The Terminator Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1984

The Terminator will forever be one of the 80's timeless classics, so well loved by movie fans and critics alike that it catapulted Arnold Schwarzenegger's career and spawned two sequels. So what exactly is so appealing about a killing machine being sent back from the future to assassinate an unknowing woman and her unborn child? Read on to find out...

It's the year 2029 and super-computers control the world, having turned the planet into a hellacious wasteland and made man an endangered species. Only one man possesses the ability to offer humankind any chance of survival amidst this nightmare: a man named John Connor.

The computers decide to send the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a merciless killing machine that is undistinguishable from real humans, back to the past to assassinate Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) before she has given birth to a child. By destroying the mother, the machines can destroy humanity's future. But humanity isn't willing to go down that easy, and the rebels also send a man, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), back to the past to try and locate Sarah before the Terminator does… and then protect her from the unstoppable machine.

Directed by Oscar-winner James Cameron, The Terminator is an adrenaline-pumping good time. Under lesser hands perhaps such a premise would have been cheesy, but Cameron's film avoids the cheese altogether and creates a smart, action-filled classic full of thrilling plot twists. The sets and quality of this timeless film stand tall even today, 20+ years after its initial release.

Whereas part of the success can be attributed to Cameron's adept hand, the majority of the praise must be extended to the main actors. Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as an emotionless killing machine. While it's true that a good portion of his acting career relied on his inherent charisma rather than his acting abilities, Schwarzenegger handles this role as if it was custom created for him. I think anyone else would have been hard pressed to present the same ominous, emotionless façade.

Linda Hamilton impressively takes on the role of Sarah Connor, a sheltered young woman that has no idea what twisted fate awaits her in the near future. Still innocent and naïve, she isn't nearly ready to stand up against the assassin druid sent after her, yet even so we see glimpses of the strength she would fully exhibit in the sequel.

Michael Biehn handles the role of Kyle Reese with gusto. His bodyguard performance reflects an authenticity that the viewer will enjoy – we can believe he's a man charged with protecting humanity's future salvation. Impatient with Sarah's initial skepticism and weakness, he must struggle against both his unwilling charge as well as the one-man wrecking machine.

This film is clearly a science-fiction action extravaganza, but it also has the occasional humorous moments. For example shortly after being sent back in time, the naked Terminator approaches an armed street gang and demands their clothes. You can imagine how gang members would react towards an unarmed naked guy demanding their clothes. Although by no means a comedy, this film does contain rare flashes of subtle humor.

If you are one of the 10 or so people in the world that hasn't already seen this film, make sure you set aside some time to do so soon – it'll be a two hours well spent. And if you fondly recall it from the days of past, pick up the special edition DVD that contains a juicy assortment of extras such as documentaries, the original storyboard, trailers, deleted scenes and more.

Movie Rating: 8

If you enjoyed The Terminator you may also find the following films to be of interest:

• Robocop
• Predator

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