Terminator: Enhanced Edition, The

Update: Added one star back after realizing I was incorrect (and sounding somewhat like a prick).
Ok, please take this review with a grain of salt. I ABSOLUTELY loved this edit, but with a few critiques concerning the new foley audio.
I agree that replacing the gun shots was a great idea (and much needed), but simply put, they are way too loud in the overall mix. They would also have benefited from ambient effects added to the them to keep the sound in the context of where the action is taking place (reverb in car parks, compression in apartments, etc.)
Now the positives. The video clarity was stunning and the new FX work is jaw dropping! It totally added a new depth to the film! This is a BRILLIANT edit to one of my all time favorite films. I know you put a TON of time and labor into this. For that, I thank you sincerely.

This is great! Great work by krausfadr. This is the edit that I didn't know I needed. I love the original Terminator and this version enhances my love for it. This is now my go-to version.

I've always struggled to love the first Terminator for some reason. Partly because I knew and loved T2 first and I think I lament the low budget feel of the first movie. It's amazing what they pulled off at the time with the money they had, but I'll always wish it was more on the level of T2. Classic handmade, low budget vibes work great for horror, but I guess I want my sci-fi to feel sleeker and cleaner.

So krausfadr has gone a long way toward making this into something I enjoy more. His edit seamlessly integrates the improved effects and it really raises the movie in my esteem. Definitely my go-to version, and a much better setup for T2. His color correction is also much appreciated, though the teal and blue are still more present than I hoped. I guess Cameron really BLUE this movie up with the remaster.

With the visuals so marvelously updated, I did find myself wishing for a version of the score to match. I know a lot can be done with MIDI orchestra these days and I think a soundtrack that's on par with visuals would really take this to the next level. But that wasn't part of krausfadr's intentions with the edit, so I won't hold it against him.

I really like the changes that krausfadr has made. The updated VFX work very well and do not compromise James Cameron's original vision. In addition to the updated effects, the new sounds and color grade are great. This will be my preferred version for any rewatches in the future.

Krausfadr has put together a very slick looking version of a low budget film, drawing from pre-made material from a few different FX artists. The colour grading is a welcome change and generally everything looks and sounds fantastic. I think, if anything, the score now sticks out as being a bit out of place due to the rest of the film seeming so polished.

Some nitpicks below:

- 20:29-ish - as Kyle wakes from his dream he cocks his gun and it's very quiet compared to the other replaced sounds. I'm wondering if this is an old sound that got missed in the replacement process?
- 32:15ish - the new gun sounds have a room reverb that doesn't sound realistic in the apartment where they take place. It's particularly noticeable on the last gunshot at 32:19, which has a much longer tail.
- The new eye-replacement scene works much better and largely holds up well as a result. Two shots still look very dated though. The shot of Arnie in the mirror at 55:51 I think should be cut entirely. It's so apparent that it's a dummy, and I think it's better to not have the shot than have the illusion of the scene broken. The shot at 55:40 is a bit trickier, due to keeping visual continuity, but if it's possible to trim the start of it where Arnie's head movement is very janky, I think having the shot briefly as it moves closer to the eye would still work well as we transition to the closeup.

I would also have appreciated the option of the original audio without newly added sounds, if only for the sake of comparison. The absence of subtitles is also disappointing, given how few cuts were made. I have family who require subtitles, so I am naturally a big advocator, especially if something is intended as a replacement for the original. That aside, I would consider this my go-to version. Recommended.