John Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future that Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.


Terminator Salvation arrives on Blu-ray with a strong 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer. The image is by design devoid of bright primary colors; only a handful of scenes depart from the norm of dusty earth tones and shades of gray that set the stage for the post-apocalyptic and war-torn setting. Nevertheless, the lack of color isn't a hindrance to the transfer; in fact, fine detail appears as superb throughout. From the beginning moments that feature nicely detailed close-up shots of Marcus that reveal the finest of facial hairs and pores, it becomes clear that the transfer means business. The many bombed-out locations take on a startling level of clarity and rough texture that bring each one to frightening life. The bullet-ridden fa鏰des and jumbled messes of brick and concrete look marvelous in every scene. Many of the objects in the film either exhibit plenty of wear and tear -- particularly on weapons and clothing -- or are covered in a layer of dust and grime, whether human faces and clothing or an abandoned jeep that seems covered in years worth of post-apocalyptic dust. Only several interior shots of SkyNet command offer a reprieve from the grit of the outside world; smooth lines and bright whites and blues come as something of a shock to the system in the context of the remainder of the film but nevertheless sparkle in high definition. Only some blacks that look a bit too bright hinder an otherwise spot-on presentation. Flesh tones remain neutral throughout, and the film-like presentation is completed by a thin veneer of natural film grain. All said, Terminator Salvation looks marvelous on Blu-ray, outdone only by the stellar accompanying soundtrack.



Terminator Salvation explodes onto Blu-ray with a remarkably loud, active, clear, and entertaining DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. From the opening title music, it becomes clear that this one means business. It's a punishing listen that seems to at every turn mangle the listening area with prodigious amounts of bass, mesmerizing and natural surround implementation, and borderline unmerciful volume at reference level, but it's a sonic joy to behold that never gets old and always seems to find a way to top itself with each major sequence. The opening scene inside a prison cell offers not only the expectedly clear dialogue reproduction but subtle sound effects and the slamming of the cell door -- that seems to move across the front half of the soundstage and slam shut with a hard-hitting authority -- set a tone for the far more aggressive action sequences to come. The opening future war battle scene features A-10 fighters zooming powerfully through the listening area; missiles track their targets as they maneuver through the room, and return gunfire from ground-based machine gun emplacements cuts through the soundstage with frightening precision. Small arms fire, too, cracks, pops, and reverberates with every shot, and helicopter rotors slice through the listening area with pinpoint accuracy. Surround activity and background ambience are superb, too. Creaks and cracks and various additional nuanced sounds throughout place the finishing touches on several crucial locations seen throughout the movie, distant popping gunfire helps to sell the war-torn environment, and several scenes featuring driving rain and accompanying thunder deliver a fully immersive atmosphere. Bass is both heard and felt in every major action scene. Whether a rumbling SkyNet Hunter-Killer aircraft that's strong enough to demolish an already decrepit building as it slowly passes above it; the deep, rumbling mechanical sounds of Harvesters as they lumber about collecting human prisoners; or numerous explosions throughout the film; the low end positively devastates the listening area and the eardrums, rattles the furniture, and completes what is nothing short of an awesome sonic experience.