Rambo

Star/director Sylvester Stallone fittingly provides a solo commentary, proving to be an excellent guide to his maligned actioner, discussing production aspects in good detail and decisions he made as director with a critical eye. He is at his most animated when talking about his striving for authenticity (“if we can’t be great, let’s be truthful”), even addressing criticism that the often gory violence was exploitative. The commentary ends on a tantalising note, with hints at a further instalment in series.

The seven featurettes (approx 70 minutes long) are concise and varied, featuring a wealth of interviews and behind the scenes footage. The 20-minute featurette, Resurrection Of An Icon, features interviews with cast and crew, discussing the reasons for reprising Rambo, the post-production, and the shoot. The Weaponry Of Rambo focuses on the efforts props master Ken Johnstone made in getting the right guns and equipment, as well as the detailed nature of his work. The Legacy Of Despair: The Real Struggle In Burma is a well intentioned featurette, with human rights campaigners emphasising the plight of the Burmese and the importance of films like Rambo. The other featurettes focus on Brian Tyler’s impressive score, the editing and sound design, and the release of Rambo.

The four deleted scenes here all focus on Rambo and Christian missionary Sarah (Julie Benz) in expositional dialogue, and are all wisely cut from the film. The DVD transfer is good, and there are a number of sound options and subtitles.