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Rambo: The Force of Freedom
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Episode Review
DVD Releases
Filmography
Gallery
History of Rambo
Quick Facts
Toys
Voice Cast
History of Rambo: The Force of
Freedom: "Rambo: The Force of Freedom" has
been more popularly called just, "Rambo". It ran as a five-part
mini-series for one week in April of 1986, and was quickly renewed for
the Fall season as a weekday cartoon. For some reason or another,
the show wasn't a huge ratings grab and it just stopped. Since
that time, however, this cartoon series has garnered a pretty faithful
cult following. Audiences that missed the show back in 1986 have
discovered it and realize that "Rambo: The Force of Freedom" is pretty
cool.
I like what they did with this cartoon series. It's a shame it didn't last longer. The Rambo movies, of which two had been made before this series, were very violent. This cartoon series was toned down. Who in the world would think Rambo could be a good kiddie cartoon show? But they did it!
Rambo was given a good supporting cast. General Trautman is still here, but now Rambo is joined by weapons expert Turbo, a brawny black man with the brains to match, and K.A.T., a vivacious Asian mistress of disguise.
They turned Rambo from an action movie character to a superhero. He didn't have superpowers, but he could do just about anything physical you can imagine and he always knew how to use weapons. What really made cartoon Rambo like a superhero is the fact that he had an arch-nemesis and regular villains to fight. In the movies he killed 'em dead, leaving little possibility for a second appearance. General Warhawk was the baddie here, the terrorist leader of S.A.V.A.G.E. with a colorful cast of henchmen.
The theme music is very similar to the movies, with a narrative worked in. Cool! They didn't try to fudge it up or make it sound hokey. What I did find hokey, however, is Rambo's voice. It's a good voice, but not suitable for a rough-and-tumble character like Rambo. No disrespect to Neil Ross, because I've enjoyed his voicework over the years, but his Rambo sounds corny. That voice would be better for a character like Captain America or Superman. They should have been a bit truer to Rambo's voice from the movies, making him sound a bit slurred.
The animation is pretty dang good. Rambo looks like Rambo. The characters are well-realized. There's a lot of action and explosions, but no one gets killed. It's an interesting premise.
This series pushed a line of action figures. And the action figures are pretty dang awesome. Especially Turbo. He's got all kinds of cool accessories. But this cartoon series, unlike most, was not just in it for a quick buck. They didn't really push the cartoons as being toy commercials like most did. That element was still there, but to a smaller degree. They really wanted this to be a long-running cartoon series like He-Man, Transformers, or G.I. Joe. It's a pity it wasn't.
Rambo, the cartoon, is comparable to the G.I. Joe cartoon. It has a semi-military feel to it, and is loaded with action and interesting characters. I like this a bit better than G.I. Joe. Rambo is far more physical than anyone in the G.I. Joe cast, and the stories are a bit more intriguing to follow. I'm not putting down Joe, but Rambo is more simple and fun. A perfect cartoon diversion for action fans!
Quick Facts:
Filmography:
Studio: Ruby-Spears
Seasons: One Season, 65 Episodes (1986)
Episode Review:
Voice Cast:
Neil Ross as John Rambo
James Avery as Turbo
Mona Marshall as Kat
Alan Oppenheimer as Col. Sam Trautman
Michael Ansara as General Warhawk
Peter Cullen as Sgt. Havoc
Lennie Weinrib as Gripper
Frank Welker as Mad Dog
Ed Gilbert as Nomad
Robert Ito as Black Dragon
Additional Voices:
Michael Bell
Dale Ishimoto
Russi Taylor
DVD Releases: Lions Gate released the complete "Rambo" cartoon series on a series of 6 DVDs in late 2005. All the cartoons are here, but they're presented out-of-order from original airdate! Besides that, these are good quality releases. I like the fact there is about 5 hours (300 minutes) of cartoons on each disc. You get quite a bit for your money, especially since these are not "high dollar" releases. The picture and sound quality is quite excellent. There are no extras, which would have been nice. You're straight up just getting the cartoons, and that's it.
Rambo Volume 1: A World of Trouble
11 Episodes: Attack on El Dorado, Battlefield Bronx, Disaster in Delgado, Guns Over Suez, Lagoon of Death, The Lost City of Acra, Monster Island, Raid on Las Vegas, Texas Inferno, Trouble in Tibet, Beneath the Streets.
Rambo Volume 2: Enter the Dragon
11 Episodes: Enter the Black Dragon, Enter the White Dragon, Fire in the Sky, Iron Mask, Konichi, Masquerade, Mephisto's Magic, Night of the Voodoo Moon, Ninja Dog, Pirate Peril, Raise the Yamato.
