As I opened my Amazon.com box revealing a shiny outer metal casing for this DVD, I knew I was in for something special. This "Ultimate Edition" impressed me even before opening the plastic wrapping! Soon, I slid off the metal T2 casing revealing a beautiful 2 disc DVD package. The graphics on the outer casing and on the discs themselves are quite creative. The booklet is also impressive....30 pages of photos and interesting facts concerning James Cameron, his crew and the film. It also has a detailed list of the chapters and a list with information on the restored footage. OK...so far I have a huge smile on my face, and I haven't even popped the DVD into my player yet. By the way, if you plan to keep the booklet inside the DVD case, make sure you close it tightly! This booklet is so thick, you'll have problems keeping the package closed! Anyway, I finally pop in Disc 1. The animated graphics are terrific! Disc 1 contains the theatrical release of the film, the special edition with restored footage, and the magic "easter egg" ending. It also gives you an assortment of audio options including Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, DTS 5.1 and Dolby Surround 2.0. You also have the choice of audio commentary by 26 cast and crew members! What I thought was really great about the commentaries was that the name of the person talking is shown on the screen with their credit, so you always know who is talking without getting confused. That was a pleasant surprise. You also have the choice of English subtitles and "Mission Profiles", which are biographies of many cast and crew members. You can also jump to any scene you want with an impressive "timeline" graphic. Being THX certified, this disc also contains a THX set-up. OK...so lets talk about the DVD. I decided to watch the "Special Edition". After a very impressive new THX logo, I sat back and watched the film. Instantly, the sound was top notch. If you have a subwoofer, you may have to make sure that anything hanging on your walls are securely fastened. The remastering job on this film is amazing. The stereo separation, the ambience, vocals and music all sound incredible. This film really set a new standard for sound design when it was first released, and this DVD compliments the sound department to the fullest. You are thrown into a surround sound environment that is addicting and thrilling. Even those with simple 2 speaker set-ups will be happy, but those with advanced surround systems will have some explaining to tell the neighbors. This DVD is a great test for your system. A true audiophonic, stereophonic thrill. OK...enough about the sound...what about the picture? Well, the picture is also superb, with incredible detail and beautiful deep blacks. Color saturation is beautiful with deep blues throughout the film. The transfer is incredibly clean. Can you believe that I can STILL see the wires suspending Arnolds motorcycle as he jumps into the canal!!?? (Chapter 21, I believe.) Anyway, the widescreen presentation of T2 is definitely the "ultimate DVD experience." **By the way, SLOWLY type in 8-2-9-9-7 in the main menu AFTER you choose "Special Edition". This accesses the secret "Extended Special Ediion." (different DVD players may require you to press 'enter' after each number, while others may not.)** OK...let's talk about disc 2 which contains all the supplemental material. The opening graphic animation is really great. This animation brings you to the main menu. The main menu is subdivided into 3 sections...."Information Programs" which has 3 featurettes, "Making of T2", "T2, More then meets the eye", and "The making of T2 3D". The second section, "Visual Campaigns", has a "Teaser Trailer", two "Theatrical Trailers", and a "T2 Special Edition Trailer". The thrid section, The "Data Hub", has all other supplemental material. This includes 574 still frames of the final shooting script, original storyboard sequences, a bunch of video sequences including videos of James Cameron, the co-writer, the effects designer, stunt coordinator, interviews with cast and other crew members and a BUNCH of other stuff that will keep you watching until T3 is released! The "Data Hub" also contains an impressive graphical behind the scenes story of T2, or you can choose a video featurette with behind the scenes footage....both very impressive. For you PC people, you can also watch the film while reading the script and looking at the storyboards. You can also link to online T2 websites. I won't ruin all the surprises of this disc, but I recommend you to experiment with this disc...there are a few other surprises that I won't go into detail about. In conclusion, I want to applaud everyone involved in the making of this DVD, especially the Creative Supervisor Van Ling. It is simply one of the BEST DVD's available and gives everyone a reason to own a DVD player. Much time was spent in producing this package, and it is worth every penny. Full of surprises, top notch audio and video quality with THX certification, and an attractive outer case too! This is what all future "ultimate editions" should be compared to, because "Terminator 2-The Ultimate DVD Edition" is why DVD was created. I recommend this DVD to EVERYONE....especially to those who are DVD fanatics, fans of the Terminator films and/or James Cameron, or you simply want to 'show off' your home entertainment system. Buy this DVD package and enjoy!
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