There’s never been a singular character quite like John Rambo gracing theatre screens before or since. He’s a loner; betrayed and cast down by his own government and after a disastrous singling out by a redneck sheriff, he must take on the only work left open to him; expendable mercenary. Again, Rambo is betrayed by his government, which fuels the antipathy he has for them and he fights back accordingly before vanishing into thin air. When called back to help them yet again, Rambo doesn’t want anything to do with them until his ‘friend’, who went in his stead, is captured and he must rescue him for his own sake.

There’s more of course, but that’s the gist of this series of fairly plotless excuses to stage some heavy-combat action scenes. While the original story manages to contain some depth and a decent point to be made, the follow-ups are shallow attempts to cash in on the surprise success of the first and they don’t have the same effect nor emotional commitment (if such a thing can be said).

A household name, Rambo is the little boy’s hero and the armchair warrior’s aspiration. He is of singular mind and resolute to the end (regardless of the outcome), and a stolid killing machine. Perhaps there’s a small piece of all people (men in particular) that is a little bit Rambo, but for the most part he’s an overblown comic book hero, bulletproof yet vulnerable, a killer with a human heart. Or something.

Well, as a trilogy and a box set release we should expect a little something tasty inside. And that’s what we get in the excellent full size aspect ratios of 2.35:1 with anamorphic enhancement for the series. The colours are crisp and lively without being over-saturated and lines are sharp without being razor. Shadow detail is fairly good with blacks only rarely deviating from true to life while the prints are generally film artefact free – excellent, given that the films were released in 1982, '85 and '88 chronologically.

The audio treatment is also superb, bouncing bullets and explosions all over the room in the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround setup. The subwoofer ably supports the blitzkrieg with a constant rolling thumping that bridges the trilogy and the sound effects are mostly real (though they do waver to stock occasionally). Dialogue is fairly well spoken, though the scripting isn’t the greatest - but then, there’s really no need for them in this practically plot-free series of action vehicles. Jerry Goldsmith’s three film score is quite good and is well placed amidst the action with its overall military feel, although he branches into local music interpretations when the storyline calls for it.

In the extras department fans are shit out of luck without a single extra in this three film box set. This is a bit of a disgrace when we consider the popularity and global appeal of the films, with far lesser series’ getting better treatment when released in similar situations. Still, the films have been treated marvelously and at least the fanbase can enjoy those the way they are intended.

As far as box sets go, this one has definite pros and cons. The film treatment is distinctly excellent with full cinema aspects and ranging surround channels in the sound. However, there’s a disappointing absence of extras when the films are done. I wonder if there’ll be anything more impressive released in time and I find myself thinking this is it for the Rambo series. In time, there may be more, but in truth who will want to shell out for it if they’ve purchased this set first? I wouldn’t, but then I’m not a diehard Rambo fan. At any rate, it’s a let down not only for the fans, but for big name box sets themselves.