The Terminator Blu-ray Review

The remastered Blu-ray of "The Terminator" in 1080p, AVC-encoded format marks a significant visual enhancement over its 2006 predecessor. With improvements in detail, contrast, and black levels, the image clarity and depth have been noticeably elevated. The superior AVC codec and higher bitrate meticulously eliminate video noise, yielding a pristine, practically grime-free presentation. The film's characteristic grain pattern remains apparent yet fine and natural-looking, ensuring the imagery retains its authentic cinematic feel without smearing.

One notable and potentially divisive aspect of this new transfer is its color timing adjustment, leading to a pronounced, teal hue in several scenes. This alteration, consistent with director James Cameron's vision, presents stronger blues and a cyan bias characteristic of Adam Greenberg's cinematography. While this teal wash may not appeal universally, it provides a modernized visual style that aligns with Cameron's current aesthetic choices. Despite this, contrast remains consistent with solid black levels and effective shadow delineation, maintaining the film's gritty undertones while presenting a well-resolved, clean print.

In summary, this Blu-ray edition delivers a remarkable video upgrade that should please many enthusiasts. The cleaned-up print showcases increased fine detail and dimensionality lost in previous encodes, balancing the presentation's gritty essence with enhanced clarity. Despite the contentious teal color timing, this version offers an overwhelmingly superior visual experience reflective of contemporary standards yet respectful of the film's iconic visual identity.

In its latest Blu-ray presentation, "The Terminator" boasts an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, continuing the trend from prior releases while omitting the original mono track. This remixed track offers deep bass extension, distinct split surround activity, clear dialogue, and an effective musical reproduction of Brad Fiedel's score. The surround usage is aggressively ample, adding dynamic range and a sense of scale particularly fitting for the action scenes, sending laser blasts, explosions, and squealing tires throughout the listening environment.

However, this same surround mix also introduces some notable drawbacks. While bass activity and dialogue clarity are robust, there are balance issues where effects tend to overpower other audio elements, and some distortions are present in high frequencies. Furthermore, some fans may find the directionality and imaging to be somewhat unnatural and forced. The use of re-recorded effects, especially gunshots, detracts from the onscreen action's cohesiveness, leading to concerns about the mix's authenticity.

Additional audio tracks include Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 and French DTS 5.1, accompanied by English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles. The lack of the original mono track still disappoints long-time aficionados who pine for the soundtrack’s original embodiment. Despite these contentious points and missed opportunities, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track remains a mostly impactful presentation that enhances the film's immersive action sequences.

The extras on the Blu-ray release of "The Terminator" replicate the standard definition supplements found on previous editions, offering valuable insights but nothing groundbreaking for long-time fans. Although the disc lacks a main menu and proper bookmarking due to its BD-Java authoring, the quality of the interviews and behind-the-scenes content remains solid. Notable absences include the robust set of supplements from MGM's 2001 DVD release, such as the "Other Voices" documentary, various still galleries, and James Cameron's commentary. The existing features, while familiar to many, still make a compelling package for newcomers and dedicated enthusiasts alike.

Extras included in this disc:

• Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects & Music: Insights into the film's VFX and music, featuring interviews with the crew.
• Terminator: A Retrospective: A conversation between James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the film's production and impact.
• Terminated Scenes: Seven deleted scenes with minimal audio enhancement, providing additional context and character development.

James Cameron’s "The Terminator" remains an iconic cornerstone of the sci-fi genre, demonstrating an enduring elegance despite its modest $6.5 million budget. The narrative, involving an indomitable cyborg assassin (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent back from a dystopian future to eliminate Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), encapsulates both heart-pounding action and a poignant love story. Michael Biehn delivers a standout performance as Kyle Reese, the soldier protector, creating a gripping dynamic between predator and protector. Cameron’s genius lies in his ability to harness compelling storytelling, garnering emotionally powerful performances, even as the practical effects and miniatures from the pre-digital era maintain their striking authenticity.

This Blu-ray release showcases a remastered video transfer, a significant improvement over previous editions marred by early format limitations. The 1984 film masterfully combines various effects technologies--mechanical effects, animation, opticals, and miniatures. The editing, captured vividly in scenes like the tanker truck chase or the police station assault, underscores Cameron’s talent for creating edge-of-the-seat suspense. Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the Terminator is as menacing as ever, providing an unnervingly cold and relentless presence that perfectly balances Hamilton’s transition from ordinary waitress to resilient survivor.

While the film's technical prowess is laudable, its script, bolstered by its high-concept premise of man versus machine, remains riveting. Despite occasional moments of stilted dialogue, Cameron’s screenplay drives home potent themes of technological advancement and survival. The action sequences, notably crafted by visual effects legend Stan Winston, have aged well, offering a raw visual style resonant with gritty realism. This Blu-ray edition underscores why "The Terminator" continues to influence contemporary sci-fi thrillers; it’s an endlessly re-watchable classic that combines intense action with substantial thematic depth.

The Blu Ray release of "The Terminator" presents a significant improvement in terms of video quality, offering a remastered transfer that breathes new life into this science fiction classic. This update successfully retains the film’s gritty charm while enhancing the visual experience, despite a slight teal push in some scenes that might not please purists. The remaster is undoubtedly a substantial upgrade from previous versions, making it a must-have for serious fans and collectors who appreciate the innovative lower-budget filmmaking that defined the original.

However, sound quality remains an area of contention. The included 5.1 audio track continues to exhibit longstanding issues that have been the subject of fan complaints, such as imbalanced sound staging and lack of depth. The absence of the original mono mix further detracts from the authenticity for purists seeking the original audio experience. Additionally, there are no new supplements on this release; instead, familiar special features have been recycled from earlier editions. While these extras remain valuable for those who haven't seen them before, they do little to offer new insights or content for long-term fans.

Of the three sequels to The Terminator, only Cameron's, Terminator 2, is an acknowledged masterpiece. One of the reasons why no fan of the first two films has felt even remotely satisfied by Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines or Terminator Salvation is that neither of them came even close to what Cameron achieved in T2, which was literally to remake his original film into something new in which the original could still be recognized. When I first sat in a theater in 1991 watching T2, I laughed with delight at the many echoes and direct references to the first film. Now, when I watch The Terminator, I still spot little details referenced in the later film that I never noticed before. Cameron conceived an entire world with The Terminator; then he reconceived it all over again in T2, bigger, bolder, full of surprises, and yet somehow utterly familiar to existing fans, because its creator maintained the integrity of his initial creation. No one who has come after Cameron has managed to rise to that level of creative imagination. Perhaps there's nothing left in the franchise (other than exploiting it for commercial gain). In any case, the original is now available in the best presentation to date. Recommended, but hold onto your DVD for the extras.