Rambo and the Forces of Freedom
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Rambo aka Rambo: The Force of Freedom was a syndicated animated series based on the Rambo character from the movie trilogy of the same name who was in turn based off of David Morrell's character from the book First Blood. It ran for 65 episodes and was produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises. The cartoon series debuted on April 14, 1986 as a five part mini series, and was renewed in September as a daily cartoon. However, the series only lasted one season and was cancelled in December of the same year. The series also spawned a toyline.
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[edit] Plot
In the cartoon, Rambo was now part of a GI Joe like team called The Force of Freedom, which went on missions around the world battling against the evil organization S.A.V.A.G.E., led by one General Warhawk. Other members of the group were Turbo, an African Amercian mechanical expert, and Kat, an Asian woman, who was a master of diguise. Imaginary countries and backstories would frequently feature, some of them parodies of historical events or literary sucesses. Although the cartoon was filled with much fighting and gun fire, there was never any sensational violence, blood or gore, and rarely did anyone ever die. Rambo (who was never called by his first name, even by Trautman, who called him "John" in all the movies) used violence as a last resort and relied on quick thinking and fast moves to outwit his opponents — a character trait not consistent with the later films (note: Rambo avoids deliberately killing anyone in the first movie).
[edit] Controversy
The cartoon generated a mild controversy at the production studio, with writers wondering how they could present a child-friendly main character who was created as a troubled veteran with PTSD.
The show's child psychology advisors believed that the target audience, young children and preteens, would not grasp that aspect of David Morrell's character. They recommended that the cartoon not make any references to Vietnam, POWs, or Rambo's experiences in "First Blood" and "Rambo: First Blood Part II."
As a result, "Rambo" was quickly derided by fans of the movies, and David Morrell's original novel.
[edit] Episode list
- 1. First Strike
- 2. The Angel of Destruction
- 3. Battlefield Bronx
- 4. Raise the Yamato
- 5. The Taking of Tierra Libre
- 6. Subterranean Holdup
- 7. Trouble in Tibet
- 8. S.A.V.A.G.E. Island
- 9. General Warhawk's Curse
- 10. Deadly Keep
- 11. Beneath the Streets
- 12. Cult of the Cobra
- 13. Raid on Las Vegas
- 14. The Lost City of Acra
- 15. Guns Over Suez
- 15. Ridiculously Big Guns Over Panama
- 16. Exercise in Terror
- 17. The Doomsday Machine
- 18. Disaster in Delgado
- 19. Fire in the Sky
- 20. Enter the Black Dragon
- 21. Reign of the Boy King
- 22. Rambo and the White Rhino
- 23. Pirate Peril
- 24. Mephisto's Magic
- 25. The Halley Microbe
- 26. Death Merchant
- 27. Return of the Count
- 28. Night of the Voodoo Moon
- 29. Lagoon of Death
- 30. Snow Kill
- 31. Terror Beneath the Sea
- 32. Swamp Monster
- 33. Freedom Dance
- 34. Texas Inferno
- 35. The Iron Mask
- 36. Children for Peace
- 37. S.A.V.A.G.E. Rustlers
- 38. Mind Control
- 39. Vote of Terror
- 40. Target, Supertanker
- 41. Enter the White Dragon
- 42. Skyjacked Gold
- 43. Attack on El Dorado
- 44. The Ninja Dog
- 45. When S.A.V.A.G.E. Stole Santa
- 46. Blockbuster
- 47. Supertrooper
- 48. Warhawk's Fortress
- 49. The Konichi
- 50. Robot Raid
- 51. Alphas, Arms, and Ambush (1)
- 52. Alphas, Arms, and Ambush (2)
- 53. Crash
- 54. Mirage
- 55. Blind Luck
- 56. Turbo's Dilemma
- 57. Masquerade
- 58. Just Say No
- 59. Monster Island
- 60. Quarterback Sneak
- 61. Sepulcher of Power
- 62. The Twin Within
- 63. S.A.V.A.G.E. Space
- 64. Change of Face
- 65. Horror of the Highlan
[edit] Cast
- Neil Ross .... John Rambo (voice)
- Michael Ansara .... General Warhawk (voice)
- James Avery .... Turbo (voice)
- Michael Bell .... Additional Voices (voice)
- Peter Cullen .... Sergeant Havoc (voice)
- Ed Gilbert .... Nomad (voice)
- Dale Ishimoto .... Additional Voices (voice)
- Robert Ito .... Black Dragon, White Dragon (voice)
- Mona Marshall .... Kat (voice)
- Alan Oppenheimer .... Colonel Trautman (voice)
- Russi Taylor .... Additional Voices (voice)
- Lennie Weinrib .... Gripper (voice)
- Frank Welker .... Mad Dog (voice)
[edit] DVD Release
Lions Gate Entertainment has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time in 6 volume sets.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 1: A World of Trouble | 11 | June 14, 2005 | |
| Volume 2: Enter The Dragon | 11 | June 14, 2005 | |
| Volume 3: S.A.V.A.G.E. Island | 10 | September 13, 2005 | |
| Volume 4: Up In Arms | 11 | September 13, 2005 | |
| Volume 5: Snow Road | 11 | December 13, 2005 | |
| Volume 6: Face of Freedom | 11 | December 13, 2005 |
