''Second Blood'' is a 2016 Kuwaiti action film, directed by Fawzi Al-Khatib, and written by Shehab Al-Fadhli and Fayez Hussein Ali. The film stars

bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...

champion

Abdulhadi Al-Khayat Abdulhadi Muhammad Al-Khayat (Arabic: عبدالهادي محمد الخياط; born March 6, 1979) is a Kuwaiti bodybuilding champion, police officer, and commando. Biography Kuwait National Team athlete, and a member of International Federa ...

, Ranaa Ghandour, Khaled Al-Buraiki and Mojeb Al-Qabandi. Al-Khayat, in his movie debut, plays the lead character Yousef Rambu — an ex-member of the Kuwait Army Forces with a troubled past."A Kuwaiti 'Rambo' movie is being developed"
/ref> He is sent to rescue political prisoners from a forgotten Asian island. ''Second Blood'', which is inspired by '' Rambo: First Blood Part II'', premiered on November 27, 2016."Kuwejcki film inspirowany serią 'Rambo' zyskuje datę premiery"
/ref>"Second Blood (2016) - Release Info"
/ref>

Plot

Yousef Rambu (Al-Khayat) is an exceptionally well-trained spy and a former commando. As a member of the Kuwait Army Forces he had been captured behind enemy lines during one of his missions. Imprisoned by a Chinese intelligence agency, Rambu was subjected to brutal forms of torture for months which rendered him resistant to pain. Rambu's superiors send him to the jungles of a forgotten Asian island where influential politicians are being held captive by terrorists. Rambu's mission is to save them.

Cast

as Yousef Rambu * Ranaa Ghandour as Monira Rambu * Mojeb Al-Qabandi as General Mughni * Keyan Tanvir as Bader * Massouma as female interrogator * Abdullah Bakhsh * Fatima Al Marzooqi

Production

In November 2015 it was reported that independent production company from Kuwait, Jabara Media Group, was developing an action movie which would share resemblances with American classics — ''

First Blood ''First Blood'' (also known as ''Rambo: First Blood'') is a 1982 American action film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. It co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's mentor ...

'' (1982) and '' Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985). As indicated, Kuwaiti bodybuilding champion, police officer and real-life commando Abdulhadi Al-Khayat signed a contract to play Yousef Rambu, "an ex-member of the Kuwait Army Forces, an exceptionally tough and courageous man." Hailed as a Kuwaiti answer to

John Rambo John James Rambo (born July 6, 1947) is a fictional character in the ''Rambo'' franchise. He first appeared in the 1972 novel '' First Blood'' by David Morrell, but later became more famous as the protagonist of the film series, in which he was ...

, Rambu shares a lot of common characteristics with the American movie icon. Al-Khayat's appearance in ''Second Blood'' is his first movie performance, and the movie itself is a screenwriting debut for both Shehab Al-Fadhli and Fayez Hussein Ali. In late December 2015 it was announced that Fawzi Al-Khatib will direct the project."Kuwejcki film inspirowany serią „Rambo” zyskuje reżysera"
/ref> Al-Khatib found Rambu to be "an improved version of the original Rambo." It was also reported that Ranaa Ghandour will play the role of Rambu's wife, Monira. Filming commenced in February 2016 in

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Completion of the material continued until May.

Release

''Second Blood'' made its world premiere on November 27, 2016; the movie was released in limited theaters in Kuwait City and also met the VOD distribution. Jabara Media Group released the film in Australia, Germany, Japan, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Bahrain, Republic of Macedonia and Morocco. According to

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

''Second Blood'' received mixed reviews upon its release.

Sequel

A sequel, called ''Second Blood 2: Back in the Army'', was announced before the movie's premiere but never materialized. In September 2022, it was reported once again that a sequel was filmed — this time titled simply ''Second Blood''. Abdulhadi Al-Khayat presumably portrayed Yousef Rambu again.

References

External links

* {{Rambo 2010s action adventure films Bodybuilding films Cultural depictions of bodybuilders Films about military personnel Films set in Kuwait Films shot in Pakistan Kuwaiti drama films Rambo (franchise) War adventure films 2010s Arabic-language films