Rambo: The Force of Freedom

Rambo: The Force of Freedom
Genre Action-adventure
Based on First Blood by David Morrell
Written by head writer/story editor Michael Chain
asst. story editor Jack Bornoff
Directed by John Kimball
Charles A. Nichols
Voices of Neil Ross
Michael Ansara
James Avery
Peter Cullen
Ed Gilbert
Robert Ito
Mona Marshall
Alan Oppenheimer
Lennie Weinrib
Frank Welker
Narrated by Don LaFontaine (Opening Narration)
Opening theme Jerry Goldsmith
Ending theme Jerry Goldsmith
Composer(s) Haim Saban
Shuki Levy
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 65 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Joe Ruby
Ken Spears
Producer(s) Walt Kubiak
Running time 25 minutes
Production company(s) Ruby-Spears Enterprises
Carolco Pictures
Release
Original network First-run syndication
Original release September 15 (1986-09-15) – December 26, 1986 (1986-12-26)
Chronology
Preceded by Rambo: First Blood Part II
Followed by Rambo III

Rambo: The Force of Freedom is an animated series based on the character of John Rambo from David Morrell's book First Blood and the subsequent films First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II. This series was adapted for television by story editor/head writer Michael Chain and the series even spawned a toy line. The cartoon ran for 65 episodes, and was produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises. The series debuted on April 14, 1986 as a five-part miniseries, and was renewed in September as a daily cartoon. Rambo was cancelled in December of the same year.

Plot

In the cartoon, John Rambo is part of a team called "The Force of Freedom" that goes on missions around the world battling a paramilitary terrorist organization named S.A.V.A.G.E. (short for Specialist-Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy and Global Extortion).

Fictional countries and back-stories are featured, some of them echoing historical or current events. In order to meet Federal Communications Commission decency standards and make the series viewable for children, the violence level was significantly reduced compared to the films.

Characters

Force of Freedom

S.A.V.A.G.E.

S.A.V.A.G.E. stands for Specialist-Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy and Global Extortion. They always have goals for world domination until they end up fighting the Force of Freedom. In addition to a substantial number of soldiers, among the members of S.A.V.A.G.E. are:

There were also some one-shot characters who were members of S.A.V.A.G.E. that appeared in one episode. The following are listed in order of appearance:

Episodes

Miniseries

No. Title Original air date
1"First Strike"April 14, 1986 (1986-04-14)
S.A.V.A.G.E. arrives in the country of Tierra Libre in a plot to conquer it.
2"The Angel of Destruction"April 15, 1986 (1986-04-15)
A warplane called the Spectre gets stolen by S.A.V.A.G.E. in their plot to take over Tierra Libre.
3"Battlefield Bronx"April 16, 1986 (1986-04-16)
General Warhawk sends Mad Dog to capture the daughter of Tierra Libre's President during his visit to the United Nations.
4"Raise the Yamato"April 17, 1986 (1986-04-17)
General Warhawk raises the battleship Yamato in his latest plot to take over Tierra Libre.
5"The Taking of Tierra Libre"April 18, 1986 (1986-04-18)
S.A.V.A.G.E. plots to dispose of Rambo and Colonel Trautman so that they would be out of the way for them to take over Tierra Libre.

