History Film / RamboFirstBloodPartII

* CoolGuns: Rambo was issued with an [=MP5=] submachine gun fitted with a 3x scope, but lost it during his botched airdrop. He later acquires his now-signature M60

* TrashTheSet: The prison camp is destroyed [[StuffBlowingUp spectacularly]].

* MookHorrorShow: When dispatching Vietnamese and Soviet soldiers in the jungle (sometimes gruesomely), Rambo is as much a OneManArmy as he's an unstoppable predator dealing with hapless prey.

* KarmaHoudini: Out of the two CIA mercenaries, it was Lifer, who was actively enforcing Murdock order (being ready to shot Trautman), while Ericson was ready to discuss said order with Trautman and reluctantly steered helicopter away, when Lifer shwed his colors. However, it was Ericson who got himself beated up by Rambo. Meanwhile, Lifer was cowardly hiding among rescue personnel and got no comeuppance.

* ElectricTorture: Effectively shows just ''how'' badass Rambo is by having him take hours of an ''entire camp's'' electricity and still be alive afterward.

* FeetFirstIntroduction: The first we see of colonel Podovsky, disembarking from helicopter, is his combat boots.

A year has passed since the events of ''Film/FirstBlood'', and John Rambo (Creator/SylvesterStallone) is doing time for the mayhem he unleashed back then. The ex-Green Beret is working in a prison quarry when his old commander, Col. Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna), shows up with a mission. Long after the end of UsefulNotes/{{the Vietnam War}}, rumors have surfaced that [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War_POW/MIA_issue American prisoners of war remain in Vietnamese custody]]. As one of only three men qualified for the job, Rambo is to sneak into a prison camp to record evidence of [=POWs=]. If he succeeds, he may receive a Presidential pardon. Rambo reluctantly accepts and is flown to Thailand to meet mission commander Marshall Murdock (Creator/CharlesNapier), who warns Rambo not to engage the Vietnamese Army. Outfitted with the latest in technology, Rambo is flown to Vietnam to perform a parachute jump into enemy territory.

* * ArtisticLicenseHistory: The series, along with the ''Film/MissingInAction'' series, popularized the myth that American prisoners of war were [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War_POW/MIA_issue deliberately left behind in Vietnam ]], but covered up by both the American and Vietnamese government.

* BittersweetEnding: Rambo succeeds in rescuing the [=POWs=] and earns his pardon, but was betrayed by Murdock in the process, and Co-Bao is still dead. After getting his revenge on Murdock, Rambo tells Trautman what he wants is for his country to love its soldiers as much as they love it, and [[TheDrifter he walks away alone somberly]] once more, disillusioned as ever with the world, his place in it and his country.

* RareGuns: Lifer pulls a SIG Sauer P226 on Trautman when he tells him not to be a hero. What makes it rare is the fact it had just hit the market at the time of the film's release and appears to have not been converted to blank fire (a P226 wouldn't actually be fired on-screen until ''Film/{{RoboCop|1987}}'' two years after this film), suggesting it was a prototype or early production model on loan by [=SIGArms=], since it was not available at the time of production, making it the first ''ever'' appearance of a P226 in a motion picture.

** While Soviet airborne troops actually had camouflaged fatigues, it wasn't in the commercial "duck hunter" pattern shown in the film. Moreover, insignias on a field uniform would be subdued, so as to not stand out and break camouflage. And they would wear their iconic blue berets and telnyashka striped shirts, not the black berets and turtlenecks. It should be noted, that in the original script by James Cameron, Soviet troops were described as marines from Cam Ranh naval base who do, in fact, wear black berets.

* AsianSpeakeeEngrish: Sort of. Co's broken English has no consistency whatsoever and sounds ridiculous and unrealistic.

* BittersweetEnding: Rambo succeeds in rescuing the [=POWs=] and earns his pardon, but was betrayed by Murdock in the process, and Co-Bao is still dead. After getting his revenge on Murdock, Rambo tells Trautman what he wants is for his country to love its soldiers as much as they love it, and [[TheDrifter he walks away alone somberly]] once more.

