Rambo III

Rambo III
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Peter MacDonald
Written by	Sylvester Stallone Sheldon Lettich
Based on	John Rambo by David Morrell
Produced by	Buzz Feitshans
Starring	Sylvester Stallone Richard Crenna
Cinematography	John Stanier
Edited by	James Symons Andrew London O. Nicholas Brown
Music by	Jerry Goldsmith
Production company	Carolco Pictures[1]
Distributed by	Tri-Star Pictures[1]
Release date	May 25, 1988 (1988-05-25) (United States)
Running time	101 minutes[2]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$58–63 million[3][4]
Box office	$189 million[5]

Rambo III is a 1988 American action film directed by Peter MacDonald and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also reprises his role as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. A sequel to Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), it is the third installment in the Rambo franchise.

The film depicts fictional events during the Soviet–Afghan War. In the film, Rambo sets out on a dangerous journey to Afghanistan in order to rescue his former commander and his longtime best friend, Col. Sam Trautman, from the hands of an extremely powerful and ruthless Soviet Army colonel who is bent on killing both Trautman and Rambo, while helping a local band of Afghan rebels fight against Soviet forces threatening to destroy their village.

Rambo III was released worldwide on May 25, 1988. At the time of its release, Rambo III was the most expensive film ever made with a production budget between $58 and $63 million. The film was not well received by critics and grossed less than its predecessor, Rambo: First Blood Part II, earning $189 million worldwide.

A sequel, Rambo, was released in 2008 with Stallone reprising his role and also directing the film.