6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
John Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future that Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton YelchinAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 61% |
Adventure | 60% |
Thriller | 57% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (Theatrical)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy (on disc)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Everybody deserves a second chance.
Unlike this summer's mega-blockbuster Star Trek,
Terminator Salvation isn't a re-imaging of a fan-favorite series but rather an extension of
the established universe and an expansion of the story line that further builds upon
Terminator lore. The result is a fast-paced special-effects-extravaganza that also
happens to shoulder a logically sound story within the confines of franchise canon and, at its very
center, the film proves itself a surprising thematic heavyweight in its exploration of what it
means to be human. Though on its third director in four films and the first to break from series
norm insofar as the overreaching plot line of the movie is concerned, Terminator
Salvation is nevertheless a strong sequel, bettering the admittedly solid Terminator 3: Rise of the
Machines and taking the series in not only a logical direction away from the norm of
future
hunter and past prey and instead to the wastelands of the post-apocalyptic world only seen in
glimpses in
previous films, and also proving that James Cameron's visionary Science Fiction franchise is far
from termination.
Targeted for termination.
Terminator Salvation arrives on Blu-ray with a strong 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer. The image is by design devoid of bright primary colors; only a handful of scenes depart from the norm of dusty earth tones and shades of gray that set the stage for the post-apocalyptic and war-torn setting. Nevertheless, the lack of color isn't a hindrance to the transfer; in fact, fine detail appears as superb throughout. From the beginning moments that feature nicely detailed close-up shots of Marcus that reveal the finest of facial hairs and pores, it becomes clear that the transfer means business. The many bombed-out locations take on a startling level of clarity and rough texture that bring each one to frightening life. The bullet-ridden façades and jumbled messes of brick and concrete look marvelous in every scene. Many of the objects in the film either exhibit plenty of wear and tear -- particularly on weapons and clothing -- or are covered in a layer of dust and grime, whether human faces and clothing or an abandoned jeep that seems covered in years worth of post-apocalyptic dust. Only several interior shots of SkyNet command offer a reprieve from the grit of the outside world; smooth lines and bright whites and blues come as something of a shock to the system in the context of the remainder of the film but nevertheless sparkle in high definition. Only some blacks that look a bit too bright hinder an otherwise spot-on presentation. Flesh tones remain neutral throughout, and the film-like presentation is completed by a thin veneer of natural film grain. All said, Terminator Salvation looks marvelous on Blu-ray, outdone only by the stellar accompanying soundtrack.
Terminator Salvation explodes onto Blu-ray with a remarkably loud, active, clear, and entertaining DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. From the opening title music, it becomes clear that this one means business. It's a punishing listen that seems to at every turn mangle the listening area with prodigious amounts of bass, mesmerizing and natural surround implementation, and borderline unmerciful volume at reference level, but it's a sonic joy to behold that never gets old and always seems to find a way to top itself with each major sequence. The opening scene inside a prison cell offers not only the expectedly clear dialogue reproduction but subtle sound effects and the slamming of the cell door -- that seems to move across the front half of the soundstage and slam shut with a hard-hitting authority -- set a tone for the far more aggressive action sequences to come. The opening future war battle scene features A-10 fighters zooming powerfully through the listening area; missiles track their targets as they maneuver through the room, and return gunfire from ground-based machine gun emplacements cuts through the soundstage with frightening precision. Small arms fire, too, cracks, pops, and reverberates with every shot, and helicopter rotors slice through the listening area with pinpoint accuracy. Surround activity and background ambience are superb, too. Creaks and cracks and various additional nuanced sounds throughout place the finishing touches on several crucial locations seen throughout the movie, distant popping gunfire helps to sell the war-torn environment, and several scenes featuring driving rain and accompanying thunder deliver a fully immersive atmosphere. Bass is both heard and felt in every major action scene. Whether a rumbling SkyNet Hunter-Killer aircraft that's strong enough to demolish an already decrepit building as it slowly passes above it; the deep, rumbling mechanical sounds of Harvesters as they lumber about collecting human prisoners; or numerous explosions throughout the film; the low end positively devastates the listening area and the eardrums, rattles the furniture, and completes what is nothing short of an awesome sonic experience.
