The "special operations" veteran John Rambo he’s released from prison and sent by the military back to present-day Vietnam. His mission is to track down American MIA’s and determine whether they are being held as prisoners of war. The plan: a parachute drop into a forbidding tropical jungle. “Do not engage the enemy“, he is ordered. "Just take pictures". On the drop, all Rambo's equipment is lost, except for a serrated knife and a bow with arrows. Rambo soon faces a shattering realization — he has been betrayed by his own forces. Driven by a fierce personal code of ethics and compassion for his imprisoned fellows, Rambo violates orders. With the help of a Vietnamese girl, the guerilla warrior struggles against deadly odds. Embittered, he vows to bring his own brand of revenge to all those who have made him an enemy.