It's been a while since we've had an update on Rambo IV, but it's back again now, and with a third new plot. It's really unclear whether all of these plots ever made it into fully-formed screenplays, but director/star Sylvester Stallone told EW that the both the kidnapped girl and the Islamic terrorists are out, and Burma is in. That's right, Burma. Apparently the people at Soldier of Fortune (hey, that's where I go for my movie ideas) told Stallone that the country is the site of the "most critical man-doing-inhumanity-to-man situation right now in the world." And, clearly, that's where we most need Rambo.The current story begins with old man Rambo "living ... a monastic lifestyle in Bangkok and salvaging old PT boats and tanks for scrap metal." When a group of volunteers bringing supplies to Burma goes missing, the parents of one of the missing come to Rambo for help. Since he can't say no to anyone in need of violence, he heads off with a "team of young guns" (apparently required by producers, in order to get someone in the cast who will draw the teenage demographic to theaters) to whup some ass.
In addition to finding a new plot, the movie's timeline has also changed; instead of the previously-announced next spring, it will start shooting in Thailand in October.
1. This is what happens to those actors who don't follow Clint Eastwood's path. I don't mean directing, I mean playing your age in plain old dramas without the need for butt kicking. Another thing aging actors or, frankly, any actor should do is play a bad guy once in a while. Tom Cruise actually does better work when does a vampire or hit man than a hero. Harrison Ford better start looking for bad guy roles and forget about Indiana Jones IV.
Posted at 10:41AM on Jul 31st 2006 by jmchez