Sylvester Stallone has made a significant mark in the film industry, showcasing his talents in a plethora of roles over his extensive career. Among his most celebrated works is the Rocky franchise, where he portrays the iconic Philadelphia boxer. The groundbreaking release of Rocky in 1976 not only showcased Stallone’s acting prowess but also allowed him to demonstrate his skills as a writer, earning him dual Oscar nominations. The legacy of Stallone’s character, Rocky Balboa, continues to thrive in the recent Creed films, which garnered yet another Oscar nod for Stallone in the Best Supporting Actor category. Currently, he is captivating audiences as the lead in the Paramount+ series, Tulsa King.
However, Stallone’s talents extend far beyond the ring. He has played pivotal roles in numerous franchises, each with varying levels of critical reception. Among these is the Expendables series, which has faced mixed reviews throughout its four installments. Additionally, Stallone has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in two Guardians of the Galaxy films and has taken the lead in the Escape Plan series, which has also polarized audiences. Recently, an expert in Special Operations provided a fresh perspective on another notable film from Stallone’s repertoire.
Praise for First Blood from a Special Ops Expert
Former Special Forces Operator Deems It “100% Legit”
The 1982 action film First Blood, marking Stallone’s entry as the legendary Rambo, has recently received high praise from a real-life former Special Ops member. The film explores the challenges faced by Rambo, a Vietnam War veteran, as he navigates life back in America. This film not only initiated a successful trilogy but also inspired two legacy sequels released in the 21st century: Rambo in 2008 and Rambo: Last Blood in 2019.
In a detailed interview with Insider, former US Army Special Forces and Delta Force Operator Bob Keller provided his insights on the outdoor tactics depicted in First Blood. Keller described Rambo as a “classic”character and acknowledged the plausibility of his wilderness survival skills, attributing his dominance in various confrontations to thorough training. Keller rated First Blood astonishingly high, awarding it 9.5 out of 10 stars, due to its realism.
Classic, I always wanted to be Rambo. What kid didn’t? Rambo First Blood is going off of a, like he’s an SF guy from Vietnam. All this stuff would be 100% legit. Like as an SF guy, being in the woods, like you’ll be trained on booby traps, and all these tactics. But are you getting a lot of it? Like you might get one class. Now some guys will actually train on this, on survival stuff, all the time. John Rambo trained on that all the time. He had done it in Vietnam for years and years. Like that’s probably ingrained in his head. Like, you’re done. I mean cause he knows how to live in the woods, right? So, 100%. This is legit.
In this situation, he’s not wanting any trouble. They push it upon him and now he has to use his skills. I think most Special Ops guys getting out of the military do continue to do that in other organizations. Or they do it, you know, create their own business doing it. It’s kind of because for one you might miss it. And for others, it’s just all you know. Like if you go in the military at 17 years old. So yes, that happens. Even though the scenes might look a little bit hanky. But the reality of it, of this guy doing all that stuff to these guys and it being that easy? 100% legit. I mean I give it a 9.5, easy. I mean it’s almost a full 10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHVHnVwUbDg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHVHnVwUbDg
Implications of Keller’s Review for First Blood
Keller: A Discerning Critic





Keller’s high rating is remarkable, especially considering his critical stance on other films. For instance, he scored the 2013 action movie White House Down a mere 4 out of 10, while even the renowned war film Apocalypse Now received only a 5 out of 10 from him for its authenticity. Although First Blood may not be perceived as gravely as Apocalypse Now, Keller’s assessment intriguingly positions Stallone’s film as a more authentic representation of Vietnam War tactics.
For those interested, you can watch the original interview by following this link: Insider / YouTube.