Terminator, The Special Edition (2 Discs) (UK)

FILM: If you haven`t seen The Terminator yet, then you`ve been living under a rock for the last 17 years. It`s hard to believe I first saw this movie 12 years ago, and even now to this day I still find it enjoyable. Basically, the movie is about a cyborg killing machine who goes back in time to the year 1984 from 2029 to kill the mother of the future resistance leader.
Played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator is on a mission to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), but is followed by Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn). Reese is the protector that John Connor sent back in time to ensure his mother survives and destroy the Terminator. Fortunately, he prevails in the end but also dies himself. Incidentally, Reese turns out to be the father of John Connor...
Biehn definitely steals the show here, with possibly the performance of his career. Look out for good supporting performances from Paul Winfield and Lance Henriksen.
PICTURE: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1.
Despite minor evidence of dirt and scratch marks in some scenes, the picture quality on offer is excellent. Sharpness is significantly better than in the previous VHS releases, and the extra lines of resolution help the image out a lot. The colour palette also seems a lot more vibrant than on VHS. Flesh tones look more natural and the primary colours of the occasional landscape shot look great. Even night time scenes are handled with ease, showing amazing levels of contrast in the deep, solid blacks.
SOUND: Dolby Digital 5.1.
This is a newly created 5.1 soundtrack that has never been heard on any Terminator release before. Unfortunately for purists, the original mono soundtrack is absent. Never mind guys. The audio is brillliant for a film of this age and brings gunshots, dialogue and the classic eighties tracks of Tech-Noir to life. Again, with regards to the purists, a great number of `bogus` sound effects have been added to the movie. These include modified gun sounds, helicopters flying overhead occasionally and improved lightning sound effects. These are quite welcome, but do give the movie a rather different feel. From the sound of things, the DVD producers have tried to make the film sound more like Terminator 2.
EXTRAS: The extras on offer are great, but not quite as stellar as the ones seen on Terminator 2: Ultimate Edition. We have a number of interesting TV spots and trailers, two highly informative and sometimes comical documentaries and best of all 7 deleted scenes. On the still side, we have Cameron artwork galleries, Stan Winston effects galleries and promotional photographs to name but a few. The first disc also includes DVD-ROM material in the way of Terminator scripts.
OVERALL: This is the ultimate release of the Terminator. MGM has definitely delivered the goods, with great pic, audio and extras. Highly recommended.

This classic sci-fi action film finally gets a DVD release. There must be very few people who don`t know the plot. Basically, a cyborg from the future is sent back in time to kill a young woman, Sarah Connor, who will have a son that becomes mankind`s saviour. A protecter for Sarah has also been sent back in time to prevent her from being killed. They have to find a way to stop the cyborg and save Sarah`s life.
One of the finest sci-fi films ever made, this film boasts excellent acting especially from Arnie as the unforgettable Terminator, great action and suspense and visual effects which are not dated with the exception of some stop motion animation at the end of the film.

MGM have made a wonderful Special Edition. The picture is anamorphic widescreen and, although it is not perfect quality, it is good enough for this film. The sound mix, however, is fantastic. All those gun shots, explosions and music sound great. Since this is a 2 disc set, you would expect loads of extras and this disc does not disappoint. The extras are split into two sections: Still Material and Visual Material. Still material offers you artwork, production photos, publicity stills and scripts. All these are very good. Visual material includes a 18 minute documentary from 1992 which has Arnie and director James Cameron talking about the film. This a nice addition and is quite good. We also have " Other Voices" which is a 59 minute documentary which focuses on the film`s production. Although interviews with Arnie, Cameron and Linda Hamilton are all archive footage, the other interviews which include Michael Biehn, producer Gale Ann Hurd and FX artist Stan Winston are all recently commissioned. There are 7 deleted scenes which last nearly 10 minutes and include a lengthy sequence with Sarah and Kyle and another scene which features Cyberdyne technicians picking through the wreckage of the terminator. To round off, there are also 3 cinema trailers and 2 TV spots. Special mention to the animated menus which are excellent. Overall, an near perfect package.

