Rambo: First Blood [DVD] [1982]

When John J Rambo, an ex green beret vietnam vet, wanders into a small town in search of a fellow 'Nam' buddy he is quickly shown the way right through by the local police man William Teasle. However when Rambo turns round and begins coming back into town, he is arrested for vagrancy and resisting arrest.

While in custody he is roughed up and soon somthing snaps and he makes a daring escape deep into the woods. Of course they come after him with sniffer dogs and every man they can muster but in vain as Rambo soon pops then off one by one. Still refusing to give up, Teasle calls in the big boys and a one man war against the army follows.

Besides being a solid little action thriller, 'First Blood' was great in that it showed the world just how the men who fought in the Vietnam war were treated once they arrived back in America. They should have been treated like heros but instead they were spat at. Theres a touching scene in the film right near the end where Rambo is 'spilling his guts' to Col Trautman about all this.

Its quite ironic really that in 'Rambo - First Blood' Sylvester Stallone does actually show some really good acting (somthing that he is slated by the critics for) however the audiences are so busy being gripped by the non-stop action that they don't really notice. Stallone also didn't say that much in the film but his role is definately one where 'actions speak louder than words'. Steve McQueen was concidered for the this role.

The rest of the cast are also very good in their roles; Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle; Jack Starrett as Dep Sgt Gualt the man who roughs Rambo up while he is in custody; and of course lets not forget Richard Crenna as Col Trautman the man who trained and comanded Rambo in 'Nam' and th closest thing that he has to a father. This role was originally cast for Kirk Douglas however he dropped out and was replaced Richard Crenna.

There were several accidents that happened while shooting the movie, the main one being Stallone who decided to do that last part of the jump from the cliff to the tree himself, and managed to brake three ribs. This was caught on camera and appears in the movie. A stunt man also broke his back while jumping the police car.

Rambo has a reputation for being a very violent and blood thirsty film however the total body count in the film is only four, Gualt and the three policemen in the car that blows up. However the Japanese translation of Rambo is violence.

Unfortunately there are not really and special features on this DVD. There is a teaser trailer, and an original theatrical trailer but the list stops there. Its a shame really becuase i think that a 'making of documentary' would have been nice, or some other kind of featurete, movie stills etc. The interactive menus are pretty good though but don't really make up for it.

Overall, 'Rambo - First Blood' really is a totally awesome film that both fans of Sylvester Stallone himself or just action fans in general ae sure to love and like me, want to watch over and over again. If you have already seen the movie then i would recommend that you read the book by David Morrell which is brilliant as it really gives you an even deeper insight into each of the characters. A great movie that has stood the test of time, the mark of a true classic. Forget the politics surrounding Vietnam, just watch it and enjoy it.

'First Blood' is enormously under-rated, due mainly to the hype and success of it's sequals, 'Rambo: First Blood Part Two', and 'Rambo Three'. 'First Blood' is the true original, it is stylish, subtle and most importantly makes a genuine statement about the treatment of many battle scarred soldiers after their return to civilian life. Stallone's acting is impressively sensitive. In 'First Blood', he shows a very human and real side to Rambo's nature. So much more then the action heroes that have become so popular since the films release. Definately one to watch.

The rule of thumb is that a movie succeeds more on the villain than the hero, and that holds true in this case, with Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle, who does not take a liking to a the moody, shaggy haired, Rambo when he wanders through town. Teasle take Rambo into custody and tries to show him who is boss, but has a deputy sergeant (Jack Starrett) who takes things to far. Rambo snaps, easily escapes from the police station, and the massive manhunt hunt is on. The only problem is that Teasle and all of his men are no match for an unarmed Rambo, who quickly finds a way to arm himself. Teasle has some understanding of how his men are culpable in what is going on, but stubbornly insists that the rule of law should still apply, even when Colonel Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna) arrives right behind the National Guard to explain how big of a mistake the locals have made.

The main problem with this film is that there were sequels, which buried the strengths of the original under big budget gloss (a charge that can be leveled against the Rocky series as well). Beyond that the main complain would be that once events have been put into play and we all acknowledge that Rambo has been done wrong, the politics of the situation gives way to the action. As such, the politics become an excuse for the violence, which is one of those things that would be ironic on so many levels. Then, at the end, when the movie becomes political again, it seems rather uncomfortably forced and Rambo's articulation of the very real plight of a lot of Vietnam vets becomes exceedingly forced (actually, at the end of this film, after being moody and silent for most of the film, Rambo talks a LOT). The best of the action sequences is when Teasle and his cops (including a relatively young David Caruso), try to track down Rambo in the woods, mainly because it relies more on stealth and intelligence than big guns and bigger explosions. Against a Green Beret these boys have no chance and when Rambo offers Teasle one last chance to let it go, and when the Sheriff refuses, all of our sympathies go to Rambo.

The message of "First Blood" might be forced, but it is hard to turn in a stern indictment of the film on that basis given what was happening with Vietnam vets in Hollywood. Even in this heavy-handed effort you have to admit there was an attempt at a noble motive. Special mention should be made of the audio commentary on the DVD version by David Morell, who wrote the novel on which the film was based. Morell is an interesting choice simply because he was not really involved in the production of the film, but this has some interesting payoffs, such as the argument that "First Blood" changed the action genre as one of the first movies to feature a brief set-up and then pretty much non-stop action for the rest of the film. There are some tidbits about the film (Kirk Douglas was originally cast as Colonel Trautman) and how the ending was changed when audiences were upset that Rambo was killed.