The Terminator (4K UHD Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Warner / MGM (Amazon)    
Release Date: November 19, 2024
Rating: R
Film: 4.5/5
 
 
Plot
A ruthless killing machine (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time by Skynet in order to kill Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton), the woman who will soon give birth to the leader of the resistance movement in the future. But her future son isn't going to let his mother be exterminated and sends Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) back in time in order to save her from certain destruction and give the human race a chance to survive.

 My Thoughts
 I can’t count how many times The Terminator has been released on home video, but this sci-fi/horror/action film has never looked better. I remember when this came out in theaters in 1984 and I’ve watched it countless times over the years. What’s amazing is that the low budget film, made for approximately $5 million, ended up becoming such a big hit and launching the careers of both Schwarzenegger and writer/director James Cameron. Many consider the sequel a superior film, but I’m not one of those—I think they are equally good, but in different ways.
 
Some of the home video releases of this film have been a bit rough around the edges, but that’s certainly not the case here. This has been remastered in 4K and the resulting image is simply jaw dropping. Detail is off the charts, especially in close ups—you can see every pore on the actor’s faces, although the one downside of this, is that the practical make-up effects haven’t aged well. When you see them, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Regardless, the gamma tracking is damn near perfect and every scene looks like it was shot last year instead of 40 years ago. Well done Warner!
 
The Atmos audio track is nearly as impressive. Although the original elements are only stereo, the studio has done a pretty good job of remixing it into a modern sounding soundtrack. Dialog is always intelligible and the use of the extra speakers really make their impact in the multitude of action scenes. My one gripe is dynamics are somewhat constrained but given the age of the film, this is somewhat expected.

 Video 10/10 (AVC)
 
Audio 9/10 (Dolby Atmos)

 
 Special Features:
·       Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects & Music
·       The Terminator: Closer to the Real Thing
·       Unstoppable Force: The Legacy of The Terminator
·       7 Deleted Scenes
·       4K UHD + Digital Copy
 
 

 
 
 Conclusion
No matter how many times I watch this film, I still find myself entertained and never bored. It’s amazing how good it is given its limited budget, especially when you compare it to the $200+ million blockbusters that look pretty but fail in the story department. In this case, the story captures you from early on and never lets go throughout the entirety of the film. If you’re a fan of the movie, this is the best presentation I’ve seen of it—even better that when I saw it in the theaters 40 years ago. Highly recommended.
 
Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
 (Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
 Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
 Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
 ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
 ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers

Zidoo UHD8000 Media Player
 Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
 System Controller: URC MX-990
 M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
 M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
 Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
 Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
 Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
 Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
 PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[SRW1000]

Nice!  I'll have to keep an eye out for this one.  I was hoping we'd see an upgrade some day.

[Paul Heroy]

It's been a LONG time since I've seen the original, and it's great to hear that it's been done in high quality. Think this will make it onto a couple of Christmas lists for me, one of them being my own, heh. 

[David Vaughn]

It's been a LONG time since I've seen the original, and it's great to hear that it's been done in high quality. Think this will make it onto a couple of Christmas lists for me, one of them being my own, heh.

HAHA...I've been known to have my own Christmas list as well

[Barry]

We just saw the Terminator in 4K this afternoon. I first saw it 40 years ago on my "movie" night.  Nothing else was palying so we went to see this, a grade B sci-fi flick.  WE were surprised. The plot, the story, the acting, even the music was far above average. We really liked this picture (and the enxt one)


David was right!  The video was outstanding compared to the other releases.  We were very pleasently surprised.  And teh audio, was also terrific. The ssound surrounded us, it was wonderful.

I also loved T2, but, sadly, I did not enjoy the 1,000sequels. And I thought the last one, reuniting the two amis sars was a waste.

But this "

[David Vaughn]

We just saw the Terminator in 4K this afternoon. I first saw it 40 years ago on my "movie" night.  Nothing else was palying so we went to see this, a grade B sci-fi flick.  WE were surprised. The plot, the story, the acting, even the music was far above average. We really liked this picture (and the enxt one)


David was right!  The video was outstanding compared to the other releases.  We were very pleasently surprised.  And teh audio, was also terrific. The ssound surrounded us, it was wonderful.

I also loved T2, but, sadly, I did not enjoy the 1,000sequels. And I thought the last one, reuniting the two amis sars was a waste.

But this "

Thanks for reporting back Barry. I agree, the first two movies were outstanding and the rest were watchable, but not very memorable. 

[bmoney]

Another shocking “I’ve never seen it” 

I have seen all the sequels tho weird. Must visit this one