The Terminator [Blu-ray]
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Movie Reviews of The Terminator [Blu-ray]
Movie Review: Terminator Blue ray
Summary: 5 Stars
one of our favorite dvds now in blue ray. We are happy with this purchase.Movie Review: Our Future Is In His Hands...
Summary: 4 Stars
With the new television season in full swing I find myself bombarded with a plethora of new shows vying for my attention, few will actually succeed in gaining it in the end; however, as many new shows try to become new favorites of mine, I still remain loyal to the ones I've enjoyed from previous seasons. One such show that became a favorite of mine last season was the Fox network's mid-season replacement "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles". Now that the new season of this show has gone on for a few episodes, I recently found myself wanting to re-watch the original movies that spawned this entertaining weekly sci-fi series. So, I got out my Blu-ray copies of the Terminator trilogy and had myself a thrilling, action-packed, sci-fi weekend of machines bent on destroying humanity.
"The Terminator" is set in the year 1984 where a young woman named Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is trying to make a life for herself; however, that life may soon be cut short as a deadly cyborg, called a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), arrives from the future to kill her. As it turns out, Sarah is to eventually give birth to a boy who will one day grow up to become humanity's last great hope for survival against the onslaught of these seemingly unstoppable killing machines. Now, Sarah is in a desperate struggle for survival for not only her own life and that of her unborn child, but also for the future of all mankind.
Science-fiction movies when done well can be extremely entertaining pieces of cinema that on occasion become important facets of our popular culture. Prior to 1984, the Star Wars and Star Trek movies were the two biggest science-fiction franchises ever to be made. That is, until a little known director named James Cameron released a movie starring a former Austrian body builder that would become the first true blockbuster for both men's careers, and cement Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cinematic icon, causing his character to become one of the most quoted and recognizable characters of all time.
The story for "The Terminator" is a blend of both present day (well, back when 1984 was present day) reality with that of a dark, bleak future where humanity's days could very well be numbered. The concept of having a cybernetic killer come back from the future to end the life of an innocent woman and her as yet unborn child was an intriguing one. It was made even more intriguing by the introduction of her protector (Michael Biehn) who was sent back in time by Sarah's very own son to protect his mother and prevent the Terminator from succeeding in its mission. Talk about a mind-bending storyline. An interesting element within this movie is that the future may not be set in stone, which introduces some really interesting consequences into the story depending on what happens; therefore making the movie feel a bit more unpredictable and original than one might expect from the genre. It was nice to see that even back in 1984, long before the recent crop of sci-fi/superhero films set against a realistic, modern day backdrop, writer/director James Cameron was smart enough to create a fairly realistic world for his characters and his far fetched idea (although it doesn't seem nearly as far fetched with today's technology) to exist within. Thus, allowing us in the audience an easier time of relating to these characters who find themselves in this bizarre situation.
Leading the cast for "The Terminator" we have Arnold Schwarzenegger, who found great success as one of Hollywood's new action heroes in films such as, "Predator", "Commando", and "Total Recall", and all of it was due to his star making performance in this movie. The fact that Arnold became such a big star from this movie is actually somewhat surprising to me given the fact that he barely speaks in his role, shows zero emotional range (which is appropriate given that his character is a cyborg), and isn't exactly challenged in a physical way either. Regardless of all of this, Arnold still managed to create a villain that instills fear by being this ultimate killing machine, not to mention the eerie way in which he systematically scans a room is perfectly robotic and creepy at the same time. All the while you'll find yourself wondering is this possibly the future of our machines with the way A.I. is becoming more and more advanced these days. Just a little bit strange to think about, isn't it.
The supporting cast led by Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn was surprisingly solid, providing intriguing characters that were easily accessible, allowing for us to quickly begin rooting for their survival and ultimate success against the onslaught of the Terminator. Linda Hamilton ("Dante's Peak") was given the most to do out of everyone within the cast. Over the course of this movie we see her character run through a wide range of emotions; from happiness to fear, from fear to surprising romantic bliss to an eventual undeterred resolve. Linda proved in this movie that she was definitely star material, by creating such a three-dimensional character that began the movie as a virtual nobody and ended it poised to become this virtual warrior-like woman determined to raise her son to be the one man that could save humankind from extinction. Along with Linda, actor Michael Biehn ("Aliens") created a very human, yet at times almost superhuman hero in Sarah's protector, Kyle Reese. His devotion to not only his mission, but also to Sarah, was a nice twist to the character, because it made him into a much more realistic hero. Normally in movies like this the hero is one that knows exactly what to do in every situation, and nine times out of ten Kyle was very much like that, but there were those moments where he clearly was flying by the seat of his pants, and just hoping for some miracle to occur to save both him and Sarah from the machine hunting them; it was this very human aspect to his heroic character that made him stand out more than what your typical action hero would have in any other movie.
Lastly, writer/director James Cameron did an excellent job of creating a visually thrilling science fiction experience with a significantly smaller budget than anything produced in movies or television today, and yet still his visuals hold up better than most from that time. That is as much to do with the excellent work on behalf of James Cameron and his crew as it is with the talented people working with Stan Winston to create the stunning, yet sometimes frightening images of a future where machines rule over the humans with an iron fist. Granted there are moments within the film where it definitely shows its age, and the practical and visual effects definitely look dated; however, given the time at which the film was made the results are still impressive even by today's standards if you really stop to think about it. It would be nice (and I'm sure purists will disagree with me on this) if some of the weaker moments in the visual effects area could be tweaked/redone similar to what George Lucas did to his original Star Wars trilogy. I'm not saying to tweak the effects to the extent that George did, but there are definitely places where if an improvement could be made the movie would definitely benefit from it, and would feel more in line with the technological advancements made in between this first movie and its sequels.