Regular series

No. Title Original air date
6"Subterranean Holdup"September 15, 1986 (1986-09-15)
General Warhawk's latest plan is to steal the solid gold stamps from Chicago's Federal Reserve Bank to print out U.S. currency so he could print his own money. It is up to Rambo to prevent S.A.V.A.G.E. from stealing the solid gold stamps.
7"Trouble in Tibet"September 16, 1986 (1986-09-16)
General Warhawk and Sergeant Havoc capture a young monk who would become the next Dalai Lama and gains control of a small village in Tibet.
8"S.A.V.A.G.E. Island"September 17, 1986 (1986-09-17)
Gripper steals the Pandora Missile that was meant for the Carlaya Islands in order for S.A.V.A.G.E. to force Carlaya's Indonesian neighbors to surrender.
9"General Warhawk's Curse"September 18, 1986 (1986-09-18)
Under the orders of General Warhawk, Sergeant Havoc, Gripper, Nomad and an ally named Bashir take advantage of three countries by passing off fake curses in S.A.V.A.G.E.'s plot to steal the artifacts in the ruins.
10"Deadly Keep"September 19, 1986 (1986-09-19)
Nobel Prize–winning physicist Herbert Kengsington is kidnapped by the Count (a descendant of Vlad III the Impaler) and plans to hand him over to S.A.V.A.G.E. in the Moldavian Mountains. General Warhawk plans to use Herbert in a plot to use neutron fusion energy for world domination.
11"Beneath the Streets"September 22, 1986 (1986-09-22)
Mad Dog enters the sewers beneath the Special Forces building and places a bomb there while encountering Rambo's war buddy nicknamed "Wrongway." Upon rescuing Wrongway, Rambo ends up stumbling upon Mad Dog and General Warhawk's plot to plant a bomb underneath the White House.
12"Cult of the Cobra"September 23, 1986 (1986-09-23)
General Warhawk teams up with the Cult of the Cobra and its leader Rama to halt the food shipments to the Indian Province of Asam in a plot to force the people of Asam to make him their dictator.
13"Raid on Las Vegas"September 24, 1986 (1986-09-24)
General Warhawk plans to blow up Boulder Dam as a diversion so that he can rob the casino money in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is up to Rambo, Kat, and Turbo to stop General Warhawk, Nomad, Mad Dog, Black Dragon, and a female panther trainer operative named Pandora from robbing the casinos.
14"The Lost City of Acra"September 25, 1986 (1986-09-25)
General Warhawk locates the lost city of Acra in India and leads his soldiers into rounding up the Bindus in a plot to force them to dig up its treasures.
15"Guns Over the Suez"September 26, 1986 (1986-09-26)
General Warhawk sets his sights on the Suez Canal and threatens to blow up all shipping on the Suez Canal unless his is paid $1,000,000. Now Rambo must locate the special gun that will help General Warhawk blow up all the shipping on the Suez Canal and defeat General Warhawk and his ally Sheik Hassat.
16"Exercise in Terror"October 6, 1986 (1986-10-06)
General Warhawk does three terrorist attacks in order to gain money to start an international terrorist training camp. First, he has Gripper and Mad Dog hold a teacher and her students for ransom in the Statue of Liberty. Then, General Warhawk has Sergeant Havoc and Nomad threaten to blow up the Eiffel Tower. Finally, General Warhawk plans to set up his headquarters in Bagdinia.
17"The Doomsday Machine"October 7, 1986 (1986-10-07)
Rambo's old friend Mike Flynn steals the XK-7 fighter jet and uses it to help General Warhawk in enslaving the Zimboli to mine diamonds for him.
18"Disaster in Delgado"October 8, 1986 (1986-10-08)
S.A.V.A.G.E. has been intercepting transports for relief supplies bound for the country of Delgado which has been torn apart by natural disasters. It is up to Rambo, Kat, Turbo, and Colonel Trautman to get the supplies to Delgado and drive S.A.V.A.G.E. away.
19"Fire in the Sky"October 9, 1986 (1986-10-09)
Under orders of General Warhawk, Sergeant Havoc, Gripper, Nomad, and a female operative named Varinia steal a submarine called the USS Typhoon and plans to auction it to any terrorist that is interested in it.
20"Enter the Black Dragon"October 10, 1986 (1986-10-10)
When General Warhawk, Sergeant Havoc, Gripper, and Nomad attack a foreign base and end up thwarted by Rambo, General Warhawk calls in a ninja assassin called Black Dragon to take down Rambo.
21"Reign of the Boy King"October 13, 1986 (1986-10-13)
The boy king Alexander of Morovia has been kidnapped by Sergeant Havoc and Gripper allowing Alexander's uncle Black Duke Lucan to succeed him and allow S.A.V.A.G.E. to build a base in Morovia. It is up to Rambo to rescue King Alexander and overthrow Black Duke Lucan.