Rambo Volume 3: S.A.V.A.G.E. Island
11 Episodes: S.A.V.A.G.E. Island, Cult of the Cobra, Death Merchant, Swamp Monster, Warhawk's Fortress, First Strike, S.A.V.A.G.E. Rustlers, S.A.V.A.G.E. Space, Subterranean Holdup, Target: Supertanker.
Rambo Volume 4: Up in Arms
11 Episodes: Alphas, Arms & Ambush Part 1, Alphas, Arms & Ambush Part 2, The Doomsday Machine, Exercise in Terror, Horror in the Highlands, Deadly Keep, Terror Beneath the Sea, Turbo's Dilemma, Crash, Vote of Terror, The Angel of Destruction.
Rambo Volume 5: Snow Raid
11 Episodes: Snow Kill, When S.A.V.A.G.E. Stole Santa, Rambo & the White Rhino, Children for Peace, Reign of the Boy King, Return of the Count, Robot Raid, Sepulcher of Power, Skyjacked Gold, Supertrooper, The Halley Microbe.
Rambo Volume 6: Face of Freedom
10 Episodes: Blind Luck, Blockbuster, Change of Face, Freedom Dancer, General Warhawk's Curse, Just Say No, Mind Control, Mirage, Quarterback Sneak, Twin Within.
Toys: Coleco made a line of toys for "Rambo: The Force of Freedom" from 1985-1986. The toys were still sold in stores for about two years after the line stopped production. There were many figures and vehicles made. The toys were actually very well done. The figures were big enough to handle and looked interesting (6"). It should also be noted that the figures came with good accessories and weren't just added to make it look like you were getting more. Another nod to the line is that it is one of the first to make a female action figure. In 1985, there weren't many action figures of women ever done; K.A.T. is an excellent figure, especially for the time. Three different Rambo figures were made; he was the only character to receive multiple figures (naturally).
Force of Freedom Figures
Other Force of Freedom Figures
Force of Freedom Vehicles
S.A.V.A.G.E. Figures
S.A.V.A.G.E. Vehicles
S.A.V.A.G.E. Playsets
I like what they did with this cartoon series. It's a shame it didn't last longer. The Rambo movies, of which two had been made before this series, were very violent. This cartoon series was toned down. Who in the world would think Rambo could be a good kiddie cartoon show? But they did it!
Rambo was given a good supporting cast. General Trautman is still here, but now Rambo is joined by weapons expert Turbo, a brawny black man with the brains to match, and K.A.T., a vivacious Asian mistress of disguise.
They turned Rambo from an action movie character to a superhero. He didn't have superpowers, but he could do just about anything physical you can imagine and he always knew how to use weapons. What really made cartoon Rambo like a superhero is the fact that he had an arch-nemesis and regular villains to fight. In the movies he killed 'em dead, leaving little possibility for a second appearance. General Warhawk was the baddie here, the terrorist leader of S.A.V.A.G.E. with a colorful cast of henchmen.
The theme music is very similar to the movies, with a narrative worked in. Cool! They didn't try to fudge it up or make it sound hokey. What I did find hokey, however, is Rambo's voice. It's a good voice, but not suitable for a rough-and-tumble character like Rambo. No disrespect to Neil Ross, because I've enjoyed his voicework over the years, but his Rambo sounds corny. That voice would be better for a character like Captain America or Superman. They should have been a bit truer to Rambo's voice from the movies, making him sound a bit slurred.
The animation is pretty dang good. Rambo looks like Rambo. The characters are well-realized. There's a lot of action and explosions, but no one gets killed. It's an interesting premise.
This series pushed a line of action figures. And the action figures are pretty dang awesome. Especially Turbo. He's got all kinds of cool accessories. But this cartoon series, unlike most, was not just in it for a quick buck. They didn't really push the cartoons as being toy commercials like most did. That element was still there, but to a smaller degree. They really wanted this to be a long-running cartoon series like He-Man, Transformers, or G.I. Joe. It's a pity it wasn't.
Rambo, the cartoon, is comparable to the G.I. Joe cartoon. It has a semi-military feel to it, and is loaded with action and interesting characters. I like this a bit better than G.I. Joe. Rambo is far more physical than anyone in the G.I. Joe cast, and the stories are a bit more intriguing to follow. I'm not putting down Joe, but Rambo is more simple and fun. A perfect cartoon diversion for action fans!
Quick Facts:
- The toyline for "Rambo: The Force of Freedom"
lasted longer than the series itself.
- This was the first R-rated film property to be given a children's cartoon treatment.
- The prospect of a Rambo cartoon was seen as controversial at the time, considering the violence of the films. Joe Ruby, however, felt that once people saw the Ruby-Spears vision of Rambo, it would put everyone's mind at ease. Michael Chain, the show's main story wizard, had been an award-winning children's show writer for years. In each episode of the Rambo cartoon, a life lesson or other moral was to be learned.
