This is a great month for Blu-ray releases, with a series of blockbusters tailor made for the High Def generation taking advantage of the new format. Terminator Salvation, released tomorrow, is a perfect example of a film given the deluxe HD treatment, not only in terms of sound and picture quality but also in the Blu-ray exclusive extras available.
Our review of the film is here, and it was one of the few positive reviews the film garnered. While the bleak aesthetic and the hopeless atmosphere which pervades the film are convincingly conveyed in the production design many were disappointed that McG had not managed to elicit a similarly complex and convincing response from the cast.
Worthington aside the performances are plain and perfunctory, and while the familiar Terminator tropes are present the film played out the epic action without the shadows of destiny and fate behind it. The thrill of the first two Terminator films depended on our involvement in the world, the fear of these killing machines invading our world, but as this film bears more resemblance to the post apocalyptic worlds of Mad Max and I Am Legend than our own the connection is lost.
As I mentioned Sam Worthington is impressive as Marcus Wright, and ironically is the heart of this film, but the narratives of Wright’s self-discovery and Connor’s survival against all odds fail to complement and dovetail until the very end, and only the barest of epiphanies is gained.
On Blu-ray the film perhaps will get a revision. The picture looks incredible and the CG-heavy action scenes are rendered beautifully on the disc, and the Terminators themselves, their cities, their attack ships and their multiple models, many of which we haven’t seen before, look impressive and Blu-ray users can choose to watch the film in the company of its director, McG, and learn more about the film’s production.
Two new Blu-ray features on the disc are indicators of the direction Blu-ray is being taken in – CineChat via the BDLive option allows you to chat with other BDLive users also viewing the film, and MovieIQ (think imdb and trivia on the screen itself) is present, giving a greater depth to avid viewers who want to know more.
The other featurettes are all interesting, as the world of the Terminator franchise is such a rich one, you may spend more time (and get more enjoyment) watching these behind the scenes snippets.
The 7.1 sound is truly incredible and the force of the gears grinding as slow Terminator behemoths smash up the scarred remains of Earth are given greater impact with the sound design. Bringing home the cinema experience is nearly at hand, and these films, Terminator Salvation included, are great examples of big films which maintain their size when bought home on Blu-ray.
While the film is a passable affair, with a few great performances and stunning looks, the Blu-ray redeems the film somewhat, check out the Blu-ray trailer below.
Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes:
- “Re-Forging the Future” ““ Go behind the scenes of Terminator Salvation with an exclusive set tour.
- “The Moto-Terminator” – See how the Terminator Salvation visual effects crew and Ducati partnered to create the slick and deadly Moto-Terminator.
- 11 mini featurette focus points spotlighting how the ground-breaking special effects were created.
- Maximum Movie Mode featuring director McG deconstructing the film’s key moments, mini featurette focus points, Picture (PiP) commentary with cast and crew interviews, storyboards, still galleries, timeline and more.
BD LIVE Content Includes:
- “Resist Or Be Terminated” Tech Com videos (nine viral videos from the theatrical campaign and four new videos from the Home Entertainment campaign).
- “The Final Resistance” video ““ access the secret plans of Skynet.
- CINECHAT ““ BD-Live technology that lets viewers around the world chat live about this, or any other CINECHAT enabled BD disc, from Sony Pictures International Home Entertainment.