22"Rambo and the White Rhino"October 14, 1986 (1986-10-14)
S.A.V.A.G.E. steals a sacred white rhinoceros named Mabuto from the African country of Namboola in order to set up its neighboring country of Ombasi for stealing their white rhinoceros. General Warhawk uses the approaching war as a diversion to mine platinum in Namboola's sacred burial grounds.
23"Pirate Peril"October 15, 1986 (1986-10-15)
General Warhawk and his ally Admiral Nomak team up with Captain Scar and his pirates in a plot to raise the sunken Liberte submarine off the coast of Hong Kong.
24"Mephisto's Magic"October 16, 1986 (1986-10-16)
When Rambo and his team stop General Warhawk's plot to steal the Liberty Bell, General Stedring insists to Colonel Trautman that his army be used next time. This problem comes into conflict when General Warhawk and his magician ally Mephisto successfully steal the Washington Monument.
25"The Halley Microbe"October 17, 1986 (1986-10-17)
Kat's scientific brother is investigating the ion trail left by Halley's Comet and a space probe sent to gather samples left by the comet is targeted by General Warhawk and Black Dragon who plan to use the alien microbe samples which turns anyone exposed to them into raving lunatics.
26"Death Merchant"October 20, 1986 (1986-10-20)
When Rambo's team captures Death Merchant, the train they are carrying him on is intercepted by S.A.V.A.G.E. who plan to use Death Merchant's services in a plot to rob the treasures of King Tut.
27"Return of the Count"October 21, 1986 (1986-10-21)
On Halloween, the Count returns and captures a boy named Danny. Even when Rambo escapes his trap and rescues Danny, he discovers that the Count is collaborating with General Warhawk to capture the President of the United States.
28"Night of the Voodoo Moon"October 22, 1986 (1986-10-22)
Rambo, Kat, and Turbo investigate Haiti when a scientist named Dr. Stark goes missing. They discover that General Warhawk has allied with a Haitian Voodoo magician named Mombo Igthayan in a plot to enslave the islanders and mine the island.
29"Lagoon of Death"October 23, 1986 (1986-10-23)
While vacationing in Venice, Rambo, Kat, Turbo, and Colonel Trautman discover that General Warhawk, Sergeant Havoc, Gripper, and Mad Dog are forcing the monks at a monastery to use their special ceramic to make nosecones for S.A.V.A.G.E.'s missiles.
30"Snow Kill"October 24, 1986 (1986-10-24)
While out testing the survival equipment in Utah, Colonel Trautman ends up stumbling upon Gripper attacking a nearby town and ends up captured as well. General Warhawk uses the Earth-Eater machine to go through a gold mine and take over the Warton Missile Complex and threatens to launch an attack from the missile base if his demands aren't met.
31"Terror Beneath the Sea"October 27, 1986 (1986-10-27)
While out inspecting a base in the Arctic Circle, Colonel Trautman is told by the Eskimo's Chief Molok that a Killer whale named Korac keeps attacking their village. Colonel Trautman and a security captain are then captured by Gripper. When Rambo, Kat and Turbo come to the rescue, they discover that General Warhawk and his ally Dr. Blackburn are using a mind-control box on Korac in a plot to attack the NOMAD Bases.
32"Swamp Monster"October 28, 1986 (1986-10-28)
Rambo and Turbo come to the aid of Turbo's uncle when a swamp monster terrorizes the local town. Rambo discovers that the "swamp monster" is piloted by Sergeant Havoc as part of General Warhawk's plot to build a communication center that will enable S.A.V.A.G.E. to control the defense satellites.
33"Freedom Dancer"October 29, 1986 (1986-10-29)
While in England, General Warhawk steals the world's fastest race horse named Freedom Dancer who is owned by Colonel Trautman's friend Winslow. While on a mission to rescue Freedom Dancer, Rambo discovers that General Warhawk has done it on behalf of an Arab horse owner named Al Rasheed in order to remove it from the competition.
34"Texas Inferno"October 30, 1986 (1986-10-30)
Rambo's old friend Lucky calls upon Rambo when his oil drilling platform keeps exploding. What Rambo doesn't know is that Lucky's partner Jake is in league with Nomad in a S.A.V.A.G.E. plot to work on a warhead that will help them in world domination.
35"The Iron Mask"October 31, 1986 (1986-10-31)
While attending Oktoberfest in Munich, Rambo's team discover a plot by General Warhawk and his ally Iron Mask to steal a recently located old warplane containing a fortune of gold. Rambo encounters a boy named Hors who got amnesia when he learns of General Warhawk's plot and Iron Mask's true identity.
36"Children for Peace"November 3, 1986 (1986-11-03)
