Rambo: Complete Collection - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

"They drew first blood, not me."

If there’s one franchise that’s run the gamut of action filmmaking through the last forty years, it’s Rambo. Based on the excellent novel by David Morell, First Blood felt like a holdover from the 1970s era of everyman action/suspense films. It wasn’t about Stallone’s physique (well, not entirely), and instead it was about a loner lashing out at a society that actively rejects his existence. It’s a thrilling piece of work and one of Stallone’s very best, with terrific supporting performances from Brian Dennehy and Richard Crenna. 4.5/5

Rambo: First Blood Part II ramps things up to near-cartoon levels. Abandoning the level-headed, introspective approach of the first film, this sequel turns the franchise into a one-man-army action franchise where Rambo gets to re-fight the Vietnam War and win single-handedly. It’s a departure from the first film, losing the character-focused approach for big explosions and jungle action. Cheesy? Sure, a tad. Exciting, pulse-pounding, adrenaline-fueled fun? You bet! 4/5

Not content to let America’s most lethal fighting machine rest for long, Rambo III sees our hero trying to find peace within himself… by fighting underground stick-fighting matches for money and donating the proceeds to pacifist Buddhists. This outing, his mission is to rescue Crenna from the Russians in Afghanistan, but he ends up leading the counterinsurgency to victory. Stallone at his most swoll and dehydrated, the film sacrificed the shirt budget for big explosive action, making for an intensely entertaining flick that just doesn't quite reach the quality of the previous sequel. 3.5/5

20 years later, after a successful return for Rocky Balboa, Stallone enters the deadly jungles of Burma for Rambo (or John Rambo if you’re looking at the vastly better Extended Cut). While the hyper-graphic violence may be something of a distraction from the substance, credit where it’s due: Stallone co-wrote and directed a more personal and grounded dramatic story for our wayward war hero. Better expressed in the extended version, Rambo now finds himself drawn to fight a battle he believes in, a war of his choosing, and one he could possibly win to settle the demons that have haunted him for decades. It’s viscerally intense, but also stands as a satisfying conclusion to John Rambo’s journey…for a while anyway. 4/5

Before I get into Rambo: Last Blood, I’ll state that I wish we got to see the other version of this fourth sequel, the one where we got to watch Rambo fight a werewolf or Bigfoot, or whatever the creature was supposed to be. At any rate, we have what I feel is an undercooked legacy sequel to Home Alone. The biggest problem I have with this fifth feature is that it doesn’t feel like it belongs as a Rambo film so much as it became one when nothing else worked. The blood-soaked, action-packed final act certainly perked things up, but from the writing to the direction to even Stallone’s performance, it just feels like it's going through the motions and fulfilling a contract obligation, rather than moving a character arc that arguably finished in the fourth film. This film is an exercise in watching God give a guy one more severe kick in the nuts for no discernible reason other than to watch him eviscerate some bad guys real good like. 2.5/5

And that completes Rambo’s story - at least as far as Stallone as the star is concerned. With next year’s upcoming prequel John Rambo from Sisu director Jalmari Helander, we will witness the birth of our favorite killing machine in the jungles of Vietnam. Will that be worth our time and open up more stories for our antisocial war hero? Who knows. I became more excited about the project once Helander signed on, but like so many prequels, this could be another extraneous adventure that punishes the goodwill of the fans by telling a story we didn't need. I hope that's not the case. At any rate, the OG Rambo films are a blast. A nostalgic favorite, I may not love every entry equally, but I always manage to find the time to give them a revisit. Here’s my franchise ranking:

1 - First Blood
2 - Rambo: First Blood Part II
3 - Rambo (John Rambo extended cut specifically)
4 - Rambo III
5 - (leaving this open in case the prequel is any good)
6 - Rambo: Last Blood - either cut

Now, we've covered Rambo a lot around these here parts. Forgoing the individual disc reviews, here's our previous box sets coverage:

• Rambo Trilogy Blu-ray
• Rambo: The Complete Collection Blu-ray
• Rambo: The Complete SteelBook Collection 4KUHD

