In the ‘80s, filmmakers loved setting great action movies around Christmas. I decided long ago not to engage in the well-worn Die Hard debate, and Lethal Weapon is usually another one people love to argue over whether it’s a Christmas movie or not. I’m not engaging in that debate either. No, I’m here to open a new debate. Is First Blood (or sometimes retroactively Rambo: First Blood) a Christmas movie? I say yes.
First Blood Takes Place In December
I suppose since it’s set in the lush Northwest United States, First Blood doesn’t stand out as taking place in the yuletide season. There is no snow, and the evergreens make it seem as though it could be in any part of the year, though it is obviously cold in the movie. It could be October or February; the weather in that part of the world is notoriously unpredictable, but it’s definitely set in December.
Of course, setting it in the month of Christmas doesn’t make it a Christmas movie, per se. However, in the first act of the movie, when Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is arrested by Sheriff Teasle (Brian Dennehy), it’s made clear the movie has some Christmas… cheer. In the police station, all the Christmas decorations are up, like a tree and a “Merry Christmas” banner, so it’s no accident. The movie was definitely supposed to be set during the holiday season. That’s even more obvious when Rambo hits the streets of the small, quiet town and takes off on the motorcycle, and all the stories are decorated in their Christmas best.
We Can Argue Over Which ‘80s Action Movie Is The Best
If you want to have the argument over which of the “Big 3” ‘80s action Christmas movies is the best action movie, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon or First Blood, by all means, go for it. As much as I love Die Hard, First Blood might be my favorite. It’s not as quotable as the other two, that’s for sure, and it’s not as “fun” as either Die Hard or Lethal Weapon, but it’s just such a great movie. The rest of the Rambo film series doesn’t do much for me, but to be honest, the rest of the movies in the other franchises don’t do much for me, either.
If you’re not sure which is the best, or if you haven’t watched First Blood lately, then I recommend checking it again (or for the first time) with your Paramount+ subscription. In fact, now is the perfect time because there is a great Black Friday deal going on right now. After you finish off your turkey on Thursday, start getting into that festive mood by watching Sly Stallone terrorize a whole town full of hapless police officers in the woods of Oregon.