Entertainment

Also released: Rambo: Last Blood, The Kitchen

Sylvester Stallone is back as John Rambo Rambo: Last Blood
Sylvester Stallone is back as John Rambo Rambo: Last Blood Sylvester Stallone is back as John Rambo Rambo: Last Blood

:: RAMBO: LAST BLOOD (18, 89 mins)

SYLVESTER Stallone reprises his role as a former Green Beret haunted by the spectre of Vietnam in a fifth and final instalment of the franchise, which began in 1982 with First Blood based on the book by David Morrell.

Co-written by Matt Cirulnick and Stallone, Rambo: Last Blood finds John Rambo (Stallone) at peace with his demons, helping good friend Maria Beltran (Adriana Barraza) to raise her granddaughter Gabriela (Yvette Monreal) as if the girl was his own flesh and blood.

Gabriela learns that her biological father is in Mexico and she disobeys John and Maria to travel across the border in search of her old man.

She never returns, drugged and held hostage by a violent cartel spearheaded by siblings Hugo (Sergio Peris Mencheta) and Victor Martinez (Oscar Jaenada).

Rambo solemnly vows to rescue Gabriela and he teams up with tenacious reporter Carmen Delgado (Paz Vega) to undermine the Martinez operation without compromising Gabriela's safety.

Calling upon his combat skills from almost 40 years ago, Rambo prepares for one final battle to protect the people he loves.

Realeased September 19


:: THE KITCHEN (15, 103 mins)

THREE wives make their mark on the criminal underworld in 1978 Hell's Kitchen in a tough-talking crime drama written and directed by Andrea Berloff, which is based on the Vertigo comic book miniseries of the same title.

Jimmy Brennan (Brian d'Arcy James), Kevin O'Carroll (James Badge Dale) and Rob Walsh (Jeremy Bobb) operate on the wrong side of the law in New York as members of the Irish mob, which is controlled behind the scenes by Kevin's mother Helen (Margo Martindale).

FBI agents Silvers (Common) and Martinez (EJ Bonilla) are in the right place at the right time and arrest Jimmy, Kevin and Rob during a convenience store theft.

The men are sentenced to three years behind bars.

In the absence of their husbands, Kathy Brennan (Melissa McCarthy), Ruby O'Carroll (Tiffany Haddish) and Claire Walsh (Elisabeth Moss) struggle to make ends meet under new mob boss, Little Jackie Quinn (Myk Watford).

The women spy an opening to undercut Jackie's protection racket in the neighbourhood.

They hire two enforcers, Duffy (John Sharian) and Burns (Brian Tarantina), and Jackie reacts violently to the brazen challenge to his authority.

Released September 20