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
Do fans get to win this time? We hope so. America's red-blooded, knife-wielding, arrow-slinging anti-hero has dominated just about every home video format that’s ever existed, and now he once again wages a one-man war on 4K UHD with Lionsgate's new Rambo: Complete Collection. A meatier, intricate new box set, we have all five films on their own BD100 discs with another BD100 disc serving up the gargantuan selection of extras. The packaging is its own work of art as a slightly oversized slipbox. Carefully sliding out the box, we complete the cover art image, with a flap that opens up (which can be tricky, so be careful), revealing the tri-fold digipak that holds our six discs in their own trays without being stacked tight on top of each other. Each disc loads to a new animated main menu with standard navigation options. The included digital slip unlocks all five films, but with Lionsgate now joining Movies Anywhere, it’d be interesting to test that single code in a few weeks to see if it unlocks digital copies across all platforms. With shortages and shipping delays abound, we understand Lionsgate has ordered up more units for this Amazon-exclusive, and hopefully they'll be in the shipping pipeline soon...and not shipped in an unpadded paper bag like my copy was. 

Unlike the last SteelBook collection, Lionsgate has given fans a reason to consider another purchase beyond the packaging. From VHS to 4K, I think this is the sixth time I’ve bought these films. The update for this round is that First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, and Rambo III enjoy new Dolby Vision HDR grades and a little better encoding.

Speaking specifically of these three films, the new Dolby Vision grades move the needle a little, but without going back for fresh new scans (not sure if that’s even warranted or possible), we’re not seeing grand “night and day” upgrades. The Dolby Vision pass gives the image contrast and black-level density a little push forward. Bitrates between the three films run a respectable 10-15mbps higher, nudging the clarity and stability a tad. I was always satisfied with the transfers for the first three films on 4K. The cooler color timing of Rambo III is still a little jarring from what I grew up with, but overall, all three films looked good. Now in this set, they still look good, if only slightly better than before. Their main upgrades are auditory. 

As for Rambo/John Rambo, sadly, we’re not getting a punch-up in video quality. Part and parcel, with both versions of the film existing on the same disc, we’re getting a compressed but still very good-looking 2K upscale effort. I would have loved to see each cut score its own disc, even if it was just a BD66, to max out that bitrate as far as it could go. As is, no real complaints. 

For Rambo: Last Blood, we finally get both cuts on disc, but like Rambo/John Rambo, they’re both on the same disc and are discrete individual files, not branched. The Threatrical Cut has a pretty similar encode, bitrate was on par or close to the original 4K release. The much better Extended Cut endures the squeeze well enough. Bitrate might fluctuate to some steep lows, but generally holds well and looks much better than the streaming counterpart. Color timing between Dolby Vision passes holds true with those nice deep black levels and shadows that are nicely exploited in Rambo’s tunnels.

While the video transfers for the films offer nominal upgrades, the audio upgrades for the first three films are the true winners of this set. First Blood kicks off with a banger of an Atmos mix, coupled with a solid Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, and an excellent Laserdisc LPCM 2.0 mix. Because this film is a bit more subtle with its action theatrics, the LPCM stereo track was surprisingly impactful. Between the last 20 years of Blu-ray and 4K discs, I haven’t heard anything close to the original stereo mix since I was a kid; I found it a solid listen. But, being a realist here, kudos to the team for this Atmos mix. It’s a nice, effective mix giving the film plenty of space and atmosphere without it sounding like it was full of fakey fill-in effects to justify the channel spread. 

The biggest improvement for this collection release is the audio efforts for Rambo: First Blood Part II. The old 5.1 mix wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. It was just kinda there. Now, sourced from the original 70mm audio track, this new Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix is one hell of an experience. Right from that opening explosion all the way through to when Rambo unloads that M-60 into the computer banks, this is a beast of a track offering full sonic immersion. Listening to the new Atmos track, the pair are neck and neck, perfect for this guns-blazing adventure. Also impressive is the included Laserdisc LPCM 2.0 mix. While a little subdued by comparison, it’s another excellent way to enjoy the film. 

