First Blood

First Blood is a 1982 American war action film starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. The film was directed by Ted Kotcheff and cowritten by Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim and Stallone based on 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 clashing with the police, attempts to survive a manhunt using his expertise in survival and combat skills. The film costars 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 (cowritten by and starring Stallone), an animated television series, a comic books series, a novel series and several video games.

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