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Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First Season | 
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| Actors: Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.98
Buy Used: $14.13
You Save: $15.85 (53%)
New (49) Used (24) Collectible (2) from $14.13
Rating:  85 reviews
Sales Rank: 574
Format: Ac-3, Box Set, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 3
Running Time: 394
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.7
MPN: WARD039429D
UPC: 883929023646
EAN: 0883929023646
ASIN: B000T9OP7G
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: August 19, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 08/19/2008 Run time: 405 minutes Rating: Nr
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| Customer Reviews: Read 80 more reviews...
 Slow to start, but a good answer to the movies February 29, 2008
66 out of 71 found this review helpful
It's a rare thing that a TV series based upon a movie's premise ends up being as good as the show's origins: while slow to start, with a dreadful pilot and many sub-par episodes, the show, over-all, has become something that arguably lives up to that standard.
The show follows Sarah and John as they try, again, to prevent Judgement Day. The show follows on from the original two movies, generally ignoring the third (thankfully.) Much of the plot surrounds the character of Cameron, a female terminator sent back from the future to protect John. The show, so far at least, has eschewed predictable cliches involving the character, and often takes the viewer by surprise, from displays of dark humor to dragging the viewer through alternate displays of coldness and humanity.
Episodes I particularly recommend include "Dungeons and Dragons" and the jaw-dropping follow-up "The Demon Hand". Performances are variable. Lena Headey doesn't match Linda Hamilton's portrayal of the title character, reflecting more the post-La Femme Nikita (Dark Angel, Bionic Woman) obsession with angsty heroines. Thomas Dekker either gives the best or the second-best performance as John Connor, depending on whether you're familiar with the Director's Cut of Terminator 2. It's a good performance. The best performances are arguably by Summer Glau and Richard T Jones, as Cameron - a Terminatrix sent back to protect the Connors - and James Ellison - the surprised FBI agent chasing Sarah Connor - respectively. Glau's performance, while initially confused, provides depictions of humour and coldness that surprises or shocks the viewer every time.
This DVD set is reasonable for what you pay for, reflecting the short nine-episode run of the first season, cut short due to the 2008 Writer's Strike. The set includes a few commentaries and cut scenes. The aforementioned "Demon Hand" episode is complemented by a "rough-cut" of an alternative version, though the jarring changes in visual and audio quality make it somewhat difficult to enjoy by itself. Over-all, visual quality is excellent, I doubt you'll get much more enjoyment out of the less portable Blu-ray edition.
For all of their qualities, the original two Terminator films - at least, as released theatrically - were basic killer robot fantasies with their depth being limited to surface level discussions of time travel and anthropomorphism. Some would argue that the Director's Cut of T2 was a considerable step above this and I'd agree with them. But regardless, The Sarah Connor Chronicles manages to rise above the Theatrical versions of the movies: what seemed like another attempt to cash in cheaply upon a pop-culture classic turns out to be a smart, entertaining, thought-provoking science fiction series. Definitely recommended.
An answer to whether leaders are born or made - watch the making of John Connor August 29, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
To be honest, I have no clue what people can be complaining about with this series. IF you like Terminator, you should like this. There's no way Arnold S. and Linda H. were going to sign on for a TV series, so we get their capable replacements instead.
The timeline of this series is obviously after the second of the three Terminator movies. In the second, the viewer is essentially left with all Terminator entities being destroyed, and Sarah Connor protecting her 10-year old son while preparing him for his destiny. Leaving Cyberdyne Systems in ruins, they enlist the help of Miles Dyson to destroy his own research that would eventually lead to Skynet and Judgement Day.
In the Sarah Connor Chronicles, Sarah (Lena Heady) and her teenage son John (Thomas Dekker) are fugitive nomads, moving from one remote town to another in order to stay under the radar, not only from the possibility of other Terminators, but also law enforcement. However, that's not enough, and eventually a new Terminator model named Cameron (Summer Glau) meets up with the mother and son. Luckily, Cameron is a newer T800 model - obviously prettier than all previous Terminators - sent by John to protect John.
Wonderfully cast, with great special effects and acting, the story and drama follows the original storyline smoothly. Since insiders have noted that this series is in a different timeline than T3, the story-arc can be eliminated for confused linear thinkers.
It's very easy to become immersed in the plot for this series, and I'm already hooked. There are years and years between John's childhood and his ascension to "Leader of Mankind", and the only thing in between this series and greatness is a lack of imagination. The questions left by the first two movies (and even the blank spot between the second and third on that timeline) will be slowly answered, and John's formative years will vividly display how he learns to fulfill his destiny and become the wise, revolutionary leader of all future humankind.
Highly recommended for action fans.
A great show that triumphed despite all the obstacles.... April 30, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Firstly, I'd like to preface this with a caveat that I'm a huge fan of the first two Terminator movies and their supplementary materials (books, games, etc). T3, however, is definitely not on my list of favorite movies.
This show wouldn't have been as successful as it's been if it had had a different cast or a different producer. The fact that the show launched smack in the middle of a Writer's Guild Strike and still manage to perform well in both time slot viewings and DVR's says alot about the quality of the show.