* BittersweetEnding: Rambo succeeds in rescuing the [=POWs=], but was betrayed by Murdock in the process, and Co-Bao is still dead. After getting his revenge on Murdock, Rambo tells Trautman what he wants is for his country to love its soldiers as much as they love it.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge[=/=]{{Retirony}}: Co's fate.

* MohsScaleOfViolenceHardness: It rates a 6 (though a relatively hard one), due to the numerous blood squibs (which, despite some blood vapor, don't spurt out any liquid in a noticeable manner).

** The "Mi-24 Hind" seen in the film is in reality an Aérospatiale Puma originally modified for ''Film/RedDawn1984''. However, the fake cockpit was removed for safety reasons (since having it on there during hte filming of ''Red Dawn'' made it a real bitch to fly), drastically reducing similarities to early (or really any) Hinds.

* AnAesop: Rambo more or less speaks directly to the audience at the end of the film to sum up the film's lesson. Oh, which is that America should acknowledge and love its vets, much like they love/loved their country. He explains his reasoning for including it with this excerpt taken from an interview:

* ArtisticLicenseMilitary: Apparently, entire Vietnam military presence is comprised out of POW camp guards plus attached unit of Soviet airborne troops. It's the only way to explain why captured Rambo wasn't transferred to higher security facility like intelligence HQ or why there was no nation-wide emergency when he started his rampage.
** While Soviet airborne troops actually had camouflaged fatigues, it wasn't in commercial "duck hunter" pattern. Moreover, insignia in field uniform would be subdued. And they would wear iconic blue berets and telnyashka striped shirts, not the black berets and turlenecks. It shoul be noted, that in original script by James Cameron, Soviet troops were described as marines from Cam Ranh naval base. And Soviet marines, in fact, wear signature black berets.
** Trautman is supposed to lead plausible deniably covert operation, but even in the field he's wearing uniform with rank badge, name tag and unit insignia.

* BadassBoast: From Rambo: "Murdock... I'm coming to get ''you''."
** As well as: "Find them... or I'll find ''you''."
* BetrayalByInaction: Rambo runs to the extraction point with the [=POW=] he rescued, only for the helicopter to leave without him on Murdock's orders. The look on Rambo's face as the chopper flies away speaks volumes of the level of betrayal he felt.

* BottomlessMagazines: The Huey Rambo steals is an extreme example; there are far more rockets fired than can be accounted for. And Rambo never runs out of arrows.
** Helicopter is shown to be armed with 7-tube 70mm rocket launchers. Rambo made at least 20 salvos.
** Rambo was shown packing four explosive arrowheads. Then he fired five ones.

* ChekhovsSkill: Murdock specifically mentions that Rambo was trained as helicopter pilot. That comes in handy, when he got the chance to hijack a Huey.

* CoolGun: Rambo was issued with [=MP5=] submachine gun fitted with 3x scope. He lost it, however, during his botched airdrop.

* DirtyHarriet: Co poses as a prostitute to get inside the prison camp where Rambo is held in the second movie.

* EveryHelicopterIsAHuey: Besides iconic Faux Hind appearance, two Hueys makes an appearance. While nothing is wrong about CIA extraction helicopter, second one (and more significant one) is very dubious. First, while Vietnam People's Air Force actually had former South Vietnam UH-1s in inventory, this one is twin-engined Bell 212, that Vietnam never got. Second, it bears wrong national insignia. Third, it was operated by Soveits (one would think that they would use Mi-8 for liaison duty).
** In the original script by James Cameron, helicopter was specifically described as VPAF UH-1D, captured from ARVN in 1975.

* GunsDoNotWorkThatWay: Rambo somehow is able to fire door-mounted minigun from the co-pilot station. Quite a feat, considering that door mounts lack any sort of remote control and not aligned with heads-up gunsight.

* ImprovisedWeapon: Rambo [=KOs=] a Soviet with the radio transmitter with which he was supposed to disavow the [=POWs=]--right after, for bonus points, using it to [[BadassBoast threaten Murdock]] for [[BetrayalByInaction betraying him]] instead.
* JustPlaneWrong: Vietnam never had twin-engined Hueys, and VPAF roundel isn't simple "yellow star".
** The "Mi-24 Hind" seen in the film is in reality an Aérospatiale Puma originally modified for the Red Dawn. However, due to safety reasons, fake cockpit was removed, drastically reducing similarities to early Hinds (or any Hinds).
** Business jet is the worst pick for an airdrop. Paratroopers use aircraft with top-mounted wings and doors behind the engines to prevent being struck by wings and sucked in to engines.

