First Blood

First Blood is a 1982 American war action film starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. Directed by Ted Kotcheff, the film was co-written by Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim, and Stallone, deriving from the 1972 novel First Blood by David Morrell. It is the first installment in the Rambo series, followed by Rambo: First Blood Part II. The story follows Rambo who, after entering a small town and getting into a conflict with the local police, attempts to survive a manhunt using his expertise in survival and combat skills. It also co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's mentor Colonel Sam Trautman and Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle. First Blood was released in the United States on October 22, 1982. Initial reviews were mixed, but the film was a box office success, grossing $160.3 million and becoming the 13th highest-grossing film at the domestic box office and the seventh highest-grossing film worldwide. In 1985, it also became the first Hollywood blockbuster to be released in China, holding the record for the largest number of tickets sold for an American film until 2018. Since its release, it has been reappraised by critics with many highlighting the roles of Stallone, Dennehy and Crenna, and recognizing it as an influential film in the action genre. The film's success spawned the Rambo franchise, consisting of four sequels (co-written by and starring Stallone), an animated television series, a comic books series, a novel series, and several video games.

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