Overall, "The Terminator" is an excellent science fiction thrill ride that grabs you early on, and only occasionally slows down long enough for you to catch your breath before quickly rushing forward once more. With an outstanding story, a surprising cast, and mostly solid visual effects work, this is a movie that kicked off one of the greatest sci-fi movie series' of all time, and should definitely be on everyone's must see list!
"The Terminator" is rated R for violence, language, and nudity/sexuality.
Movie Review: The "T" that started it all...
Summary: 4 Stars
Believe it or not, I had never seen the original Terminator film from start to finish. So, when I found it offered on Amazon at a good price, I decided to buy it.
Even judged by today's standards, when CGI and over the top special effects are run of the mill stuff, this 1984 film holds up very well. The "hunter/killers" that fly over LA by night, shooting lasers at anything that moves are very well done for the time, as are the Terminators. The piercing, red robot eye that Arnold's Terminator reveals behind his human flesh exterior is haunting, revolting and amazing, all at the same time. The final confrontation scene, when the Terminator has been reduced to his naked, mechanical skeleton, is also extremely well done for the time, and again, those Satanic red eyes add to the suspense and uneasiness that the viewing audience feels as they watch this machine relentlessly pursue Sarah Connor.
The programmed determination of the Terminator becomes evident very quickly, and Reese's description of it to Sarah brings chills to one's spine, as he describes how the Terminator will never stop hunting her down, never stop trying to kill her as long as either she or he are still alive and operating. How could anyone ever go to sleep again after finding that out?
Of course, the chase scenes are still some of the best that I've ever seen, and they move the pace of the film along at breathtaking speeds. And, the famous "I'll be back" line that leads to an incredible police station shootout is as great as ever.
The Blu Ray transfer of this film is good, but it will not stun you with 1080p, super high def HDMI pictures. I did not find anything to quibble about with the video quality, though, and for a transfer of a 1984 film, I was entirely pleased and was in no way distracted by any obvious video shortcomings. Likewise, I was pleased with the sound mix on my 7.1 surround system, with much of the music and effects tracks coming through the surround speakers, while dialog mainly existed in the front and center channels. Don't expect any big booms or earthshaking, sudden explosions from your sub, as they aren't there. In my experience, the sub just added the overall bass and low key effects that were needed to fill in the rest of the tracks and make them realistic. Overall, it was a very satisfying experience both video and audio wise.
This is the first film in a great action series, and I highly recommend it. It'll be a classic, for sure.
Movie Review: A classic as good as it will get
Summary: 4 Stars
The Terminator on Blu-Ray looks about as good as you can hope. The disc is definitely not in Transformers level quality. However, considering the low budget roots of Arnie and James Cameron's sci-fi/horror/chase film, I don't think you could expect more from the source materials.
Even after so many years, 25 years at that, this low budget shocker still packs a punch. Other than Predator, its hard to find Arnold in a better, more suiting role. Cameron's story, plotting and editing keep the film on boil until the last screen. I think only the sex scene comes off as a little out of place.
While the 1960s era special effects of 2001: A Space Odyssey look seamless on Blu-Ray, the miracles of high-def do no favors for the 1984 makeup and matte effects of Terminator. The sound can be muted at times but good overall. Again, considering the film's budget limitations and guerilla-style filmmaking of Cameron in those days, this is about as good as the source will allow us to enjoy.
Comparing to the endless releases of T2 editions packed with extra content, there are precious few add-ons with The Terminator. Visual clarity and color are all very consistent. Sharpness is hit and miss but in the end, its the content that counts. The Terminator is a great archival shelf title that will outlast its visual flaws. Blu-Ray will allow you to enjoy the last ounce of quality, other formats did not. And finding the title between $10 and $15, depending on where you look, its a great buy too.
Movie Review: Pretty good
Summary: 4 Stars
I had not seen this film in it`s entirety before watching it on Blu-ray. I think Arnold Schwarzenegger plays his role very good. I was a bit suprised he looked so serious/angry throughout the film. I think most of the shootouts was good.
Picture Quality: 4/5
I think it looks pretty good. They used DNR in some scenes, but the film grain is intact in most scenes. I think most of film look sharp and detailed. Like for example in the closeups. I like that the colours looked good.
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
I was very suprised how good the PCM 5.1 audio track sounded. I think all those explosions sounded good with clear deep bass. All the shoouts in the present time sounded good in my opinion. The bass from the weapons was surprisingly loud and clear. I like that. When a Terminator in a flashback scene starts firing with his minigun like weapon, i think it sounded too low and lacked bass. Strange.
Other than that particulary moment in that flashback scene, i think those flashbacks scenes sounds good.
When Arnold fires with the Uzi, i think it should have had more bass. Too bad. I think the dialog at times sounds unclear and too low in the Center speaker. Apart from those 3 mentioned things, i think it sounds very good. As i said earlier, the subwoofer channel is used a lot to good effect. I really liked that the rear speakers was used a lot. Like they used music, laser beams and some gunshot effects.
Film: 4/5
Overall: 4/5