THE TERMINATOR (1984)
40th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD + Digital
Label: WBDHE
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: R
Duration: 107 Minutes 22 Seconds
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1) with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision HDR 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dick Miller,
As an eleven year old watching this for the first time on late night cable TV at my friend Barry's house (of course) this flick blew my mind, It was pretty terrifying stuff. The Terminator as played by Schwarzenegger was an unstoppable killing machine with living human skin wrapped around indestructible endoskeleton, his hulking build only enhancing the fright-factor. Reese and Connor are no match for it, but they manage to arm themselves with weapons and improvised explosive devices, wounding the Terminator, exposing it's menacing red eye and metallic skull beneath its skin, it totally gave me nightmares afterward. Anytime I walk into a darkened room and see a red light in the darkness I still think of The Terminator, every time.
James Cameron direction is top-notch, the action beats are bombastic and thrilling, the dread of being killed by an unstoppable cybernetic assassin is pervasive, and we some killer special effects by Stan Winston, including make-up effects, full size puppets, and stop-motion. Not all of the effects have aged spectacularly but for their time they were brilliant, and I still love the opening shots of the HK's rolling over mounds of human skulls and all the future sequences, they still work for me. Plus, it's all wrapped up in a pulsating and pounding electronic score by Brad Feidel (Just Before Dawn, Fright Night) that adds so much to the proceedings, giving it an timeless 80's vibe.
The film is littered with brilliant scenes, the opening scenes of the Terminator and Reese arriving in the past, the tense nightclub scene, the Terminator's all out assault on the police station, and of course the finale with the exploding tanker truck and the crushing showdown at a factory, this is a flick firing on all cylinders from start to finish. Schwarzenegger is absolutely terrifying, and Biehn and Hamilton are dynamite together, and let's noy forget that steamy sex scene between them at the motel, hot stuff. I know T2: Judgment Day usually gets all the love when people talk about this franchise but the first is still the best for me, I love the atmosphere, the action, the horror elements, the mind-bending sci-fi of it all, it's just a terrific flick.
Audio/Video: The Terminator (1984) arrives on 4K Ultra HD from WBDHE with Dolby Vision (HDR) framed in the original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio. This release comes with no small amount of not undeserved scrutiny because of director James Cameron's somewhat dubious AI enhanced 4K releases of True Lies, The Abyss, and Aliens. My opinion? Well, I thought that this release looked pretty dang spiffy. Grain looks intact, and while I would say there looks to be some AI sharpening of certain scenes and close-ups which look maybe to clear and detailed compared to what I;ve previously seen, overall this looks wonderful. Colors are more vibrant with the WGC grading, blacks are deep and dense, and clarity and depth are pleasing. There's certainly tinkering happening here, but overall I thought it felt refreshed, and not resurfaced with AI the way that True Lies did, it still feels filmic, and it's easily the best this flick has ever looked several times over.
Audio includes an Atmos (TrueHD 7.1) remix that is bombastic, deep and impactful, the pulsing electronic score and myriad laser blasts and gunshots, the sounds of HK's on the hunt, the acceleration of motorcycles and semis, the explosions and sounds of carnage are full-bodied, it's never been more sonically pleasing. But wait here's more, the film's original mono theatrical mix is resurrected for this release with a DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono mix. The mono track is obviously not as immersive as the Atmos but I really loved hearing it, I tend to like the original mono mixes for older films, and while I would say that the Atmos track is reference level, my nostalgic heart loves the mono presentation. Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles are also provided.
We do get a handful of archival extras, but there are archival extras that have been omitted as well which is a disappointment. What we do get are the -13-min Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects and Music; the 12-min The Terminator: Closer to the Real Thing; the 10-min Unstoppable Force: The Legacy of The Terminator; and 10-min of Deleted Scenes. Aside from not including all the previous legacy extras we do not get any new offerings, which is sort of shame considering it's the sci-fi flicks' fortieth frigging anniversary. Anyway, I hate to say it, but hang onto your older discs if you're an extras junkie.
The single-disc release arrives in a black keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork featuring what looks to be a new illustration of Schwarzenegger as The Terminator. I am not familiar with the artwork used but it looks terrific. That artwork is also replicated on the Slipcover, which I assue to be limited to the first pressing. Inside there's a redemption code for a digital 4K copy of the film.
Special Features:
- 4K Restoration of the film Dolby Vision/HDR Presentation of the film
- Dolby Atmos Audio Track
- Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects and Music (12:58)
- The Terminator: Closer to the Real Thing (11:56)
- Unstoppable Force: The Legacy of The Terminator (9:38)
- Seven Deleted Scenes (9:59)
Buy it!
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