Rolling with his siblings, Rambo III enjoys a nice jump to Dolby Atmos along with the Laserdisc-sourced LPCM 2.0 track. I always thought that the old Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track (which is included) was pretty damn good, but man, that upgrade to Atmos is another banger. If a previous mix was already very good, I don’t generally advocate for Atmos if there’s no room to maneuver, but between the helicopter gunships and the Afghan cavalry attack, there’s a lot of big, 360-degree, discrete-overhead, action-packed, immersive set pieces for fans to enjoy. And again, that LPCM mix a great target to shoot for if you're curious.

Rambo/John Rambo effectively enjoys the same excellent Dolby Atmos tracks from the previous release. So nothing new to report there beyond reiterating just how badass the mix is for this film. From the jungle rains to the bullets and explosions, it’s wall-to-wall action. I knew I was running this maybe a little too loud when I could see my neighbors looking at my house as they passed by! Now, it's important to note that for both cuts of Rambo: Last Blood, they each get their day in Dolby Atmos. The Theatrical Cut already enjoyed that benefit, but since the Extended Cut has lived the last few years as a streaming-exclusive, it was sonically neutered to a 5.1 track. Now it gets to live on disc in the full Atmos glory as it deserves. 

On the checklist of upgrades, the audio package upgrades and enhancements for the original three films are the bona fide key presentation reason to own this set. They sound fantastic whichever way you want to enjoy the films in your home theater.

The next big reason to splurge for this set is the exhaustive bonus features. Each film retains its commentary tracks (except Last Blood; I guess no one wanted to talk about it), and they’re all worth listening to. But from there, virtually every piece of bonus-features material ever produced or assembled for previous discs never carried over from one release to the next is on this disc. I don't think I've seen some of these documentaries and featurettes since the old Artisan trilogy DVD set in that thick, heavy metal container. This selection is truly staggering, giving each film the attention it deserves. The original three films see the most content, but Rambo and Rambo: Last Blood still pick up some worthwhile material along with five featurettes newly produced just for this set. So it’s not only just old content - but that said, after some sparse discs, it’s since to have everything back all in one set! For the new materials, it was a good time to catch up with Ted Kotcheff, but it was especially cool to see the tribute to poster artists Drew Struzan and Renato Casaro, who lent their amazing talents to the artwork for the first three films. If I could give more stars than 5, I would - it's not every day we see a box set like this with over 11 hours of extras before audio commentaries! 

First Blood UHD

• Audio Commentary featuring Ted Kotcheff
• Audio Commentary featuring Sylvester Stallone 

