Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
T3 in HD, November 2, 2006
I am a big fan of the terminator series. I think the story is one of the best ever concieved as it has alot to do with whats really going on in the world. Will artificial intelligence ever reach a point were it becomes self aware? Its a very interesting question and I think that is one of the reasons why it has been so successful as a series. This is also one of the only trilogys that I feel still has alot of potential for future movies. I think we really need a terminator film that is actually set in the future where the terminators live and with the recent announcment of T4 most likly being made, hopefully we will get just that.
As for T3, it is without a doubt the worst film of the 3 but with that being said I still really enjoyed this film. Alot of the people that disliked it did so because they said it went back on everything that was established in T2. I am not one of these people and I really like the aspect of this film that turned around and said Judgement day is inevitable. Its without a doubt the single best twist to this entire story in my opinion because in reality it really is. Technology will continue to drive forward with computers getting better and better and no matter what you do to stop it, someone else will pop up and continue the research and development. Its basically where we are today with technology. There is no stopping the advancment that we see taking place on almost a daily basis. If one company were to stop develpment in a certain area, someone else would just pop up and take that companies or persons place.
Anyways that is really why I liked this film so much. It took the series in a completly new direction by stating that there was no way to stop it while the first two movies focused on what to do to actually stop it. With that being said this movie had its flaws and it just isnt on the same level that T1 & T2 are on. Its still a highly entertaining action film with some great performances and a great ending that perfectly sets up the Terminator film that I am dying to see, the one set in the wasteland of the future. Hats off to Arnold as well who really busted his butt to get into killer shape for this film so he wouldnt look any different than he did during the first 2 films. He pulled it off without a hitch. Just another testament to that guys ability to work his body and get into killer shape.
Anyways on to the HD-DVD...
There were a few people on the HD forums that were disappointed in this transfer as it didnt show the amount of detail that some of the better transfers have shown. While it is true that this transfer doesnt have the detail present in some of the other transfers like Aeon Flux, Batman Begins and Sahara, it is still a great looking film and a big improvment overthe SD version. One of the thing you have to take into account is the fact that certain films just translate over to HD with much better results than others do. T3 was shot using Super35 and to sum up the Super35 process, it doesnt use as much area on the negative that regular anamorphic does thus you have a slight loss of detail compared to those that use standard anamorphic. With Super35 you also have to make intermediate prints to get the transfer onto a film that can be used in theatres. Everytime you make an intermediate print you lose resolution and detail. So to sum it up as I really dont want to get into a big technical discussion on Super35 and the other film processes. Super35 just does not have the image quality that regular anamorphic does period. T3 is a super35 film thus when you transfer the t3 film onto HD it just isnt going to look as sharp as a lot of the other films that arent Super35. Some of the main characteristics of Super35 are increased grain and less detail, both which are present in the HD transfer of T3.
With that being said, T3 still looks great and is a vast improvment over the SD version. I am actually a fan of increased graain as long as it doesnt look noisy which in this case it doesnt. It adds a disticnt look to the film. As much as some people would love for every film to look like the Batman Begins of Aeon Flux transfer, its just a bad idea. To make evey film look the same would be like taking all of the artistic possibilites of film and throwing them down the toilet. Its good that films look different because it would be a very boring world of cinema if everything looked the same. Just image what Tim Burtons Sleepy Hollow would look like if he used the same film and process used for Batman Begins. It would have absolutly destroyed the film and would have taken all of the spooky atmoshpere away. He purposly used cross processing to make all of the colors washed out and to make it more grainy and more contrasty. That film also looks great on HD-DVD but like T3 doesnt have a transfer that shows as much detail as some of the other transfers.
The sooner everyone relaizes that not every film is supposed to have incredible detail, vivid colors, & natural contrast. Films differ by the processes used to make the film and those differences in process equate to a difference in characteristics in a HD transfer. You have to educate yourself on just what processes were used for each particular film and only then can you make an educated critique of a particular films HD transfer.
To sum this up, T3 is certainly not a disc you want to pop in when your trying to show someone just how much detail can be seen in a HD movie. It was filmed in Super35 thus it was never trying to be a film that had a crazy amount of detail in the print. With that being said, T3 is a great transfer that is accurate to its master print. Its a big improvment over the SD version and its a great film which hopefully leads the series to a 4th film which is set in the future. I know I wont ever be done with the idea of a new Terminator flick until that particular story has been told. Here is to hoping they get around to making that happen.
OC..
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines being replaced by Warner, January 1, 2008
I give the film five stars, because I like the movie. About the 1080i issue: if you own an incorrect T3 Blu-Ray disc, you can call Warner's customer service number at 1-800-553-6937 for an exchange.
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92 of 118 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A review from someone who's actually SEEN it . . ., July 1, 2003
I went to an advance screening last night. My expectations were pretty low, given the lack of James Cameron at the helm and the span of years that have passed since T2. My biggest concern going in was that it would just be a Terminator vs. Terminator rehash with no real contribution to the story arc of Cameron's universe. My fears were unfounded, however. Jonathan Mostow has done an admirable job of capturing the audacious action and dark humor of the first two movies, while still managing to provide enough new twists to keep this third incarnation fresh. Yes, there's a lot of T-101 vs. T-X insanity, but these sequences are so well-executed and so over the top you can't help but laugh with glee. Kristanna Loken is every bit as scary as Robert Patrick was in the second installment, to the point where during one scene the girl next to me actually screamed in terror. The script, while a bit light on character development, offers plenty of great moments, both frightening and humorous. There are also many smart and unexpected references to the earlier films to tie everything together. Best of all, without giving anything away, important things happen. Things you'll want to see and know about if you are a fan of the first two films. My only gripe is that certain elements of the plot (which I can't reveal) aren't adequately explained. Perhaps those explanations wound up on the cutting room floor and we'll get them on the DVD. However, by the time that classic Terminator theme faded in and the credits rolled, I was very happy with the experience and my doubts about this third chapter in the series were put to rest. This film is about more than cashing in on a successful franchise. They've tried to do justice to the series' legacy and, in my opinion, they've succeeded.
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