Rambo/Trivia

The third movie was banned in the USSR (the ban was lifted very quickly because of The Great Politics Mess-Up). The fourth is, unsurprisingly, banned in Burma.
In Japan, where Rambo was indeed very popular, the word "rambo" can be translated as "senseless violence"
- Likewise, in Finland, "Rambo" has become a generic word to describe a commando of any sort. So much so that many younger people are surprised to find out the word comes from the movies instead of the other way around.
In Taiwan, any knife with a serrated blade back has come to be called a "Rambo Knife".
Rambo is in fact named after a US Postal Service worker, who also went on to cultivate a type of apple that now bears his name.
- His first name comes from the war song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again".
Fake Russian
Name's the Same: Part II has Marshall Murdock. The film was made at the same time a famous TV-show also about the Vietnam war was running that also had a character named Murdock; the writers probably named Marshall Murdock after him. In addition, Charles Napier, who played the Marshall in Rambo, even appeared on The A-team twice.
What Could Have Been: Dustin Hoffman was the first choice for John Rambo with Mike Nichols directing. He turned down the role because he felt the script was too violent.
- Actually, just about every Hollywood A-lister was considered for the role at one time or another (it was in Development Hell for years). And Kirk Douglas was attached to direct at one point.