Terminator Salvation debuts on Blu-ray as a three-disc set; disc one houses the
theatrical
edition of the film and special features, disc two contains the extended director's cut and BD-Live
functionality, and disc three
offers a digital copy of the film. The first supplement is "Maximum Movie Mode," a feature that
contains the director standing in front of a pair of screens that show on the left the film and on
the right behind-the-scenes elements. The segments cover a broad range of information over
the production, looking at the creation of special effects via animatics, interviews with cast
members, behind-the-scenes footage from the set, and more. Some of the material is
presented in a standard picture-in-picture secondary window over the bottom right-hand corner
of
the screen. Regardless of how it's presented, the interactive and visually-based commentary
proves vastly superior to standard audio-only tracks; the director interacts with the film, pausing
it to point out various interesting tidbits, further reinforce points, and expand on the film's
dramatic and thematic elements. It's a fantastic feature and is implemented to perfection. Also
included is a pop-up timeline that places events in and around the film from a range between
1975 and 2032, interactive still galleries, storyboard comparisons, and more.
Focus Points is an additional collection of 1080p behind-the-scenes segments that are
available to view either within "Maximum Movie Mode" or individually via the main menu. Pieces
include Digital Destruction (2:30), Enlisting the Air Force (2:48), Molten
Metal and the Science of Simulation (2:09), Building the Gas Station (2:52),
Creating the VLA Attack (2:46), Exploding Serena's Lab in Miniature (2:38),
Hydrobots (2:19), An Icon Returns (3:01), Terminator Factory (2:17),
Stan Winston Workshop (3:03), and Napalm Blast (2:46). Next up is a piece
entitled
Reforging the Future (1080p, 19:01) that looks at how the filmmakers both built on
Terminator lore and created a film with its own identity. The piece features cast and
crew speaking on the film's look or "retro-future," the film's themes and tone, shooting locations,
prop and set design, wardrobe, the design and implementation of the various Terminators and
machines seen in the film, and the use of both practical and digital special effects. Finally,
The Moto-Terminator (1080p, 8:33) takes an in-depth look at the creation of one of the
film's unique special effects and action sequences. The included digital copy, as sampled on a
second-generation iPod Touch, features picture quality that stays true to the source, retaining a
gritty, lifeless tone with decent detail and only moderate banding and blocking. The soundtrack
also retains its thunderous volume and while clarity and detail are lacking there's still a good
sense of space and directionality across the two-channel headphone presentation with a fair
sense of power and heft to the action scenes.
Terminator Salvation is not only a loud, action-packed, and special effects-heavy summer extravaganza, but also a pitch-perfect extension to the series while also offering a somewhat meaningful look at what it means to be human and man's superiority to machine. Terminator Salvation also introduces new characters and technologies but never leaves the confines of established franchise lore, and the result is an exciting visual spectacle that also carries on the series' legacy while simultaneously creating its own identity within the Terminator universe. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release of Terminator Salvation delivers a stunning 1080p transfer and a deafening reference-quality soundtrack that's among the very best Blu-ray has to offer. All that's missing is a more thorough supplemental package beyond the excellent "Maximum Movie Mode" feature, but Terminator Salvation nevertheless comes highly recommended.
Theatrical Cut
2009
Director's Cut
2009
2009
Director's Cut | Theatrical & Director's Cuts
2009
2009
Rental Copy
2009
Director's Cut
2009
Director's Cut | Limited Edition Skull Case
2009
1080i
2003
2015
+BD with the 3 versions
1991
2009
2019
40th Anniversary Edition
1984
2009
2013
2020
20th Anniversary Edition
1996
2004
3 Disc Edition
2012
2008
2013
2015
2005
20th Anniversary
2003
2009
2003
2010