This is an all-time classic presented on a almost perfect disc.
The only thing missing is an audio commentary from James Cameron. This was the film that made him what he was and it would have been nice to hear from him. It was also Arnie`s career highpoint and it would have been nice to hear from him too. But, with so much extra material and the fact that I am not really a commentary fan, this does not spoil the presentation. The US version is not out for ages yet so if you want this, pick it up now!

when you think about its low budget origins its a woner this movie doesnt seem more dated.ok some of the make up is a little ropey but back then it was pretty great.whenyou think of its limited resources its amazing how well it stands up today.what with a clean print far superior the the orion release on vhs in 1985.the picture is as crisp as it ever was.and as for the sound you would think it was a modern blockbuster.a very good film.a must buy on dvd.

When released in 1984, The Terminator was immediately hailed as one of the finest science fiction movies ever made. The same can be said today because the heart of it lies, not in the genre, but in an intelligent and thought provoking script, raising questions about courage, love, destiny and sacrifice against the backdrop of technological evolution versus human endurance.

Comments have been made about its originality. Similarities are noticeable to the likes of the Harlan Ellison penned Outer Limits episodes “Demon With A Glass Hand” and ”Soldier”, but then doesn’t The Matrix’s premise of mankind’s near extinction in the wake of growing artificial intelligence sound a little like The Terminator? We are all subject to influence. Inspiration begets inspiration!

The movie careers along at a blistering pace while maintaining character and narrative as priority without loosing either amidst the set pieces. With solid performances, a star in the making and the rising talent of writer/director James Cameron, this film was always destined for greatness.

Presented in its correct 1.85:1 ratio, with an anamorphic transfer, the film has never looked better in any of its previous home cinema incarnations. The audio, having had a major overhaul, is surprisingly fresh and dynamic utilising all parts of the DD5.1 sound stage.

This 2-disc set packs plenty of extras. Highlights include a 20 minute retrospective with Cameron and Schwarzenegger (from 1992) and a 60 minute delve into the making of the movie with contributions from just about everyone involved on the production. There are also 3 trailers, 2 TV spots and over half a dozen deleted scenes including Sarah’s proposal to destroy Cyberdyne, the company responsible for creating the machines, and the infamous extended ending that reveals the location of the final showdown to be that of a Cyberdyne factory. Not essential to the film, but essential viewing for any fan of the film. On an anorak note: It’s a shame the original opening text has been replaced with subtitles – presumably to ease the job of multi-language subtitling.

All in all, a fantastic buy. My only quibble – there’s no director’s commentary.

Content:- I hadn`t seen this film in a few years so I was not sure what it would feel like this time round, but I was not dissapointed. I was on the edge of my seat, with a lump in my throat and a fear in my heart (or something like that). The shoot-out bits were still brilliant fun, the chases great and the speeches amazing. A few of the scenes at the ending still looked a tad dodgy, but they always did. All in all this film is classic.

Video:- A fantastic transfer that shows this film at its best. Not much in the way of dirt or grain. Some bits still do look a tad 80`s but you cant do much about that.

Audio:- Well I still havent got my Digitheatre thanks to the bleedin` foot and mouth (and pain in the ass) disease thing (thank you parcelforce for not helping!) so I had to watch this on a mono TV. Having said that I can still say that everything was crisp and clear and came through that one speaker fine. All the gunshots, screeches and Arnie`s slurs came out dandy.

Features:- Still havent seen everything, but I can already say that there is plenty of stuff here and it is all good quality stuff. No directors commentary, but it has just about everything else.

Overall:- A damn good package and totally worth buying. Aye!

Well worth your money. Don`t be afraid to buy because even though it`s an old film the features on the second disc are skill. Im a fan of both Terminator films but this film introduces the storyline to both films. The box set is neat and makes you want to purchase this DVD. But what is dissapointing is that at the beggining of the film Michael Biehns voice is cut out for subtitles. Other than that a good outing by MGM.

The Terminator is one of my favourite films. I already owned the Region 0 version of the film before this Special Edition came out, but I decided to go ahead and buy this anyway.

It was definitly worth it. The film is brilliant (and I still maintain that it`s better than the sequal), and the extras are amazing. You get all of the deleted scenes, a couple of documentaries, scripts, trailers, and loads more.

