The former RAMBO box set from Artisan wasn't particularly fancy, but it was more than adequate in its presentation of the films along with some decent extra features. Now, however, Artisan has jumped on the special edition bandwagon and released a very thorough four-disc set that includes remastered widescreen anamorphic versions of all three RAMBO pictures, as well as a bunch of documentaries, audio commentaries, and other special features that will delight any Green Beret wannabe out there.
I guess Sylvester Stallone didn't realize what he was doing when he made FIRST BLOOD in 1982. The film, for all its action and splash, actually has a thoughtful moral at its center, while also featuring one of Stallone's better performances as the tragic character of John Rambo. Of course, Rambo would grow from his humble roots in the first film and become a caricature of himself with the highly successful sequels RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II and RAMBO III. This unfortunate transformation is crystal clear when viewing the films in one set as a collection of this sort affords us the opportunity to do.
FIRST BLOOD sees Vietnam War vet and former Green Beret John Rambo wandering aimlessly with little direction in the years since the war. When he happens into a small town, the local sheriff (Brian Dennehy) takes a dislike to the ex-soldier and he and his deputies decide to teach Rambo a lesson. They think he's a mere transient, but soon they learn otherwise when they find themselves in a pitched battle against his one-man army. The result is a load of excellent action sequences tempered by the portrait of the Rambo character as a troubled man, a reflection of what America's time in Vietnam did to many men.
FIRST BLOOD turned out to be a sleeper hit that apparently hit a nerve for adult viewers who found the drama of Rambo's story appealing, as well as kids who were enthralled by the Green Beret's survival and combat skills. The sequel that followed, RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II, in 1985 was an even bigger success at the box office, though the quality of the film itself took a downturn in terms of story and character.
Rambo, now in prison after his experiences in the first film, is freed by his former superior officer Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna). The soldier is needed for a secret mission to rescue prisoners of war still lostbut alivein Vietnam. During the course of the operation, Rambo also gains a love interest this time out in the person of a pretty young thing assigned to assist him. Of course, Rambo can never be happy, so the love interest is doomed and the corrupt American officials running the show are also heading for their comeuppance once our man finishes his primary mission.
The action and spectacle of the second film are all as good as, if not better than, that of FIRST BLOOD. But the character of Rambo lost something between the two films, transformed here into a muscle-bound, inarticulate superhero as opposed to the tortured soul that he was in the original. That was not about to put an end to the franchise, however, and RAMBO III soon followed in 1988.
Interestingly, the third film ties directly into the current events of today, as it deals with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Col. Trautman once again comes to Rambo asking for his help on a top-secret mission, though this time the war veteran declines to participate. Trautman proceeds with the mission on his own, but it proves to be a failure and he is captured. What's Rambo to do but abandon his newfound peaceful lifestyle and head to Afghanistan with guns a'blazin and bow and arrow at the ready? Much carnage ensues.
From today's perspective, it's interesting to note that the Soviets are portrayed as the bad guys in this filmand they were meant to be a new sort of villain for Rambo! How times have changed, as the U.S.S.R. is gone these 14 years later and Russia stands as a key U.S. ally in our own war in Afghanistan. But then, the second and third Rambo films were never about realism on any level. Action and explosions are the name of the game, and on that front RAMBO III delivers. But the drama and soul of FIRST BLOOD was long gone at this point, and fortunately, a fourth filmdespite frequent talknever happened.
The films all look and sound great on this new box set, which also features a fourth disc devoted solely to extra features such as documentaries, featurettes and a trivia game. Each film also sports an audio commentary, with the best of the bunch being the one accompanying FIRST BLOOD by the novelist who created the character, David Morrell.
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