In the distant future, ten soldiers battle for control of the least desirable piece of real estate in the known universe a box canyon in the middle of nowhere. Red vs. Blue chronicles the misadventures of two hapless armies as they wage a war that few understand and no one wants to fight.
It all started with a simple question, ‘You ever wonder why we re here?’ But in a place called Blood Gulch, the answers aren t always what you expect. What began as a six-episode video project created by a group of avid HALO fans quickly took on a life of its own. Five seasons, 100 episodes and millions of downloads later, Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles has become known as one of the funniest and most popular Internet video series of all time. This 6-disc DVD set includes all 100 episodes from the five seasons (remastered for Seasons 1-4), as well as hours of exclusive bonus material.Though this irreverent animated series from Rooster Teeth Productions is inspired by the blockbuster Halo video game franchise, one doesn’t need to be familiar with the game–or gaming in general–to appreciate Red vs. Blue‘s skewering of action tropes, military bravado, and science fiction in general. A prime example of the modern art form known as machinima (the use of video game graphics engines to create new animation), Red vs. Blue is also essentially a sitcom set in the eponymous Halo scenario, with two teams of soldiers in constant pursuit of each other’s flag, yet completely unaware of the reason for the competition. Stuck in a repetitive and pointless scenario from which they appear to have no escape, the Red and Blue teams become embroiled in an absurdly elaborate game of one-upmanship that involves a Spanish-speaking robot who falls in love with a sentient, trigger-happy tank; a short-tempered talking bomb; frequent flashes backwards and forwards in time; an alien savior; and constant bouts of possession by various artificial intelligence. If this sounds like the densest chunk of science fiction ever presented, keep in mind that it’s all delivered in rapid-fire bursts of snarky, slapstick humor over the course of 100 five-minute episodes; think a futuristic version of Stripes, not Dune.
Since Red vs. Blue was created for web broadcast using the Halo engine, image and quality tends to be somewhat low resolution, but picture-perfect visuals aren’t what fans are expecting with this five-disc set. Rather, it’s the chance to have the entire series run in one set, along with an impressive collection of extras. Chief among the latter are multiple audio commentaries from the cast and crew for each season (all have been featured on previous releases), including a new anniversary commentary recorded for this set. Two special productions–the Xbox Live miniseries Out of Mind and Recovery One–are also a highlight, as are a barrage of special videos, including the show’s hilarious public service announcements, voice-over outtakes (many of which have been deliberately flubbed), and deleted scenes. Faux DVD menu content, including fake FBI warnings and nonsensical language options, is evidence of the appreciation for the show’s fans that went into this set, as is a new sixth disc of rarities, including early dialogue recordings, award-show footage, and even a version of the series executed completely with Legos. It’s hard to imagine a show that plays on paper like Red vs. Blue deserving such a deluxe presentation, but the sheer quality of the imaginations behind the program clearly warrant this impressive set. –Paul Gaita
Rating: 
(out of 4 reviews)
List Price: $ 59.95
Price: $ 29.17
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August 14, 2010
#1
Review by Don Kuligowski
Rating:
I love red vs blue but i didn’t want to buy them on dvd because they looked crappy.but this remastered them and made it so they fill the screen! it also put them in HD! If you like red vs blue you need to buy this. its amazing!
August 14, 2010
#2
Review by Robert A. Farquhar II
Rating:
I love Red Vs. Blue. I love it to death. I already owned the original five seasons on DVD, but I was still thrilled when the Remastered version came out. It really is much better now that the pictures fill the screen, and they’re sharper, too! Even better for someone with limited shelf space, this time they put all 6 DVDs (5 seasons and a bonus disc) into only two thin boxes, rather than the huge box the old complete set came in. So now I have space to buy the next several seasons when they come out.
There’s only one problem I have, and its the same problem I had with the old set… except for Lopez’s Spanish dialogue, and the 5th season, there are no captions/subtitles. My girlfriend is both hard of hearing and sensitive to loud noises, and with all the yelling and the radio/helmet speech effects, she has a hard time following what’s happening. Makes it hard to watch it together… or at night with the volume on low after she goes to sleep.
I’d take off a half-star for this, if I could, but I can’t so I won’t.
Nevertheless, all said, I’m glad I bought it. (Now, on to the “Recollection” 3 DVD set!)
August 14, 2010
#3
Review by Too-Tall
Rating:
Smaller box with 6 disc = Awesome; and the remastered version is alot better, even if you own the original, get the remastered too, its great to have both!
Improvements: Full Screen; HD; and the “camera” doesnt have an on-screen aiming sight (as in the original alot of scenes you noticed it)
and the price isn’t too bad either =)
August 14, 2010
#4
Review by daGoofinator
Rating:
Same story, same jokes, same characters. The difference? You can actually see and hear them well enough to actually follow the story! Quality is top-notch.
I should warn people though. The language in the Red vs Blue series (RvB)… A little iffy. Not for those that care about using good language. But man, when they do swear, they do it in a totally hilarious way.
5 Stars – All the way. Way to go Roosterteeth!