I Watched The 2003 Movie Sylvester Stallone Says Is Based On First Blood, And Whoa, It’s A Wild Ride

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I recently saw an interview with Sylvester Stallone reflecting on his career. While discussing the Rambo movies, particularly the original First Blood – which he considers the best – he brought up a film I hadn’t known about called The Hunted.

Stallone explained that his new film, available on Paramount+, is another adaptation of the novel First Blood – the same book his 1982 movie was based on. Having read the book a long time ago and knowing the film differed significantly, I decided to watch The Hunted. It’s a really intense movie.

The Hunted Is Packed With Talent

I recently learned about the movie The Hunted and was surprised I hadn’t heard of it before. It has a fantastic cast, including Benicio del Toro as a troubled soldier and Tommy Lee Jones as his former teacher, who’s been sent to track him down. Connie Nielsen, known from Gladiator, also stars, along with strong character actors like Rex Linn, Mark Pellegrino, and José Zúñiga. The legendary Johnny Cash even provides a short introductory narration.

The film was directed by William Friedkin, the acclaimed director behind hits like The French Connection and The Exorcist. With a budget of over $50 million – a significant sum in 2003 – it seemed poised to become a hidden gem. However, the film received mostly negative reviews. Despite this, I was eager to watch it.

The Hunted Is A Violent, Crazy Flick, But The Direct Connection To First Blood Isn’t Clear

You know, after Stallone mentioned the movie was based on a book in his GQ interview, I did some digging, and it seems he might have been mistaken. I couldn’t find any real connection between the book First Blood – published way back in 1972 – and this film. Actually, a lot of the reviews I read did compare the two, but generally weren’t too kind about it, and also brought up the earlier Stallone movie.

The movie First Blood significantly differs from the book it’s based on, especially the ending. Without giving anything away, the book is far more violent and ends on a much sadder note. I think the film The Hunted draws a lot of inspiration from the First Blood book – it features a similar story of a soldier being hunted by a former mentor, with a tragic outcome for all involved. As the author of First Blood, David Morrell might even wonder if The Hunted borrowed too heavily from his original story.

In The End, The Hunted Just Isn’t Very Good

I tried to go into the movie with no preconceived notions, despite the negative reviews. But as it went on, I became increasingly disappointed. I really wanted to enjoy it, but it just didn’t work for me. The conversations between characters felt forced and unnatural, the acting wasn’t very strong, and the director seemed uninspired. It’s surprising, considering how talented everyone involved is. The movie heavily hinted at what was going to happen, which ruined the ending before it even got there.

It’s clear why this film only has a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes – it doesn’t live up to expectations given the talent of filmmakers like Friedkin, Jones, and del Toro. Thankfully, del Toro is also in One Battle After Another, a promising movie coming out in 2025, and he’s much stronger in that role.

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2025-10-31 15:08