Hey folks, Valkor here and welcome to our first review in the BluView section. The is the spot were we’ll be reviewing Blu Ray DVDs both current and upcoming. And what a treat that the first Blu review goes to “Rambo”, the fourth film in the John Rambo series. And as explosive as it was in the theaters, its even more so on Blu Ray.

The Film

The story revolves around John Rambo, now living his days in Burma. He agrees to help a bunch of missionaries who wanna help the Burmese people, but get caught up in the struggle. And it’s up to Rambo and a group of Mercs to save the survivors. You can’t get any more straightforward than that and it works perfectly. We know about Rambo, we know his entire back story from the previous films, so no need to recap it all. And if you need a recap then definitely pick up the first 3, especially First Blood part II, my personal fav. For my full review of the film, click the pick below, then your back button to continue with the Blu Ray review.

Audio/Video

Audio you’re given the option of English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio or a French 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio. Since my system is 2.1 I had no qualms. Effects were beautiful, gunshots, explosions all around me and the vocals came across clear as a bell. Video is presented 16x9, 2:40:1 ratio, with a full 1080p picture that is crisp and crystal clear. I thought I recalled the film being a bit grainier in theaters, but here, no grain or artifacting here. The greens are definitely greener than I remember, is not a bad thing, and the explosions are a sight to behold. Also I noticed that the blood spurts were less cgi-esque than I previously remember, though you can obviously tell its animated blood spurts.

The Extras

Disc One:

On the first disc you have the film, audio commentary with Director and star Sylvester Stallone, which honestly he should have done it with other folks involved with the making of the film. There’s too much pause and well it would be a bit more entertaining than to sit and listen to just one person. However listening to Sly talk about the film and how its not just a Rambo, fantasy fragfest, but it’s also based on something that’s actually going on in the world, truly enlightening. I, not being a big commentary fan, I’d say give it a listen. You also get a BonusView commentary, which one ups the standard commentary track by adding footage from the making of the film, a look at the actors, even watch as Sly does his commentary along with the film. So if you like a little extra video with your commentary then definitely go with the BonusView. You get Featurettes such as “Heroes Welcome: Release and Reaction”, which goes into the premiere of the film in Las Vegas and reaction of the those involved with the film, not just their reaction but they tell of their friends and family reaction as well. “The Weaponry of Rambo” looks at the weapons used in the film. For instance, the knife used to kill the captain at the end was a knife Sly actually forged. Who knew? Finally you get trailers and a Molog feature, which to me is a silly waste of time.

Let me go into MoLog just a bit. MoLog is, basically its software that allows you to add pics, text, animation, and such in sync with the actual film. I guess if done right you can create a new movie experience, but to me… a waste of time.

Disc Two

Disc contains the digital copy of the film, which you can transfer over to your PC, IPOD, PSP, or other compatible portable movie device. Nifty for those who wanna take their filmage on the go.

Rambo was a fun film and its definitely a great pick up to start or add to your Blu Ray collection. It’s a damn good film with a modest amount of extras that will entertain long after the film is over. My original score was 4 out of 5 stars, but I’m gonna bump up the Rambo BR to a 4.5 stars and its been Valkor tested and TOV approved.