Rambo (2008)

another 'sly' movie

Typical sly action movie. Quite funny the way rambo tries to be all philosophical. No great message no great action. Rambo as usual kills hundreds single handedly. If you have couple of hours to kill and nothing else is on tv, rent it. November 28, 2008

Excellent example of HiDef and DTS-HDMaster

I just made the foray into BluRay since HD-DVD has gone defunct by purchasing the Panasonic DMP-BD55K 1080p Blu-Ray Player here on Amazon. I waited for this player because my surround sound processor has 7.1 inputs but pre-dates HDMI signal transfer and I wanted to have the newest HiRez audio formats. I run HDMI directly into my projector for HD video. This one of the first BluRay movies I have watched and the first with DTS-HDMaster sound. My review will be brief and will focus on the audio/visual quality and special effects as there are other reviews here that accurately describe the story.

The main menu allows you to choose DTS-HD Master and actually defaulted to it in my case. The audio palette and soundstage was outstanding and among the very best special effects demonstrations available. For shoot-em-up movies I don't pretend to think that there is a whole lot of difference between the various DTS and Dolby Digital variants out there because of the artificially created soundtracks of movies. All of them go bang, send bullets flying all around you and with a proper subwoofer component whack you in the chest with each explosion, etc. Although the DTS DVD of Saving Private Ryan is still my favorite for gunfire, the mass of content of action in this movie displays excellent imaging of bullets and augments the realism of all the other film audio goodies such as nightsounds, boat engines, dialogue, etc. Unfortunately the public may never appreciate the true beauty of the high res audio formats which is in recorded music because the masses are more interested in down res compression instead of high resolution quality.

The video on this disc is spectacular. The cinematography is actually quite stunning for an action movie. The three dimensional depth, brilliant color, and image quality is outstanding and is of demonstration quality and equals any I've seen in the theaters or from my HD-DVD collection. If it were not for the graphic trauma on the human body from bullets, blades, fire, and ordnance exploding (which granted is sometimes exaggerated here for effect), you could showcase your 1080p video setup with this film proudly.

You want to see a reasonable facsimile of what a 50 caliber round would do to a person? watch this film. Likewise, I've never seen anything quite so realistic when a guys appendage is forcefully blown off or throat is cut on film. You want to evoke whatever emotion you feel when innocents are sent into a rice paddy with land mines for "sport" or executed via automatic rifles all in Hi Definition grandeur, then this film is for you.

So, for what this film does, which is shock and awe, both for better and for worse considering the reality that is behind the plot, this truly is a great film to to feature the best of what Hi Definition and High Resolution discs are capable of today. November 25, 2008

Rambo

I thought this was a good ending to the Rambo series, although at the end I would have preferred to see his family welcome him home, all in all it was good. I'm also glad that this movie brought to light of the atrocities in our third world countries. Many times we don't hear of these. I would recommend this to those who love hardcore action movies. My husband and I enjoyed this movie. October 18, 2008

rambo

i have to say that this film did more in picturing realistic slaughter, than any of the current news links. that said, the film tends to reinforce old stereotypes of noble westerners trying to save the helpless, godless heathens, who lack basic humanity and civilization. the movie also shows the old image of a perverted asian male who lusts after the blond,unattainable white woman. but no need to fear...rambo rescues her before she's dishonored. just as our cavalery once did for american indian-captured white women in the old west. in view of today's globalism and the closeness of other cultures through the travel, media, and immigration, these are dangerous ideas to perpetuate. October 11, 2008

Dreadful action flick

There's something inherently distasteful about taking a real-life tragedy - the genocide in Burma - and using it as fodder for yet another fantasy-fueled "Rambo" movie.

After a 18-year hiatus, Sylvester Stallone returns to one of his two signature roles (the other, of course, being Rocky) - that of Vietnam War vet, John Rambo, the world-weary and cynical reluctant warrior who, in this installment, is hired to lead a group of mercenaries into Burma to rescue some American missionaries being held captive there. Rambo may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but he is certainly capable of wiping out a whole cadre of Burmese soldiers all by his lonesome. The poor people being systematically slaughtered under that regime will, I'm sure, be relieved to hear he's on his way.

Despite a terrifically high body count and endless footage of stomach-churning carnage, it's amazing just how utterly dull an action movie "Rambo" turns out to be. Stallone, as always, mumbles and grunts his way through his part, which, considering the laughably pretentious dialogue assigned to him (especially in "reflective" voiceover narration), is probably the wisest choice he could have made under the circumstances. Graham McTavish displays some fire in the belly as a belligerent mercenary, but he's the only one on either side of the camera who seems to be putting any real effort into the movie. October 5, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...