The Terminator 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Suspenseful, thrilling, and visionary, James Cameron’s (Avatar) 1984 sci-fi classic The Terminator spawned a host of sequels and even the short-lived television series The Sarah Connor Chronicles. While the revolutionary special effects may not seem as stunning as they once did in today’s CGI world, the film’s influence is still being felt in every science fiction action flick that has come after it. While its early-eighties sense of dread at the new world of connected networks and quickly improving electronic technology can only be looked at with a slight sense of bemusement in our socially networked society, The Terminator will forever stand as one of the influences of such latter day classics as Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix.

The story finds a young and very muscular Arnold Schwarzenegger playing a cybernetic assassin from the 21^st century. He has been sent back to 1984 to terminate the seemingly harmless young waitress Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose yet-to-be-born son will play a pivotal role in the future war between man and machine. The only one standing in his way is Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) a soldier sent back through time to act as her protector.

With its heart-stopping action, never ending suspense, and overwhelming sense of dread underpinned by a pulsating techno soundtrack, The Terminator is one thrill ride you will not want to miss.

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The Video

The Terminator was originally shot on Eastman 250T 5293 film stock using Arriflex 35 BL, Arriflex 35 III, and Fries Mitchell 35R3 cameras with Zeiss Super Speed lenses according to IMDb and The Digital Bits. The film is presented on 4K Ultra HD in a 1.85:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision encodement that shows HDR10 metadata of a MaxLL of 468 nits and a MaxFALL of 201 nits. I do not know it for a fact that Lightstorm and Park Road Post have used the same AI on this release that ruined the previous James Cameron releases of True Lies, Aliens, and The Abyss, but it does seem that way. Only, this time around, either they have learned how to use it better or they have scaled back on its impact. Detail as definitely been tweaked in the image, but it does not look harsh or plastic. They have also left in (or added back?) a layer of grain, which seems natural and is even heightened in areas where there are duped visual effects. Flesh never looks waxy either, just check out the crevices and stubble on the pawn show clerk’s (Dick Miller) face as Schwarzenegger is arming up early on. There is no doubt that they have avoided flattening and smoothing detail for this release. There is also more ‘pop’ in highlights, which is very noticeable in the scene where the flesh-less Terminator walks out of the flames.

The Audio

The Terminator gets a lossless Dolby Atmos remix that is surprisingly chunky and dynamic for a film of this age. Low end bumps and sounds are nicely spread around. There are definitely some new effects added to this mix, mostly of the ambient type. Compared to the original mono mix, which is also available in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, there is more sound of spaces and surroundings noticeable. Check the scene with Sarah and Kyle in the underground parking garage as they are trying to escape the Terminator as they hide in the car. You can hear ambient sounds in the garage and of the city, but the mono mix is basically dry. Purists may prefer the mono mix, but the Atmos mix is a thrill ride.

The Supplements

There is not much here. These previously released bonus features bring nothing new for anyone who already owns this in various releases and even drops some special features from previous editions.

Bonus Features:

• Fandango at Home Digital Copy Code
• Deleted Scenes w/optional commentary by James Cameron (1080p; 00:09:59)
• Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects & Music (1080p; 00:12:58)
• The Terminator: Closer to the Real Thing (1080p; 00:11:56)
• Unstoppable Force: The Legacy of The Terminator (1080p; 00:09:38)

The Final Assessment

This cyberpunk classic looks and sounds better than it ever has, and surprisingly so given the recent James Cameron releases on 4K. Most fans will be pleasantly surprised and pleased. Recommended.

The Terminator is out on 4K Ultra HD + Digital November 19, 2024 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Purchase The Terminator (4K Ultra HD + Digital) on Amazon.com

• Rating Certificate: R
• Studios & Distributors: Cinema ’84 | Euro Film Funding | Hemdale | Pacific Western Productions | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
• Director: James Cameron
• Written By: James Cameron | Gale Anne Hurd | William Wisher
• Run Time: 107 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
• HDR10 Metadata:
  • MaxLL: 468 nits
  • MaxFALL: 201 nits
  • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
  • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
• Primary Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible)
• Secondary Audio: Original Theatrical English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono | English Descriptive Audio | French DTS-HD MA 5.1 | German DTS-HD MA 5.1 | Italian DTS-HD MA 5.1 | Spanish (Castilian) DTS-HD MA 5.1 | Spanish (Latino) DTS-HD MA 5.1 | Czech DD 2.0 Stereo
• Subtitles: English SDH | French | German | Italian | Spanish (Castilian) | Spanish (Latino) | Dutch | Chinese | Czech | Danish | Finnish | Norwegian | Swedish