Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) poster

4.3

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Action, Thriller, Science Fiction • 2h 16m

Director: James Cameron

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Earl Boen, Joe Morton, S. Epatha Merkerson, Castulo Guerra, Danny Cooksey, Jenette Goldstein, Xander Berkeley, Leslie Hamilton Gearren, Ken Gibbel, Robert Winley, Pete Schrum, Shane Wilder, Michael Edwards, Jared Lounsbery, Casey Chavez, Ennalls Berl, Don Lake, Richard Vidan, Tom McDonald, Gerard 'Gus' Williams, Gwenda Deacon, Don Stanton, Dan Stanton, Colin Patrick Lynch, Noel Evangelisti, Nikki Cox, Lisa Brinegar, DeVaughn Nixon, Tony Simotes, Diane Rodriguez, Dalton Abbott, Ron Young, Charles Robert Brown, Abdul Salaam El Razzac, Mike Muscat, Dean Norris, Charles A. Tamburro, J. Rob Jordan, Terrence Evans, Denney Pierce, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Pat Kouri, Van Ling, Martin DeLuca, Joel Kramer, Richard Ruskin, Scott Shaw, Sven-Ole Thorsen, Randy Walker, William Wisher, Dalton Hamilton, Mic Rodgers, Michael Albanese, Ed Arneson, Debra Casey, Anne Merrem, Gavin Kelly, Bret A. Arnold, Dean Blanke, Jim Dahl, Jennifer Jacono, Takao Komine, Steven Stear

4.3

Best English-friendly & video release

2015 Lionsgate Blu-ray

Video notes:

2015 Lionsgate Blu-ray (but it's missing the extra scenes in the Ultimate Edition)

2017 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray and subsequent 4K Blu-rays are notorius for being heavily denoised and smoothened. Alternatively, 35mm scans for the theatrical cut is also available.
For the Ultimate Edition with the T-1000 searching John's room and the happy future ending, the 2009 Skynet Blu-ray, which is the older pre-2017 transfer, but has DNR.

Updated 1 month ago

Best audio release

Original Kodak/ORC CDS mix: Japan Pioneer DVD in DTS/ac3 5.1

Original Dolby Stereo SR: USA Widescreen LaserDisc and others.

Differences of mixes on various releases: see thread and more info here.

Additional info

2017 Blu-ray (which has the DNRed transfer), the 2009 Skynet Edition Blu-ray, and the 2000 Ultimate Edition DVD have exclusive extras. The 2003 Extreme Edition DVD has some exclusive easter eggs.

UHD tiers

Lionsgate/StudioCanal/Eagle:

DNR, best Blu-ray is the 2015 Lionsgate Blu-ray

About the film

Set ten years after the events of the original, James Cameron’s classic sci-fi action flick tells the story of a second attempt to get rid of rebellion leader John Connor, this time targeting the boy himself. However, the rebellion has sent a reprogrammed terminator to protect Connor.

Featured Lists: Terminator
National Film Registry
Year of Induction: 2023
Unofficial Releases Over Studio Releases
TSPDT: 2026: #561
2025: #603
2024: #606
2023: #610
2022: #610
Alternative Titles: T2, Terminator 2, Terminator 2 Judgment Day, Terminator 2 - Judgment Day (Special Edition), Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D, Terminator 2։ Judgment Day 3D, Terminator 2։ Judgment Day, Terminator 2：Judgement Day

Part of Terminator

The Terminator (1984)

Director: James Cameron

4K · Worse Than BD

Best English-Friendly:

2013 MGM Blu-ray, or 4K Blu-ray if you MUST have the mono mix, 1997 Image DVD/2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix

Sources: vimeo.com (opens in a new tab) · facebook.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Capelight 4K Steelbook and Mediabook announced for 2026

Best Video:

2013 MGM Blu-ray for non AI transfer, 1997 Image DVD/2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix

Best Audio:

1991 Image Entertainment LaserDisc for the US mono mix, 2001 MGM DVD for the International mono mix

Audio Notes:

Comparison between the US and International mixes: https://vimeo.com/246332731

Additional Info:

The 4K Blu-Ray and the 2001 MGM DVD have exclusive extras.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Director: Jonathan Mostow

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony International Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Sony International Blu-ray > WB US Blu-ray (better encoding on the Sony disc, missing a commentary from the WB)

Best Audio:

Additional Info:

