10 Movies That Prove The '80s Was The Golden Age Of Action

9. First Blood

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Given that the second and third installments devolved into generic action territory where the leading man required little more than biceps and brawn to single-handedly gun down half of the world's supply of useless henchmen, it can often be forgotten that the Rambo franchise initially kicked off on a much more somber note.

First Blood is as much a character study as it is an action thriller, with traumatized Vietnam veteran John Rambo hunted by small-town law enforcement after escaping from police custody. Across the five movies in the series, Sylvester Stallone racked up a body count close to 500, but only one of those happens in Rambo's first outing.

A survival story of a troubled man using only his wits to overcome the odds that boasts one of the best performances of Stallone's career, the continued adventures of Rambo veered so far away from the template established in First Blood that it appears almost unrecognizable as a result, but it still remains the bandana-wearing ex-soldier's finest big screen outing.

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