John Rambo (Stallone) is a war hero turned drifter, journeying through the small American town of Hope.
While there, he comes into conflict with shady Sheriff Will Teale (Brian Dennehy, Cocoon), who has Rambo arrested and put into jail. Suffering brutally at the hands of the law in prison, triggering haunting memories of his war experience, Rambo makes his escape into the woods, in a bloody stand-off fight to regain his freedom – whatever the cost.
Co-written by Stallone himself, First Blood not only stands as one of the defining action movies of the eighties but also boasts a disarming depth in exploring both the psychological fallout of war and the mistreatment of veterans following completed service. The explosive start of a seminal genre franchise, First Blood packs every bit the visceral punch now that it did on first release, some forty years ago.