Rambo

I think quite a few people are familiar with the Rambo movie series, starring Sylvester Stallone. There are four movies in the series, spanning between 1982, and 2008. I love all of them. I can watch them all in a row, and I am fascinated with, well, my fascination with them. Sylvester Stallone, in my opinion, is brilliant in his role as Green Beret John Rambo. He also, let's be fair, looks amazing in his muscular body, the guy is a powerhouse in these movies. So, I got to thinking, why does someone like me, with an interest in literature, poetry, nature, love these movies so much? OK, I am a Tae Kwon Do black belt, and obviously enjoy physical fighting skills. But I think my fascination with the Rambo character is all the stuff that gets blown up. The bad guys really get it in the rear , and I find that very satisfying. In real life, there are very persistent problems we have to deal with over sometimes many years, or even a life time, and we have to grind away at them, slowly, persistently, like a snail sometimes. It gets trying, and I think we all have the fantasy at times, of thinking how wonderful it would be to be allowed to "blow up" our problems, in a big, fiery explosion. Kaboom!! Problem solved! Next! Especially in the 2008 movie, where Rambo mows down an army of evil dudes. But in all four movies, he blows up the prison camps from a helicopter, and I find it satisfying every time, to see these places of living hell be blown into smithereens in a huge cloud of noise, fire and smoke. To me, John Rambo personifies a deep desire to eradicate suffering, to right terrible wrongs, to stand up to indifference and corruption. I am so glad Sylvester Stallone did these movies. I watch the whole series every year, and it feels like therapy. I love how passionately Sylvester Stallone embraces his role as Rambo, he really becomes the frustrated hero. There are many things I have to accept, just like most people, I suspect, with enduring resolve and patience, and it is fun, and healing to me to just get riled up about Rambo tipping the balance, for a few adrenalin fueled hours, in favor of the good guys.