Rambo III (also known as Rambo: First Blood Part III in Malaysia) is a 1988 American action/war film released on May 25, 1988. It is the third film in the Rambo series following First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II. It was in turn followed by Rambo in 2008.
The film opens with Colonel Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna) returning to Thailand to once again enlist the help of Vietnam veteran John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone). After witnessing Rambo’s victory in a stick fighting match, Trautman visits the construction site of the Buddhist temple Rambo is helping to build and asks Rambo to join him on a mission to Afghanistan. Rambo refuses and Trautman chooses to go on his own.
While in Afghanistan, Trautman’s troops are ambushed by Soviet troops while passing through the mountains at night. Trautman is imprisoned in a Soviet base and coerced for information by Colonel Zaysen (Marc de Jonge) and his henchman Kourov (Randy Raney). Rambo learns of the incident from embassy field officer Robert Griggs (Kurtwood Smith) and convinces Griggs to take him through an unofficial operation, despite Grigg’s warning that the U.S. government will deny any knowledge of his actions if killed or caught.
Rambo allies himself with the Mujahedeen rebels and gets their help in trying to rescue Trautman from Zaysen.
Summary via Wikipedia.