Rambo: First Blood Part II UHD

• Audio Commentary featuring George P. Cosmatos

Rambo III UHD

• Audio Commentary featuring Peter MacDonald

Rambo UHD

• Theatrical Cut Audio Commentary featuring Sylvester Stallone

Rambo: Last Blood UHD

• Nothing on Disc

Bonus UHD

• First Blood:
• An American Hero’s Journey (SD 25:29)
• A Long Road: 40 Years of First Blood (HD 24:51)
• The Hunter and the Hunted: Scoring First Blood (HD 28:02)
• First Blood: A Look Back (SD 3:59)
• Drawing First Blood: 20 Years Later (SD 22:34)
• Rambo Takes the 80s Part 1 (SD 17:45)
• Alternate Ending (SD 2:08)
• Outtake (SD 00:55)
• Saigon Bar Deleted Scene (SD 2:30)
• The Real Nam (The True Vietnam) (SD 26:55)
• Forging Heroes (America’s Green Berets) (SD 9:50)
• How to Become Rambo Part 1 (HD 14:20)
• Sly vs Rambo Interview with Sylvester Stallone (HD 8:40)
• Trailers
• Deleted & Extended Scenes (SD 9:16)
• Rambo: First Blood Part II:
• We Get to Win This Time: The Rambo Phenomenon (SD 20:03)
• Guts and Glory (SD 27:11)
• Rambo Takes the 80s Part 2 (HD 11:39)
• How to Become Rambo Part 2 (HD 14:32)
• Preparing for Action (SD 2:10)
• Creating The Reality of War (SD 2:13)
• Action in the Jungle (SD 7:41)
• EPK Featurette - Stallone Personality Profile (SD 2:07)
• Behind the Scenes/Behind the Camera (SD 2:17)
• Sean Baker: Fulfilling a Dream (SD 2:17)
• The Last American POW (SD 2:16)
• Interview with Sylvester Stallone (SD 2:11)
• Interview with Richard Crenna (SD 1:33)
• Trailers 
• TV Spots
• Rambo III:
• Rambo Takes the 80s Part 3 (HD 10:48)
• Rambo III: Full Circle (SD 5:58)
• Afghanistan: Land in Crisis (SD 29:47)
• Suiting Up: Rambo’s Survival Hardware (SD 8:42)
• Rambo-nomics (SD 3:17)
• Selling a Hero (SD 4:34) 
• How to Become Rambo Part 3 (HD 15:12)
• Trautman & Rambo (SD 2:39)
• Scope (SD 3:26)
• Behind the Scenes Making Of (SD 6:02)
• 8 Deleted Scenes (SD 11:07)
• TV Spots
• Tarilers 
• Rambo:
• Production Diary: To Hell and Back Documentary (SD 1:23:33)
• It’s a Long Road: The Resurrection of an Icon (SD 19:44)
• A Score to Settle: The Music of Rambo (HD 6:31)
• The Art of War: Part 1 - Editing (HD 6:46)
• The Art of War: Part 2 - Sound (HD 3:15)
• The Weaponry of Rambo (HD 14:16)
• A Hero’s Welcome: Release and Reaction (SD 9:31)
• Legacy of Despair: The Real Struggle in Burma (HD 10:42)
• Deleted Scenes (HD 13:44)
• Trailers
• On Set with Stallone (SD 5:22)
• Rambo: Last Blood:
• Drawing Last Blood: Multi-Part Production Diary Documentary (HD 1:08:26)
• Rambo’s Greatest Hits (HD 1:21)
• Vengeance (HD 1:35)
• Trailers
• TV & Digital Spots 
• Collection Exclusives:
• Reflections on First Blood with Ted Kotcheff (HD 14:47)
• Storyboarding First Blood (HD 6:08)
• The Art of Rambo (HD 16:07)
• Rambo Auction
• Poster Gallery

That was a long road, right out of hell, but I made it through for another fast-paced run through of all five films. I usually only pull one film off the shelf at a time. It’s been years since I attempted anything close to a marathon viewing session. It’s wild to experience the franchise’s progression from one film to the next, especially through the lens of what the action genre was becoming as the years went on. It’s almost a shame we never got a Rambo film in the ‘90s. While the scale in quality and tone shifts from one film to the next, each is an exciting ride. Even Last Blood, which I generally don’t really like, at least has some great action in the final act and at least works much better in the longer version. 

As we edge closer to the 45th Anniversary of First Blood next year and the release of a prequel film, Lionsgate unleashes their most complete and elaborate franchise collection to date. And I say "to date" specifically because, while difficult to order (or, if you did order, you might be stuck waiting for your copy to arrive before August), this is certainly not going to be the last time we see Rambo on disc. I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see some kind of tie-in release for the new film, especially when that gets its eventual disc release. As we understand, Lionsgate is working overtime to get more units of this set made, but Amazon, for their part, has completely botched the rollout for this exclusive edition. Folks who preordered shouldn’t have to wait weeks or months past street date to hopefully get their copy. And for those who did actually get theirs shipped, it shouldn’t have been sent in a paper bag. Thankfully, my copy came in okay with only very slight boxing on one corner, but I’ve read some horror stories. To that, don’t give in to the FoMo. Don’t fall for the predatory gray-market pricing. More units are being made, and I’m quite sure we’ll get more Rambo releases in the future. 

Availability and shipping concerns aside, Lionsgate’s Rambo: Complete Collection on 4K UHD is a terrific release. It’s the set we always should have gotten - or at the very least - what the SteelBook collection should have been. My third purchase of the franchise on this format alone, it’s the best I’ve seen so far, and most importantly, by far the best I’ve ever heard. The audio upgrades for the first three films command the most attention. But sweetening the deal, Lionsgate has assembled an exhaustively complete selection of extra features. Near as I can figure, this is everything ever produced for all of these films and then some! And so, speaking specifically for this collection of Stallone-fronted franchise films - this is a Highly Recommended package.