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'Rambo: First Blood Part II' With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt
September 15, 2026 · Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) · Action · Adventure · Thriller · 1:43:27 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Overacting Award
Bill Simmons▶ 17:15Actually flips it to an 'underacting' award for Stallone in Rambo 2 - calls him monosyllabic, mailing in scenes with one-word answers, especially in the scene meeting Erickson (Martin Kove) and later the awkward rom-com-style dialogue with Co (Julia Nixon)
Kyle Brandt▶ 17:48Agrees fully with Bill, naming it the 'Sly Stallone underacting award' - cites Stallone barely speaking real dialogue ('the mind is the strongest weapon') and doing even less in Cobra
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill Simmons▶ 33:58The opening scene where Rambo is introduced breaking rocks, Trautman needs you, and the credits roll within four minutes
Kyle Brandt▶ 34:17Agrees with and elaborates on Bill's opening scene pick, and joins him in walking through nearly the entire movie's scenes (the plane jump/gear malfunction, the pontoon boat courting scene, the murder montage/knife kills, the archer who can't hit Rambo, the underwater helicopter attack) as rewatchable moments rather than settling on one definitive scene
Is There a Better Title?
Bill Simmons▶ 59:13Rambo II (or Rambo: First Blood Part II was overly complicated; nobody actually calls it that, just should be Rambo two)
Kyle Brandt▶ 59:25Agrees it should just be called Rambo Two, similar to how Rocky sequels kept the character's name in the title
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:23Rambo should have died/gotten hit multiple times but never does, specifically the scene after the aborted helicopter escape where Russian soldiers close in and shoot at him repeatedly but capture him instead of killing him despite having the clear advantage.
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:02:19The unsatisfying ending: Murdoch doesn't get real justice, and there should have been a proper fight (knife or fist fight) between Rambo and Colonel Trautman's rival Crease, instead of just a single punch/knockout.
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:35He's watched 'Missing in Action 2' more times than 'Rambo 2', and considers the climactic Chuck Norris fight-to-the-death scene one of the best fight scenes of the last 45 years, despite the movie overall not being that good.
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:08:54'Predator' rips off 'Rambo 2' big time — citing parallel plot beats (jungle setting, bureaucrat in a tie, nighttime insertion gone wrong, village shootout, indigenous ally, losing modern weapons for primitive ones, mercy at the end) despite Predator being one of his top 5 movies ever.
Casting What-Ifs
Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:16Lists several casting what-ifs from First Blood/Rambo: Dolph Lundgren was initially cast as Podovsky before Stallone made him Drago instead; Lee Marvin was offered Colonel Trautman in the first film and Murdock in the second but turned both down (role went to Charles Napier); most notably, producers wanted John Travolta to play Rambo's sidekick for the POW rescue mission, but Stallone vetoed it despite their friendship from Staying Alive.
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:11:21Riffs comedically on the Travolta-as-Rambo's-sidekick idea, imagining buddy-comedy dialogue ('hey Johnny, you know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in Ho Chi Minh City'), joking it would make a better movie; also notes he didn't know Charles Napier's name despite recognizing him from Silence of the Lambs, The Cable Guy, and Blues Brothers.
