Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3920 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-03-05
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Terminator was the film that cemented Arnold Schwarzenegger's place in the action-brawn firmament, and both his and the movie's subsequent iconic status are well deserved. He's chilling as the futuristic cyborg that kills without fear, without love, without mercy. James Cameron's story and direction are pared to the bone and are all the more chillingly effective for it. But don't overlook the contribution of Linda Hamilton, who more than holds her own as the Terminator's would-be victim, Sarah Connor, thus creating--along with Sigourney Weaver in Alien--a new generation of rugged, clear-thinking female action stars. The film's minimalist, malevolent violence is actually scarier than that of its far more expensive, more effects-laden sequel. --Anne Hurley, Amazon.com

Synopsis
James Cameron's THE TERMINATOR is one of the tightest, tensest sci-fi films ever made and a landmark in the genre. In the year 2029, battles rage between the superintelligent machines that rule the world and the last vestiges of humanity. In late-20th-century Los Angeles, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) suddenly finds herself stalked by an unstoppable killing machine--a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent from the future to kill her and her unconceived son, John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance. Sarah can rely only on Reese (Michael Biehn), a soldier sent from the future to protect her from the seemingly indestructible Terminator and save humanity. This low-budget masterpiece was the breakthrough film for director Cameron, who weds special effects, thrills, and understated romance to create one of the finest action films of the 1980s, which spawned many imitations but few equals. Science fiction author Harlan Ellison sued over the film's similarities to his own works, especially the OUTER LIMITS episode 'Demon with a Glass Hand', and won acknowledgement in the film's credits. Schwarzenegger will forever be known as the relentless Terminator, a heartless killing machine who returns (in a kinder, gentler form) in 1991's TERMINATOR 2 - JUDGMENT DAY.

Customer Reviews

A True Classic
Made on a budget of around 6.5 million dollars its a real marvel a film like this was made, quite simply its edge of your seat thrills and non-stop suspense at its finest, but with great heart and tremendous story. A lot of work has clearly gone into this wonderful movie and its evident on screen. With Cameron's masterful story telling, an underrated cast with some chilling effects for the Terminator cortesty of the legend himself Stan Winston and an amazing story which maintains realism despite time travel and the sci Fi elements i honestly cannot find one significant flaw in this movie.If you like action or sci Fi or thrills or intricate story or even a bit of horror or even a love story then you will like/love this film because it somehow SUCCESSFULLY combines them all seamlessly.

As for the DVD it has been re-released on several versions but the Definitive edition is just that, it has all the documentaries and features the other versions had but with a few extras. Disc one contains the film itself in its best picture and remastered sound, basically the typical DVD improvements that you get as opposed to VHS. Disc Two contains about half a dozen deleted scenes some more relevant than others (one which contains a very good twist which sets up part of the story for The sequel T2) and several documentaries. The legacy of the terminator and closer to the real thing are OKAY its "Other voices" which contains the real gold, fantastic look into the films making cast,crew, effects and a number of brilliant anecdotes regarding effects,filming,casting(given budgetary constraints things like the last Scenes were made involving a good few VERY interesting stories) this two disc set comes in a metal slip book and is almost certainly the best edition you will get for the first Terminator movie.

A great Film presented in a premium DVD package it is a movie you need to see at least once in your lifetime. Top notch entertainment.

Review for the Definitive Edition DVD
When I went to buy this movie I was anxious to get the uncut version. I was confused by a couple of things. Firstly, the original VHS release was rated at 18 and the DVD releases are rated at 15. Secondly, the VHS release has something like 6 minutes extra run time over the DVD's. This is all academic really as a) the original video transfer is so horrifically bad and b) the soundtrack is at the wrong pitch, so you couldn't enjoy watching it anyway.
To date I have not been able to reconcile either of these issues, but I did buy this version of the movie and I can confirm that all the usual scenes that are cut when the movie is aired on TV (multiple gunshots to the first Sarah Connors back, cutting out the eye etc...) are intact and uncensored. The video transfer is also excellent (37 inch plasma, component video input, 580p) and the sound is as good as its going to get from a movie of this age.
One small irritation for me, you cannot watch the extended scenes found in the extras as part of the movie.
I hope this was helpful.

Great Movie but changed version here
Ill make this short as I no most people viewing this will have seen the film. The entire movie is here aswell as a fairly large amount of extras,even Arnie chatting about his thoughts on Terminator. However almost all of the gunshot sounds have been changed. You may remember how brutal the shotgun blasts could be in the film,there is that in part but many of the gun shots have been changed and I find them a let down. Every pistol fired in the film is sounding like a surpressed weedy gunshot. The sounds of the infared screen of the terminator has been taken away.Obviously if you just want the film its no problem losing the classic sound effects but I would have much prefered the older classic gun fight sounds. Theres a number of good deleted scenes on disc two thatthere are worthwhile. Good value here anyway.