By Steve Crum
When former Marine Terry Richmond cycles into a small Louisiana town, it should seem very familiar to action movie fans. The deja vu is because ex-Green Beret John Rambo entered a near-clone looking city in 1982. Back then, the success of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo character initiated a string of movie sequels. Now, 42 years after First Blood, we have Rebel Ridge. It is a taut, action-packed thriller starring Aaron Pierre as Richmond. And it is well worth seeing.
Richmond’s protagonist is the burg’s police chief, with an uncharacteristic Don Johnson seething violence as a corrupt top cop. (Rambo’s nemesis was the town sheriff played by Brian Dennehy.) In both films, a strong, good guy, out-of-towner is totally unwelcome to law enforcement.
All that said, director/writer Jeremy Saulnier does a slightly fabulous job in making the plot surprisingly fresh and compelling.
After being virtually robbed of his $36,000 (by two local cops) that he brought to help his jailed cousin, Richmond gets zero help from all concerned at police headquarters. Instead, he gets blowback from Chief Sandy Burnne (Johnson) and his underlings. But there is one sympathetic to his cause who faces danger if she takes Terry Richmond’s 
side. She is Summer McBride, played by AnnaSophia Robb. Her decision to buck the corrupt legal system of Rebel Ridge and help Richmond threatens her life. Soon the two become a crime busting team.
The script’s credibility goes to surprise extremes whereby the two heroes scheme and fight Chief Burnne and his legalized thugs. Realize that Richmond is no Rambo—in the sense that Rambo is a one-man army. Actually, Terry is trying to avoid violence. At the same time, he has to become physical when helping his new comrade stay safe and survive.
Rebel Ridge’s third act is nail-gnawing intense as the forces of good and evil meet resolution. I know it sounds formula, but it works.
Incidentally, David Gallego’s cinematography is above average and worthy of note.
Calling Terry Richmond a thinking man’s John Rambo is apt.
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GRADE on an A-F Scale: A-