Review of Rambo: First Blood 2

Introduction

Stallone returns as John J. Rambo in what was, at the time of its initial release, a very controversial movie. There was an air of hatred due to a lack of politically correct actions in this movie that is essentially about America bashing the bad guys. But in the current world climate, this is probably a better movie shown now, in all it`s digital DVD quality glory, than it was back in the days when most of the world wouldn`t say boo to a semtex carrying, machine gun wielding goose.

Stallone puts in an even more impressive and considerably more muscle-bound performance and he even ups the ante in terms of his own narrative. This is obviously because he co-wrote the screenplay with non-other than James "king of the world" Cameron. Yes that`s right the man who gave us Titanic, Aliens and The Terminator also helped pen this head-turning sequel. You could in fact say this is just Stallone as the Terminator!

This disc is taken from the Rambo Trilogy box set. I`m not sure if it is available as a separate DVD at this time.

So how do we rate this DVD gunfest?

Video

The 2.35:1 anamorphic image is flawless. It contains a gloriously rich canvas of colour that has an almost three-dimensional feel. The contrast level is on a par with the colour, with solid blacks and sharp whites that show no signs of haloing or smearing. There is little evidence of the macro blocking gremlin here either. Menus are nicely animated and scored.

Audio

Again we suffer a poor 2.O surround track that, again, fails to deliver on the big-bang front. These movies are made for good strong Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS delivery. They cry out for thumping explosive bass and room filling ambient effects. This DVD gives us a very thin and muted track that seems to be a running theme with many Metrodome/Studio Canal transfers. The sound again (see Rambo: First Blood review) is harsh and uncomfortable and needs a tweak on the old treble and a real shunt-up in volume to stop ear ache or strain!

Features

There are quite a few extras on this disc but its just a shame that the majority is rehashed throughout. You get a `The Last American P.O.W. - Documentary, `Sean Baker - Fulfilling A Dream Documentary plus the Making of - Creating the reality of war and Making of - Action in the jungle that just re-tread the same footage and anecdotes. A Sylvester Stallone personality profile is interesting and we get a couple of short-and-sweet Interviews with some of the principal cast. There`s also a tiny behind the scenes piece and Photo Gallery.

Conclusion

A fantastic video transfer is spoiled by poor audio. The extras are simple, short, informative but repetitive but like Rambo: First Blood we get to see a pristine picture in its correct aspect ratio.

Metrodome, please just sort out your sound!