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From Amazon.co.uk
The clue to what Son Of Rambow is about is all in the title, minus that W, of course (which presumably keeps the lawyers at bay). For it’s the story of two young boys who, after watching Sylvester Stallone in action, decide that they can make a home movie addition to the Rambo saga, and ultimately set about to do just that.
This proves to be an inspired platform for one of the best British comedies of recent years. Directed by Garth Jennings (who also helmed the big screen adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy), Son Of Rambow is actually at heart the exploration of a friendship between two young boys in the 1980s, and the highs and lows that go along with it.
Most, but not all, of the chuckles come from the reimagining of Rambo (replete with stunts and plenty of action), but Son Of Rambow also packs in some poignant, affecting drama without ever feeling like it’s in any way overstaying its welcome. And with a musical backing that catches the flavour of the 80s pretty much perfectly, this is a treat of a movie, and a very British one at that. Don’t miss it. --Jon Foster
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (2.35:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast/Crew Interview(s), Commentary, Interactive Menu, Making Of, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: In 1980's Britain, young Will Proudfoot is raised in isolation among The Brethren, a puritanical religious sect in which music and TV are strictly forbidden. When Will encounters his first movie, a pirated copy of "Rambo: First Blood," his imagination is blown wide open. Now, Will sets out to join forces with the seemingly diabolical school bully, Lee Carter, to make their own action epic, devising wildly creative, on-the-fly stunts, not to mention equally elaborate schemes for creating a movie of total commitment and non-stop thrills while hiding out from The Brethren. When school popularity finally descends on Will and Lee in the form of, oui, the super-cool French exchange student, Didier Revol, their remarkable new friendship and precious film are pushed, quite literally, to the breaking point. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, British Independent Film Awards, ...Son of Rambow ( Der Sohn von Rambow )
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
Will, a boy from a deeply religious family background is forbidden to watch TV or play with any bad influences at school, however he becomes involved with Lee Carter the school bully and ends up watching his first film - `Rambo: First Blood', and from that moment on his life is changed...
...Although Lee seems brash and aggressive, we get an insight into his home-life, a family damaged by parental absence. He is actually a very creative boy with a passion for film, and he dreams of winning a TV competition for youth film makers. It is the wide-eyed innocent Will though who becomes his friend and helps him to try and realise his dream.
Son Of Rambow touches on issues of religion without `taking sides', it simply highlights the sacrifices some make in order to celebrate their faith, and the memory Will's mum has over having to get rid of her treasured music is a very poignant moment in the film and helps to cement an empathy with her son and how he must be feeling in a modern age with the restrictions the Brethren.
The main focuses of this film though are friendship and bullying. Both are very closely linked, the cliché of bullies usually being victims themselves is an apt one, and it's no different here. We see bullies become victims and we see those who are revered by many also be looked down at by others. The message is tenderly spoonfed in a gentle film, it's mainly the acting of young Bill Milner who makes the film an endearing watch. He manages to come across as a genuinely excited boy who is excited by the world and what it has to offer, you never feel as though he is acting, he looks so natural in the role.
In a nutshell: I enjoyed this film, but I didn't love it.... Read more ›
...Although Lee seems brash and aggressive, we get an insight into his home-life, a family damaged by parental absence. He is actually a very creative boy with a passion for film, and he dreams of winning a TV competition for youth film makers. It is the wide-eyed innocent Will though who becomes his friend and helps him to try and realise his dream.
Son Of Rambow touches on issues of religion without `taking sides', it simply highlights the sacrifices some make in order to celebrate their faith, and the memory Will's mum has over having to get rid of her treasured music is a very poignant moment in the film and helps to cement an empathy with her son and how he must be feeling in a modern age with the restrictions the Brethren.
