Tubi Just Added a Trio of the Best Action Films From the 1980s (But You’ll Have to Go Hunt For the Rest of the Franchise)

March 3, 2026, 7:39pm

The 1980s was such a good decade for movies, especially for action movies. It was a decade that not only gave audiences exciting, action-packed spectacles, but many of them turned into franchises, opening up a world of entertainment. There were some truly iconic action films during those years, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, The Terminator, and so many more became so much more than just their first film and now, part of another major action franchise from that era is streaming for free — or at least part of it is.

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As of March 1st, the first three movies in Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo franchise are now streaming on Tubi: 1982’s First Blood, 1985’s Rambo: First Blood Part II, and 1988’s Rambo III. There are two more films in the franchise, 2008’s Rambo and 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood, but fans looking to find those films and complete the movies to date will need to look elsewhere as the latter two do not currently appear to be streaming on major platforms, but are available to rent or buy.

Now Is The Perfect Time to Watch the Original Rambo Trilogy

The Rambo franchise centers around John Rambo (Stallone), a United States Army Special Forces veteran who returns from the Vietnam War traumatized, but with superior military skills. He uses those skills to take on everything from corrupt police officers to drug cartels to enemy troops, depending on the film. The first film sees him dealing with the police in a small town in the Pacific Northwest while the second film sees Rambo sent on a mission to rescue POWs while the third film sends him on a mission during the Soviet-Afghan War to rescue his former commander from the Soviet Army.

Of the three films, the first was the most successful commercially and critically, but the entire trilogy is a solid watch from start to finish. The films are also not just your regular action films, as they take on serious subjects, including PTSD and the treatment of veterans. They make for a nice balance of serious action and social commentary, and Stallone is a standout throughout as he brings the layered character to life.

And now is a good time to go back and revisit these action classics. A prequel film is currently in the works with Noah Centineo cast as a younger John Rambo. The film is set during the Vietnam War, which positions its events before those of First Blood. This will arguably give fans a look at how we got to the complex character that we meet in First Blood, hopefully offering new insight and depth to why Rambo is who he is and how the remarkable character was forged. Getting to know the character through the original trilogy ahead of this prequel will not only help fans get reacquainted with the character but is also just a good time to revisit one of the 1980s best franchises.

The first three Rambo movies are now available to stream for free on Tubi.

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