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First Blood [1982] (REGION 1) (NTSC)


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

It's easy to forget that this Spartan, violent film, which begat the Rambo series, was such a big hit in 1982 because it was a good movie. Green Beret vet John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) wanders into the wrong small town to find a fellow 'Nam buddy and gets the living heck kicked out of him by the local law enforcement (led by Brian Dennehy). The vet strikes back the only way he knows how, leading to a visceral, if unrealistic, flight and fight through the local mountains. Based on the 1972 novel by David Morrell, this film saved Stallone's then-foundering career and the Rambo character became the inspiration for countless political cartoons. But this film is Deliverance without the moral ambiguity. --Keith Simanton

The Rambo trilogy is also available on DVD as a complete set.


Involving survivalist flick
Review date: 2008-08-08 Rating: 8 out of 10

Although the next two Rambo movies get progressively sillier, this is a good movie that has a surprisingly moving finale.
Apart from the bull headed attitudes of the local cops, we see a veteran who is a genuine guy. And we see him hurting. The final scenes, after tremendous destruction and skills with violence, are thought provoking and emotional.
A surprisingly thoughtful movie.

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Reviews


How good? It spawned a genre!
Review date: 2008-07-27 Rating: 8 out of 10

The first thing to bear in mind when you watch First Blood is that this film was made in 1982 on a tiny budget. Bigger, slicker, bloodier and more cerebral action films have followed but this is a benchmark and rightfully so.

First Blood brings David Morrells book to life and Sylvester Stallone creates and American Icon with his performance as John Rambo. I first saw this film on VHS when I was 12 years old and it remains a favourite today. If you like JOHN RAMBO, you are going to LOVE this film and I urge you to buy it, buy it or "I'll give you a war you wont believe!"

a corker
Review date: 2008-05-27 Rating: 8 out of 10

First blood is the best of the rambo series so far,if im honest i havent seen rambo 4 yet but i will but i cant imagine that it will be as thought provoking and contain the emotions that feature here,deaths'?yes,emotions,no.
This film was released in 1982 and recieved mostly positive reviews and stallone portrays a war hero who cant stand the lack of sympathy from his country and the bitter attitudes and while it can be argued that he loses the plot in a sleepy town,it can also be debated that this is an inner struggle brought to life and this is just so well written and captured.
The film deals with a former green beret played by stallone who is shocked as all his old war pals have died and no one really cares,he heads through a wee town and is judged on how he looks rather than why he looks like that and is arrested ,flashbacks of war torture link in with how trapped he feels in the cells and he goes insane and busts out and starts a one man war against a system that he cant fathom,certainly not as violent as the other two rambos that i have seen but more real for that,this is a belting slapmouth film that does the job brilliantly,thanks hey.

Classic 80's Action
Review date: 2008-02-24 Rating: 8 out of 10

When John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) tries to peacefully pass through a small American mountain town the prejudiced Sheriff (Brian Dennehy) takes an instant dislike to him due to his unkempt appearance. When Rambo ignores the subtle warning to leave town, he is arrested for vagrancy, locked up, beaten and humiliated by the Sheriff and his men. What the men don't know is that their prisoner is a green beret Vietnam veteran and winner of the congressional medal of honour. He is a killing machine haunted by his war experiences and when they push him too far he snaps and escapes into nearby mountains. Using all his military skills, Rambo wages a one man war against his pursuers.

Sylvester Stallone's Rambo character is one of the most iconic of all the 80's action heroes. First Blood is the first and finest in the franchise and Stallones performance is arguably the best of his career. Three sequels have now followed but none quite match up to the gritty original.

Like this? Try: Rocky

First Blood was only the start of it....,
Review date: 2008-02-21 Rating: 10 out of 10

Back in the 80's, a film was released that would change the way action movies felt. The film was First Blood and it made a little known actor called Sylvester Stallone into an international action star.

Based on a novel about a disgraced and out of place Vietnam veteran by David Morrell, First blood tells the story of John J. Rambo who returns to America after a torturous tour of duty in Vietnam. His friends are gone, killed in action and he returns to a world where he is treated like either an alien or a criminal by the Police force. You see he's an outsider and they really don't like outsiders. Thus follows a brutal and torturous assault on Rambo by them. I felt that as i was watching the film, they were just as brutal as the Cong were in Vietnam. Finally something snaps and Rambo becomes a one man army who no-one can control. When push come to shove, Rambo has no mercy. he becomes unhinged and unstoppable. Relentless in his goal he will destroy anything or anyone who gets in his way (or severely hurt them if they're lucky). If you pose a threat, prey Rambo never comes for you. There is a poignant message in First Blood. Rambo is one of the many Vietnam war Veterans (whether fiction or factual) who returned after slugging their guts out fighting a losing battle that was the Vietnam war. Only to return unappreciated, unwelcome and unheard even ignored. The ones who lost their limbs or worse for a war no-one cared about. What hell these people must have gone through. I mean it makes you think, What was the whole point of fighting for a country that never cared? Why bother risking your life and body on the line only to have your neighbour spit back in your face and not give a damn? I have always felt sorry about these people since i decided to research the Vietnam war, it was a horrifying time. The things they did to people doesn't bear thinking about. So i was feeling sorry for Rambo from the very start. To go through all that and then get the treatment he got from the cops, he just didn't deserve it. He wasn't even hurting anyone for the first half of the movie, THEY were hurting him. I never felt sorry for the cops at all in this film, as far as i was concerned they deserved everything they got. They didn't deserve my pity, they bought on themselves. They really made angry off a vicious one man army so basically justice was served.

First Blood contains great performances from Richard Crenna as Col. Trautman, Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle, David Caruso (who found fame in NYPD Blue and CSI Miami) as a wet behind the ears deputy and of course Sylvester Stallone as the main character who became a hero to Vietnam vets and the American citizens by playing John J. Rambo. First Blood is easily a film that can be watched again and again and will stand the tests of time. The music is great by Jerry Goldsmith and Dan Hill's It's a long road suits the movie with a sorrowful message that enbodies the whole film.

"What you call hell, he calls home"


Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Bill McKinney
Sylvester Stallone
Richard Crenna
Jack Starrett
Brian Dennehy

Creators:
Sylvester Stallone (Primary Contributor)
Sylvester Stallone (Writer)
Brian Dennehy (Primary Contributor)
Andrew G. Vajna (Producer)
Buzz Feitshans (Producer)
Herb Nanas (Producer)
David Morrell (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Live/Artisan
Manufacturer: Live/Artisan
EAN: 0012236163565
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC,
Release date: 2004-11-23
Universal product code (UPC): 012236163565
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 94 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1982-10-22
Language: English (Original Language)

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