How Rambo Started A Controversial Trend For Children's TV Shows

The upcoming "Rambo" prequel will see Noah Centineo play a younger version of the titular hero, previously brought to the screen by Sylvester Stallone in 1982's "First Blood" and its subsequent sequels. Despite following a young John Rambo, though, chances are Jari Helmander's movie will be unsuitable for the youth market. It's a "Rambo" flick, after all, and this franchise has a history of being bloody and brutal. Secondly, if the film is canonical to the Stallone saga, the story will probably chronicle the character's escapades in Vietnam, and it's rare to see family-friendly entertainment about that particular conflict.

That said, there was a time when the John Rambo character was reimagined as a hero of children's cartoons. "Rambo: The Force of Freedom," a one-season wonder released in 1986, follows John (Neil Ross) as he leads a military team all over the globe to thwart a terrorist organization's nefarious plans. Inspired by the success of "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero," it was also the first of many animated shows to stem from more adult-oriented movies, with others including "RoboCop," "Beetlejuice," "The Toxie Crusaders," and "Tales from the Cryptkeeper."

Of course, the trend was controversial due to the fact that many of the films that inspired their creation were totally inappropriate for kids — and if kids were enamored by the cartoons (and the toylines associated with them), they were more likely to seek out these movies, right? "Rambo," in particular, drew controversy for being associated with a non-PG franchise, and there was a big outcry about it when the show was first announced.

"Rambo: The Force of Freedom" had parents worried before they even saw a second of footage from the animated series. As documented by The New York Times, there were protests prior to its release, with one concerned father telling the outlet, "As a parent, I find it offensive." However, as the article notes, "Rambo" also came along at a time when parents were raising concerns about everything from "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" to "Transformers" due to their action-packed storylines and characterizations. Still, a cartoon series based on films about a psychologically disturbed Vietnam veteran took their worries to the next level.

Of course, the show's creators were quick to downplay the concerns of parents, with producer Amy Kastens reassuring them that John Rambo is a good role model for children to look up to, as he was famously praised by Ronald Reagan and represented good, wholesome values. In her own words:

"'When you think that the President has mentioned him, the symbol of Rambo transcends the film. That symbol is a symbol of good. He's very patriotic. He stands for strength, he only does good, and he undoes evil."

"Rambo: The Force of Freedom" tones down the gore and mayhem of the movie series (but John still packs plenty of firepower and blades), as did "RoboCop" and the other like-minded cartoons that followed in their wake. Still, it's pretty wild to think that someone watched these flicks and thought they'd make good cartoons — and they were right, as some of the aforementioned cartoons entertained us millennials during our childhoods.