The 80s gave birth to many great movie franchises; Ghostbusters, Terminator and The Never Ending Story. Okay, maybe not the last one, but we also got the recently reinvigorated Rambo franchise.
And as Sly Stallone recently shuffled his way back into the red bandana his little-known son is also flexing his muscles this side of the pond in the new film Son of Rambow.
Alas, the muscles flexed here are more the comedic type than steroid-induced tree trunks synonymous with Sly. This, however, presents us with one of the most fresh and surprising British films in years and a must-see film.
Set in the 1980s, 10-year-old Will Proudfoot’s (Bill Milner) life is turned upside down after watching, by chance, First Blood at a fellow schoolboy’s house, and the film leaves its scar on him. After all the fuss we have about our ratings systems, and various people speaking out about how it morally corrupts our children, the next logical step for Will would be to go on a mass killing spree. More affectionately, though, he and rebel schoolboy Lee Carter (Will Poulter) set about making their own version of the film.
The story is an enjoyable ride which, while amusing throughout, also has a huge heart that we didn’t expect walking in. This film examines some of the great moments of childhood, and takes you back instantly to a time when a sneaky viewing of one of your dad's action movies resulted in a hundred school playground impersonations and action scene recreations. The boys' wild imaginations concoct flying dogs with machine guns, prison breaks and evil scarecrows that are created using whatever the two of them can find.
This is Garth Jennings' second feature – the first of which being Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy – and although Son of Rambow obviously lacks the budget of his previous work, he has lost none of his visual inventiveness. Although more low key, the style and effects used in this film work perfectly in encapsulating that moment in childhood where the car window was your playground and the imagination ran wild.
There are some hilarious scenes in this film, going from the inventiveness of the stunts they create to the new French exchange student’s antics and also a great sequence inside the six form common room that reflects the evils that come with fame but with Pop Rocks and Cola instead of drugs and groupies.
At the centre of the film though is a partnership between the two boys Will and Lee. Starting off as polar opposites, the two form a bond that becomes the driving force behind the emotional later scenes that are both touching and heartfelt. The two child actors – both in their first features – create a real connection that doesn’t feel contrived and helps level the film above a nostalgic trip to the 80s, instead creating a reflection of adolescence that people of any age can relate to.
It’s rare to find an indie offering from this country that is so well written, acted and directed and it’s great to see Garth Jennings take a step back into his childhood and create a story that is clearly close to his heart. The drama is wonderfully performed and the child actors hold their own against any of the adult actors in the film and its great showcase for British talent.
It’s a fantastic ride of a film with cartoonish humour that will put a smile on the most miserable face and touch the coldest of hearts and well worth the ticket price. So strap on your red bandana and head down the cinema, the star may lack the upper body strength of his so-called father but the movie flexes its muscles in all the right places.
[story by David Scarborough]
shawna says
We were just talking about this movie at work the other day. After reading this I must find a copy of this.