T2-EXTREME DVD
(Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Artisan Region 1 DVD)
(1991)
review by Head Cheeze

A lot of people wrote me a few weeks back when we first posted the specs for Artisan's new T2-Extreme Edition DVD asking why, after the Ultimate edition released a few years back, we could possibly need another version of Terminator 2 on DVD. To be honest, I couldn't really say anything other than "wait till it comes out". From all of the press materials I'd recieved about this edition, I knew that it was going to be something really special, and when T-2 Extreme landed in my lap and stared up at me with it's embossed metal cover and eerie red eyes I got geek-giddy and began hopping about much to my girlfriend's dismay. While the Ultimate edition was the most expensive (to manufacture) and advanced DVD of it's time, T-2 Extreme is a major upgrade that will surely set the bar for major releases to come.

Now, for anyone who doesn't know the story of T-2, well, I feel bad for you, and I hope you eventually come out of that coma. Writing a summary for a pop culture juggernaut like T-2 is akin to explaining how to make ice, but I will say if you've never seen the film, you're missing one of the greatest action flicks in motion picture history, as well as, perhaps, the most influential sci-fi flick this side of Blade Runner. Terminator 2: Judgement Day redefined how we look at films, and introduced technology that we take for granted today. Terminator 2 is to CGI what The Matrix is to bullet time, but make no mistake- were it not for Cameron's film, The Matrix would've most likely never come to pass. Of course, were it not for Cameron's stubborn insistance that his visions become reality in The Abyss, Terminator 2 may not have come about either.

So it comes back to the question as to whether or not we need another Terminator 2 DVD. If you're the type of person who doesn't really care all that much about things like 24sf high-definition digital telecine transfers, commentary tracks (Cameron's first scene specific DVD commentary is presented here), or groundbreaking interactive technology, then you probably don't. The picture on the original T-2 DVD is servicable, and the Ultimate edition boasts a fantastic transfer, so if you're not impressed with "beyond the movie" stuff, well you can just sit pat and enjoy. No one will fault you for it. However, if you're a complete technophile like myself, and want the absolute best picture, sound, and revel in the prospect of hearing a director discuss one of the most important technical achievements in cinema, well, guess what? T-2 Extreme packs all that in and more.

First up, a bit about the transfer. If you're one of those lucky folks with a wide screen flat television set, prepare to be absolutely amazed. My sister (whose husband must work at least 80 hours a week) has one, and ol' Head Cheeze popped over for an afternoon chat and guess what he brought along? When it became clear to her that my visit was in fact a ruse to test yet another film on her superior gear, she left me to my task and I popped this baby in. The first thing you'll notice is the fact that Terminator 2 hasn't aged a bit. It's over a decade old, and the look of the film seems as fresh today as it did back when Gun's and Roses were still relevant. The image is crisp and sharp, but still retains the warmth of film. There's not a single artifact, warm spot, venetian blind, or image jump to be had. It's an absolute perfect transfer. How much better is it than the Ultimate edition?? Well I saved the A-B task for my home setup (after all, I didn't want to wear out my un-welcome). I watched the first ten minutes of each disc, and then jumped chapters to the finale at the smelting plant. The first ten minutes of the film are dark and bathed in blues and blacks, while the finale is bright and hued in orange, yellow and red. In both instances, the Extreme transfer kicked the Ultimate's ass, but it's a testament to the amount of work that went into this new transfer seeing as, before this release, the Ultimate edition had just about the finest transfer going (outside of the Superbit version of The Fifth Element). It's hard to explain, but the new Extreme edition's transfer just looks REAL. While my little 32 inch flat screen isn't a Hi-Def monster, it's as if the DVD tricked it into thinking it was, and it made me wonder why the hell all of my other movies look so flat and lifeless in comparison. It's a very expensive process (so don't look for Freddy Got Fingered Extreme any time soon) but now that it's out there one can hope it will be applied to other big effects driven pictures down the line. It's really quite amazing!

I won't delve too deeply into sound, seeing that their aren't many differences in the mixes between Extreme and Ultimate, but I will question as to why they didn't include a 6.1 audio track. It's new technology, and I understand that most people (myself included) are still packing 5.1 recievers, but it just seems odd that so much work went into making a DVD that will basically set the video standard for a long time to come, yet there is no love for the latest audio technology. It's a small gripe, especially since I have no use for it, but I'm sure some guy out there is shaking his fist at his $1,000 reciever and cursing it's uselessness.

