Plot: What’s it about?
Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) will have a pivotal role in the future of the world, but of course, she doesn’t know that right now. She seems to be a normal woman, trying to live her life and make ends meet, not much else. But she is destined to be the mother of John Connor, who will be the leader of a band of rebels, who will fend off an invasion that threatens mankind’s survival. You see, the work in robotics will advance by leaps and bounds soon, to the extent that self operating machines will be possible, some that even look like humans. In the right hands, these kind of machines can be invaluable, but as always, something ends up going haywire. Skynet is a powerful system that controls these robots and in the future, it chooses to rebel against the humans, sending out powerful robots to demolish mankind. But Sarah’s son proves to be a true savior and leads mankind it the battle against the cyborgs. But Skynet has a new plan, in which a cyborg with immense powers of all kinds is sent back to find Sarah, then terminate her. As this Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) closes on in her, can she discover the truth in time to save herself and the future of all mankind, or has Skynet finally found a way to leave the human race behind?
As far as the movie itself, it more than deserves this kind of treatment, given the worldwide success and massive fanbase it has enjoyed. It is hard to believe The Terminator was a low budget movie, but it was, although the visuals and most of the effects still look good. No, it doesn’t measure up to the sequel or more modern blockbusters in terms of effects, but as far as entertainment, it holds its own and then some. In truth, I prefer this film to the sequel, not just because it came first either, but it seems tighter and more realistic, perhaps due to the budget limitations involved. A true classic in several genres, The Terminator is a must own movie in most circles and with such a rich presentation, there’s no reason not to pick up this release.
The man who makes The Terminator work is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who of course, has made a career of the science fiction & action genres. Yes, Cameron and Gale Ann Hurd’s writing provides the skeleton for Arnold’s role, but without his persona, this movie would have never been the smash success it went on to become. No, his acting is not the best, but he is excellent in this flick, never going too far with his lines, or mannerisms for that matter. Just the look he gives, even with his sunglasses on, is enough to make you run away and in this case, that is just what was needed, to be sure. You can also see Arnold in such films as The 6th Day, Commando, End of Days, True Lies, Predator, and Conan the Barbarian. The cast also includes Linda Hamilton (Dante’s Peak, Black Moon Rising), Michael Biehn (Tombstone, The Rock), Lance Henriksen (Hard Target, Pumpkinhead), and Paul Winfield (Original Gangstas, Mars Attacks!).
Video: How does it look?
A couple of years ago a DigiBook of this film was released to Blu-ray with, well, mixed reviews. There was no change in the video quality from the very early 2006 Blu-ray version of this disc. Two years have passed and this new re-mastered edition certainly rectifies that. I’m pleased to say that The Terminator has never looked better. The 1.85:1 AVC HD image offers a notable improvement over its predecessor(s). Right off the bat, the film seemed to have more depth, due in no small part to the increased amount of detail in the image. Contrast and black levels are also improved which gives the movie a bit more clarity and a tad bit more depth. This just seems to be a lot more solid transfer all-around and it’s a testament to how good a movie that’s approaching its 30th anniversary can really look. If you’ve got a previous Blu-ray of this film and are serious about it, give it to a friend or sell it and pick up this one instead.
Audio: How does it sound?
The older Blu-ray contained a PCM 5.1 version of the soundtrack and with this new edition, we’re treated to a DTS HD Master Audio mix. I do believe it’s the same one that was found on the second Blu-ray disc. For years, this movie only contained a mono track but Cameron, as he so often does, has remixed this movie into a very impressive surround mix. Vocals are strong and crisp, surrounds are active and the front stage is very active indeed. Granted, the sequel blows this soundtrack away (pardon the pun) but considering its roots, The Terminator sounds pretty darn good.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Again, we get the same supplements as before. Ironically there are versions of this movie out there that have more to offer in regards to supplements. Go figure. We get a look at “Creating the Terminator: Visual Effects and Music” as well as a retrospective on the film that lasts about twenty minutes. And we get some dele—er, “terminated” scenes that didn’t make the final cut, though some do appear in the extended version of the movie (not included, of course). If you don’t own this movie and feel the need to have it on Blu-ray, this is your chance. I feel that this blatant double-dipping isn’t really fair to the consumer, but so long as people keep buying these re-issues, they’ll keep making them. Here’s hoping the long-awaited special edition will resume production in the near future.
