10 Movie Franchises That Became Parodies Of Themselves

3. Rambo

The big action hero gunning through rainforests is so ingrained in the popular consciousness as the image of Rambo that to learn First Blood, the first film in the series, was a completely different affair would shock most testosterone-fuelled boys. Sure, there's lots of bloody action and the like in the adaptation of David Morrell's novel, but the entire drive of the movie in different. First Blood isn't wallowing in its unrestrained violence, using its Vietnam vet as a way to highlight the effects of militarised violence. It has (a lot) of fun doing it, but like the source there's more going on that "ooh look at that blood". As the sequels continued, taking Rambo for Washington State to Vietnam, Thailand and Afghanistan, the action became increasingly brainless and over-the-top, meaning the film's lacked the impact of the original. Most of the series' contemporary fans weren't even aware of this. With its character's name in the title and overall higher profile, Rambo: First Blood II is the most iconic film in the series, meaning the hyper-violence, not the comment, was the franchise's hallmark.