to
complete the mission,
and reach the extraction point.
- We owe him that.
- Of course, we do!
But understand something
now: in 36 hours, we pull out!
Rambo!
You did not expect a woman, no?
We'd better go.
We go to river. How come you so late?
Got hung up.
I have arranged boat to take
us down river. Old ways not safe.
You come a long way,
Rambo, to see empty camp.
You're using pirates?
Best way down river.
Not get army suspicious.
What about patrol boats?
Russian.
Rambo!
Want to eat?
Maybe later.
How you get into this?
- It's a long story.
- Long ride.
Well...after I left the
Special Forces, I...
...moved around a lot.
- Why you leave army?
I...
...came back to the States,
and found another war going on.
What war?
Kind of like a quiet war.
A war against...all
the soldiers returning.
It's the kind of war you don't win.
It's...
It's my problem.
How about you? How did you get into it?
My father worked for intelligence agency.
He killed, and I take his place.
There's too much death here.
Death everywhere.
I just want to live, Rambo.
Maybe go America! Live the quiet life.
What you want?
To win...to survive...
Not so easy to survive. Still war here.
To survive a war, you gotta become war.
That why they pick you?
Because you like to fight?
Nah...
I am expendable.
Expendable?
What mean "expendable"?
It's like...
...someone invites you to
a party and you don't show up,
it doesn't really matter.
What's this?
It bring me good luck.
What bring you good luck?
I guess this.
No further report.
I want to go up with the
extraction team at dawn.
- Denied.
- Denied?
- It's an unnecessary risk.
- We have a schedule to keep.
For Who?! We don't even
know if Rambo's alive!
The odds are against it.
You said we'd go through as planned.
Okay, if you want to go
through with it, we will.
The Colonel's gonna be
joining the extraction team.
You're a damned good man, Trautman!
See? Camp empty.
We move closer.
Cyclo-girl whore from village.
Come on!
- What is it?
- A bow. No sound.
You not going in there.
But I thought you're
supposed only to take pictures!
What about orders?
No more orders, Co.
I've come to get you out.
Don't talk.
- There are others.
- I'll be back.
Fine?
Let's go!
You have clearance.
Minus one hour to extraction.
I hope for his sake we're
not just wasting fuel...
Let's get moving!
A good thing you came when you did.
Why is that?
They move us around a
lot, to harvest crops.
Only been there a week.
When was the last time
you were in that camp?
A year...yeah.
What year is it, anyway?
Camp supposed to be empty.
Yeah, supposed to be...
Come on!
L.Z. two klicks up river.
- What has happened?
- We've been sold out.
You bastard!
All right, jump!
I fight!
Jump! Go on!
The gunboat!
Jump!
You made it, Rambo!
C'mon!
You take this. We go on from here.
- It better I stay to end.
- This is the end.
Go on, let's go!
Rambo!
You not expendable.
Colonel, 3 minutes.
That's Rambo!
Christ, he's found one!
Relay the command.
Rambo's found one of ours!
Mr Murdock, Dragonfly
reports that ground crew
has what appears to be an
American POW with them.
- What did you say???
- They've got one of ours!
Hey! Yeah! Yeah!
This station is now on Condition Bravo.
Harrison, Meyers, Goodell, out!
Everybody out!
Come on, move!
Go to your COMINT priority
frequency! Gimme the mike!
Dragonfly, this is Coach 1.
This is an Alpha-Kilo-Victor
command priority.
Come on!
I want you to abort the
mission immediately!
I say again, this is a
recall. Confirm. Over.
Say it again, coach 1, say it again.
I'm tellin' you to abort!
Colonel!
I've been ordered to
abort before pick-up!
Murdock, Murdock, for Christ
sake, we've got 'em in sight!
Murdock, do you read?
Come on!
- We're going down!
- You're not going anywhere.
You goddamned mercenaries!
There's men down there! OUR men!
No, your men. Don't be a hero.
Colonel!
Don't leave!
What are you doing? Do you
know what the hell you've done?
Don't act so innocent, Colonel!
You had your suspicions,
and if you suspected then,
you're sort of an accessory, aren't you?
Don't ever count me
with you and your scum!
It was a lie, wasn't it?
Juste like the whole
damn war. It was a lie!
What are you talkin' about?
That camp was supposed to be empty.
Rambo goes in, a decorated Vet,
he finds no POWs, the
Congress buys it, case closed.
And if he happens to get caught,
no one knows he's alive except
you and your computers, and you
can reprogram that, can't you?
Who the hell do you think
you're talkin' to, Trautman?
A stinking bureaucrat
who's tryin' to cover his ass.
No, not just mine,Trautman!
We're talkin' about the nation's!
Besides, it was your hero's fault.
Now if your warrior had gone in,
and done what the hell
he was supposed to do,
we'd be out of this clean and simple!
He was just supposed to take pictures.
And if those pictures showed something,
they would have been...
lost, wouldn't they?
Oh, Trautman, I still don't think
you understand what this is all about.
The same as it always is: money.
In '72, we were supposed to pay the
Cong 4.5 billion in war reparations.
We reneged, they kept the POWs.
And you're doing the
same thing all over again.
What the hell would you do, Trautman?
Pay blackmail money
to ransom our own men,
and finance the war
effort against our allies?
What if some burnt-out POW
shows up on the 6 o'clock news?
What you wanna do?
Start the war all over again,
you wanna bomb Hanoi,
wanna everybody screaming
for armed invasion?
You think civilians are gonna get up on
the floor of the United States Senate,
and ask for billions of dollars
for a couple of forgotten ghosts?