The picture is much better than on the Region 0 disc, thanks to the remastered anamorphic print. It is not without it`s faults though - there is still some grain here and there.

One quibble that most people seem to have though - the audio has not only been remixed into Dolby Digital 5.1, but extra effects have been added (like helicopters and new gun sounds). I have kept my Region 0 copy because it contains the origianl mono soundtrack.

By the way, the subtitles do NOT replace Michael Biehn`s voiceover, because it never existed. Instead, they replace a text passage on the screen in the opening scene.

Well, I hoped this Special Edition of Terminator would be a good purchase. However, I was deeply disappointed with the un-remastered picture on this release. Do not believe other reviews on this site claiming that the picture has been remastered. There are dust specs and hairlines at various points across this film and yes - they are sadly a noticable annoyance on the film. Incidently, there is no mention of a remastered picture anywhere on the DVD case. However, people may expect a slight improvement over VHS versions.

The audio soundtrack which has been remastered to Dolby 5.1 can be quite disappointing for anyone listening to it on a standard mono television set as some sounds are totally lost and cannot be heard due to their channel positioning. I would have expected at least two audio formats on the disc. But, it`s nice to see a remaster at any rate.

The extras supplied are quite entertaing and the deleted scenes really should have been re-integrated into the film on this DVD release - but sadly are not. No doubt an Ultimate Edition will appear in the future with the said scenes re-introduced and also a remastered de-speckled, de-hairlined picture. Also, there is no audio commentry which is a great shame, as the documentary`s could really have been substituted for one - but that`s a minor niggle. The other minor niggle is when accessing the extra material - going through the menu system to get to disc 2 is useless, you may aswell just take out the disc and insert disc 2 - it`s quicker!

Overall a nice DVD set, but be beware when paying out for it - the picture is not as good as what some people make it out to be - you may be disappointed!

The Terminator is a fantastic fast paced sci-fi action thriller which really gets the treatment it deserves on this DVD. If, like me, you have only ever seen this film panned, scanned and edited on TV (and still enjoyed it) then you really must get this disc.

Picture - the anamorphic image is superb, especially for a low budget film from the 80`s. The contrast and black levels are good, and colours are solid.

Sound - Amazing. The original film was in mono so this an all new DD 5.1 mix and it really delivers the goods. The surrounds are always in use, bullets whizz around your living room, and explosions shake the floor.

With a second disc full of extras, what are you waiting for?

STORY
Everyone knows so I won`t bother with this one.
VIDEO
From the moment your player boots up with The Terminator you know that you are in for a treat. A beautifullly designed menu takes you inside the Terminators head before displaying the disc options. Shame about the picture of the movie though. From the opening future war sequence to the end scenes, your screen in filled with all kinds of grain and dirt. This peaks when Arnold`s character first arrives in 1984 and all subsequent night scenes are ruined by these artifacts. I must admit that it felt like I was watching a standard VHS copy. However, grain excluded, the 1:85:1 anamorphic transfer ensures crisp visuals with no sign of colour problems etc.
SOUND
It`s a shame that only the new Dolby 5.1 audio track is available as, like myself, those with just a standard widescreen set will feel slightly cheated. Some sounds come across well and are noticable improvements but others, in particular the tanker truck explosion, seem to have been dampened down. Gone is the roaring burst of flames only to be replaced by an effect that sounds like a brown paper bag being torn in half. The other addition that I hated was the fact that Arnie`s .45 longslide has been re-dubbed and sounds as if it had a silencer on, no longer giving the impression of sheer firepower. Other `new` sounds include helicopters flying overhead - but why? What`s the point?
Anyway, I`m sure that with the appropriate equipment it would sound fantastic. Only we with standard speakers seem to miss out. Good job the US version is coming equipped with the original mono soundtrack too.
EXTRAS
At first glance this second disc seems superb, two mind-boggling documentaries, deleted scenes, trailers, still artwork and photos, original screenplays (DVD Rom material) and more. Indeed, the documentaries are compelling, covering almost every aspect of the films production. I was disappointed though as an excellent Making-Of featurette, that incorporated behind the scenes footage and even more interviews, was absent from this disc. Showing, for example, how they performed the scene where Arnold punches through the windshield was amazing to watch and would have been an excellent addition to the disc.
Furthermore, as we all know, there is no audio commentary and I can tell that were Cameron to do one, it would be fantastic.
It`s the deleted scenes that steal the extras show though with seven fantastic segments. These involve Sarah talking about what her and Kyle could do after the ordeal (like going do Disneyland and eating hot dogs), a highly emotional scene where Reese pulls a gun on Sarah and more. The disc claims that they do not merit restoration to the film but, in my opinion, some would be fantastic and more than appropriate.
Overall, a very well put-together set of extras, even if it is missing a commentary and additional making of material.
OVERALL
The Terminator was one of the best films of the 80`s and is long overdue a DVD release. For a first attempt, this is fantastic and despite the disappointing image quality, it is well worth the money.
The sad thing is that the Yanks will be getting even more additional material, meaning I will be selling my R2 copy along with a whole bunch of other Terminator fans.
So - if you still do not own this and have a multi region player, torture yourself until October when the US edition is released. For those with only R2 machines, buy this today - you will not be disappointed.

