The first movie was a real look into PTSD and mental health, as well as exposing that a lot of these soldiers were unable to adjust when they came home and were all quickly ignored and forgotten about. Rambo was harmless until he had a flash back after police violence on a homeless nobody.

The sequels were cartoony revenge fantasy. Fun to watch but didn’t really have a meaningful message.

I believe the original story had Rambo committing suicide in the police station. Which it sounds like I am the only one who would have preferred that ending to the story. A dark ending but would have really put the ! in the message.

Hearing the reason for the change makes me understand it. I hadn’t considered that in the 1980s many Vietnam veterans would have still been fairly young and seeing the movie.