James Cameron is 70 years old and is currently enveloped in everything Avatar, which is where he’s been pretty much since the original released in 2009 (which means that you can throw a few more years on there for pre-production to the level in which he strives for.) And hey, Avatar was groundbreaking 3D cinematics! So much so that almost every blockbuster that followed in the years after tried to slap 3D on as an option because it worked so well (at least financially, as very few strived to recreate the 3D journey that Cameron brought audiences on.) I enjoyed the sequel, and while I’m sure I’ll enjoy the next three that are currently being worked on by Cameron, part of me wishes that he would’ve taken a bit of time to figure out how to clone himself so that one could continue working on Avatar and the other could carry on delivering new films like only James Cameron (or, I guess in this case it’d be his clone) can.
He’s done so many massive movies and each time out he somehow finds a way to break new ground in the filmmaking industry. Travel back in time 40 years to 1984 and it was no different, with Cameron bringing the world The Terminator. The classic film that catapulted Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career and made it so that anyone born before the year 2000 likely has an issue saying “I’ll be back” without doing an impression of Arnold while doing so. So how does it hold up four decades later and with a shiny new 4K remastering?
Unsurprisingly, like most things Cameron is associated with The Terminator holds up incredibly well. There’s honestly not much you can pick apart in terms of the story, which is no small feat when it comes to time travel flicks. Yes, it sometimes gives the movie an out to say, “Ah, it’s just time travel shenanigans! That’s why this happened!” when it comes to certain plot points or the likes, but Cameron and fellow writers, Gale Anne Hurd and William Wisher, do a really good job of covering all their bases pretty much across the board.
The story revolves around a cybernetic killing machine called a “terminator” being sent back in time from a future where an AI defense network known as Skynet turned on and all but killed off humankind. That is until one man, John Connor, turned the war around to the point that the only chance that Skynet had of survival was to send an assassin back in time – with the limited knowledge they had of who John Connor’s mother was – to kill her, stopping him from being born and thus winning the war for the machines.
Connor and the resistance had one chance to stop this assassin and that’s through badass soldier Kyle Reese, played by badass actor Michael Biehn. What’s done so well with this film and its storytelling is how they set up the main protagonist, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). She is not a badass (though let’s be fair, she holds up a hell of a lot better than I would’ve in her place) because she’s not supposed to be. Even though she’s the one who trains John to be the strong survivalist that he becomes, at this point Sarah Connor is just an ordinary person caught in an extraordinary circumstance – and Hamilton plays it to perfection. Before her life is turned upside down by the terminator, we see her as a regular woman just trying to make it through the day in 1980s Los Angeles, yet Hamilton plays it so well, and the character is written strongly enough that we get just enough hints of the woman she’s destined to become.
What also works incredibly well is how the future is explained and shown, with Reese having dreams after arriving in 1984 (though only a couple, and they fit into the narrative seamlessly), as well as him having to explain what’s happening to Sarah upon meeting her. While one could argue there are a number of exposition dumps that catch the viewer up through Sarah, I’d counter that it’s done in a way that’s completely natural to the story and exactly what one would have to do in this scenario in order to win over the trust of the person they’re attempting to protect – even though they’d probably still think you’re crazy.
The Terminator is an action flick, but it’s an action flick with heart and just enough drama. It’s incredibly well paced, coming in at under two-hours, which works to its advantage as the terminator never slows down so neither does the film. The movie holds up incredibly well in story, looks, action and delivery, and while newer generations may question the hairstyle choices, this is movie that’s timeless and will appeal to generations to come…at least until the machines take over.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
The film looks great and this 4K remastering cleans things up and brings it to a point where it looks as modern as it ever has. The 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision visuals look sharp, the darks look rich and the colours have the natural desired look that works for the film. The future scenes also look fantastic, with the set design being really well done all around. The entire film just feels and looks spot on in every scene. Personally, I loved the look of this upscale remastering, as it keeps the nostalgic feeling of the times, while bringing it to 2024 in terms of visual standards.
On the audio side of things we’ve got a superb Dolby Atmos track that will rock your room from all sides with the film’s soundtrack, score, sound effects and action sequences. The dialogue is clean and clear, front and center and never battles to be heard against the wonderful soundscape. If you’ve got a surround sound system then sit back and enjoy, as this’ll bring you as close to the movie theater as you’ll get for this film. As a whole, the sound mix is top tier, and no matter your system it will deliver as best it can and the best it has since arriving on home video.
Legacy Special Features:
Nothing new on the special features front, which isn’t surprising; however, there’s still a decent amount here for fans to take a look at.
Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects & Music – This 13-minute featurette focuses – you guessed it, the visual effects and music of the film.
The Terminator: Closer to the Real Thing – Here we’ve got a 12-minute featurette that sees Cameron and a few others talk about robotics at the time, the potential of AI, and how close the potential reality of something like this could be.
Unstoppable Force: The Legacy of The Terminator – Here we’ve got an old school featurette that’s just under 10-minutes and sees cast and crew from The Terminator franchise talking about the series and its impact overall.
Deleted Scenes – Lastly we’ve got 7 deleted scenes, which I’m usually not a fan of, but these have an optional commentary track by Cameron alongside them, who explains why they didn’t make the cut. Count me in!
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents The Terminator. Directed by: James Cameron. Written by: James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, William Wisher. Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen, Earl Boen. Running time: 107 Minutes. Rating: R. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Nov. 19, 2024.
About Brendan Campbell