Rambo's team is providing security for the Children's Peace Conference in Sydney. General Warhawk sends Sergeant Havoc, Gripper, Mad Dog, and Black Dragon in a plan to capture the children.
37"S.A.V.A.G.E. Rustlers"November 4, 1986 (1986-11-04)
Rambo's team helps a rancher named Shane Dobbs who cattle have been stolen by Mad Dog. They soon discover that S.A.V.A.G.E. is in an alliance with an outlaw scientist named Dr. Gore to slip a belligerence formula into the beef which will cause all humans and animals to act very mean. This beef is planned to be used on the US Army soldiers which will cause a lot of chaos.
38"Mind Control"November 5, 1986 (1986-11-05)
S.A.V.A.G.E. brainwashes three brilliant scientists in order to obtain the plans for a special laser that will shoot down a passing satellite.
39"Vote of Terror"November 6, 1986 (1986-11-06)
Kai Moon's President Wang is forced by General Warhawk's men to read a letter of resignation days before his reelection. Rambo's team ends up coming to the country's aid when Sergeant Havoc, Gripper, Black Dragon, and Snakebite do various attacks to discourage President Wang and get General Warhawk elected.
40"Target, Supertanker"November 7, 1986 (1986-11-07)
General Warhawk and his men hijack a supertanker and anchor it off the coast of Hawaii. He plans to scuttle the tanker causing an ecological disaster if his demands for a warship aren't met.
41"Enter the White Dragon"November 10, 1986 (1986-11-10)
In this episode, it shows how Rambo met White Dragon at the time when General Warhawk has Black Dragon steal priceless samurai swords from Ishikawa Electronic Co.
42"Skyjacked Gold"November 11, 1986 (1986-11-11)
When his team ends up captured by S.A.V.A.G.E. when they end up skyjacking a shipment of government gold heading to the Denver Mint following a plane crash in the swamp, Rambo befriends a helpful Indian named Chief who helps rescue his friends. Once that is done, the group must now prevent General Warhawk from burying the gold in the sacred grounds on Spirit Island (where the graves of Chief's forefathers are located).
43"Attack on El Dorado"November 12, 1986 (1986-11-12)
General Warhawk, Sergeant Havoc, Gripper, Nomad, and Mad Dog invade El Dorado near Tartatinga and take it over. It is up to Rambo, Kat and Turbo to liberate El Dorado.
44"The Ninja Dog"November 13, 1986 (1986-11-13)
While Rambo's team provides security for Senator Thorne during his trip to Japan to meet with President Fujita, a prototype chip for an American defense project is stolen by the science team leader Dr. Hiro Gosho who places the chip in the collar of the senator's dog Peewee. General Warhawk sends Gripper and Black Dragon to abduct Peewee and obtain the chip.
45"When S.A.V.A.G.E. Stole Santa"November 14, 1986 (1986-11-14)
During Christmas in Colorado, Rambo and Turbo rescue a kid when visiting Rambo's old friend Kris Kaufman who is a former rocket scientist turned toy maker for an orphanage that goes around his village on Christmas dressed as Santa Claus. At the same time, General Warhawk, Sergeant Havoc, and Gripper have plans for Kris to make weapons for S.A.V.A.G.E.
46"Blockbuster"November 17, 1986 (1986-11-17)
Rambo, Kat, and Turbo are joined by Rambo's old friend T.D. "Touchdown" Jones at the time when Mad Dog forces elderly couples out of their homes as part of General Warhawk's plot to dig into a military base and steal a top secret new super tank.
47"Supertrooper"November 18, 1986 (1986-11-18)
General Warhawk steals a WWII vintage U-Boat No.505 from the Museum of Science and Industry. In the submarine, there is a map showing the location of a German Supertrooper developed during the war by combining the cells of mean men and vicious animals.
48"Warhawk's Fortress"November 19, 1986 (1986-11-19)
Following some security guards stopping a thief from stealing the plans to some prototype combat vehicles, Rambo, Kat, Turbo, T.D. "Touchdown" Jones, and White Dragon go undercover where three accidents that Rambo survives are discovered to be the work of the plant's foreman Mr. Dirkson who is allied with General Warhawk in a plot to steal the prototypes.
49"The Konichi"November 20, 1986 (1986-11-20)
Rambo's team is sent to guard the plans for a new medical laser that are being transported from Cleveland to St. Louis by train. When Turbo encounters a female doctor named Dr. Omi Ikawa when she treats his sprained ankle following an accident, Black Dragon appears and identifies Omi as the last of the Konichi Ninja Clan. Black Dragon also states that her supervisor Dr. Nori Yamata was the last living ninja of another clan that dishonored the Konichi.
