Rambo mounts a one-man mission to rescue his friend Colonel Trautman from the clutches of the formidable invading Soviet forces in Afghanistan.
Weary of the horrors of war, the expert in guerrilla tactics, John Rambo, has settled in exotic Thailand since the suicide rescue mission in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985). However, John will return to action, when his grizzled mentor, Colonel Sam Trautman, gets trapped behind the enemy lines in Soviet-infested Afghanistan, after a botched attempt to aid the remaining rebel pockets. Now, there's no turning back--and as each minute counts--John must act fast before it's too late. Once more, the government will deny John's existence if the men of the ruthless Soviet Colonel, Zaysen, capture him. But, John shows no mercy, and, this time, he fights for his friend. Can Rambo save the only man who ever stood by him?—Nick Riganas
John Rambo's former Vietnam superior, Colonel Samuel Trautman, has been assigned to lead a mission to help the Mujahedeen rebels who are fighting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but the Buddhist Rambo turns down Trautman's request that Rambo help out. When the mission goes belly up and Trautman is kidnapped and tortured by Russian Colonel Zaysen, Rambo launches a rescue effort and allies himself with the Mujahedeen rebels and gets their help in trying to rescue Trautman from Zaysen.—Todd Baldridge
John Rambo, unwilling to accompany old friend Colonel Trautman behind Soviet lines in Afghanistan, ends up going there on an unofficial rescue mission after Trautman is captured. Bullets and bombs fly in all directions as the indestructible Rambo quickly works his way through a large camp of Soviet soldiers.—Rob Hartill
Former U.S. Army Green Beret John Rambo has retired to a Thai Buddhist monastery, where he assists with construction projects and participates in Carib-crabbing competitions in Bangkok, giving away his winnings. When Colonel Sam Trautman, an old friend and ally, pays him a visit, he tells him that he is organizing a mercenary team for a CIA-sponsored mission to support the Mujahideen and other tribes in Afghanistan as they battle the Soviet Army. Rambo declines to enlist because he is sick of fighting, even after seeing images of civilians being harmed by the Soviets. Despite this, Trautman continues on, but Soviet forces ambush him at the border, killing his team and capturing him. Soviet Colonel Zaysen and his goon Sergeant Kourov send Trautman to a sizable mountain base to be questioned.
Rambo is notified of Trautman's capture by Embassy official Robert Griggs, but he declines to authorize a rescue attempt out of concern that it would involve the United States in the conflict. Rambo is given permission to perform a solo rescue because he knows Trautman will perish otherwise, but only if he agrees to be disavowed in the event of his capture or demise. After convincing arms dealer Mousa Ghani to take him to Khost, the town nearest the Soviet base where Trautman is being held captive, Rambo takes a plane to Peshawar, Pakistan.
The village's Mujahideen, under the leadership of Masoud, the chieftain, are reluctant to assist Rambo in freeing Trautman. The Soviets send two attack helicopters to destroy the village after being alerted by a Soviet informant working for Ghani. Rambo uses a DShK heavy machine gun to destroy one, but the rebels will not help him further. Rambo assaults the base with the help of Mousa and a small boy named Hamid, causing heavy damage before being forced to flee. After getting hurt in the fight, Rambo sends Hamid and Mousa away before continuing his infiltration.
Rambo escapes base security and gets to Trautman, releasing him before a flamethrower can torture him. In order to escape the base, he and Trautman hijack a helicopter and free a number of other prisoners; however, the helicopter is damaged during takeoff and crashes, forcing the escapees to make their own way on foot. Rambo and Trautman are pursued by an attack helicopter to a nearby cave, where Rambo uses an explosive arrow to destroy it. Spetsnaz commandos led by Kourov are dispatched by an enraged Zaysen to kill them, but they are routed and killed. In hand-to-hand combat, an injured Kourov engages Rambo, but he is defeated and also killed.
Zaysen and his mechanized infantry intercept Rambo and Trautman as they are heading towards the Pakistani border. Suddenly, in a huge cavalry charge, Masoud's Mujahideen forces-among them Mousa and Hamid-arrive to save them. During the battle, Rambo takes control of a tank and engages Zaysen's Mi-24 Hind-D in combat. The two engage in a head-on charge in which they both fire their vehicles' weapons at one another. Rambo survives by using his tank's main gun to destroy the Hind-D before it can ram him, killing Zaysen. Rambo and Trautman say goodbye to the Mujahideen and depart Afghanistan following the battle.
