Rambo
When author David Morrell wrote “First Blood” in 1972, he killed off lead character John Rambo at the end of the novel. Luckily, that ending was changed when “First Blood” became a film ten years later.
If John Rambo had died in “First Blood,” there wouldn’t be “Rambo: First Blood Part II,” the first major studio film to deal with the Vietnam POW issue. By the time star Sylvester Stallone stepped in front of the camera to play John Rambo again, the character had gone from an ordinary man to a hero on mythological proportions. In the first film, Rambo’s enemy was a small town sheriff and his own past.
In the sequel, he gets the opportunity to return to Vietnam and reconcile his anger. His mission is to sneak into Vietnam and photograph prisoner of war camps that are supposed to be empty. His orders are to only take pictures. He’s not to engage the enemy for any reason. Well, what kind of film would “Rambo” be if the hero didn’t kick a little Viet Cong butt? Rambo gets his chance when he locates the camp, and much to his horror, discovers living prisoners-of-war there.
His orders are clear, but his conscience won’t let him leave behind the men. With the assistance of a female Vietnamese operative (Julia Nickson), Rambo manages to get one man out of the compound. They leave behind them a wake of dead soldiers and a Russian Commander (Steven Berkoff) who wants Rambo stopped at all costs. In “First Blood,” we learned what happens when you tick Rambo off. Imagine his anger when the American government operative who sent him in aborts his pick-up, allowing him to be captured by the Viet Cong.
Of course this gives the film maker’s the opportunity to relive some of the horrors Rambo faced during the Vietnam War, including some nasty shock therapy. In true, heroic fashion, Rambo breaks free from his oppressors, and manages to get the upper hand on the bad guys before the film’s swift 95 minutes are up. George P. Cosmatos isn’t a great director, but he knows where to put the camera for maximum effect. The film’s widescreen action is extremely well choreographed. Stallone, with his long mane of black hair, looks sensational.
He’s in the best shape of his career, and puts those well flexed muscles to work. Richard Crenna returns as Colonel Trautman, who convinces Rambo to accept the assignment in exchange for an early release from the hard labor prison he was sentenced to after the first film. Julia Nickson is lovely as the tough as nails female commando, but you know the minute she kisses Rambo her fate is sealed. It’s that king of movie.
The Mexico locations fill in nicely for the jungles of Vietnam. “Rambo: First Blood Part II” opened the door for the “POW” movie onslaught that included numerous Chuck Norris “Missing-In-Action” flicks. None came close to achieving the same level of excitement and patriotism as this one.
COMPLETE CHECK-UP
VISION: [ X ] EXCELLENT [ ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
An excellent digital transfer that captures all of the action and adventure in the film’s original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio. The DVD has even been enhanced at 16:9 for widescreen televisions. I noticed a small amount of compression artifacts, but nothing worth getting upset about. There’s also a major scratch in the emulsion of the original negative during a helicopter sequence in Chapter 23. Other than that, the transfer is rich and vibrant. The colors are pure and distinct, especially the earthy greens in the jungle sequences. The flesh tones are extraordinary, so alive and honest. The blacks are incredible, and hold up under the most adverse of situations. The overall image is sharp, with good color saturation.
HEARING: [ X ] EXCELLENT [ ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround track is strong enough to rock the roof of your house. Sensational sampling of the sound system’s complete range, from larger than life basses to the most minute ambient jungle noise. No audible hiss or distortion, and the stereo separation is awesome. Superior sound mix lends distinction to the minimal dialogue while surrounding you in a whirlpool of explosions and gunfire.
ORAL: [ ] EXCELLENT [ X ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
Closed Captioned for the hard of hearing, Spanish subtitles.
COORDINATION: [ ] EXCELLENT [ X ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
The extras are similar to “First Blood,” except the documentary, “An American Hero’s Journey” is really a documentary on the mythology of the Rambo character, and not some four- minute music montage of the film. There’s also a running audio commentary with director George P. Cosmatos, who doesn’t feel the need to ramble on needlessly when he doesn’t have something to say. Instead, he picks his moments and then elaborates on them. His commentary is actually interesting, taking us behind-the-scenes on some of the film’s “cheats.” Instead of being shot in Thailand, like most Vietnam War movies, “Rambo” was filmed just outside of Acapulco, Mexico. Some set dressing, some local extras, and voila, Mexico becomes Vietnam. Some of his observations totally ruin the illusion (like the declaration that the river was actually a lake), but they do provide interesting insight into the production of a large scale action film. The DVD also features a Trivia Game, vocally enhanced interactive menus that literally explode when you click on them, the original theatrical trailer, and cast and crew information. Nice package of extras for a DVD that isn’t being marketed as a special edition.
PROGNOSIS: [ X ] EXCELLENT [ ] GOOD [ ] RESUSCITATE [ ] D.O.A.
The DVD quality and content of the sequel is far superior than that of the original. “Rambo: First Blood Part II” was a huge hit in theaters, and should find equal success on DVD.
VITALS: $29.99/Rated R/95 Min./Color/36 Chapter Stops/Keepcase/#60466
ATTENDING RESIDENT: John Larsen
PATIENT: RAMBO-FIRST BLOOD PART II
BIRTH DATE: 1985
HMO: Artisan Entertainment
