Remastered by Artisan for this DVD release, "First Blood" looks good on the format, though the transfer is wildly uneven. Presented in both 2.40:1 widescreen with a pan and scan version on the opposite side of the disc, the heavy grain along with some inconsistent black levels make this slightly disappointing. Daytime scenes look superb, with nice detail and soft colors. Scenes filmed in darker areas (much of the movie) are either hard to see or filled with annoying and overbearing film grain. The print used is nearly flawless with hardly a noticeable scratch to be found, but in the process of making it all digital, something went wrong. (***)

Amazingly, even though the film is over 20-years old, this disc features a great 5.1 mix and even better DTS track. Chase sequences are filled with vehicles moving throughout the sound field and a few moments feature some excellent separation left to right. This isn't quite as noticeable on the standard 5.1 track, but the amount of work done here is obvious. The only problem is the lack of any real punch coming from the subwoofer, and when it is used, it sounds rather forced. (****)

Though light in the features department, what's included more than makes up for any problems. The commentary from the author of the original novel, David Morrell, is great. You'll learn a lot from this track including how many scripts were written (over 20!), how the name "Rambo" came to be, and why the book was even written in the first place. The 22-minute documentary entitled "Drawing First Blood" provides a little repeat information from the commentary, but just about everyone who had a hand in the film gets to speak on the experience. The usual array of trailers, production notes, and cast information is also available. (***)

It also must be noted that buying the entire series in box set form (coming in a nifty metal enclosed case that is another Artisan winner) provides fans with another disc of features, which covers all three of the films. Either way, this is great way to experience this underrated classic, save for the transfer. The new sound mix really adds another immersion level to the film, which was never available before.