The story lines are very well thought out, confronting issues of not only human relationships, but the relationships of humans and machines. I think putting forth the idea that SKYNET ultimately evolved from a simple chess computer ("The Turk") is a great way of grounding not only the series but the franchise in simple reality, as well as generating a simple "this could happen anywhere" aura around the show. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and I'll never look at my Dell the same way again. I'm also very glad they've avoided the "Terminator of the Week" series model, and instead of focusing on running away from SKYNET, they are making an attempt to face it. An attempt that we know will be ultimately futile, but it will be interesting to see how much of what happens in the series lays the groundwork for John Connor's eventual war against SKYNET.
I'd also like to give props to the actors, who have really taken their characters and run with them. I am a huge Firefly/Serenity fan, so Summer Glau was very familiar to me, as was Brian Austin Green. However, Thomas Dekker, Lena Headey, Dean Winters, and Richard T. Jones were all unknown quantities to me. Summer is as great as she's ever been, and has really gone from bit parts to a truly up and coming actress. Brian Austin Green has (thankfully) left his 90210 baggage behind and can now not only act, but do so really, really well. Thomas Dekker is simply fantastic, and I think the best John Connor so far.
There has been some debate about who plays a better Sarah Connor, Linda Hamilton or Lena Headey? I think it's kind of a loaded question because both women play Sarah Connor at drastically different points in their lives. Linda Hamilton played Sarah Connor when Sarah's only concern was protecting John from attack. Lena Headey is portraying Sarah in a time when protecting him is still a concern, but training him for his eventual destiny is of even greater importance.
Another point worth mentioning is that after viewing the series, I finally broke down and rented 300. I'm a huge history buff, especially of ancient greece, so hyper inflated "artistic" portrayals of actual events don't really appeal to me. However, Lena as Queen Gorgo really impressed to me throughout the movie, and I see alot of Gorgo in Lena's portrayal of Sarah. I'm not accusing Lena of being a one trick pony (which she isn't), but I believe that her portrayal of a strong female archetype in a blockbuster movie was perfect training for her to assume the role of Sarah Connor.
Richard T. Jones as FBI agent Ellison and Dean winters as Sarah's ex-Fiance Charlie are fantastic additions to the franchise. Most of the humans in the franchise are intimately intwined with the events the series portrays. Ellison and Charlie both enter as relative outsiders and their gradual understanding of what is really going on in the world of the series is a great new perspective on the events of the show. Charlie and Cameron also have probably one of the most memorable exchanges between two characters in season 1 (during episode 6, "Dungeons and Dragons")
As mentioned before, TSCC produced and aired in the middle of a WGA strike. With a season shortened to only 9 episodes, the fact that this series has generated as much fandom and hype as it has is a testament to how great it is. News just broke that the series has been renewed for Season 2, for 13 episodes with the possibility of extension to the full 22.
Also, the DVD box set should be coming out in the middle of august, according to the producers. FOX will be releasing the box set and airing reruns on monday nights starting in august, as a run up to the premier of season two.
Apparently, the suits at Fox have learned from their Firefly Folly and are finally giving a hit sci-fi series the marketing and timeslot it deserves.
A skillful and justified removal of T3 from the Timeline September 7, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
When I heard about this show, I was both excited and angry. I always thought the Terminator COULD make a decent television show, but i don't trust Fox. They tend to create great shows and then cancel them before they can find their audience. They canceled Firefly, Dark Angel, Point Pleasant, Space Above and Beyond, and Drive (an amazingly addictive show that they didn't let reach the fourth episode). They even tried to cancel Family Guy.
I knew it would be a decent show, but i was afraid to invest myself in anything remotely related to Fox and have it taken away AGAIN. I'm still worried (Dark Angel was given a Second Season), but I'm glad I gave it a chance.
This show does everything right. I'd heard it was taking place after T2 and before Judgement Day. So i was afraid they'd write themselves into a corner with the set future of the rather awful T3. A quick time travel jump in the first episode immediately erases T3 from the Timeline. "There is no fate but what we make."
The whole cast is about as good as Television can get. Summer Glau is especially amazing as John Conner's new protector. But it is when Kyle Reese's brother is introduced that the show really takes off. Yes Brian Austin Greene is a strange choice for the part, but he really pulls it off.
We see how a terminator goes about regenerating it's living tissue when it has been overly damaged. We see more of the future (including a couple of the rubber skinned terminator models mentioned in the original film). We meet some of Sarah Conner's gun running connections from before her time in the institution. And we see plenty of Terminator on Terminator violence. What a great show.
Very engaging, intelligent and entertaining, despite the new Sarah March 22, 2008
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
Unfortunately, the new Sarah (Lena Headey) pales in comparison to the old Sarah (Linda Hamilton). Headey is stiff, "all business," and almost as robotic as the machines she is fighting. Fortunately though, other aspects of this show are so strong that it gets a huge enthusiastic thumbs-up from me. The action and special effects are great, the science fiction elements are new and interesting, and the drama is excellent. Acting is solid, and the teenage John Connor character is well-cast. The Terminator protector fembot, Summer Glau, has the most memorable scenes though, and is the real star of the show. She has far more shades and nuances than the Arnold bodyguard in T2, and manages to be both likable and creepy at the same time. I also enjoyed Brian Austin Green as John's uncle from the future; he plays a gritty character similar to Reese (John's father) in the first Terminator, but wiser and more ruthless. Finally, the evil terminators are played icy cold, and are a joy to watch. In sum, the Season 1 episodes were great -- well-directed, written, and acted -- and are all highly replayable.
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