Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

You know something shocking? As I started watching the Rambo trilogy for the first time in decades, I noticed that before the series was reduced to a live action cartoon, the movie was actually kind of thoughtful and profound. It was, not as years of watching 80's action movies had conditioned me, just a ballet of bullets and blood.

Meet John Rambo (Sylvester Stall one's other one-trick pony), decorated war hero, skilled Green Beret and Vietnam War veteran with some issues. Rambo is walking the earth, visiting some of his old Nam buddies who also made it back stateside. When he enters the town of Hope, looking for just a place to eat, he gets a less than warm reception from Sheriff Teasle (played by Brian Dennehy and not in the over the top way you might expect) , who tells him in no uncertain terms that he and his kind are not welcome here.

Things of course go badly, and Rambo is arrested. Back at the office a couple of Good Ol Boys give Rambo a working over he'll not soon forget. Unfortunately instead of putting this unwashed hippie in his place, all they do is set off a Nam flashback that sends Rambo on a rampage. Now on the run in the rainforests of the pacific northwest, Rambo is forced to rely on his survival skills while evading pursuit. It's not long before Sheriff Teasle finds himself in over his head as the hunted becomes the hunter. Much ass kicking ensues.

First Blood was of course the other movie, coupled with Rocky, that put Sly on the map and made him one of the eighties action movie superstars. And much like Rocky, the series would become more and more goofy as time went on as the character turned into a caricature. But like Rocky, both film series had their start with an impressively restrained performance from Sly and a really well done script. If all you've seen is the action extravaganza of Rambo II and III, don’t put the disc in expecting more of the same here.

The acting is one of the strong points of the movie. Stallone, when given some meat to work with (instead of the usual all ham diet), carries himself with a silent power that doesn’t go over the top. It's a disquieting everyday-man here instead of the super-warrior from parts 2-4, and that gives the movie a lot of power. And while one could dismiss Brian Dennehy as doing nothing more than a stereotype, a redneck one-dimensional sheriff - that's a disservice. That's exactly what the character is - a small minded, small town cop that's suddenly in way over his head but sporting enough ego not to admit it.

I could go on and on, and while the film isn’t perfect, it's surprising on how engaging and believable the film is. The message - how badly we treated the Vietnam vets - is tasteful, Stallone makes sure that we could emphasize with Rambo, and there's some really gripping action pieces for those in the audience looking for a more visceral time.

BREASTS ON DISPLAY: 0 (unless you count Sly's 2)
EXPLOSIONS: 12
ROUNDS FIRED: 60 (and no arrows)
PUNCHES THROWN: 21
HANDRAIL DEATHS: 0
CAR CHASES: 0
FRUIT CARTS DESTROYED: 0
NINJA? No
F BOMBS DROPPED: 1
BEST LINE: "I could have killed them all. I could have killed you. In town you're the law: out here it's me. Don't push it. Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go. Let it go."
BEST DEATH: Amazingly enough - we only get ONE death in the whole film, and it's mostly accidental when Rambo throws a rock at a helicopter, causing it to juke suddenly pitching a man out the open door.

THE DVD -
For a twenty year old movie, this print looks really good. Oh, sure there are artifacts of it's age - a soft look and slightly dull colors, but for the most part we are treated to a solid DVD. The movie is presented with a 2.35:1 anamorphic image - and of course a pan and scan version, but we don’t talk about that in polite company,

THE EXTRAS -
There are several releases of this trilogy - the one I have is the Rambo Trilogy in a keen metal box, which as I understand it the superior version. The disc has a commentary track by David Morrell the author of the book that the script was adapted from. Through him, we get some pretty good insight of how and why he wrote the book, and the changes the film underwent. Pretty good stuff - although I do wish that they could have gotten Sly in to talk on one of these discs. Ah well.

We also get a documentary, covering the making of and the history of the book-to-screen transition and the difficulties therein. We get interviews with the director, Sly and the producers. The disc is rounded out by some production notes, cast and crew bios and filmographies, and two trailers (the teaser and the full trailer).

Not a bad offering, but the bulk of the really good extras appears on the set's fourth disc. That's where the real meat of the back-story and analysis lies.

BOTTOM LINE -
Sure it's a testosterone filled romp, but First Blood also serves up a good portion of acting and insight along the way. It's a shocking departure from the massive displays of carnage we get in the later episodes.

MY OTHER RAMBO REVIEWS:
* FIRST BLOOD
* RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II
* RAMBO III



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older