This is third time in six years that "T2" has been released on DVD, the first being LIVE video's initial basic version, followed by Artisan's two-disc "Ultimate Edition," which, at the time, was aptly named: it had great picture and sound, with enough extras to keep most folks busy for quite some time. Now comes Artisan's "Extreme DVD" edition, also a two-disc set, packaged in a really cool metal slip-case, and featuring different extras of its own. Whether or not shelling out another $25 for this one depends largely (besides the amount of discretionary income you have) on your obsession with everything related to this film, or your desire to clear out all eight sinus cavities of those to whom you wish to show off your home theater system.

For those who've spend the last couple of decades living on another planet, I'll summarize. In the near future, Skynet, a defense program developed by Cyberdine Systems, becomes self-aware, seeing humans as a threat, and wages war against them. Skynet uses Terminators (cyborgs with metal endoskeletons surrounded by living tissue), seemingly indestructible machines to seek out and and kill humans. Though the machines have effectively destroyed civilization as we know it, there is a strong human resistance, led by John Conner. In the first film, in hopes of eliminating all resistance, Skynet sends a Terminator (played by Arnold Scharzenegger) to kill the mother of Conner before he's ever born. It fails, of course, or there'd be no sequel. In "T2", another Terminator is sent to attack Conner himself, while he is still a boy. This Terminator (a T-1000) is much more advanced, made of liquid metal, and able to morph into any form (including people) it comes into contact with, thus able to disguise itself as it hunts down its quarry. This time, though, the human resistance sends back a Terminator of its own, a reprogrammed version of the first Terminator (also Scharzenegger), whose mission is to protect Conner. In "T2," Conner (Edward Furlong) is a slacker-punk who lives with foster parents; his mother, Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton), has been committed to an insane asylum after the events of the first film; she knows what the future holds, but everyone thinks she's nuts, including Conner himself. Of course, after he's attacked by the T-1000 - but saved by Arnold - Conner is convinced his mother was right all along. After springing her free, Sarah, John and the Terminator set about trying to erase future events by going after Cyberdine (whom possess the technology which creates Skynet, using computer chips recovered from the Terminator in the first film).Director and co-writer James Cameron plays fast and loose with the logistics and consequences of time travel, instead providing endless scenes of spectacle and destruction, all thrillingly and expertly filmed, as well-executed as any ever committed to film. But, like Steven Spielberg, Cameron's best films are equal parts spectacle and characterization - the greatest special effects on Earth are nothing without a compelling story, even if that story defies realism. "T2" is no exception; existing among the onscreen mayhem are people (and machines) we care about. It's an benefit that he's so good at his craft, since "T2" depends on the viewer never examining the time-travel concept too closely. None of that matters. What does matter is lots of stuff gets blown up, and the performances by all the leads are terrific, especially Schwarzenegger's; to coin a clich

Quite simply, this is the best picture this reviewer has seen in a disc, which is saying a lot, considering the "Ultimate Edition" featured a great picture, too. The colors are all bright and sharp, and there's almost no shimmering or noticeable edge enhancement. The sound is equally good, even better than the "Ultimate Edition." (though, unless you've got a totally bitchin' system, telling the difference could be a challenge). In addition, the disc also features an audio track specifically designed for use with headphones, for the growing number of users with portable systems; as I don't have one of those, I couldn't assess its quality. This "T2" release stands along the episodes I & II of "Star Wars" as the best way to demonstrate what your home theater can do.

Ah, here's where we get to our quandary. The "Ultimate Edition" featured hours of extra features, in addition to great sound and picture quality. How could an "Extreme DVD" edition top it? In other words, what reason is there to replace your old version of this film with a new one? It depends on what you find most important in a DVD release. For MORE features, the disc will disappoint, as it actually includes fewer features than the "Ultimate" disc. But it DOES feature a terrific commentary by Cameron and co-screenwriter William Wisher, as well as an "interactive mode," which allows you to watch "T2" while numerous factoids of information pop up during the film; in this mode, there's also a feature (when the Cyberdine logo pops up) in which you can view countless short vignettes on the making of the scene on screen. You can watch the commentary and interactive features individually, or simultaneously (though it is difficult to keep up with all the info being thrown at you). Either way, the amount of information borders on exhaustive; for fans, there's enough to have them watching the film over and over again. There's also a few featurettes on the making of the film, most notably, the 25 minute "No Feat But What We Make." The remaining features, however, are what distinguish this disc from the "Ultimate" release, and that's only if you have a computer which can support it. On disc 2, the entire film is presented in 1080i High Definition, and is playable with systems equipped with Windows XP (which I don't have) and Windows Media Player 9. There are also features which allow you you morph your own photos into a Terminator, as well as an online feature which allows you to design your own killing machine. One must at least give some credit to the folks at Artisan for including features unavailable on their previous release. Whether or not the computer extras of this release warrant another purchase depends on how in love you are with the film.

Whether or not this version of "T2" is worth the investment depends primarily on how often you update you home computer system. Even if you don't upgrade every two to three weeks, this "T2" release offers the best picture and sound possible for a DVD release. If you own a previously released edition, that's something to consider. If you don't, now is the time to buy this great film. One other note: the metal slipcase, while really cool, plays hell with the traditional snap-case inside - you'll likely tear it to shreds after a few openings, all the more reason to hang onto all those AOL and Earthlink CD-ROM cases that arrive in the mail from time to time.