50"Robot Raid"November 21, 1986 (1986-11-21)
A girl named Jennifer (who will soon be the leader of a major defense company) is targeted by S.A.V.A.G.E. when her uncle Merick (the current president of the company) wants to stop the transition. She escapes S.A.V.A.G.E.'s soldiers and runs into Rambo's team who protect her from the attacks of S.A.V.A.G.E.'s mad scientist Dr. Hyde and his robotic henchmen X-Ray and Max.
51"Alphas, Arms, and Ambush: Part 1"November 24, 1986 (1986-11-24)
Rambo's team is enlisted to help General Stedring's Alpha Force guard a ship loaded with NATO military supplies bound for Europe. Meanwhile, General Warhawk's men attack and capture a remote NATO base in Norway.
52"Alphas, Arms, and Ambush: Part 2"November 25, 1986 (1986-11-25)
After evading a missile launched at their helicopter by Black Dragon, Rambo's team and the Alpha Force work to prevent General Warhawk from auctioning the NATO military supplies to the other terrorists.
53"Crash"November 26, 1986 (1986-11-26)
When a plane carrying a doctor and his patient Nicky (who is in need of a kidney operation) crashes near Rambo's mountain cabin, Rambo must get them to the hospital before General Warhawk gets to them first.
54"Mirage"November 27, 1986 (1986-11-27)
Rambo, Turbo, Kat, White Dragon, T.D. "Touchdown" Jones, and Chief end up springing to action when General Warhawk kidnaps the Vice President of the United States and half of the Cabinet when their plane ends up disappearing over the China Seas.
55"Blind Luck"November 28, 1986 (1986-11-28)
Rambo ends up blinded during his fight on an aircraft carrier against Dr. Hyde's minion Max as his friends are captured by General Warhawk's men. With help from a blind girl named Stacy and regaining his sight following a fight with Mad Dog's biker gang, Rambo ends up turning the tables against S.A.V.A.G.E.
56"Turbo's Dilemma"December 1, 1986 (1986-12-01)
Black Dragon targets a new synthetic fuel at INT Laboratories which is guarded by Rambo, Kat, Turbo and T.D. "Touchdown" Jones. At the same time, Turbo finds out that his mother has been captured by a motorcycle gang.
57"Masquerade"December 2, 1986 (1986-12-02)
General Warhawk plans to capture General Bernard who is the leader of the Starfire Defense Team. Rambo and Colonel Trautman use a lookalike named Corporal Justin Wilbur in order to fool S.A.V.A.G.E.
58"Just Say No"December 8, 1986 (1986-12-08)
Rambo visits his old friend Chopper and learns that his teenage son is involved in a drug gang who are allied with General Warhawk in a plot to smuggle cocaine.
59"Monster Island"December 9, 1986 (1986-12-09)
Rambo, Kat, Turbo, T.D. "Touchdown" Jones, and Chief investigate a sea monster in the Gulf of Alaska and come across an island filled with hybrid animals (like crocodile/condor hybrids, giraffe/deer hybrids, etc.). Rambo discovers that the hybrid animals are the work of Dr. Hyde and his animal cell-splicing knowledge as part of General Warhawk's latest plot for world domination.
60"Quarterback Sneak"December 10, 1986 (1986-12-10)
Rambo and T.D. "Touchdown" Jones play football...for freedom! Going undercover on a professional team playing an exhibition game in a communist country of Talinia, the guys save a scientist named Professor Ivanovich when he is targeted by General Warhawk and Talinian Secret Police leader Zared who plan to extract the formula for a proton bomb from Professor Ivanovich.
61"Sepulcher of Power"December 11, 1986 (1986-12-11)
Max steals some ancient Mayan tablets (which will lead whoever possesses them to the Mayan Sepulcher) from Dr. Ramirez. General Warhawk plans to use the Mayan Sepulcher to unite the Mayans.
62"The Twin Within"December 12, 1986 (1986-12-12)
Black Dragon takes the place of his twin brother White Dragon in order to infiltrate the Force of Freedom and relay information of the radioactive material and a super tank to General Warhawk.
63"S.A.V.A.G.E. Space"December 15, 1986 (1986-12-15)
Mad Dog and his biker gang hijack the space shuttle Xenon which is also a laser-defense space station. General Warhawk plans to use Xenon to blow up satellites if his demands aren't met.
64"Change of Face"December 17, 1986 (1986-12-17)
Dr. Hyde creates a robot body double that can replicate anyone like Senator Thorne and the President.
65"Horror of the Highlands"December 18, 1986 (1986-12-18)
T.D. "Touchdown" Jones visits his Uncle George in Scotland. When a remote-controlled submarine version of the Loch Ness Monster operated by General Warhawk terrorizes Loch Ness, T.D. calls in the rest of the Force of Freedom to help stop General Warhawk and his mechanical Loch Ness Monster.

