Rambo: Ultimate Edition Collection DVD Review:

Starting with the innovative and breathtaking action film with something to say, First Blood, and through the two sequels, the Rambo collection is full of highs and lows. The collection is put together in a box set, which is stylish and screams out manliness, with mostly black, silver, and red as the colors. It is a well put together package that boasts a large amount of special features. The problem is that many of the special features, as many as there may be, end up being a waste of space.

First Blood, based on the book by David Morrell, is a poignant portrayal of a man who can’t escape what he became during the Vietnam War. It is also simply a story of a loner that is not accepted in society, so he declares war. Although Stallone claims that he was hesitant to make First Blood, it ended up being one of the more intelligent action movies of his career and the eighties. Much of the action is well thought out and believable as well.

First Blood is the story of an ex-green beret war hero, John Rambo, who is kicked out of a small town. He only wants to exist freely, so he returns, which eventually turns into a war. Soon Rambo seeks shelter in the woods, giving him the upper hand against the local law, and eventually the army that comes after him.

First Blood features an alternate ending, which is short but sweet. There are also a whole slew of special features within the Survival Mode viewing of the film. There are all sorts of names for the features, such as MetaBrief, MetaScope, and MetaMap, but don’t be fooled by the fancy names. Nine out of ten of these features are not worth leaving the film to see. Some of them are slightly interesting, giving information of aspects of the film, but there are others that don’t even seem to make sense. There is one special feature which is priceless, however, and that is the commentary by actor and writer, Sylvester Stallone. It is a great commentary in which Stallone is able to entertain and give many great facts at the same time. He also shows no fear in telling embarrassing stories about himself during the shoot.

The video transfer looks fantastic and the audio isn’t bad either. Any fans of First Blood should consider buying the individual DVD if they aren’t interested in the entire collection.

Rambo: First Blood Part II lacks the same dramatic intensity, but is undeniably still a heartpounding action film that is great fun to watch. In this installment Rambo is sent back to Vietnam to rescue American POW’s. There are the same horrible Survival Mode special features as First Blood, and there is a commentary track featuring the director George P. Cosmatos. It isn’t a bad commentary, but in comparison to Stallone’s it ends up seeming a little flat.

The last and the weakest in the Rambo trilogy is Rambo III. This Rambo film takes him to Afghanistan to rescue his mentor and fight the Russians. This film is the reason that Rambo films stopped being made. The special features are the same as Rambo II except it is a different director on the commentary and there are a few deleted scenes as well. Basically, it is a somewhat weak disc that I could not recommend on its own.

All together the DVD package looks appealing until you put it in your DVD player. Although the transfer for the film look good, the menu is absolutely awful. It looks like a bad video game rather than a DVD menu. Each film can be bought separately or in the collection package. I can only recommend buying First Blood individually.

Ryan Izay

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