Terminator 2: Judgement Day 4KUHD
Studio Canal/Lionsgate Release
Release Year: 2017
I do not need to go into an in depth background/plot synopsis of this film. Trust me almost every living person in the United States has seen this film in some format. If you saw the film in the theaters you could likely tell the story of when, where, and how your life was changed after seeing this film.
The summer of 1991, I was on vacation in Wapakoneta, Ohio the birthplace of Neil Armstrong. I was spending time at my Aunt's house who I considered my grandma on my dad's side of the family. Mix in with that I had just moved to a new city and hardly knew anyone. Most of that summer I spent inside the house watching films that we rented for Blockbuster Video and listening to AC/DCs Thunderstruck, in which I think my sister was ready to destroy the tape from the nonstop continuous loop that song was on.
I had seen previews for T2 and had been begging to see the film. Schwarzenegger and Stallone were the two coolest actors on earth to any boy just out of 5th grade. I couldn't contain my excitement. So my Mom believe it or not took me to see this film at a small one screen theater.
What happened next was unbelievable two hours of wall to wall action with Edward Furlong a kid near my age I could relate to trying to survive with the help of Arnie an unstoppable robot with effects I have never seen before like that in a film. I walked out mesmerized and put them on a mythological level that it has never quite seem to be able to live up to since that day.
Anything from Pan and Scan viewings to transfers in which certain details don't look right especially in dark sequences. To this day I keep searching for that magic hoping it will return.
That Magic might have finally just came back depending on what you the viewer are searching for in this new 4K release. It's a controversial release for sure and goes against almost everything I am looking for in a restoration, but maybe not all films are the same and maybe some films should be restored one way while others are restored a different way. Just look at the opening scenes I have screenshot some pictures of.
The clear as day thing you will notice is there is very little to no grain in this release. I can hear the purists now saying what the, how could you, you idiots to Studio/Canal's decision to do a grain reduction for this release. Keep in mind this print is what they used for the 3D release in theater. I get I hear those comments, but at the same time taken back by something else I see going on especially with the flames.
Not only did they do a grain reduction, Studio Canal also gave the film a color bump and may have removed certain things like lines around robots that would have shown the films age. Now I have to put ear plugs in to block the cinephiles and purists out and play King Gizzard just so I don't have to hear them. I am a Cinephile too, but can be persuaded at times maybe a different direction is right. So let us look at a few more screenshots I took up until the first big chase sequence is over with.
What you will notice is this is a film with a lot of night sequences, but special effects sequences that involve CGI effects. The detail is miles ahead of any other release during the dark sequences and those that involve special effects. The purists might say you were never supposed to see that or Linda Hamilton's beard. I shake my head and say I feel you to those people, but have a slightly different view on this film than others.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day almost 30 years later is the first modern Blockbuster summer film that changed the game of how films are made today. It's the film that said CGI is here whether you like it or not and thus should in my mind be treated like it was just released today. If you are going to go for that look then just go all out and to hell with the naysayers. It's not like the film is Unforgiven from the same time period or Driving Miss Daisy.
This was an action film Cameron held off on for years because the effects were not right and he was still limited then. That is what the scrubbing of grain, color bump, and minor tweaks did to this film gave us a film honestly that looks better now than the day it was released. Honestly looks better visually than most modern blockbusters including the Justice League because like it or not this is the film that set the bar as what a modern day blockbuster should be.
I'm blown away by this release, because I think Cinephiles and Purists like myself should take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Sometimes changes are needed to make the film more enjoyable for modern audiences if it involves minor tweaks without changing the story. That is what this release does for me the film finally looks as good and truthfully better than the first time I saw the film in theater.
I'm giving this release a controversial 10/10 because every scene just looks better, I feel for the purists in this one instance. Yet I feel the studio is right. My childhood has been restored.
Up next an in depth look at Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now to honor the legend who passed away.
Until then it is time to grab my Terminator 2 toys and play with them. The 80s and 90s were just cool toys were made for kids based off of R Rated movies.
No comments:
Post a Comment