Rambo and RoboCop crossover art imagines the perfect ‘80s action movie. Nostalgia for the decade of the 1980s appears to be at an all time high at the present moment, thanks in large part to shows like Netflix’s Stranger Things, which practically fetishizes the era known for big hair, synth music and rampant mall culture.
This ‘80s nostalgia wave of course is fueled in large part by people’s enduring love of action movies from the time, particularly the films of iconic stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Indeed, Stallone continues to actively milk the ‘80s characters that made him a global superstar, returning as Rocky Balboa in the Creed films and as John Rambo in 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood (which despite the title, likely won’t mark the last time Rambo appears on movie screens). Obviously not all ‘80s action classics starred either Schwarzenegger or Stallone, as the decade offered plenty of other iconic figures, including Bruce Willis’ John McClane of Die Hard fame, Steven Seagal’s various monosyllabic heroes and of course futuristic cyborg enforcer RoboCop.
In the spirit of this ongoing ‘80s love, fan artist BossLogic has imagined an action movie crossover that, were it to actually be made, would have to go down as one of the most ridiculous and possibly perfect movies ever produced. What if RoboCop and Rambo merged to create the ultimate '80s hero? See the fan poster for this dream mash-up in the space below:
The poster above was actually inspired by the upcoming inclusion of Rambo as a character in Mortal Kombat 11, after RoboCop was previously added to the game’s roster along with The Terminator. Rambo and RoboCop both appearing in the same video game is fine (and indeed not the least bit surprising), but the idea of the two crossing over in a movie would obviously be entirely absurd, as the characters occupy worlds that are nothing alike. Rambo of course lives more-or-less in our world, existing as an outsider who occasionally comes out of hiding to help people in need by committing exceptionally violent mass murder. RoboCop on the other hand lives in a dystopian future of high-tech militarized police that, at least in the original movie, was depicted satirically. Then again, with the real world becoming increasingly like the near-future dystopia depicted in RoboCop, perhaps it’s not outlandish to think that a RoboCop/Rambo crossover could work.
As silly as it may be to think about ways of mashing up the John Rambo and RoboCop universes, the fact that such an idea would even be discussed in 2020 is just more proof of how much people still enjoy the action films of the ‘80s. Perhaps, the CGI-ruled approach to action that dominates modern movie blockbusters just doesn’t carry the same visceral punch that the old down-and-dirty practical films of past decades had, causing action fans to look backward in time for the thrills they’re just not getting from newer movies. No doubt, pure nostalgia for childhood favorites plays a part in the enduring popularity of these characters as well.
Source: BossLogic/Instagram