HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, KID.

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Son of Rambow is a heartfelt comedy about the friendship of two little Rambo fans.
by J. Palmer Cass

Long before Rambo became the subject of countless parodies and ridicule, he was the idol of many young boys in the 80s. The trigger-happy maniac was the epitome of masculinity— a one-man army who defies the constraint of society and set his own score with the evildoers. In the British comedy Son of Rambow, two neglected schoolboys are inspired by Rambo: First Blood to make their own action movie.

The story is driven by the relationship between the two main characters—Will and Lee. Will (Bill Milner) has an imaginative mind, but he can only secretly express his creativity with his drawings in a book because his family is part of a strict religious sect that forbids any kind of pop culture, be it music or television. Lee (Will Poulter) is the devil child of the school. Without any parents at home and barely getting any attention from his older brother, Lee indulges in his daily mischief and hopes to win a young filmmakers contest with his homemade action videos. The two boys meet each other through detention and Lee recruits the clueless Will as his stuntman while Will gets a first taste of the secular world after watching Lee’s bootleg copy of Rambo: First Blood. Will’s repressed creativity is awakened by Rambo’s bloodthirsty heroics and hence decides to join Lee in the production of their own homemade action flick.

The stark contrast between two personalities is a classic comedy setup. Lee’s reckless behaviors and Will’s simple-minded innocence leads to many of the film’s funniest moments. Son of Rambow is smart enough not to rely merely on the boys’ goofy homemade videos. The filmmakers understand that making a film focused on cheesy DIY videos will only lead it to Youtube, but not the big screen. The strength of the film is the chemistry between the two very young actors as two young boys becoming good friends in the process of working together.

But what good drama can sustain for ninety minutes without a conflict between the two heroes? After Lee is suspended from school for a week, Will befriends the coolest lad in school, Didier the French exchange student. Bored by making out with every girl in school, Didier is fascinated by Will’s vision and volunteers to star in his film with his little gang. Lee and Will’s friendship takes a hit as Lee is dismayed by Will’s willingness to let the new kids hijack his project. This is supposed to push the film into its dramatic peak but Didier is such a poorly written character, his presence ruins the film’s early buildup. For the most part, Son of Rambow successfully avoids being overtly quirky like most independent comedies. But it goes to great lengths to imply Didier’s coolness with much unnecessary quirk and little charm. It is safe to say, even by the standard of the 80s, it is painful to see a French kid breakdancing in his skinny jeans.

The film never explains why the boys are so attracted to Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo. It is clear that Son of Rambow is not attempting to be any kind of statement about the social education of masculinity. Yet it is interesting to note that both Will and Lee long for a father figure in their life. Will secretly hangs onto his late father’s watch and rejects the guidance of a church member who is interested in his mother. Lee devotes his time to filmmaking after he routinely fails to impress his brother. Though Rambo may not be the most sensible role model, Will and Lee can easily relate to a rebellious and lonesome hero.

Director Garth Jennings, known as Hammer & Tongs with his producer Nick Goldsmith, is a veteran music video director. He is arguably one of the best in the medium and his creative vision is evident in his videos for bands like Blur, Radiohead and Vampire Weekend. Jennings’s use of Will’s doodling in Son of Rambow lovingly illustrates the imagination of a child’s mind. Although music video directors usually have no problems translating their hip aesthetics into a feature film, very few are successful in crafting a satisfying full-length film without heavily relying on an overtly stylized look. Son of Rambow has its moments but it is a tad too predictable at times. Nevertheless, it is a heartwarming film about the friendship of two young boys, and it is pleasant to see that Son of Rambow is nothing like his “father.”

Son of Rambow is currently available on DVD.