7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
The time: today. The stakes: all our tomorrows. A nascent AI, assisted by droids, continues to edge toward world domination and the ruin of humankind. It accepts no limits. It fears no one. Except John Connor. The machines know John, now 16, is the future head of the resistance. They know he is growing in abilities. They must find and terminate him. But Sarah Connor is there, protecting and instructing her son as he becomes the man he’s destined to be. The hunt is on in a season of powerful revelations, breathless pursuits and bravura effects.
Starring: Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau, Richard T. Jones, Brian Austin GreenAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 77% |
Thriller | 59% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
All episodes of 3 BD discs
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
They will keep coming for him, trying to kill him, but until that day...it's going to be one hell
of a
dogfight.
With an estimated budget of only $6,400,000, James Cameron's influential 1984 Science Fiction
film The Terminator
pulled off a hard-to-beat trifecta. The Terminator became a cult phenomenon. Almost a
quarter-century after its release, it is hailed as one of the better Science Fiction/Action films of all
time, one that launched a franchise that continues to grow. The film also solidified the career of
its director, and launched its star, Arnold Schwarzengger (End of Days), into a career as a true action
hero. Both director and star achieved unfathomable success through the remainder of the 1980s
and beyond. The
duo would again pair up for 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment
Day, a huge box office success and special-effects extravaganza that was, at the time,
the most expensive film ever produced. It still holds up remarkably well even by today's
technologically-advanced standards. A third sequel, Terminator 3: Rise of the
Machines, proved a financial success, but received mixed reviews from longtime fans of
the franchise. Now, Fox and Warner Brothers have teamed up to create a television show that
fills in the story line between the second and third films. "Terminator - The Sarah Connor
Chronicles" fleshes out backstories and weaves new characters and plot devices into the
Terminator lore; it ties up loose ends, but also engenders a series of new questions that
may be
resolved in the show's second season (which begins airing on Fox on September 8, 2008).
Meanwhile, as we consider the television series that falls on a time plane between the second and
third films, a fourth feature-length film in the Terminator franchise is set to premiere in
2009, starring Christian Bale (Batman Begins).
Boys, I'm Sarah Connor, so seven-to-one is fatal odds . . . for you.
"Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season" arrives on Blu-ray with a nice looking 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that brings the show to Blu-ray in the same ratio in which it originally aired. This transfer is good one, sporting an image that does just about everything right but doesn't leap off the screen the same way something like Saawariya or even "Prison Break" manages to. The transfer fluctuates between a clean, "normal" look to the occasional (and intentionally) grainy appearance that accompanies harsh action sequences throughout the show. Such heavy-on-the-grain instances come far and few between, however, and anyone opposed to an abundance of grain should not find it bothersome (not to mention that it's there due to artistic intent). Flesh tones vary from slightly red or orange to natural but generally look good. Detail is fairly high throughout every episode. The scene in episode two where Cameron speaks with a local cop, who thinks the car she is leaning on may be stolen, sports true-to-life detail and clarity, fine color reproduction, and a nice depth that brings the scene to life. As good as this particular scene looks, and many like it throughout the season look just as good, rarely does the image jump off the screen like the above-mentioned titles do. Nevertheless, the scene embodies most of the best qualities to be found on the disc. One quality that is not present in the scene, which is otherwise present throughout, is fine black levels. They are a nice true black that never falters in any of the episodes. Minute detail is impressive, too. Watch the chess match scene in episode five. For the brief time we see them, the pieces appear handsomely detailed. Facial detail is notably good, too, as characters never appear to be airbrushed or waxy in appearance, and all of the facial hair and other nuances are clearly visible, especially on Brian Austin Green's character. Warner has done commendable work on this release. It's not the most stunning collection of discs you'll ever see, but it's a more-than-solid release that should please both fans and newcomers to the series.