- Despite the excellent quality of the cartoon, the series just couldn't shake the violent legacy of the live-action films. It did run for 65 episodes, but it wasn't picked up for a second season.
- The show's child psychology advisors didn't feel
children would grasp the concept of David Morrell's Rambo
character. They strongly advised the show's creators to not
mention Vietnam, POWs, or Rambo's experiences in the films.
Ruby-Spears took their advice.
- This cartoon series shares no relationship to the
movies other than the characters of Rambo and Trautman.
- K.A.T. is a reworking of the ill-fated Co-Bao character from
"Rambo: First Blood Part II" (1985). Like Co-Bao, she has a crush
on Rambo.
- K.A.T.'s real name is Katherine Anne Taylor.
- Turbo's real name is Edward Hayes.
- Unlike the Rambo films, Trautman's role in the cartoon series is small. Trautman is basically Rambo's commanding officer, and that's it. Rambo's main companions are Turbo and K.A.T. in this series.
- S.A.V.A.G.E. is short for Secret Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy, and Global Extortion.
- Rambo is rarely called by his first name in this series, even by Trautman.
- Rarely seen members of the Force of Freedom include: Chief, T.D. "Touchdown" Jones, and White Dragon.
- Chief is an Indian ally of Rambo.
- T.D. "Touchdown" Jones is a former football player and ally
of Rambo.
- White Dragon is the heroic twin brother of evil Black Dragon, and an ally of Rambo. Both Dragons were voiced by Robert Ito.
- Mad Dog was first called Spike in the episode "Battlefield
Bronx", but renamed to Mad Dog in all subsequent appearances.
Filmography:
Studio: Ruby-Spears
Seasons: One Season, 65 Episodes (1986)
| Episode
No. |
Title |
Original
Airdate |
| 1 |
First Strike |
April 14 |
| 2 |
The Angel of Destruction |
April 15 |
| 3 |
Battlefield Bronx |
April 16 |
| 4 |
Raise the Yamato |
April 17 |
| 5 |
The Taking of Tierra Libre |
April 18 |
| 6 |
Subterranean Holdup |
September 15 |
| 7 |
Trouble in Tibet |
September 16 |
| 8 |
S.A.V.A.G.E. Island |
September 17 |
| 9 |
General Warhawk's Curse |
September 18 |
| 10 |
Deadly Keep |
September 19 |
| 11 |
Beneath the Streets |
September 22 |
| 12 |
Cult of the Cobra |
September 23 |
| 13 |
Raid on Las Vegas |
September 24 |
| 14 |
The Lost City of Acra |
September 25 |
| 15 |
Guns Over the Suez |
September 26 |
| 16 |
Exercise in Terror |
October 6 |
| 17 |
The Doomsday Machine |
October 7 |
| 18 |
Disaster in Delgado |
October 8 |
| 19 |
Fire in the Sky |
October 9 |
| 20 |
Enter the Black Dragon |
October 10 |
| 21 |
Reign of the Boy King |
October 13 |
| 22 |
Rambo & the White Rhino |
October 14 |
| 23 |
Pirate Peril |
October 15 |
| 24 |
Mephisto's Magic |
October 16 |
| 25 |
The Halley Microbe |
October 17 |
| 26 |
Death Merchant |
October 20 |
| 27 |
Return of the Count |
October 21 |
| 28 |
Night of the Voodoo Moon |
October 22 |
| 29 |
Lagoon of Death |
October 23 |
| 30 |
Snow Kill |
October 24 |
| 31 |
Terror Beneath the Sea |
October 27 |
| 32 |
Swamp Monster |
October 28 |
| 33 |
Freedom Dancer |
October 29 |
| 34 |
Texas Inferno |
October 30 |
| 35 |
The Iron Mask |
October 31 |
| 36 |
Children for Peace |
November 3 |
| 37 |
S.A.V.A.G.E. Rustlers |
November 4 |
| 38 |
Mind Control |
November 5 |
| 39 |
Vote of Terror |
November 6 |
| 40 |
Target: Supertanker |
November 7 |
| 41 |
Enter the White Dragon |
November 10 |
| 42 |
Skyjacked Gold |
November 11 |
| 43 |
Attack on El Dorado |
November 12 |
| 44 |
The Ninja Dog |
November 13 |
| 45 |
When S.A.V.A.G.E. Stole Santa |
November 14 |
| 46 |
Blockbuster |
November 17 |
| 47 |
Supertrooper |
November 18 |
| 48 |
Warhawk's Fortress |
November 19 |
| 49 |
The Konichi |
November 20 |
| 50 |
Robot Raid |
November 21 |
| 51 |
Alphas, Arms & Ambush Part 1 |
November 24 |
| 52 |
Alphas, Arms & Ambush Part 2 |
November 25 |
| 53 |
Crash |
November 26 |
| 54 |
Mirage |
November 27 |
| 55 |
Blind Luck |
November 28 |
| 56 |
Turbo's Dilemma |