The main focuses of this film though are friendship and bullying. Both are very closely linked, the cliché of bullies usually being victims themselves is an apt one, and it's no different here. We see bullies become victims and we see those who are revered by many also be looked down at by others. The message is tenderly spoonfed in a gentle film, it's mainly the acting of young Bill Milner who makes the film an endearing watch. He manages to come across as a genuinely excited boy who is excited by the world and what it has to offer, you never feel as though he is acting, he looks so natural in the role.
In a nutshell: I enjoyed this film, but I didn't love it.... Read more ›
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Koikby
Format:Blu-ray
I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this film but it was great. The opening titles made me laugh out loud. The humour of the two boys' adventures was well timed and well balanced against the emotional family story. Both the main characters are believable and all actors put in a great performance, especially Jessica Hines. The special effects where used are excellent. You'll have to try hard not to shed a tear at the end. It's definitely worth watching!
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By C. MacLellan
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
The 1980s gave us the world many things - yuppies, shoulder pads, the Falklands War, and for the purposes of this review, the children's TV show Screen Test. One of the first `reality shows', it allowed kids to send their own short films into the programme, to compete against other kids, to win a plasticy, trophy thing - and more importantly, appear on TV.
So, after sneaking into a showing of First Blood, wild child Lee Carter (Will Poluter) decides he's going to win the Screen Test competition by making his own version of the Sly Stallone feature. Following a chance meeting in the school corridor, he manages to rope in the help of Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) as his leading man, throwing him into lakes and sending him flying into pits of tar. However, Will's new found pastime does not go down well with his mother (Jessica Hynes), as her family are part of the Brethren, a group which forbids it's members from watching films or television, in an attempt to insulate itself from the outside world. Although the two boys come from completely different backgrounds, both are loners, and in each other, find their `blood brother'.
The baby of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy director Garth Jennings, Son of Rambow is a semi-autobiographical account of the director's childhood. The film is a homage to the 1980s which Jennings grew up in, similar to that seen in Shane Meadow's This Is England. From the music of Depeche Mode, to the language used ("Skill" as in "Skill on toast"), right down to the minute details, such as the guide-dog-shaped charity collection boxes outside the supermarket, Jennings is transporting many of his viewers back to the age they grew up in.... Read more ›
So, after sneaking into a showing of First Blood, wild child Lee Carter (Will Poluter) decides he's going to win the Screen Test competition by making his own version of the Sly Stallone feature. Following a chance meeting in the school corridor, he manages to rope in the help of Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) as his leading man, throwing him into lakes and sending him flying into pits of tar. However, Will's new found pastime does not go down well with his mother (Jessica Hynes), as her family are part of the Brethren, a group which forbids it's members from watching films or television, in an attempt to insulate itself from the outside world. Although the two boys come from completely different backgrounds, both are loners, and in each other, find their `blood brother'.
The baby of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy director Garth Jennings, Son of Rambow is a semi-autobiographical account of the director's childhood. The film is a homage to the 1980s which Jennings grew up in, similar to that seen in Shane Meadow's This Is England. From the music of Depeche Mode, to the language used ("Skill" as in "Skill on toast"), right down to the minute details, such as the guide-dog-shaped charity collection boxes outside the supermarket, Jennings is transporting many of his viewers back to the age they grew up in.... Read more ›
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This Film is a must. it is a bit slow to start off but once it gets going boy is it great. My Autistic son absolutely loved it and went to see it another time.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Will Proudfoot is a small boy with a big imagination. Living amongst the Plymouth Brethren - a deeply religious Christian sect - his big ideas stuggle to escape, but when he crosses the path of tearaway Lee Carter, who is making a film for "Screen Test", he finds an outlet for talents he never knew he had.
First off, it's not a film FOR kids, it's a film ABOUT kids: there's bad language, smoking and violence (the violence comes in a fairly tame clip from the real film First Blood) but it's all pretty harmless if you compare it to a lot of stuff you can see these days. It's also set in the 80's so there's big nostalgia value in almost every scene which can only really appeal to adult audiences. Secondly, it's not cinema verite, it's an expression of the kids' imaginations, so there's surrealism, cartoonised sequences and general, childlike silliness abounds.