** The Russian who chooses to shoot, not the heavily armed Rambo, but an unarmed [=POW=] in the back during the final escape from the camp.

* MissingBackblast: Rambo shoots down the Soviet MI-24 HIND helicopter with a rocket launcher by shooting it through the windshield of his own damaged helicopter in a WoundedGazelleGambit. In reality, doing this would have not only finished the job of wrecking his aircraft, it would have also killed all of the [=POWs=] in the passenger bay.

* MookHorrorShow: When dispatching Vietnamese and Soviet soldiers in the jungle (sometimes gruesomely), Rambo is as much a OneManArmy as he's an unstoppable predator dealing with hapless preys.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Considering, that whole mission was to record evidence of [=POWs=] or lack thereof, Murdock should just try to supply Co Bao with camera! He will got his pictures, [=POWs=] will stay in the camp, and Rambo will serve his term.
* NoOneGetsLeftBehind: The point of the film, focusing on the plight of American [=POWs=] in Vietnam.

* RareGuns: Lifer pulls a SIG Sauer P226 on Trautman when he tells him not to be a hero. What makes it rare is the fact it had just hit the market at the time of the film's release and appears to have not been converted to blank fire, suggesting it was a prototype or early production model on loan by [=SIGArms=], since it was not available at the time of production, making it the first ''ever'' appearance of a P226 in a motion picture.

* ThereAreNoGlobalConsequences: Rambo proved, that Vietnam holds American [=POW=] in captivity, despite hostilities ended decade ago. This would probably cause huge backlash and destroy reputation of Vietnam... but no. However...
** Rambo also illegally crossed Vietnam border, destroyed its military compound, kill dozens of soldiers (including Soviet military liaison) and... apparently everyone just fine with that.

* TooDumbToLive: When Podovsky sees apparently downed Rambo's helicopter, his immediate action is not finishing it from safe distance, but closing in to investigate.

* TrickArrow: Rambo's survival gear includes arrows which can be customized with detachable arrowheads to be either regular arrows or explosive arrows. The latter are put to [[StuffBlowingUp good use]] in the last third of the film. Somehow, said arrowheads yields a power of an artillery shell.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Murdock tries burying evidence of American POW's in Vietnam for fear it might spark an international incident.

* ActionGirl: Co.

* AntiHero: Guess who.

* [=ChekhovSkill=]: Murdock specifically mentions that Rambo was trained as helicopter pilot. That comes in handy, when he got the chance to hijack a Huey.

* ChekhovSkill: Murdock specifically mentions that Rambo was trained as helicopter pilot. That comes in handy, when he got the chance to hijack a Huey.

** While Soviet airborne troops actually had camouflaged fatigues, it wasn't in commercial "duck hunter" pattern. Moreover, insignia in field uniform would be subdued. And they would wear iconic blue berets and telnyashka striped shirts, not the black berets and turlenecks.

* JustPlaneWrong: It's unclear why Soviet airborne troops would be flying around Vietnam in an American Huey, with modernized American weapons to boot. It's not inherently wrong, as the Huey can be leased by VPAF, but VPAF nor South Vietnam Air Force never had twin-engined Bell 212s. And VPAF roundel isn't simple "yellow star".

* BetrayalByInaction: Rambo runs to the extraction point with the POW he rescued, only for the helicopter to leave without him on Murdock's orders. The look on Rambo's face as the chopper flies away speaks volumes of the level of betrayal he felt.

* KarmaHoudini: Ericsson only reluctantly steered helicopter away from the extraction point, seemed to be geniunely happy about Rambo return and actually had a gut to face Rambo. However, it was him who got himself beated up. Meanwhile, Lifer, who was actively supporting Murdock order (being ready to shot Trautman), is cowardly hiding among rescue personnel and got no comeuppance.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Considering, that whole mission was to record evidence of POWs, Murdock should just try to supply Co Bao with camera! He will got his pictures, POWs will stay in the camp, and Rambo will serve his term.