Rambo [Blu-ray]

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Editorial Review:

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 05/27/2008 Run time: 93 minutes Rating: R

If you've been wondering what ever happened to ex-Green Beret superwarrior John Rambo since he singlehandedly shot up a Pacific Northwest town (First Blood, 1982), returned to the jungles of 'Nam to free U.S. POWs held long after war's end (Rambo: First Blood Part II, 1985), and interrupted the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan long enough to blow lots of stuff up and rescue his old commandant from the Reds (Rambo III, 1988), then Rambo (2008) is for you. Without so much as a IV to dilute the brand name, Rambo--which is what most of us called the second, most iconic film in the series--may aspire to open a new era for a pop legend. But it's a thoroughly mechanical attempt to reanimate a franchise that, absent the anger, frustration, and self-loathing of the post-Vietnam years, has no meaning or purpose. For some time now Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) has been putt-putting along the Thai-Burmese border in a longboat, catching exotic snakes to sell. As for the 60-year civil war in Burma between the brutal government and the Karen independence movement, he ignores it. Enter a party of American missionaries whose dewy blond spokeswoman (Dexter's Julie Benz) asks Rambo to haul them upriver so that they can bring medical aid to the insurgents. After the requisite number of monosyllabic refusals, he does. Soon afterward the do-gooders are in a world of hurt, and he's summoned to lead a squad of mercenaries on a rescue mission.

As storytelling, the latest Rambo is the most bare-bones of the bunch. Rambo has little to say, so it's especially galling that Stallone, as director and co-writer, obliges him to have essentially the same conversation at three different points (the final distillation: "Live for nothing or die for something"). The Burmese army goons seem in competition to commit the most hideous atrocity (e.g., child skull-crushing underfoot), the better to justify the eventual, lovingly protracted spectacle of them being eviscerated by high-powered weaponry. Although shot in Thailand, the movie has mostly been photographed in brown, reducing any particular sense of place but, perhaps, perversely increasing our gratitude for the splashes of purple whenever hot metal tatters flesh. --Richard T. Jameson

Beyond Rambo

Complete list of Rambo movies on DVD and Blu-ray

Soundtrack

Rambo: The Complete Collector's Set

Stills from Rambo (click for larger image)

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

another 'sly' movie:

Typical sly action movie. Quite funny the way rambo tries to be all philosophical. No great message no great action. Rambo as usual kills hundreds single handedly. If you have couple of hours to kill and nothing else is on tv, rent it.

Excellent example of HiDef and DTS-HDMaster:

I just made the foray into BluRay since HD-DVD has gone defunct by purchasing the Panasonic DMP-BD55K 1080p Blu-Ray Player here on Amazon. I waited for this player because my surround sound processor has 7.1 inputs but pre-dates HDMI signal transfer and I wanted to have the newest HiRez audio formats. I run HDMI directly into my projector for HD video. This one of the first BluRay movies I have watched and the first with DTS-HDMaster sound. My review will be brief and will focus on the audio/visual quality... more info

Rambo:

I thought this was a good ending to the Rambo series, although at the end I would have preferred to see his family welcome him home, all in all it was good. I'm also glad that this movie brought to light of the atrocities in our third world countries. Many times we don't hear of these. I would recommend this to those who love hardcore action movies. My husband and I enjoyed this movie.

rambo:

i have to say that this film did more in picturing realistic slaughter, than any of the current news links. that said, the film tends to reinforce old stereotypes of noble westerners trying to save the helpless, godless heathens, who lack basic humanity and civilization. the movie also shows the old image of a perverted asian male who lusts after the blond,unattainable white woman. but no need to fear...rambo rescues her before she's dishonored. just as our cavalery once did for american indian-captured... more info

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