Terminator 2: Judgment Day has never looked better in this stunning 4k release supervised by James Cameron himself!
“James Cameron’s epic action/sci-fi masterpiece, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in his most iconic role, has been stunningly restored by Cameron himself. First hitting screens in 1991 with groundbreaking special effects, this version takes the seminal blockbuster into the 21st century for a new generation of fans.
It has been 10 years since the events of Terminator, Sarah Connor’s ordeal is only just the beginning as she struggles to protect her son, John – the future leader of the human resistance against the machines – from a new Terminator, sent back in time to eliminate him while he’s still a child. Sarah and John don’t have to face this terrifying threat alone, however. The human resistance has managed to send them an ally, a warrior from the future ordered to protect John Connor at any cost. The battle for tomorrow has begun.”
Terminator 2: Judgment Day lies to rest the argument that sequels cannot be better than the original film, outshining the original film to the point of almost non-existence when it comes to the explosive action and entertainment of the second. It changed the entire direction of the story switching Arnold to be the hero of film, and effectively changed the course of the entire franchise, and giving Arnold some cool dialogue he continues to throw around to this day.
Odds are, you’ve seen T2, love it, and would love any chance to see a better version of the film. I’ve owned just about every incarnation of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and can say unequivocally that this is the version you want to own. Not only has the transfer been supervised by Cameron himself, but he’s tweaked colors and tiny details to enhance the film to ensure that this is the best possible version that will be like watching the movie for the first time.
One choice that Cameron made that could be a bit risky is changing certain things in the film that he didn’t like or wanted to fix. Now, this isn’t on a Star Wars level where they replace an entire character, but there is the risk of upsetting people who have grown up watching something so many times that they start to feel as if the film is their own. People are serious about nostalgia these days, and tinkering with that could be dangerous. Although Cameron admits to only one change in the film in an interview earlier this year, there are in fact numerous changes to the film, albeit minor ones, including digitally removing certain goofs such as visible filming equipment or props. The one Cameron admits to that has bothered him since the release was a continuity error in which the truck driven by the T-1000 drives into the canal and the windshield clearly falls from the truck, but is later visible in every scene. Digitally erasing that windshield falling down ensures the error is gone and will put his mind to rest. Now, the biggest one that might stir up a bit of controversy is digitally replacing Arnold’s head onto the stunt double riding the motorcycle off of the canal wall. Although the stunt double was wearing prosthetics to make himself look more like Arnold, it was always clearly visible that this straight on, well lit shot was not him. Judge for yourself how you feel about it, but rest assured that Peter Kent, the stunt double in the scene, was interviewed about the change and seems to be fine with it.
Video
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is presented in 4k 2160o Ultra High Definition 2.40:1. With the HDR and Cameron’s tweaks of the transfer, the colors are some of the more life-like that I have seen in a 4k release. Whether it is the deep blue hue of some of the darker scenes, to the brilliantly bright and life-like tone of the desert scenes, one thing is for sure: Terminator 2 has never looked better, and this is the version you should always be watching.
The Blu-Ray version is presented in 1080p High Definition 2.40:1, and although it contains three versions of the film, it should be noted that the version that was tweaked and enhanced is the Theatrical Version only, which is also the only version presented on 4k.
Audio
The audio on the 4k disc is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The audio track has always sounded phenomenal, and there is no change here, still containing an amazing track that will utilize every aspect of your surround system. Levels are good all around, with a good balance between the dialogue and impressive score.
Special Features
- “T2: Reprogramming the Terminator” 55-Minute Documentary Including Exclusive Interviews with Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron, Edward Furlong, and More.
- 2 Deleted Scenes with Audio Commentary
- 2 Feature Commentaries
- “The Making of T2” 30-Minute Featurette
- View 3 Different Versions of the Film (Theatrical, Special Edition and Extended Special Edition)
- Trailers
Terminator 2: Judgment Day has never looked better in this fantastic treatment of such an iconic action/sci-fi blockbuster, and is perhaps one of the best 4k transfers I have seen from an older film. Fans of the film will want to pick this up as soon as possible!