Joey Pants Award
Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:18Charles Napier, the lifer aviators guy who blocks Maverick/won't let Tom Cruise's character leave
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:11:53Leans toward Charles Napier, noting he recognizes his work (Cable Guy, cop in Blues Brothers, reprising Silence of the Lambs role as a joke) but didn't know his name until now
Dion Waiters Award
Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:23The 'aviators guy' bodyguard/lifer who blocks Trump from leaving by putting his leg on the chair
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:36Estimates Rambo's body count in this film at around 74, noting the total might be padded by the helicopter grenade launcher kills
Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:53Says this film (Rambo: First Blood Part II) or Rocky IV represents Stallone's apex mountain in 1985, since he's literally and figuratively on a mountain in both
Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:10On best Vietnam movie era: says no to late-80s, favors late 70s for quality, but ultimately picks Platoon as apex mountain since it won Best Picture
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:14:54Questions whether the Krenna/Stallone pantsing and pie-in-face story is true, jokingly nominates it for the 'Steven Seagal shitting on himself' award for most unbelievable onset story
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:16:27Agrees with Bill that Platoon is apex mountain for Vietnam movies, acknowledging some favor 70s films but siding with Platoon
Apex Mountain
Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:53Rambo: First Blood Part II is apex mountain for Stallone (vs. Rocky IV, same year), and also represents apex mountain for Ronald Reagan/Cold War-era American patriotism (1985, Olympics, Rocky IV six months later)
Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:10For Vietnam movies specifically, leans toward late 70s films but ultimately says Platoon is apex mountain since it won Best Picture
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:16:55Agrees Rambo/Reagan era is apex mountain patriotism-wise, but raises separate debate that this could be apex mountain for knives in movies (vs. Crocodile Dundee a year later, which he thinks may one-up it)
Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake
Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:41Rambo 3 should have brought him back to America into a Die Hard/Sudden Death/Toy Soldiers/Under Siege-style scenario (e.g., working as a security guard/cook who becomes Rambo again), rather than the geopolitical direction the real film took
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:27:14Wants Rambo 3 to bring back a legacy character tied to the original (like Brian Dennehy's Sheriff Teasel's son/relative) coming to find Rambo, similar to Karate Kid Part II and Die Hard 3's Simon Gruber
Is This Movie Better With
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:28:36Instead of directly answering the utility player prompt, launches into a bit imagining Gus Johnson as a sports announcer calling Rambo's rocket launcher scene
Just One Oscar
Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:51Frank Stallone for 'Peace in Our Life' (song), suggests it goes to special effects since that's what typically gets nominated
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:03On what Murdoch's next years look like: jokes he ends up as the security guard in Silence of the Lambs.
Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:33On when Rambo last got laid: thinks it hasn't been that long, doubts he 'chases it,' guesses transactional relationships for a couple years.
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:30:14On Murdoch: he 'falls upward,' gets great government jobs, more power, more money, blue shirt/khakis, risking more American lives.
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:31:01On when Rambo last got laid: says he's 'a horny man with needs' who 'gets back on that horse real fast' with Co, no hesitation, and also questions whether he got laid in prison.
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:04Just kill Rambo/take him out immediately instead of letting him linger through drawn-out torture (electrocution, sewage pool) after already committing horrible acts — don't let the villain dangle, just kill him.
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:36:34The scene at Murdoch's makeshift office/hangar in the jungle — the vibe of that hangout spot (free cold sodas from the Coke machine, playboys, foosball, karaoke, decent coffee) makes him want to hang there instead of being in the jungle; it's about how any workplace can be cool if you make it that way.
Movies Referenced (44)
Directors Referenced (3)
George P. Cosmatos
3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Rambo: First Blood Part II, Cobra▶ 19:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Mel Gibson
1 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for Braveheart, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory▶ 1:02:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Actors Referenced (15)
Steve Williams
5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Rambo: First Blood Part II▶ 26:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Lee Marvin
2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Dirty Dozen▶ 1:10:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Mario Kassar
2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for First Blood, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Stargate▶ 29:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Charles Napier
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Silence of the Lambs, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery▶ 1:10:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Charles Smith
1 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for The Shop Around the Corner▶ 42:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Chris Mulkey
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Captain Phillips, On the Basis of Sex▶ 1:38:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Chuck Norris
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Expendables 2, The Way of the Dragon▶ 1:07:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Dolph Lundgren
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Rocky IV, Masters of the Universe▶ 1:10:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗
John Candy
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Spaceballs▶ 20:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗
John Travolta
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Saturday Night Fever▶ 1:10:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Luke Wilson
1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums▶ 1:07:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Paul Hogan
1 mentions · Kyle Brandt · Known for Crocodile Dundee, Crocodile Dundee II, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles▶ 1:18:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗
Writers Referenced (1)
James Cameron
6 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 29:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