The extras on this set will be the thing that makes converts out of those who just don't see the need to upgrade what was already a fine transfer in the Ultimate edition. Disc One contains the "Special Edition" of the film (with 16 minutes of cut footage, the centerpiece of the Ultimate edition), along with a commentary by Cameron and writer Bill Wisher. As mentioned, this is Cameron's first scene-specific DVD commentary, and he seems to have been saving it all for this one. Cameron's not known for his modesty, so a lot of what he says comes off as self-congratulatory (not helped by Wisher's toadie-esque affirmations of Cameron's "greatness") but the track, which is split left (Cameron) to right (Wisher) for an immersive quality, is quite informative and entertaining. Cameron's quite a tech-head and offers great insight into the immense amount of work that went into each shot. A quick aside regarding the re-incorporated footage- Cameron seems to enjoy the theatrical cut more than this extended version, but I rather like the fleshing out of characters. There's a scene in which the T-800 attempts a smile that is knee slappingly funny, but Cameron felt it was too light for the subject matter. Personally, I'd rather they cut the whole "Hasta La Vista" segment.

Disc Two contains two short documentaries, both made for this set, including "No Feat But What We Make", a special effects documentary that devotes equal time to The Abyss and Terminator 2 and shows how the former made the latter a possibility. It's one of the few "technical" documentaries that doesn't instantly induce sleep- to the contrary, it's quite fascinating. The fact that The Abyss was the first film to use Photoshop (version .67 for all of you graphic gurus out there) blew my mind, because even with the limited power of the software at the time, the way the ILM guys incorporated it into the film is mind-blowing and makes me feel about as tech-savvy as a Belgian sheep farmer. The second short, "T-2: On the Set", is just a montage of production footage. While it's all new stuff, it doesn't offer more than a look at what it was like to be on the set for all of 7 minutes.

The next set of extras requires you to sit in front of the computer. Now I'm a very vocal DVD ROM features critic, but I just got a new rig that kicks ass, and I'm still in the honeymoon stage with it so any excuse to spend time with her is a good one. The first thing I booted up was the "Infiltration Unit Simulator and T2 FX Studio", which are basically photo manipulation tools similiar to Power Goo and a basic Photoshop. Essentially it lets you take photos of your boss or ex and make them look like hideous cyborgs with torn off skin revealing the chrome endoskeleton beneath. Alternately you can make a T-1000 version of them that morphs between themselves and a shiny liquid metal version. It's actually good fun, although I grew tired of it after making an army of battle damaged versions of my bass player. The "Skynet Combat Chassis Designer" is much cooler, letting you pick from a large assortment of parts, weapons, engines, and armour to create your own vehicles. You can then submit your creations to the online community and see how they stack up against other creations. Seeing how, as of this writing, only other critics have this "game", competition isn't exactly fierce, but I had a lot of fun screwing around with it. You can also save your images from both FX studios and send them off to friends to show them what a complete loser you are.

The coolest DVD ROM feature of all time, however, has to be the Hi-Def original theatrical cut of the film. You see, a computer monitor is essentially a Hi-Def television set that doesn't know it. HDTV's share certain factors, like "dot pitch" and resolution, with their desktop cousins, and now, thanks to Microsoft's Windows Media Player and a special plug-in included exclusively on this disc, folks with the right hardware can watch Terminator 2 in REAL Hi-Def!!! The only problem is that to do so one must have a computer manufactered by Cyberdine systems themselves (aka: a 3.0 Ghz CPU, 512 megs of RAM, and, while the specs on the package don't say so, a crazily fast video card!). My new rig barely meets the requirements, so I was able to sit back and watch with slack-jawed amazement as my computer turned into the TV of my dreams. This presentation is the crown jewel of the set, and while not a whole helluva lot of folks will be able to enjoy it, for those of you that have the gear, here's the only reason you need to run right out and buy this thing. Seriously, as good as the telecine transfer is, the Hi-Def one is that much better. Use the cool headphone mix and you may as well be in the frikken' movie.

In terms of sheer amount of extras, T-2 Ultimate beats out T-2 Extreme pretty handily. The Ultimate edition features hours of behind the scenes stuff, mostly culled from the laserdisc and first DVD release. However, in terms of extras quality, T-2 Extreme's Hi-Def option mops the floor with any DVD out there. It makes it possible for people without five thousand dollars worth of television gear to watch a film in Hi-Def, and that alone is worth the cost. Factor in the Cameron commentary, new documentaries, and the incredibly rich new transfer and this is a set that any Terminator fan should make certain is a part of their collection.