I suppose you could sum it all up as childish fun for adults... And it's great.
The story follows WIll and Lee's developing friendship, their domestic difficulties and school life. It's actually a very poignant story as both Will and Lee are, in their own ways, stifled, oppressed and even damaged by their experiences. But, that they manage to rise above these limitations makes it a feelgood movie too. It steers well away from schmaltz though (at least until the end) and the story is leavened by some wonderful, surreal, slapstick humour meaning that there are plenty of genuine laugh-out-loud moments all the way through.
Some reviewers seem to have taken against the acting as well. Allowing for the two boy's ages and acting experience at the time the film was made, I reckon that their performances are pretty damn good.... Read more ›
First off, it's not a film FOR kids, it's a film ABOUT kids: there's bad language, smoking and violence (the violence comes in a fairly tame clip from the real film First Blood) but it's all pretty harmless if you compare it to a lot of stuff you can see these days. It's also set in the 80's so there's big nostalgia value in almost every scene which can only really appeal to adult audiences. Secondly, it's not cinema verite, it's an expression of the kids' imaginations, so there's surrealism, cartoonised sequences and general, childlike silliness abounds.
I suppose you could sum it all up as childish fun for adults... And it's great.
The story follows WIll and Lee's developing friendship, their domestic difficulties and school life. It's actually a very poignant story as both Will and Lee are, in their own ways, stifled, oppressed and even damaged by their experiences. But, that they manage to rise above these limitations makes it a feelgood movie too. It steers well away from schmaltz though (at least until the end) and the story is leavened by some wonderful, surreal, slapstick humour meaning that there are plenty of genuine laugh-out-loud moments all the way through.
Some reviewers seem to have taken against the acting as well. Allowing for the two boy's ages and acting experience at the time the film was made, I reckon that their performances are pretty damn good.... Read more ›
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3.9 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
brill!
lovely heart warming film says age 12 but don't see why. a story of true friendship, love and brotherhood. fab!
Published 1 month ago by Samantha adamson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Daughter wanted this film and she loves it.
Daughter wanted this film and she loves it. She's 13 , nearly 14 and bought it with her own money after seeing a trailer for it on another video. Read more
Published 4 months ago by aitch
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quality film
Excellent family movie for all to enjoy. The storyline is really good and imaginative. I would describe it as being one of the better movies around of its type/genre.
Published 13 months ago by Z-meister
5.0 out of 5 stars
Skill!
Basically, this film is almost a snapshot of my life in the early 80s - except my family weren't in a strict religious order, and I didn't live in a nursing home. Read more
Published 14 months ago by C. S. Schalck
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well worth a view
I'd seen trailers for this film for awhile and kept saying I must get that. And boy am I glad I did. It is a kids flick but with an underlying story. Very funny in parts. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Cathalp
4.0 out of 5 stars
A BRITISH TRIUMPH!
SON OF RAMBOW is a British triumph! The script was a little unrealistic, but everything else was fantastic. The acting was shockingly good from the whole cast. Read more
Published 22 months ago by G. Stephenson
5.0 out of 5 stars
love it
son of rambow is a great film it is so funny i recomend it to all 12 year olds it is definatly in my top 10
Published on 12 Feb 2011 by cezco
1.0 out of 5 stars
SON OF RAMBO : GARBAGE
I bought "Son of Rambo" because one of the characters looked like a young River Phoenix (superb in "Stand by Me " and "My Private Idaho") and the film was described as "The best... Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2011 by Malcolm Everett
4.0 out of 5 stars
Funny and touching
This is a funny little film that can be enjoyed by adults and older children. My 11 year old grandson loved it, but it helped he knew who Rambo is. Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2010 by Pattycake
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why isn't this film famous?
I simply do not understand why this film is not famous. Famous in the same way as The Full Monty and Billy Elliot.
It is relevant, witty, and uplifting. Read more
It is relevant, witty, and uplifting. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2010 by pen
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