December 1 |
| 57 |
Masquerade |
December 2 |
| 58 |
Just Say No |
December 8 |
| 59 |
Monster Island |
December 9 |
| 60 |
Quarterback Sneak |
December 10 |
| 61 |
Sepulcher of Power |
December 11 |
| 62 |
The Twin Within |
December 12 |
| 63 |
S.A.V.A.G.E. Space |
December 15 |
| 64 |
Change of Face |
December 17 |
| 65 |
Horror of the Highlands |
December 18 |
Episode Review:
Voice Cast:
Neil Ross as John Rambo
James Avery as Turbo
Mona Marshall as Kat
Alan Oppenheimer as Col. Sam Trautman
Michael Ansara as General Warhawk
Peter Cullen as Sgt. Havoc
Lennie Weinrib as Gripper
Frank Welker as Mad Dog
Ed Gilbert as Nomad
Robert Ito as Black Dragon
Additional Voices:
Michael Bell
Dale Ishimoto
Russi Taylor
DVD Releases: Lions Gate released the complete "Rambo" cartoon series on a series of 6 DVDs in late 2005. All the cartoons are here, but they're presented out-of-order from original airdate! Besides that, these are good quality releases. I like the fact there is about 5 hours (300 minutes) of cartoons on each disc. You get quite a bit for your money, especially since these are not "high dollar" releases. The picture and sound quality is quite excellent. There are no extras, which would have been nice. You're straight up just getting the cartoons, and that's it.
Rambo Volume 1: A World of Trouble
11 Episodes: Attack on El Dorado, Battlefield Bronx, Disaster in Delgado, Guns Over Suez, Lagoon of Death, The Lost City of Acra, Monster Island, Raid on Las Vegas, Texas Inferno, Trouble in Tibet, Beneath the Streets.
Rambo Volume 2: Enter the Dragon
11 Episodes: Enter the Black Dragon, Enter the White Dragon, Fire in the Sky, Iron Mask, Konichi, Masquerade, Mephisto's Magic, Night of the Voodoo Moon, Ninja Dog, Pirate Peril, Raise the Yamato.
Rambo Volume 3: S.A.V.A.G.E. Island
11 Episodes: S.A.V.A.G.E. Island, Cult of the Cobra, Death Merchant, Swamp Monster, Warhawk's Fortress, First Strike, S.A.V.A.G.E. Rustlers, S.A.V.A.G.E. Space, Subterranean Holdup, Target: Supertanker.
Rambo Volume 4: Up in Arms
11 Episodes: Alphas, Arms & Ambush Part 1, Alphas, Arms & Ambush Part 2, The Doomsday Machine, Exercise in Terror, Horror in the Highlands, Deadly Keep, Terror Beneath the Sea, Turbo's Dilemma, Crash, Vote of Terror, The Angel of Destruction.
Rambo Volume 5: Snow Raid
11 Episodes: Snow Kill, When S.A.V.A.G.E. Stole Santa, Rambo & the White Rhino, Children for Peace, Reign of the Boy King, Return of the Count, Robot Raid, Sepulcher of Power, Skyjacked Gold, Supertrooper, The Halley Microbe.
Rambo Volume 6: Face of Freedom
10 Episodes: Blind Luck, Blockbuster, Change of Face, Freedom Dancer, General Warhawk's Curse, Just Say No, Mind Control, Mirage, Quarterback Sneak, Twin Within.
Toys: Coleco made a line of toys for "Rambo: The Force of Freedom" from 1985-1986. The toys were still sold in stores for about two years after the line stopped production. There were many figures and vehicles made. The toys were actually very well done. The figures were big enough to handle and looked interesting (6"). It should also be noted that the figures came with good accessories and weren't just added to make it look like you were getting more. Another nod to the line is that it is one of the first to make a female action figure. In 1985, there weren't many action figures of women ever done; K.A.T. is an excellent figure, especially for the time. Three different Rambo figures were made; he was the only character to receive multiple figures (naturally).
Force of Freedom Figures
- Rambo
- Fire Power Rambo
- Muscle Power Rambo
- Turbo
- K.A.T.
- Col. Trautman
Other Force of Freedom Figures
- Chief
- T.D. Jackson
- White Dragon
Force of Freedom Vehicles
- Defender 6x6
- Skyfire Assault Copter
- Skywolf Assault Jet
S.A.V.A.G.E. Figures
- General Warhawk
- Sgt. Havoc
- Nomad
- Gripper
- Black Dragon
- Mad Dog
- Snakebite
- Dr. Hyde
- X-Ray
S.A.V.A.G.E. Vehicles
- S.A.V.A.G.E. Strike Cycle
S.A.V.A.G.E. Playsets
- S.A.V.A.G.E. Strike Headquarters