# Rambo (1986)

> An animated spin-off of the Rambo films in which John Rambo leads a commando team against a militaristic enemy.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2624

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 65
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, action, adventure
- Network: Syndication
- Cast: Neil Ross, Michael Ansara, Alan Oppenheimer, Mona Marshall, Robert Ito, Frank Welker, Ed Gilbert, Lennie Weinrib
- TMDB rating: 6.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0222619/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: earnest, brisk, heroic, nostalgic, breezy

## What critics say

Audience reception is mixed, with a middling rating from a small pool of viewers for this 1980s animated action series.

## Synopsis

Rambo: The Force of Freedom (1986) is a American animated action adventure series created as a syndicated cartoon for Syndication, adapted by story editor and head writer Michael Chain from the character John Rambo, drawn from David Morrell's novel First Blood and the First Blood films. Voiced by Neil Ross as John Rambo, the series follows the veteran soldier as he leads a small commando unit against the armed forces of General Warhawk, voiced by Michael Ansara, while Colonel Samuel Trautman, voiced by Alan Oppenheimer, provides the mentoring presence familiar from the films. Each half hour episode is built around a mission, with rescues, sabotage, and firefights against a rotating cast of villains and gadget-laden vehicles. The engine is simple: Rambo fights to defeat the enemy and protect the innocent in each new hostile locale. Across its 65 episodes the tone stays brisk, earnest, and heroic, with bright palettes and a cheerful reliance on action spectacle rather than the grimness of the source films. The series sits in the lineage of 1980s toy-driven cartoons, and fans of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and Transformers will find resonance in its militaristic adventure and merchandise-fueled energy. It is a nostalgic, straightforward action show for younger audiences.

## Shows like Rambo

- [Conan the Adventurer (1992)](https://ember.film/tv/12939)
- [He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/2887)
- [ThunderCats (1985)](https://ember.film/tv/1880)
- [The New Adventures of Jonny Quest (1986)](https://ember.film/tv/13676)
- [He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/878)
- [M.A.S.K. (1985)](https://ember.film/tv/4710)
- [G.I. Joe: Renegades (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30510)
- [G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/26912)
- [Street Sharks (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/11699)
- [The Centurions (1986)](https://ember.film/tv/2517)

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