First Blood
Rating: 4/5
First Blood is not a fancy, glossy, bright picture and will never rival the best of the best transfers of the slick and modern action movies, but this 2.35:1, 1080p transfer is solid. This is a somewhat drab looking film that takes place mostly at night and in a damp forrest. Colors don't overly impress, but there is not a lot of color to be seen in the first place. Shades of dark greens, blacks, and browns permeate the length of the film. This is a rather two-dimensional looking image, but it looks great for its age, and compared to the various DVD and VHS versions of the film, this Blu-ray disc is nothing short of brilliant. Blacks are spot-on for most of the movie, but here and there they lighten up to a dark gray. Detail is good but not extremely high. The image is neither very sharp nor overly soft. Skin tones look natural. Overall this is a fine presentation of a movie that is 25 years old.
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rating: 3/5
Rambo: First Blood Part II engages on Blu-ray with a 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer that offers a mixed-bag video quality. The image is best described as "solid" overall, the film definitely benefitting from the high definition treatment, but it is not without some annoyances. The print is clean, free of any severe defects, save for an odd blue line that popped up several times, noted at the following time frames: 31:30, 52:00, and 55:20. There may have been other such lines, though each lasted for only a split-second. The image lacked depth at times, and rarely did it pop off the screen. Colors proved to be rich and natural, the brightly colored daytime shots of the jungles of "Vietnam" (the movie was actually filmed in Mexico) appearing splendid, such scenes the deepest and most pleasing to be found in the movie. There is a bit of softness about the image; many scenes lack sharp, defined edges, some appearing as if a fine haze surrounded the actors. Black levels are excellent; a scene in chapter three where Rambo boards the plane at nighttime is perhaps the best example of the solid black levels offered by this transfer. Detail is also better than ever in this edition of Rambo: First Blood Part II than in previous home video releases. Flesh tones appeared to be problem-free. Several scenes exhibit some intentionally diffused lighting, such instances director intent rather than a flaw with the disc. While not a top-flight transfer, Rambo: First Blood Part II has never looked as good as it does here.
Rambo III
Rating: 4/5
Rambo III hits Blu-ray in a 2.35:1 framed, 1080p high definition transfer that looks good and fares decidedly better than its predecessor. Compared to Rambo: First Blood Part II, this film is crisper, sharper, brighter, and showcases a good bit more detail. This solid transfer allows viewers to see every bead of sweat on John Rambo's face during his stick fighting match at the beginning of the movie. Other small nuances in the image -- the wear and tear on guns and clothes, the detail in faces, and even each pebble and grain of sand in close-up shots of the desert floor -- look great, lifelike, and better than expected. A very fine layer of grain is noticeable throughout most of the film. It's unobtrusive and only heavy in dark, underground scenes. Colors are strong and natural; earth tones dominate the picture, from the tans of the desert to the greens of military uniforms, all looking just as they should. Just as much action takes place at night as it does in the brightly lit deserts of Afghanistan, and both look equally great. Flesh tones appear as natural as they did in the previous Rambo film. A few scattered black vertical lines did appear in at least two scenes during the film's climactic battle scene. Despite a few minor flaws, Rambo III looks great on Blu-ray. This is another winner from Lionsgate.