Warner Bros Blu-ray has an exclusive commentary

Terminator Salvation (2009)

Director: McG

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Theatrical: Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director's Cut: Sony Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Director's Cut: Sony Blu-ray > Warner Bros Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Warner Bros Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Warner Bros Blu-ray audio is 24 bit compared to Sony's 16 bit

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Director: Tim Miller

Best English-Friendly & Video:

US Paramount 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

US Paramount 4K Blu-ray > Fox 4K Blu-ray

Featured in National Film Registry

Blackboard Jungle (1955)

Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Criterion 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras

Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)

Director: George B. Seitz

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from safety preservation elements

A New Leaf (1971)

Director: Elaine May

4K · Solid

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray > MoC > Olive Films. From nicolas:

The master is good but it’s not that big an upgrade from the Olive Films disc and Vinegar Syndrome’ encode has some blocky highlights. A shame that they didn’t hire David Mackenzie here.

Best Audio:

Olive Films Blu-ray / Masters of Cinema Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Cinématographe has unnecessary noise gating not present on the previous releases.

12 Angry Men (1957)

Director: Sidney Lumet

4K · Solid

Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber US / Capelight DE 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

1.85:1: Kino Lorber 4K / Capelight 4K

1.66:1: Criterion 4K

Video Notes:

1.85:1: Kino Lorber 4K / Capelight 4K

1.66:1: Criterion 4K but low pass filtered

Comparison between the 4Ks, Criterion on the AR choice

Best Audio:

Criterion Blu-ray/4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Other discs have unnecessary filtering and sound worse, the difference isn't substantial but audible

Easy Rider (1969)

Director: Dennis Hopper

4K · Solid

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony UK 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

Director: F. W. Murnau

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

MoC OOP Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Flicker Alley 4K confirmed for 2027 https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24404584&postcount=1

Audio Notes:

MoC audio is better https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=225532&page=3

Spartacus (1960)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.

Audio Notes:

DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

Criterion DVD and Universal 4K Blu-ray has additional features not found on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray

The Wild Bunch (1969)

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Plaion Germany Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

4K Blu-ray said to be coming from Criterion, per Bill Hunt

Video Notes:

Includes Director's Cut and Roadshow Version

Same master as old WB Blu-ray but better encoding

North by Northwest (1959)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K

Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

An undeniably significant improvement from the BD yet still severely flawed. See DFIC's review.

Best Audio:

1984 MGM Hi-Fi VHS

More from James Cameron

Director: James Cameron

4K · Disappointing

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sources: movie-censorship.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Fox Blu-ray for original cuts without the extra scene added in the re-release and AI upscaling

Newer Blu-ray/4K has the extra scene, but is poor and has excessive AI upscaling

Additional Info:

An additional scene was added to the ending of the movie in the 2022 re-release: https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=493908

Director: James Cameron

4K · Worse Than BD

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Paramount/Fox Blu-ray
3D Blu-ray for the IMAX/Open Matte version

35mm scan for original theatrical cut

Video Notes:

4K Blu-ray is AI upscaled

Best Audio:

Additional Info:

The 4K Blu-ray bonus disc, the 2012 Blu-ray bonus disc, and the 2005 3 disc DVD have exclusive extras.

Director: James Cameron

4K · Worse Than BD

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Any 2010s Fox Blu-ray

Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Disney 4K Blu-ray has AI enhancement see youtube comparison

True Lies (1994)

Director: James Cameron

4K · Worse Than BD

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Resen 2020 Spain Blu-ray, old WEB-DL (pre 2023/2024 transfer), HDTV rip, or 35mm scan

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Resen 2020 Spain Blu-ray, old WEB-DL (pre 2023/2024 transfer), HDTV rip, or 35mm scan better than 4K Blu-ray with terrible "AI" upscale: screenshots

The Abyss (1989)

Director: James Cameron

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Disappointing

Best Video:

Disney 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Disney 4K Blu-ray's artificial smoothening of facial textures making actors look unnatural, grain reduction and other changes to make the film look less like a product of its time

Old WEB-DL or HDTV rip for non AI version

Best Audio:

Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

Director: James Cameron

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Disney 4K Blu-ray

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Director: James Cameron

4K · Solid

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Disney Collector's Edition 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Collector's Edition has more extras + Dolby Vision

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tyyuxvanshadyaxeyouJojoTheMovieOtterDISKANBGR8AdamA

· last reviewed 1 month ago

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