All Sylvester Stallone fans have watched the Rambo film series. Today, I’m here to give you all the details about the filming locations of Rambo 2 (1985). You’ve probably binge-watched the movie numerous times and must have wondered where those jungle fighting sequences were filmed. Well, in this article, I’ll discuss the movie and tell you where was Rambo 2 filmed.
Rambo 2, also known as Rambo: First Blood Part II follows John Rambo, who is spending his days in prison. When his ex-commanding officer asks him to go on a secret mission to Vietnam, he agrees. The action thriller film stars Sylvester Stallone as Rambo and well-established actors like Richard Crenna, Julia Nickson, Steven Berkoff, and Charles Napier. Crenna, who starred as Colonel Trautman in the first part, reprised his role in Rambo 2.
Now let me quickly tell you where was Rambo 2 filmed. The Sylvester Stallone starrer classic action thriller movie was shot in Guerrero, Mexico.
Helmed by George P. Cosmatos and written by James Cameron, Rambo 2 had its premiere in the United States on 22nd May 1985. It arrived on OTT platforms on 1st July 2013. The action thriller film is a Carolco Pictures production distributed internationally and in the US by Tri-Star Pictures. However, let me take you through the movie’s filming location in detail.
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Where Was Rambo 2 Filmed? Rambo 2 Filming Locations!
George P. Cosmatos’ Rambo 2 was one of the most successful and highest-grossing movies in 1985. It earned over $300 million against a production budget of just $25 million. Irrespective of receiving mixed reviews from critics, Rambo 2 became a worldwide blockbuster. Interestingly, senior filmmaker James Cameron wrote the first draft of the screenplay while he was working on the scripts of Terminator and Aliens.
Cosmatos was a Greek-Italian filmmaker who has directed movies of various genres. He was a critically acclaimed director and was the recipient of several awards. The action thriller flick received a rating of 6.5 on IMDB and an audience score of 68% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, let’s find out where was Rambo 2 filmed.
Guerrero, Mexico
The blockbuster action thriller movie Rambo was filmed primarily in the state of Guerrero in Mexico. Only a handful of scenes were shot in Thailand. Principal photography commenced in June 1984 and was wrapped up in August 1984. Initially, the director of the movie Cosmatos wanted to shoot the majority of the movie in Thailand, but instead, he ended up filming almost the entire movie in Acapulco, Guerrero.
The waterfall scene in the movie was filmed in Acapulco. Sadly, while shooting the scene, the special effects artist, Clifford P Wenger, accidentally died when he lost his footing and fell down from a considerable height.
Apart from filming in Acapulco, the production team also shot several vital scenes in Tecoanapa, a city in the state of Gerrero in southwestern Mexico. Remember the huge Buddha statue that is seen in the opening credit scene? The production team made that huge statue with styrofoam and then painted gold.
The opening scenes of the action thriller movie were supposed to be filmed in a real prison, but the production team could not find a prison near Acapulco, so they had to shoot the sequence in a rock quarry. The filming of the movie took place during the summer. The cast and crew not only had to deal with the warm weather but also had to deal with an unexpected storm, which ended up damaging several sets built by the production team.
Interestingly, due to the unexpected storm, most of the Rambo’s close-up shots were taken inside the hotel they were staying in. The iconic scene where he holds a giant knife was filmed inside the hotel. Most of the stunts in the movie were done by Sylvester Stallone himself.
Remember the scene in which the Vietnamese soldiers captured Rambo and then submerged him in the pig sh*t-infested water? That scene was shot very smartly. The production team used a large amount of instant coffee to bring out the dark and murky look.
The helicopter scene where Rambo fights the Russian henchman was supposed to be shot with the helicopter hanging from a crane. However, after an incident, the production team decided to shoot the scene on the ground using wind machines and lighting effects.
Plot of Rambo 2 (1985) | Welcome To Hell!
The story of Rambo 2 revolves around John Rambo, played by Sylvester Stallone. Rambo is an ex-US Army special forces soldier serving time in prison. When he is visited by his former commanding officer, Colonel Sam Trautman, played by Richard Crenna, Rambo immediately understands that he has something planned for him.
Colonel in return for his freedom, asks him to go on an extremely dangerous yet secret mission to Vietnam to rescue a bunch of American prisoners of war.
After an argument, Rambo agrees to go on the mission. He set off for the dense and frightening jungle of Vietnam that is infested with Vietnamese guerilla soldiers. When he enters the unknown zone, he gets double-crossed and is left with no help behind the enemy lines. When the situation gets out of control, he takes matters into his own hands.
Final Words
Now you know that Rambo 2 was not filmed in Vietnam but was shot in Mexico. If you’ve never been to Mexico before, you should visit soon. If you do visit, then make sure to check out the filming locations I mentioned. The action thriller movie contains several violent scenes and strong language, so do not allow anyone under 18 to watch the film. And also, if you liked reading the article, let me know.
What Is The Tagline Of Rambo 2?
The tagline of Rambo 2 is “What most people call hell, he calls home”.
Where To Stream Rambo 2 Online?
You can stream Rambo 2 on FuboTV, Vudu, and Showtime.
Who Is The Cinematographer Of Rambo 2?
Jack Cardiff is the cinematographer of Rambo 2.
