Second Blood

Lore & Background

Second Blood follows Yousef Rambu, an exceptionally well-trained spy and former commando of the Kuwait Army Forces. After being captured behind enemy lines and tortured for months by a Chinese intelligence agency, Rambu developed a resistance to pain. His superiors later send him to the jungles of a forgotten Asian island to rescue influential politicians held captive by terrorists. The cast includes Abdulhadi Al-Khayat as Yousef Rambu, Ranaa Ghandour as Monira Rambu, Mojeb Al-Qabandi as General Mughni, Massouma as a female interrogator, Abdullah Bakhsh, and Fatima Al Marzooqi.

Reader's Guide

Second Blood is notable as a Kuwaiti independent production that directly adapts the structure and themes of the American Rambo franchise, particularly Rambo: First Blood Part II. The film marked the screenwriting debut of both Shehab Al-Fadhli and Fayez Hussein Ali, as well as the acting debut of bodybuilding champion Abdulhadi Al-Khayat, who was hailed as a Kuwaiti answer to John Rambo. Director Fawzi Al-Khatib described Rambu as an improved version of the original Rambo. Filmed in Punjab, Pakistan from February to May 2016, the movie received mixed reviews according to IMDb. A sequel titled Second Blood 2: Back in the Army was announced before the premiere but never materialized; a later report in September 2022 indicated a sequel titled simply Second Blood had been filmed, with Al-Khayat presumably reprising his role.

Did You Know?

• Abdulhadi Al-Khayat, a real-life commando and police officer, made his film debut in Second Blood.
• The film was shot in Punjab, Pakistan between February and May 2016.
• The director considered Yousef Rambu an improved version of the original Rambo.