The Terminator returns to theaters with 4K transfer…Will AI ruin another James Cameron film?

Mathew Plale

James Cameron’s The Terminator returns to theaters this week but some are rightfully concerned it will be another 4K disaster.

He wasn’t kidding when he said he’ll be back. To mark the sci-fi classic’s 40th anniversary, The Terminator will be returning to theaters this summer courtesy of Park Circus, complete with a 4K restoration. And while any theatrical release of a fan favorite is certainly something to get excited for, those who have been following James Cameron’s other 4K releases might have reason to be cautious…

As we have reported on throughout the various releases of some of James Cameron’s best films, there has been quite a bit of controversy over the transfers of said movies. The main problem here is the use of AI to clean up the images, doing so to such an extreme degree that the films not only lose grain structure but authenticity. When viewing these films on their 4K home video releases, it’s so obvious that the image has been touched up to the point that they’re hard to enjoy. Sure, the action and storytelling isn’t changed but the distracting touch-ups throughout can easily pull you out of the experience. So, yes, it’s reasonable to be concerned about the upcoming 4K of The Terminator, which was approved by Cameron himself.

James Cameron certainly sees the benefits of AI, once saying, “As you go down levels of magnitude you see more and more patterns, and you realise that greater pattern, the grand pattern, is made up of all these kinds of fractal details that need to be there. And this is where I think AI can be helpful because it can fill in some of the some of those detail levels and allow us as artists to stay at a higher level.” But that right there is a perfect demonstration of just how AI can be misused when it comes to transfers, as relying on it for these minute details can easily serve as a shortcut that gets out of hand. And that’s how you end up with the horrendous transfers of great films like True Lies and Aliens, giving us pause on getting too excited for The Terminator.

But others have defended all of these. Film preservationist Robert Harris was kind enough to reach out to JoBlo about these issues, writing, in part: “There should be no problems with the original elements. The work performed was a re-visualization. An entirely new digital product, which (to varying degrees of success) appears to have achieved Mr. Cameron’s goals. If these were attempts at restoration, they would fail in all regards.” You can read his entire thorough defense here.

The Terminator returns to theaters on July 25th.