Rambo: Last Blood 4K UHD (2019)

[dcx4610]

No outrage here. I just prefer having the extra scene as I think it actually adds to the character and story.

If it's too much of a hassle, I'll just get the theatrical but if given the choice, I'll take the extended.

I guess we'll have to pay attention to the German and French releases from here.

[Marsupial Werewolf]

Not buying the Lionsgate disc, either.

How short-sighted of them.

[mzupeman]

Im just going to buy whatever is released in the United States. I missed this in theaters and I’m excited to see it, regardless of already feeling like it’s going to be pretty inferior to the last one.

[Daz_85]

Originally Posted by Cliff

Because, believe it or not, it tested much better without that opening. That opening was in there until almost the last minute (I saw the movie about 3 weeks before it opened and it was still in). It was decided by all involved (including test audiences) that the movie played much better when you got to the actual story much more quickly. That opening rescue has NOTHING to do with the story proper.

It wasn't an arbitrary decision to cut that opening... if anything, it was a weird move for other territories to leave it in.

I haven't seen the scene, but from what I read it was the kind of character setup and 'slice of life' for Rambo that I was looking for in this supposed last instalment. The UK/US cinema cut felt rushed to me.

[JG85]

Originally Posted by Cliff

Because, believe it or not, it tested much better without that opening. That opening was in there until almost the last minute (I saw the movie about 3 weeks before it opened and it was still in). It was decided by all involved (including test audiences) that the movie played much better when you got to the actual story much more quickly. That opening rescue has NOTHING to do with the story proper.

It wasn't an arbitrary decision to cut that opening... if anything, it was a weird move for other territories to leave it in.

But what else was cut besides the opening? I heard there’s more scenes with the cartel. 12 minutes being cut is quite a lot.

[ramboalmighty]

Originally Posted by Cliff

That 12 minutes is all the opening. That's why it was cut... it's essentially half a reel where nothing that impacts the rest of the movie is happening. You can decide if that's good or bad, I'm just explaining why it was cut.

But why then leave it out of the Blu Ray when there’s clear interest in it (more so than the special features), other Lionsgate/Stallone releases have included alternate cuts alongside theatrical (Expendables 3), and the only alternative for interested western consumers is to go overseas (for a Rambo movie no less!). With respect, nothing about this decision makes sense.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by Cliff

That 12 minutes is all the opening. That's why it was cut... it's essentially half a reel where nothing that impacts the rest of the movie is happening. You can decide if that's good or bad, I'm just explaining why it was cut.

Eh, good enough for the Indiana Jones movies, good enough for Rambo.

[Marsupial Werewolf]

No longer cut (why can’t it be included in addition to?), paltry extras (no Sly commentary?)... super disappointing release.

[JEDGAR1000]

Originally Posted by Marsupial Werewolf

paltry extras (no Sly commentary?)... super disappointing release.

Extras don't look too bad, the alternate cut would be nice, but like Cliff said, don't judge them based off of numbers. Some other Liongsate releases that come to mind that initially seemed disappointing but weren't:

* Jigsaw - only had 3 extras, but 1 ended up being a 82 minute making of
* Dragged Across Concrete - only 2 extras, but 1 was 46 minutes long
* Hellboy - only 3 extras, but 1 was 76 minutes long

That Production Diary featurette could very well be a hour+ in length.

[Marsupial Werewolf]

Good point on the extras. But I have no desire to watch the 89 minute cut ever again. I could tell the movie had been trimmed and that important context had been removed (not surprised the geniuses at LG chose to do this).

I’m pretty sure I’ll like the longer cut more because:

It establishes the significance of the rocking chair (which otherwise comes out of nowhere and is one hell of a sloppy and disrespectful way to end this series).

It actually gives Rambo a heroic introduction that this version lacks.

Establishes the Doors connection at the start, as opposed to it coming out of nowhere at the end.

It was just so clear that stuff at the end was paying off things the filmmakers had set up, and that the dumb 89 minute cut removed.

[StrayButler91]

Originally Posted by Marsupial Werewolf

Good point on the extras. But I have no desire to watch the 89 minute cut ever again. I could tell the movie had been trimmed and that important context had been removed (not surprised the geniuses at LG chose to do this).

I’m pretty sure I’ll like the longer cut more because:

It establishes the significance of the rocking chair (which otherwise comes out of nowhere and is one hell of a sloppy and disrespectful way to end this series).

It actually gives Rambo a heroic introduction that this version lacks.

Establishes the Doors connection at the start, as opposed to it coming out of nowhere at the end.

It was just so clear that stuff at the end was paying off things the filmmakers had set up, and that the dumb 89 minute cut removed.

Yeah, this. Sorry Cliff, but it's longer cut or nothing. It's also weird to me that people call it out of place, given that Rambo is all about... yknow... survival in the wilderness. Also, additional scenes were cut, not just the opening. We'll have a full postmortem once the shorter cut is out on home video, I guess.

