Amazon.com video review:
We know Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't take himself too seriously--just see Twins and Jingle All the Way--but let's face it, Ah-nold is at his best when he's kicking butt and dropping cynical smart-ass quips. This set collects five of his most testosterone-driven classics: all action, all the time. The beefiest he-man to flex a bicep in Hollywood was never one for words, and he proved just what a strong, silent type could do as the tough, terse killing machine in The Terminator, the taut little low-budget sci-fi adventure that made his name. When he returned to the part in the high-gloss, effects-laden sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day, he was too much a hero to go back to villain roles, but don't expect a kinder, gentler Arnold: the doomsday battle with his high-tech, quicksilver nemesis is a nonstop barrage of car wrecks, explosions, and knock-down, drag-out pummeling. In Predator he's the flesh-and-blood prey of an alien hunter, turning the tables with good-old-fashioned human ingenuity. Total Recall finds him a Joe Average worker of the future whose destiny brings him to the revolutionary struggle on Mars and unlocks a secret planted deep in his mind--after busting a few heads. In True Lies, Arnold's third film with action movie wunderkind James Cameron, he only pretends to be Joe Average, but under homebody attitude beats the heart of a superspy: James Bond with the physique of Mr. Universe. Together these films complete a portrait of the quintessential Schwarzenegger badass: tough, terse, take no prisoners. And just a hint of a self-effacing wink. --Sean Axmaker
Amazon.com Essentials:
After he pushed the envelope of computer-generated special
effects in The Abyss, director James Cameron turned this hotly
anticipated sequel to Terminator into a well-written,
action-packed showcase for advanced special effects and for one of the
most invincible villains ever imagined. Terminator 2: Judgment
Day is a legitimate sequel: there's more story to tell about a
hulking, leather-clad android (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who arrives from
the future to protect a rebellious teenager and future leader (Edward
Furlong) from being killed by the tenacious T-1000 robot (Robert
Patrick), whose liquid-metal construction makes him seemingly
unstoppable. The fate of the future lies in the balance, with Linda
Hamilton (who would later marry her director) reprising her role as
the rugged woman whose son will change the course of history. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.com Essentials:
After he pushed the envelope of computer-generated special
effects in The Abyss, director James Cameron turned this hotly
anticipated sequel to Terminator into a well-written,
action-packed showcase for advanced special effects and for one of the
most invincible villains ever imagined. Terminator 2: Judgment
Day is a legitimate sequel: there's more story to tell about a
hulking, leather-clad android (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who arrives from
the future to protect a rebellious teenager and future leader (Edward
Furlong) from being killed by the tenacious T-1000 robot (Robert
Patrick), whose liquid-metal construction makes him seemingly
unstoppable. The fate of the future lies in the balance, with Linda
Hamilton (who would later marry her director) reprising her role as
the rugged woman whose son will change the course of history. The
digital video disc of this blockbuster hit is presented with a
digitally mastered THX soundtrack. --Jeff Shannon
