20 Worst Movie Moments Of 2019
15. Rambo - Last Blood - The Unsatisfying End To Rambo's Arc
This moderately entertaining fifth Rambo film isn't as bad as you might've heard, but as an ending to the story of this PTSD-stricken war veteran, it doesn't work.
In Last Blood, Rambo has been living on his family ranch for ten years with his friend, Maria, and her granddaughter Gabriela, who's become like a daughter to him. He's finally found his peace... only to have it cruelly snatched away from him when Mexican gangsters kidnap and ultimately murder Gabriela, leading to easily the goriest set-piece of the year as he takes revenge. Afterwards, he recovers on the house porch and, in a mid-credits scene, rides away from the ranch.
The final battle is good, but this subsequent ending represents terrible storytelling. Rambo loses his newfound stability in a way that's pointlessly depressing as opposed to powerful and the film basically just sends him back to square one and refuses to give him closure. The 2008 Rambo film gave the character what would've been a great ending, so maybe they should've just left it there?
A sixth Rambo has been hinted at and frankly, bring it on. Maybe another sequel could give John Rambo the ending he deserves.