Rambo III (1988)

Rambo III is a 1988 American war action film starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. Directed by Peter MacDonald, the script was co-written by Stallone and Sheldon Lettich. It is a sequel to Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and the third installment in the Rambo film series. Richard Crenna reprises his role as Colonel Sam Trautman.

The film depicts fictional events during the Soviet–Afghan War. In the film, Rambo sets out on a dangerous journey to the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in order to rescue his former commander and his longtime best friend, Col. Trautman, from the hands of Alexei Zeysen, an extremely powerful and ruthless Soviet Army colonel who is bent on killing both Trautman and Rambo, while helping a local band of Afghan rebels fight against Soviet forces threatening to destroy their village.

Rambo III was released worldwide on May 25, 1988. At the time of its release, Rambo III was the most expensive film ever made with a production budget between $58 and $63 million. The film was not well received by critics and grossed less than its predecessor, Rambo: First Blood Part II, grossing $189 million worldwide. It was nominated for five categories at the 9th Golden Raspberry Awards, winning Worst Actor. A sequel, Rambo, was released in 2008 with Stallone reprising his role and also directing the film.