Post by Jay Rambo on Oct 15, 2014 18:39:45 GMT -5
From IMDB:
"I got the original release when it came out on Blu Ray, and then the Extended version when it came out on Blu Ray. Each time I watch the Extended version, I can't help but feel that it pales in comparison to the original cut.
I feel that the little scenes Stallone added only serve to dillute the impact of the original film. And some of the dialog scenes he changed are just head-scratching...when Schoolboy saves Rambo and Sara with his sniper rifle, for example. The dialog between Rambo and Schoolboy in the original cut ("Why'd you stay?" "Why did YOU?" or whatever) is much stronger than the Extended version, in which Rambo just asks which way the rest of the mercenaries went.
Another example is when the preacher comes to tell Rambo that the missionaries have been captured. Rambo asks how soon the mercenaries can leave, and the preacher says they can leave whenever Rambo is ready. In the original cut, Rambo immediately gets up, which is a powerful moment, meaning he is ready to go right there and then. But again, the impact is dilluted in the Extended cut, where he has the preacher say a prayer.
And of course there's the toned-down violence in the Extended cut. Some of the cgi stuff in the original version DID look pretty lame, but again each time I watch the Extended version I just feel like I'm missing out on a lot of the film.
So is there anyone out there who DOES prefer the Extended release?"
And again:
"This past weekend I rewatched the Theatrical cut and Extended cuts back to back. This was an interesting experience because you could really see the minor, almost incidental changes Stallone made in his later cut. I found myself enjoying the Extended Cut this time around, but I'm still not ready to say it is better than the Theatrical version. It's strange because it seems so backward -- it seems like the Extended Cut would be the original theatrical release, what with its lessened brutality.
I do like the additional dialog between Rambo and Sarah on the boat, but as commented on this thread, the Extended makes Burnett seem like a total loser. I did appreciate the extra cuts Stallone inserted of Burnett looking pissed as Sarah would steal glances at Rambo.
For me the biggest miss in the Extended is the scene with the pirates. Showing a far shot of Rambo shooting the final pirate offscreen?? That's just ridiculous, and in fact goes against the tone of the rest of the film. Why would we suddenly cut to Burnett's perspective as Rambo shoots one more guy? Plus this scene has always made me scratch my head...Burnett screams "Noooo!" but the pirate is already pretty much dead. (I also ALWAYS laugh at Burnett's later line to Rambo, "I'll have to report this." I mean, who the hell is he going to report Rambo's killing of the river pirates to?? The Burmese government??)
Maybe the biggest goof of the Extended Cut is that a lot of this stuff could've been added into the theatrical cut with no harm done to the runtime or tension. In particular Sarah's injured foot. (Another scene that makes me laugh to myself...when Rambo rips off a strip of Sarah's shirt I always wish he'd say, "I could make a new headband out of this.")
Also it was mentioned in this thread that Rambo made the least amount of money of all Rambo films. I read somewhere that the industry opinion is that kids were buying tickets to PG-13 films and sneaking into Rambo, so the final box office tally would likely be larger. It's a true testament to Stallone that he insisted on making the theatrical cut such a hard R, a wonderment in our tweener-oriented PG-13 culture, where every film is churned out for the kids, now that Hollywood has figured out that preteens are their main audience, given that lazy parents use theaters as a cheap babysiter."
"I got the original release when it came out on Blu Ray, and then the Extended version when it came out on Blu Ray. Each time I watch the Extended version, I can't help but feel that it pales in comparison to the original cut.
I feel that the little scenes Stallone added only serve to dillute the impact of the original film. And some of the dialog scenes he changed are just head-scratching...when Schoolboy saves Rambo and Sara with his sniper rifle, for example. The dialog between Rambo and Schoolboy in the original cut ("Why'd you stay?" "Why did YOU?" or whatever) is much stronger than the Extended version, in which Rambo just asks which way the rest of the mercenaries went.
Another example is when the preacher comes to tell Rambo that the missionaries have been captured. Rambo asks how soon the mercenaries can leave, and the preacher says they can leave whenever Rambo is ready. In the original cut, Rambo immediately gets up, which is a powerful moment, meaning he is ready to go right there and then. But again, the impact is dilluted in the Extended cut, where he has the preacher say a prayer.
And of course there's the toned-down violence in the Extended cut. Some of the cgi stuff in the original version DID look pretty lame, but again each time I watch the Extended version I just feel like I'm missing out on a lot of the film.
So is there anyone out there who DOES prefer the Extended release?"
And again:
"This past weekend I rewatched the Theatrical cut and Extended cuts back to back. This was an interesting experience because you could really see the minor, almost incidental changes Stallone made in his later cut. I found myself enjoying the Extended Cut this time around, but I'm still not ready to say it is better than the Theatrical version. It's strange because it seems so backward -- it seems like the Extended Cut would be the original theatrical release, what with its lessened brutality.
I do like the additional dialog between Rambo and Sarah on the boat, but as commented on this thread, the Extended makes Burnett seem like a total loser. I did appreciate the extra cuts Stallone inserted of Burnett looking pissed as Sarah would steal glances at Rambo.
For me the biggest miss in the Extended is the scene with the pirates. Showing a far shot of Rambo shooting the final pirate offscreen?? That's just ridiculous, and in fact goes against the tone of the rest of the film. Why would we suddenly cut to Burnett's perspective as Rambo shoots one more guy? Plus this scene has always made me scratch my head...Burnett screams "Noooo!" but the pirate is already pretty much dead. (I also ALWAYS laugh at Burnett's later line to Rambo, "I'll have to report this." I mean, who the hell is he going to report Rambo's killing of the river pirates to?? The Burmese government??)
Maybe the biggest goof of the Extended Cut is that a lot of this stuff could've been added into the theatrical cut with no harm done to the runtime or tension. In particular Sarah's injured foot. (Another scene that makes me laugh to myself...when Rambo rips off a strip of Sarah's shirt I always wish he'd say, "I could make a new headband out of this.")
Also it was mentioned in this thread that Rambo made the least amount of money of all Rambo films. I read somewhere that the industry opinion is that kids were buying tickets to PG-13 films and sneaking into Rambo, so the final box office tally would likely be larger. It's a true testament to Stallone that he insisted on making the theatrical cut such a hard R, a wonderment in our tweener-oriented PG-13 culture, where every film is churned out for the kids, now that Hollywood has figured out that preteens are their main audience, given that lazy parents use theaters as a cheap babysiter."
