While the Terminator franchise has been dormant since mid-2009, it seems unlikely to remain that way indefinitely. The series maintains too much popular appeal to stay on the sidelines forever.

Until we get T5 or another TV program, fans can focus on the franchise’s past glories, most of which become available in a boxed set called Terminator Anthology. This boxes all four theatrical films but leaves out the two seasons of The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Anthology consists entirely of previously released material, all of which I covered in the past. I’ll look at each film with a short synopsis and a link to the individual reviews.

THE TERMINATOR: "While The Terminator doesn’t match up tremendously well with director James Cameron’s later films, it remains an influential, seminal and enjoyable movie. What it lacks in polish it makes up for in heart and energy to a degree. I admit I prefer its sequel, but The Terminator still has a lot going for it.”

(Note that this collection includes the original 2006 Terminator Blu-ray, not the remastered 2013 release.)

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY: "One of the all-time great action flicks, Terminator 2: Judgment Day remains very entertaining and exciting after 22 years. The movie doesn’t qualify as my favorite in the genre, but it’s quite close to the top.”

TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES: “As a film, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines doesn’t make me forget the glories of its predecessors. However, it rises to the occasion fairly well and seems significantly more compelling and enjoyable than anyone had a right to expect.”

TERMINATOR SALVATION: “As a film, I maintain a lukewarm attitude toward Terminator Salvation. On one hand, I like its many exciting action pieces, but on the other, it doesn’t have much else going for it. Only one character takes us on any sort of emotional ride, and the rest of the film leaves us feeling curiously cold.”

Fans shouldn’t expect anything new from the four-film Terminator Anthology; as mentioned, it simply repackages the earlier Blu-rays in one place. If you own none of the earlier releases and want them all in one fell swoop, it’d make a decent purchase. However, I’d recommend you shop around, as you might be able to get the titles cheaper as singles; as I write this, Amazon sells the individual Blu-rays together for less on Amazon than the cost of the box. Still, it’s a decent set that acts as one-stop shopping, and if it becomes the least expensive option in the future, it’s the way to go.