I guess Lionsgate had to hold off some things for the double dip.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by Marsupial Werewolf

No longer cut (why can’t it be included in addition to?), paltry extras (no Sly commentary?)... super disappointing release.

Because it's an international's cut that didn't even play theatrically in the US. Places where it did play, it's on their disc. Not rocket science. You still paid to go see the US version, cut and all. Where was the outrage then?

[ramboalmighty]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Because it's an international's cut that didn't even play theatrically in the US. Places where it did play, it's on their disc. Not rocket science. You still paid to go see the US version, cut and all. Where was the outrage then?

There was amongst Rambo fans. Particuarly when this article came out a few days before release.

https://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/...ution-of-rambo

For American audiences though, there's a different kind of cut coming in the shape of the opening sequence, which sees Rambo helping out some hikers trapped by some precarious weather – when there's a fatality, which isn't his fault, it nicely frames how death still haunts him. It's a solid start to the film and one that the man himself was in favour of.

"Yeah you know they work on statistics over there and it wasn’t quite… they didn’t get it, the younger guys. That whole waterfall opening with the flood is to show that Rambo's just so bored, but he needs to do something to salvage his soul, because he has survivor's guilt and he even fails at that, so I thought (it would work) but it didn’t fly!" Stallone says laughing.

More's the pity, as the start of Last Blood forms a great symmetry with First Blood, where we see the character back in a rainy forest, but this time helping law enforcement rather than being pursued by them. "You're right, I didn't think of that!" he exclaims.

Here, Stallone is on record of saying he liked the scene AND that it deepened the character by showing his restlessness and survivor's guilt. Cutting it was literally the equivalent of cutting the stick fight from Rambo 3 (it's an opening action beat that catches us up with the character), and as others have pointed out, it was NOT the only scene. There was also a scene where the two brothers meet with a crime boss shortly after Gabrielle is kidnapped.

Either way though, this could've been included on the Blu Ray at no further cost to Lionsgate.

[JG85]

Is there any way possible they’ll still add in the international cut? I assume they’ll have a re-release a few years down the road with it added though.

[JEDGAR1000]

Originally Posted by Marsupial Werewolf

Good point on the extras. But I have no desire to watch the 89 minute cut ever again. I could tell the movie had been trimmed and that important context had been removed (not surprised the geniuses at LG chose to do this).

I’m pretty sure I’ll like the longer cut more because:

It establishes the significance of the rocking chair (which otherwise comes out of nowhere and is one hell of a sloppy and disrespectful way to end this series).

It actually gives Rambo a heroic introduction that this version lacks.

Establishes the Doors connection at the start, as opposed to it coming out of nowhere at the end.

It was just so clear that stuff at the end was paying off things the filmmakers had set up, and that the dumb 89 minute cut removed.

Oh, I fully agree. I'm still going to import the longer version if I can, I was just more saying the extras outside that seemed decent.

Originally Posted by JG85

Is there any way possible they’ll still add in the international cut? I assume they’ll have a re-release a few years down the road with it added though.

Rambo (2008) got an extended cut releases later down the line, so anything's possible. I imagine it may come in part down to how well this release sells.

[StarWarsIsAwesome123]

It's just weird that they can't at least include the extra 12 minutes as deleted scenes.

[Zoland2020]

Originally Posted by JEDGAR1000

I've never bought anything from Metropolitan before, are their included blu-rays typically region free?

As far as I know, most of the Metropolitan Films Blu-rays are region B locked. Since 4K Blu-ray doesn't have region coding, their 4K Blu-ray releases should be region free as well.

[ramboalmighty]

Originally Posted by Cliff

To be fair... NONE of the Rambo films have given him a heroic intro.
First Blood: Rambo travels to find out the last of his unit has died. First Rambo action beats are 16 minutes in.
Rambo: FBpII: Rambo in prison and agrees to mission. First Rambo action beats are 15 minutes in.
Rambo III: Rambo in a public stick fight (the closest to a heroic intro). First Rambo action beats are 4 minutes in.
Rambo: Rambo catching snakes and fishing. First Rambo action beats are 18 minutes in.

So... if anything, a heroic intro for Rambo is at odds with everything the series has always done.

But he fails to save one of the hitchhikers...which is not heroic and great foreshadowing.

[JEDGAR1000]

Originally Posted by Zoland2020

As far as I know, most of the Metropolitan Films Blu-rays are region B locked. Since 4K Blu-ray doesn't have region coding, their 4K Blu-ray releases should be region free as well.

Thank you, I'm not 4k capable yet, but have been future-proofing, so I need the included blu-rays to be region free/A.

I may have to go with the US release then and hope for an extended cut release later down the line.

[StrayButler91]

Originally Posted by JG85

Is there any way possible they’ll still add in the international cut? I assume they’ll have a re-release a few years down the road with it added though.

No chance it can be added this late in the process. The encoding and creation of the disc happens when the movie is playing in cinemas. Cliff would have finished and delivered the extras probably before it even opened. This is so the disc can go through QC and then replication to ensure it’s delivered on schedule.

In other words, the disc is already authored at this stage.