Review of Terminator, The (Special Edition 2 disc set)

Introduction

Before the big-budget all-action blockbuster that we have come to know and love as Terminator 2: Judgement Day came along, there was the unbelievably low budget (by comparison) "The Terminator". Made by James Cameron in 1984, the film was to catapult him to stardom and ensure that he would oversee some of the biggest budget films of the late twentieth century.

The film also had a rather nice effect on the career of its principal star, a certain Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was also catapulted to stardom, and now commands a very large fee for any film that he appears in.

Let`s get a few myths about the disc cleared up first. The region 2 release of this film is rated "15" by the BBFC. Previous releases have been rated "18". This does not mean that the region 2 version has been cut. What it does mean is that since the film has been re-submitted to the BBFC, their policy has changed, and now the content of the film only warrants a "15" rating.

The region 2 and region 4 releases are identical in almost every way. The first difference is the packaging. The region 2 version comes in a cardboard case, the region 4 version comes in a clear Amaray case. The biggest other difference is the price, since the region 4 version can be imported for between 5 and 10 pounds less than you`ll pay for the region 2 version in the high street.

Video

Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic, this is the best that you`re ever likely to see this film looking. It`s a million times better than any VHS release that you`ll have seen, and puts my original 1987 VHS release well and truly to shame.

That`s not to say it`s perfect - there is some dirt on the print and it occasionally shows its age. There are a lot of dark scenes here, and while most come up very well, one or two don`t always look perfect. I`m really being too picky here though, as it is pretty much an excellent job.

The other thing that shows the age of the film is the special effects. These have not aged at all well, and one or two do look rather dated. But given the age and the tiny budget these just add to the film`s character.

Audio

The Terminator has been treated to a full DD5.1 remix and definitely benefits from it. The original film only had a mono soundtrack, which is not included here. Purists might be angered by this, but given the quality of the 5.1 track there`s no reason to be.

There`s plenty of surround action, with bullets whizzing around and laser bolts flying over your head. Lots of bass evident throughout too.

Another thing that shows the film`s age is the score. Whilst the main title still sounds good today, a lot of the incidental music has a very big 1980s feel to it, which does make it sound rather dated. It doesn`t really detract from the film, it`s just something that I picked up on.

Features

A 2 disc set packed with extra features.

There are 7 deleted scenes, most of which were trimmed for timing purposes, but some of them point the story and characters in slightly different directions. Some of the ideas in these scenes re-occur in Terminator 2. Very interesting to see them presented here, all in 1.85:1 non-anamorphic.

The other main extras are the two "making of" type featurettes, featuring lots of interviews with principal cast and crew, the special effects teams, and quite a bit of behind the scenes footage. There does appear to be a tiny bit of repetition of some of the footage used on the Terminator 2 DVD features, but in general these two featurettes are very interesting indeed.

You`ll also find the theatrical trailer, the international trailer and the teaser trailer, all presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic. There are also 2 TV spots presented in 4:3.

And there`s more - photo galleries, posters, publicity shots, stills from the visual effects and make-up teams, production photos and Cameron`s original artwork. DVD ROM owners can also access three versions of the script.

Conclusion

An excellent DVD package to showcase a classic sci-fi film. Cameron`s vision is well presented, and it`s good to be able to see it in the correct ratio at last. An excellent DD5.1 remix simply adds to the atmosphere, and plenty of quality extras just add to the overall package.

It would have been nice to see a director`s commentary, but this is still an excellent set. Very highly recommended.

Remember, the region 2 and region 4 discs are identical apart from packaging and cost. It`s up to you which one you want to buy!