Rambo (2008) (import)

Well I must admit I had to have this, cos let's face it, it's Rambo. I'm a huge fan of the original trilogy and was a huge fan of Stallone's recent revival of the character in 'John Rambo' which i thought was a raw and gritty supercharged action film yet with depth of character and story that easily surpassed any of it's disposable contemporaries. Make no bones about it; "the expendables" sticker on the front the "expendables" trailer; the trailers of films from all of the actors in the "expendables" - this is a pure money making and marketing combo to tie in with the release of Sly's latest actioner. BUT, I have to say, what whilst expecting nothing more than the all new "Rambo - to hell and back" production diaries special feature, and maybe a couple of extended scenes in the movie, I was actually really surprised at just how different this new cut of the film is.

This is not just the theatrical cut with a couple of extra bits, this is a true director's cut style extended edition with a completely re-edited opening, many extended takes, many alternate takes, and whole new extra scenes that all blend seemlessly to really compliment and add much to the film. A lot of this really helps to elaborate the story, and really flesh out character and themes that whilst hinted at in the original, were never really fully explored. When Rambo says in the original "no, what you're trying to do is change what is", and Sara asks him "and what is?"; he just says "go home". I always used to wonder, "yeah, what is??". Well, a whole knew alternate take here reveals all, and also a few real home truths about his real feelings about war and regret. And that's not all, you find out so much more about the characters, their relationships, motivation, and so many tiny insertions of lines here and there, very subtle shot changes, alternate dialog, black and white flashbacks, that it's almost an entirely new take on the film. It's all great stuff!

A word of warning tho, there do appear to be a few cuts and alterations to some of the more violent and extreme/controversial scences. Some of these bits are alternate takes (when the main bad guy leader takes delivery of the young village boy for example), but others are just plain removed, or cut short. The child being stabbed in the attack on the village is missing, the guy flying though the air with both legs blown off is cut short, the bearded mercenary stabbing the solider under the hut is removed, and a few other bits that seemed slightly shortened. I should add that these alterations are VERY few, I probably counted 5 or 6, and doubt that this was a censorship issue as the majority of the blood soaked limb exploding violence is completely intact. I'd imagine this was purely a directorial/artistic decision, (a lot of the excised scenes were digital effects, some of which don't stand up quite as effectively as others). Something to bear in mind though before you buy!

The stunning MPEG 4 AVC encoded 1080p picture and 7.1 dts hd master audio remain, giving an blu-ray experience of reference quality, just like the original lionsgate release. People may hesitate to buy this, thinking that they're not really getting much for their money, but trust me this is FAR from a lazy release to steal your money, this is a superb director's cut edition that totally delivers. Also, for any foreign buyers, the blu ray is officially ABC encoded, so it will play on any blu ray player. Enjoy an all new Rambo!

This RAMBO movie is also brilliant but the thing I don't understand about this release, the opening scene is missing. It mentions Never Before Seen Footage where the movie is longer and the opening scene is not in the movie.

Just like the recent Die Hard revival, Rambo proves that you can re-visit old themes with an older actor and come out with an all-out action winner. This isn't a 'modern' film for folk who enjoy hand-wringing, heartache about the rights and wrongs of any situation. You don't need to engage your intellectual and moral centres to enjoy the action.
This is a shoot-em-up and kill-em-all, old fashioned, rat-a-tat movie. And despite the snobbish reception it got from the film critics, it is definitely worth watching if you enjoy action/adventure films with traditional, macho heroes.

The scenario is very straightforward; John Rambo is retired and lives near Burma. He's an ex-Green Beret military killer, scarred by years of combat. He's not having a particularly nice time but he knows a dumb idea when it's suggested to him. And when a bunch of do-gooders want to go into Burma to help the people being slaughtered and oppressed by the bad regieme, he knows it's a bad idea. But, inevitably...
Won't go into the details because there is a plot, and there are a couple of great 'ouch!' and 'wow!' moments. But fans of the earlier First Blood movies will be rewarded by the return of death-by-arrow, the machete moment, plenty of sneakin' around the jungle action, some righteous laying waste to the bad guys and a simply magnificent explosion. (If you have surround sound then you should definitely switch it on, and you'll rattle the room at the right moment...)
The pleasure of films like this is that the bad guys are seen to be definitely bad and deserve everything the yget. Our hero is reluctant to take part, but unstoppable once he is engaged on a quest. And Sly has aged very well; he's in great shape for a bloke in his 60s and carries off the action sequences with complete credibility. The supporting cast are pretty good too, especially the ex-SAS Brit mercenary. He displays ultimate grit in the most gory sequence in the film...

If you want to watch a film which has an earnest debate about the rights and wrongs of military intervention in political situations then do NOT watch this one. If you want a full throttle, 90 minute romp which contains considerable violence and edge-of-the-seat YEAH! moments, then this is one to rent or buy. Rambo is fast-paced, well directed and cleverly nailed together. You might feel you're likely to be hit by the blood splatter in certain scenes... but that's half the point of watching, isn't it?
8/10: it's not art, but it is good film-making.