Back when I was just turning 10 years old, I was having nightmares about being chased by an unstoppable robot that was trying to ensure the end of the world was going to happen with a gigantic bang. Man, the Reagan years were something. I’m sure those dreams will be making a comeback in the next four years.
Anyway! Warner Home Video has honored that robot-chasing-humans idea by releasing The Terminator on 4KUHD. Folks, the transfer is nothing short of brilliant. While the movie’s story still holds up after all these years and takes center stage, despite its special effects falling short (it was the mid-80s, what are you going to do?), the secondary reason to enjoy this release is how pleased with how well the transfer was treated. This is certainly one 4KUHD release for movie collecting shelves.
So, sit back, call every Sarah Connor in the phone book, and let her know to take a vacation, and let’s get this unstoppable killer of a transfer reviewed.
Official Synopsis
Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sent to protect Sarah is Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who divulges the coming of Skynet, an artificial intelligence system that will spark a nuclear holocaust. Sarah is targeted because Skynet knows that her unborn son will lead the fight against them. With the virtually unstoppable Terminator in hot pursuit, she and Kyle attempt to escape.
If there was ever a reason not to trust computers or AI, this story would certainly give you pause to consider it. The story of The Terminator was relative to the time it appeared. The world was on the brink of war, and we depended on smart leaders to make the right choices before the earth was lit on fire. In 1984, there was so much uncertainty about humanity and if we truly were going to make it another decade. If you didn’t live during the 80s, it’s tough to describe the realism that came with the story driving The Terminator.
James Cameron was certainly keeping up with humanity’s pulse and wrote a story that played off fears echoing through everyone’s life. The theme of The Terminator is a lot deeper than just a normal action film, which is by design, as it presents the possibility that no matter what we do, we are heading toward the same fate. Preparing to live the inevitable is more important than wasting time trying to prevent it. That’s as bleak as it is for a 1984 film, where if the hero wins, they honestly do not win.
Cameron nailed the fears and helped translate them into a story about humanity fighting each other and then trying to create a computer solution that would help weed out problems. What’s funny is that Cameron’s take on the ‘problems’ was humanity itself, which is scary and somewhat accurate. We’re killing our earth, we’re destroying our climate, and we are the biggest threat to our humanity right now. Skynet, the silent antagonist in the film, has it right, even though the methods of taking care of us are probably wrong. Cameron brings up some fair points through this story and makes the journey seem somewhat pointless but in an impactful way. It’s heavy in its tone and execution and thick with what it offers in contemplation. It’s so much more than a basic action film.
To help push this somewhat harsh reality of a narrative, a few actors were introduced to the world on a big scale. First, and most prominent in the entire Terminator franchise is Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator. Up to this point in his career, Hollywood didn’t know what to do with him, as his bulkiness and limited range provided him with fewer roles he fit within. At the time, his big movie was Conan the Barbarian, where he played a gigantic warrior who was hellbent on revenge. He was also featured in silly movies like Hercules in New York and the quite horrible The Villain. He played a hero in most of his parts with little to no chance taken on any other aspect of his acting chops.
The Terminator allowed him to become a menacing villain who was the opposite of his typecast roles up to this point in his career. He embodied the very definition of a brutish killer that was unstoppable and robot-like. It’s as if Cameron played off his features and somehow magnified his acting abilities that no one else could see. He was perfect for this role and expanded his acting resume in the process.
Another actor who was not well-known at the time was the movie’s hero Kyle Reese played by Michael Biehn. Biehn’s career before The Terminator featured gigs in Logan’s Run (TV series) and an ABC Afterschool Special (those are fun). This film set a path for Biehn and his many future roles, which included a sidekick hero role in Aliens and a dastardly role in the film Tombstone. Biehn nailed his role as Reese The Terminator, providing a perfect opposite for Arnie, and certainly showed the world his intensity and presence. He is a fan-favorite actor across multiple franchises.
Now, this movie also set in motion a career that would show itself and redefine how women were perceived in action films. Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor was not a helpless maiden in distress. Her character was presented as a future leader and someone who was destined to get the future prepared for the worst. While this film leaned more on Hamilton’s character’s innocence, she became the no-nonsense Connor in subsequent sequels. Hamilton’s performance as Sarah Connor paved the way for the possibility that women could handle their own in action films. It certainly changed a lot of perspectives on how women were written in future films.
All three actors in their respective roles put together a story filled with action, drama, suspense, and thrills. They helped to paint the picture of a bleak future with bad decisions led by power-hungry men. Without each giving their all, I’m not sure The Terminator would be as good as it was, as they were perfect for their characters and led a memorable story that was impactful in the 80s, and sadly will be impactful soon.
The Terminator is one of the best action, sci-fi films to make it out of the 80s. It featured meaningful acting, superb writing, and directing, and laid the groundwork for unique takes and constructs for future films of its type.
Warner didn’t bargain with this transfer
Warner Home Video knows how to take an older film and transfer it perfectly to 4KUHD. It showed this in our recent review of North by Northwest, where the clarity, color, and concise cleanliness of the transfer shined. The Terminator is no different, as the original film is cleaned and comes to you in perfect 4KUHD. It’s a gorgeous transfer.
Now, the only drawback of that clean perfection is the effects. The stop motion looks fine, as it did in the 80s. Seeing a menacing Terminator exoskeleton chase people is just unnerving. It’s a bit weird with framerate but that is what you get with stop motion. Emotionally, you’ll still be stuck on how creepy it looks as it stutter-stops toward the protagonist.
The real point of issue with the 4KUHD transfer is the effects of the Terminator repairing himself in front of a mirror. This scene shows the fake face and model of Arnie all too well. My kids laughed at this when it came up, and I recalled being terrified of it at their age. It shows expectations of today’s youth versus how it is delivered with effects available during that time. It’s off and the 4KUHD quality, in all its glory, magnifies this gap in effects quality. It’s a bit funny but it represents how far the industry progressed. Long rambling short, it’s goofy, and the cleaned-up quality of the film doesn’t help it.
Overall, the 4KUHD quality is as clean as a whistle. Those who can accept the effects as they are will find a damn good version of the film waiting for them.
On the special effects side of the tracks, here’s what this release includes:
- Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects and Music
- The Terminator: Closer to the Real Thing
- Unstoppable Force: The Legacy of The Terminator
- Deleted Scenes
This is a solid set of features that complement a great film. I do wish there was commentary included but what can you do? These are bonuses to a great film.
On that sweet note, let’s wrap this review.
Conclusion
The Terminator 4KUHD release is gorgeous despite its aging effects. It’s a clean transfer with solid special features to boot.