Warner Brothers sends "Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season" to Blu-ray with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. There is no lossless or uncompressed soundtrack to be found, a true shame for a high-octane, action-oriented program such this one. The track provided is more than adequate, however, hitting all the right notes and conveying the story and every action piece with nice clarity and an appropriate oomph during all the action sequences. Themes from Brad Fiedel's memorable score are here, but the soundtrack doesn't simply reproduce the music from the film. Rather, this made-for-television series creates it's own unique sonic signature, which works for a six and one-half hour long television program. It definitely says Terminator in every note and is reproduced well enough on this disc. Bass is good throughout, from the more mundane lows during the music, to the exciting action sequences where the subwoofer has an opportunity to stretch its legs and impress. Clocking in at 392 minutes, this show cannot offer wall-to-wall action, and as such the majority of the time is spent on plot and character development which is mostly dialogue-driven. This is one of the strong suits of the series' audio presentation. Dialogue is occasionally muffled under music and effects, but the vast majority is presented cleanly from the center channel with no distortions of any kind. Surrounds are not actively employed in every scene, but they do swell with the film's percusion-heavy score and numerous action sequences. Episode six, "Dungeons and Dragons," is the most lively of the season. The episode flashes forward for us, but serves as a flash back for a character who relives key moments from the future war against the machines. These scenes put your sound system to the test and offer the best overall moments of audio in the set as bass positively rumbles and the action permeates the entirety of the soundstage. "Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season" offers listeners a perfectly acceptable soundtrack, but it seems just a bit more laid back than one might expect of a high-caliber action show, and it lacks the crispness and attention to fine detail high definition tracks offer.
"Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season" comes to Blu-ray with a
nice array of extra features spread across all three discs. The following is a breakdown of what
you
can expect from each disc.
Disc One
Disc one begins with two commentary tracks, one for Pilot and one for The Turk.
On Pilot, fans can hear from writer/producer Josh Friedman, producer James Middleton,
director David Nutter, and actress Summer Glau. This track combines some lighthearted
anecdotes
from the set (including the inclement weather that hindered the filming of this episode) with
some
insight into the gravity and meaning of the story. The track for The Turk again features
writer/producer Josh Friedman, this time accompanied by writer John Wirth and actors Lena
Headey and Thomas Dekker. This track, too, combines the technical with the
playful as the participants giggle as much as they provide pertinent information. You'll
oftentimes hear them speaking over one another resulting in a jumbled track with little
substance. Six deleted scenes (480p, 10:46) are next, five from Pilot and one from
The Turk. Creating the Chronicles is a three-part feature that delves into the
making of various aspects of the show. First is Re-Boot (1080p, 16:44). Here, we learn
about the show's creators' diligence in making the show as true to the Terminator
franchise as possible. Future War (1080p, 10:26) looks at the episode Dungeons
and
Dragons, the episode that partially takes place in the future during the war against the
machines. The Demon Hand (1080p, 11:57) looks at the risks the episode took in
building on one of the important plot points of Terminator lore. Finally, a gag reel (480p,
3:35) is included.
Disc Two
Disc two begins with one deleted scene (480p, 2:04) from the episode Dungeons and
Dragons. Cast Audition Tapes features a look at the audition for three actors -- Lena
Headey (480p, 4:19), Thomas Dekker (480p, 2:29), and Richard T. Jones (480p, 4:30).
Summer Glau Dance Rehearsal (480p, 1:40) is a throwaway feature that shows the
actress practicing for her ballet sequences. Finally, Storyboard Animatic (480p, 3:25)
shows viewers the hand-drawn storyboards for the school attack sequence from the first episode.
Disc Three
Beginning the supplements on this final disc is a commentary track for the episode What He
Beheld featuring writer/producer Josh Friedman, writer Ian Goldberg, and actors Summer
Glau and Brian Austin Green. This is another track that combines throwaway stories from the
set, discussions about the characters and their various acting abilities in the episode, and some
technical details about the production and script ideas that didn't make it into the final draft. This
disc also contains an alternate version of the episode The Demon Hand that "includes
filmed footage that was not aired due to time constraints and represents a work in progress with
unfinished sound, music, and visual effects." Two deleted scenes (480p, 7:14) from The
Demon Hand conclude this set's supplemental features.
"Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season" is great television and a must-watch for fans of the Terminator franchise. The show accomplished exactly what it needed to do -- keep in tune with the legacy of the films by building on the story and its characters and including many subtleties in every episode to ensure that it stayed true to established canon. The show also introduces new, important, and well-written characters that fit in well with lore and who themselves will likely go down in Terminator history as characters just as pivotal to the story as everyone we've met in the films. Warner Brothers' release of "Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season" on Blu-ray is a solid effort that could have been better. The picture quality is nothing to brag about, but it's certainly very good. Most fans will be disappointed with the studio's failure to include a lossless or uncompressed high definition surround sound audio option, but the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track is no slouch itself. The set is nicely rounded out by a good helping of extra materials. Considering the low price and the quality of the show, this set comes recommended and is a must-buy for fans of the Terminator franchise.
2009
2009
40th Anniversary Edition
1984
Director's Cut
2009
+BD with the 3 versions
1991
PG-13 Theatrical Cut
2006
2015
1080i
2003
1990
2009
3 Disc Edition
2012
2007
2014
2006-2016
2013
2019
2015
2003
2007
10th Anniversary Edition
2012
2007
2009