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Clearing up the Camouflage
This review will not focus on critiques of the Rambo films, but rather on the details of the various digital home video releases. Since there have been three Rambo complete collection DVD sets and a blu-ray set so far, the contents of the various releases can be a quandary for fans. In 2002, Artisan originally released all 3 movies in a Rambo Trilogy Special Edition DVD Collection. This was an incredible set put together as nothing short of a labor of love. Not only were the movies digitally re-mastered, but the set came with an abundance of special features including commentaries, documentaries, and trailers, most of which were included in a bonus 4th disc. In 2004, Artisan released the Rambo Trilogy Ultimate Edition DVD Set after the Special Edition DVD set went out of print. The Ultimate set was primarily a waste of money for many fans, as most of the Special Edition DVD features did not carry over. Instead, the 'Special Operations' interactive features were offered up as a poor substitute. The only notable inclusion to this set was found on the 'First Blood' DVD, which featured the alternate ending and a commentary track by Stallone. This was later released in 2008 as the Rambo Trilogy Blu-Ray Box set featuring the same bonus content as the Ultimate Edition DVD set but with improved picture and sound. Also in 2008, Lionsgate released the Rambo: The Complete Collector's DVD Set featuring all 4 movies. This set carried over most of the bonus features from both of the previous DVD collections, although the advertised 'First Blood' commentary with author David Morrell from the Special Edition was erroneously missing. The individual movies were identical to the Ultimate Edition set but the bonus disc from the Special Edition set was also included, along with a few featurettes found only on the individual Special Edition movies. In 2010, Lionsgate released the Rambo: The Complete Collector's Blu-Ray Set, which reinstated the David Morrell 'First Blood' commentary but had many of the featurettes found on the DVD set's bonus disc inexplicably omitted. Below are the specs for the Lionsgate 2008 Rambo: The Complete Collector's DVD Set, which is the most comprehensive release to date in terms of bonus features. Any differences with the 2010 blu-ray collection has been noted in parenthesis:
First Blood
Audio commentary with Sylvester Stallone
Audio commentary with David Morrell (blu-ray and Ultimate Edition DVD set only)
Deleted scenes including the alternate ending
Interactive Military Special Operations Features- Survival Mode, Early Warning System, MetaBrief, MetaScope, MetaSight, MetaPoint, MetaMap
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Audio commentary with director George P. Cosmatos
Interactive Military Special Operations Features- Survival Mode, Early Warning System, MetaBrief, MetaScope, MetaSight, MetaPoint, MetaMap
Rambo III
Audio commentary with director Peter MacDonald
Deleted Scenes (not on blu-ray)
Interactive Military Special Operations Features- Survival Mode, Early Warning System, MetaBrief, MetaScope, MetaSight, MetaPoint, MetaMap
Rambo
Audio commentary by Sylvester Stallone
"Legacy of Despair: The Struggle in Burma" featurette
"It's a Long Road: Resurrection of an Icon" featurette
"A Score to Settle: The Music of Rambo" featurette
"The Art of War: Completing Rambo" featurette
"The Weaponry of Rambo" featurette
"A Hero's Welcome: Release & Reaction" featurette
Deleted Scenes
Bonus Disc
"The Real Nam: Voices from Within" featurette (not on blu-ray)
"Guts and Glory" featurette (not on blu-ray)
"The Forging of Heroes: America's Green Berets" featurette (not on blu-ray)
"Rambo-nomics" featurette (not on blu-ray)
"Selling a Hero" featurette (not on blu-ray)
"Suiting Up" featurette (not on blu-ray)
"An American Hero's Journey: The Rambo Trilogy" featurette (not on blu-ray)
"Drawing First Blood" featurette
"We Get to Win This Time" featurette
"Afghanistan: Land in Crisis" featurette
Theatrical Trailers for all 4 Films
To recap, those who have the 2002 Special Edition DVD set are probably better off buying the individual release of the last Rambo film. Those who own the 2004 Ultimate Edition DVD set might consider upgrading if the features on the 2008 bonus disc sound appealing. The 2008 Complete Collector's DVD set is probably best suited for those who don't own either of the previous DVD collections. And for those wanting the best video and audio experience, the 2010 blu-ray collection is clearly the best choice, even though some of the bonus features from the 2008 DVD release were omitted. Whatever set one decides to purchase, the constant re-release of the Rambo movies, although frustrating to many, can also be seen as a testament to the enduring legacy of a pop cultural icon that refuses to die.
May 2008 · Movies and TV · verified purchase