Men, goddamn it! Men who
fought for their country!
That's enough!
Trautman...
I'm gonna forget this
conversation ever took place.
You bastard!
And if I were you,
I'd never make the mistake of
bringing this subject up again!
You're the one who's making the mistake.
Yeah? What mistake?
Rambo.
Damned Russian bastards!
He's dead now.
Bring him up!
The knife!
These people are so
vulgar in their methods.
They lack compassion.
I'm Lieutenant-Colonel Podovski.
I do not know who you are yet,
but I will!
Take him and clean him up.
That's all.
Thank you, Captain Vinh.
Leave one guard, please.
I see you are no stranger to pain.
Perhaps you have been among
my Vietnamese comrades before?
No answer?
Do you wish to give your name?
What possible harm can that cause?
Pride is a poor
substitute for intelligence.
What you must understand is
that we have to interrogate you.
To Sergeant Yushin here,
you're piece of meat,
a laboratory experiment.
But to me, you are a
comrade, similar to myself,
just opposed by an act of fate.
I know you were trying to facilitate
the release of war criminals held
by this Republic. I can appreciate this.
But this incident, your capture, is...
...embarrassing.
We must have explanation.
First of all, I wish you to
radio your headquarters,
and say that you have been captured
and condemned for espionage activities,
and that no such criminal agression
should be attempted in the future!
Or they will meet with
the same fate as yours.
Fuck you!
You wish to test your
strength...Good. Good!
Yushin!
Comrade, here is something
that might be of interest to you:
a transcript of the conversation
between your helicopter pilot
and his commander we intercepted.
"Dragonfly"... "Wolf's
Den"...colorful names!
Here we are:
"We have them in sight".
And the reply: "Abort the
operation immediately."
"This is a recall. Confirm. Over. "
It seems you were
abandoned by direct command.
And these are the people
you protect...with your pain!
You may scream. There is no shame.
You are strong...Very strong!
The strongest so far.
But you're nearly dead! Poor waif.
Make the radio call.
To talk, to obey would
be so much easier.
Yushin has a memento
for you of this occasion!
Put it in his eye.
If your own life means nothing
to you, then perhaps his does.
- Don't tell them anything!
- You will talk.
Yes?
Don't do it!
Do it!
Now!
Two-two-O-five-six...
Lone Wolf, receive.
This is Lone Wolf, two-two-O-five-six
Lone Wolf, this is Wolf's Den.
Transmit location and status. Over.
What is it?
It's Rambo, Sir.
We read you, Lone Wolf.
What is your position? Over.
I say again: What is
your position? Over.
Your friend dies if you do not answer.
Johnny, this is Trautman.
Where the hell are you?
John, come in!
Murdock?
He's here.
Rambo, this is Murdock,
we're glad you're alive!
Where are you?
Give us your position, and
we'll come to pick you up.
Murdock...
I'm comin' to get you!
Duck!
This way.
We safe for now.
- You look like hell, Rambo.
- Tough night.
Maybe need this.
- You hurt bad.
- It's alright.
Listen...
What you did back there...
...I won't forget it.
Thanks.
What you do now?
Try to get across to Thailand?
Yeah.
Then go America?
Yeah.
You take me with you?
You take me?
Yeah.
I think you make good choice.
Yeah.
- We go?
- Let's go.
You alright?
Rambo...You...not...forget...me.
No.
No.
No.
I want the rescue team
ready to go in one hour.
You're risking your career,
your reputation, and even
your family's security!
Do you honestly think any
one man's worth all that?
Yes, I do.
I'm getting you a direct order
to withdraw from this project.
Do I get the rescue team
or do I go over your head?
You don't seem to understand something:
I'm in charge here. You're just a tool.
We're the machine.
I want him placed under arrest.
He's not to leave the base.
He never had a chance, did he?
Like you said, Colonel: he went home.
Yeah! Over here!
Get back!
C'mon! Go to the chopper! Move, move!
Go to the chopper!
Go to the chopper!
Move!
Go to the chopper!
That's it!
Move, move, move!
Hold on!
C'mon! Move it, move it!
Move, move, move, move!
A man at the gun!
Yeah, Yeah!
You guys made it!
Chopper on our tail!
Hang on!
Hold on!
Fire in the tail!
Lone Wolf calling Wolf's Den. Over.
Lone Wolf calling Wolf's Den. Over.
Wolf's Den, this is
Lone wolf, do you read?
Wolf's den, this is Lone Wolf, over.
Yes, we hear you, Lone Wolf. Over.
Prepare for emergency landing.
Arriving with American POWs.
You heard!
Prepare for arriving POWs! Let's move!
Glad you made it!
Rambo, I don't make the orders.
I take'em, just like you.
I swear to God I didn't know it
was supposed to happen like this.
It was just supposed to
be another assignment.
Mission...
...accomplished!
You know there's more men out there.
You know where they are.
Find'em...
...or I'll find you!
John!
Where are you going?
I don't know.
You'll get a second
Medal of Honor for this.
They should give it to them.
They deserve it more.
You can't keep running,
John. You're free now.
Come back with us.
Back to what?
My friends died here...
Part of me died here...
The war, everything that happened
here may have been wrong,
but dammit, don't
hate your country for it!
Hate?
I'd die for it!
Then what is it you want?
I want...
...what they want,
and every other guy who came over here,
and spilt his guts and gave
everything he had, wants...
...for our country to love us...
...as much as WE love it.
That's what I want.
How will you live, John?
Day by day.