TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES is a solid series- well writtern, directed, and acted. The first season was cut short by the writer's strike, but those nine episodes are the start of a great series which will be back for season 2 next month. The movies are chase films while the series really develops the characters and the mother-son relationship between Sarah Connor (Lena Headey) and John Connor (Thomas Dekker). A female Terminator, Cameron (Summer Glau), is sent back to protect John from a Termiantor known as Cromartie. Cameron takes John and Sarah eight years into the future into 2007. The clock is ticking as Judgement Day is four years away and Sarah will die from cancer in six years. Cromartie isn't the only Terminator as they learn of Terminators on their own missions that don't involve John. Also they meet Kyle Reese's brother, Derek (Brian Austin Green), who knows what Cameron did before she was reprogrammed and doesn't trust her. Sarah doesn't want John to reveal to Derek that Kyle was John's father. DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS shows a little bit of the future that Derek and Kyle came from (I hope we gte to see more of that future in season 2).

SPECIAL FEATURES:
DISC 1-
Four deleted scenes (known as terminated scenes) and an alternate edit for the pilot are included in addition to a cut scene from TURK.

Two audio commentaries are on the first disc:
PILOT by Summer Glau, Executive Producer/Writer Josh Friedman, Executive Producer James Middleton, and Director James Nutter
THE TURK by Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Executive Producer Josh Friedman, and Writer/Executive Producer John Wirth
THE TURK is a fun audio commentary to listen to. Lena and Thomas make this track lively. The commentary for the PILOT give plenty of details from thhe production shoot.

A three part making of featurette rounds out teh first disc extras-
CREATING THE CHRONICLES: RE-BOOT- creating the series story and using time travel, talk about the characters and improving the terminator endoskeleton, the stunts, and having Summer Glau act and shoot like a terminator.
CREATING THE CHRONICLES: FUTURE WAR- a look at the making of DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS. The episode took tons of prep, was shot last, and the script had to be revised to make it smaller.
CREATING THE CHRONICLES: THE DEMON HAND- an analysis of the story by the cast and producers.

DISC 2- DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS has a terminated scenes. A storyboard animatic of the school attack sequence from the pilot is included with the finished audio. It is neat to watch. If the series ever gets cancelled, it would be cool to see a Terminator animated film. The cast audition tapes (for all except Summer Glau) are too quiet and I wonder why they didn't boost the audio for them- I had to crankk the volume to hear them. Lena Headey's audition is the most animated. Rounding out disc two extras is a Summer Glau dance rehearsal (too bad we didn't get her cast audition tape).

DISC 3- The extended cut (with an introduction by the producers) of THE DEMON HAND is better than the broadcast cut. Too bad they couldn't have finished it with final sound, music, and complete vfx. The two terminated scenes amount to most of the material that is included in the extended cut. The audio commenatary for WHAT HE BEHELD (by Summer Glau, Brian Austin Green, Executive Producer Josh Friedman, and Writer Ian Goldberg) has too much dead space.

FINAL ANALYSIS: TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES is one of the best new series to come to DVD. Buy the first season set if you missed the series and tune in for season 2 next month. The set is a must-buy for fans.

this DVD review is (c)8-12-2008 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com  

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