What a DVD this one is! Everyone knows the film itself and it`s better than ever on DVD, picture is great and I think the sound is brilliant.
The many extras are also excellent, the deleted scenes, extensive making of documentary and the chat between James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger being the pick of the bunch.
I have to admit I wasn`t 100% sure of this DVD before I bought it, but this is definately one of my best and it doesn`t disappoint! Buy now basically!

It does exactly what it says on the tin!

My first review. :)

Plot- The title speaks for itself, it`s about a cyborg killing machine(from the year 2029) who goes back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, mother of John Connor, who isn`t even concieved(or born) yet. Kyle Resse, a soldier(your average grunt whateveryoucall`im!), was sent back in time to protect Sarah and destroy the terminator what ever the costs.

Picture- The film is presented in 1:85.1 anamorphic widescreen. Picture quality is good and image is sharp. There is frequent instances of grain and dirt in the opening sequence and the arrival of Arnie but it won`t be too distracting if you plan to go fleck-spotting. The Special Effects in the Terminator may have dated slightly but I can forgive that since it`s made in 1984 and the budget is low. It still holds up to todays overused CGI such as the Matrix Reloaded and the inferior sequel Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

Sound- Remastered in DD 5.1 for this release from the original mono(purist maybe angered by this). Although I haven`t heard the mono version, the remastered sound is amazing and mind blowing. All lot of the surrounds are always used, from bullets flying around to the pounding of Brad Fiedel`s techno score. The sound mix for this film has to be one of the most lively soundtracks I`ve heard. The only criticism here is that some of the sounds effect are rather weird for example, Arnies gun sound like a silencer when it should give out a proper bang. That`s sci-fi for you.

Extras- The first disc has the movie(obviously) and a DVD-ROM feature containing three different scripts of the film. I was expecting a commentary from Jim and Arnie which is slightly disappointing. Sadly, Jim Cameron only recorded a real commentary for the T2 Extreme edition for the R1 market.

The second disc is the gold mine, there are two superb featurettes, one is "Terminator - A Retrospective" an 18 minute featurette with Cameron and Schwarzenegger having an informal conversation(filmed in 1992 around the time after T2 the was released). It is extremely grain for reasons I don`t understand. It`s the least interesting of the 2.

The other featurette is the hour long "Other voices" featurette. This is the more interesting of the two as this covers every aspect of the production. It features archive and new interviews from cast and crew including Cameron`s ex wives, Cameron himself, Arnie and many more. Shame the interviews with Arnie and Linda Hamilton are from 1991 while Michael Biehn`s, Gale Anne Hurd`s and Stan Winston`s interviews are recent.

There are 7 deleted scenes presented in letterbox format and each one explain why the scenes have been removed from the final film. To round of the package, there are trailers(presented in widecreen format), tv spots(in fullscreen treatement) and several galleries.

Overall- Jim Cameron`s Terminator is a true sci-fi classic. Chessy synthesizer music, cyber-punk cinema mixed with riveting performances and an unforgettable climax makes this film impossible to shake off your mind. Good extra features too.