Cast

Additional voices

Crew

Music

Jerry Goldsmith's scores for First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II were licensed for use in the series and tracked throughout (mostly from Rambo: First Blood Part II), with his music for the film's trailer for Rambo: First Blood Part II, used as the opening and closing themes. It was supplemented by original music composed by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, who received an "additional music by" credit.

DVD releases

Lions Gate Home Entertainment (which also owns the DVD rights to the Rambo films) has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 in 6 volume sets.

DVD Name Ep # Release Date
Volume 1: A World of Trouble 11 June 14, 2005
Volume 2: Enter The Dragon 11 June 14, 2005
Volume 3: S.A.V.A.G.E. Island 10 September 13, 2005
Volume 4: Up In Arms 11 September 13, 2005
Volume 5: Snow Raid 11 December 13, 2005
Volume 6: Face of Freedom 11 December 13, 2005

Merchandising

Rambo: The Force of Freedom also spawned a line of toys (as with the majority of older series, the Rambo toy line lasted longer than the television series itself).[1][2]

Controversy

Rambo was the first R-Rated film property to be given a treatment of a children's cartoon show.[3]

The cartoon generated a mild controversy at the production studio, with writers wondering how they could present a child-friendly main character who was created as a troubled Vietnam War veteran suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The show's child psychology advisors believed that the target audience, young children and preteens, would not grasp that aspect of David Morrell's character. They recommended that the cartoon not make any references to Vietnam, POWs, or Rambo's experiences in 1982's First Blood and 1985's Rambo: First Blood Part II.

References

  1. ↑ "Buyers Have an Early Adventure in Toyland : Industry Show Previews Talking Teddy Bears, Cuddly Dolls, More Rambos - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. 1986-02-21. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  2. ↑ "The 5 Most Ill-Conceived Action Figures". Cracked.com. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  3. ↑ Collins, Glenn (1985-12-12). "CONTROVERSY ABOUT TOYS, TV VIOLENCE". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
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