THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Some moviegoers recognized James Cameron when directing the terrible sequel, Pirahna II: The Spawning. But the world knew him with his successful blockbuster in 1984 with The Terminator. The story follows the titular machine from the future disguised in human tissue, assigned to assassinate Sarah Connor. She is protected by another human from the future, Kyle Reese. Reese explains that in the future, she’ll have a child named John and he’ll lead a Resistance against the machines that caused a nuclear holocaust. The terminator is able to chase them down from a night club, to a parking lot to a police station and it doesn’t get any closer to completing its task. Within their time together, Reese admits that he’s been in love with her way before saving her, ever since John gave him his only picture of her. She reciprocates his feelings and they have sex, conceiving their child. Eventually, the robotic assassin catches up to them and another chase begins. Reese throws his handmade pipe bombs to it but they only remove his disguised skin, revealing its metallic persona. When cornered at a factory, he places his last one into its abdomen, which splits it in half but kills him. The machine still lives and continues to go after Sarah. The chase ends when she is able to crush it with a hydraulic press. Months later, the now pregnant Sarah travels through Mexico recording audio tapes for John to hear in the future. It ends at a gas station, where a boy takes a picture of Sarah, the same one had Kyle had in the future. I recall enjoying this movie in first viewing and I still do now because this one is able to find a way to remain invested. The 1980s was a time where movies were at there most creative and The Terminator was no exception. Cameron was able to put us in an intense yet exciting story no one could have ever imagined at the time. Before the sequels made things complex, this movie’s rules of time travel are kept simple: You got to travel in organic material, meaning that clothing or weapons would be destroyed when leaving. It does raise the suspense that there is no chance of returning to the future, which makes you question what would happen if Kyle had survived his own explosive. The standoffs between him and the terminator put you on the edge of your seat. Although this film is action packed, it seems that it couldn’t help but be lured into horror, because every time we see the terminator remove its loose skin is creepy to witness. It’s even more terrifying when we see its entire endoskeleton, the machine stops talking and just attacks. If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will. The terminator has become so iconic that you would likely bring it up during a conversation involving robots. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the perfect choice for the role of the titular machine because in every scene, every look he has feels so ideal for a disguised robot to have. He succeeds in keeping this persona intact with the pace of his dialogue. Everything he says or does, you truly believe he isn’t human. This is the only time he had played a villain until 1997’s Batman and Robin, which is a shame because he does it just as well compared to the many protagonists he would play for the rest of his career. Nowadays, when saying ‘I’ll be back’, you’re either thinking of this movie or other movies where Schwarzenegger had said it. Although Arnie became the face of this franchise, he isn’t the only actor that left a good impression. Michael Biehn shows pure adrenaline with Kyle Reese, which is necessary for someone who’s seen war and is determined to save the future. That adrenaline he depicts is based off of the fear the character has had in his experience of war. You know his motives immediately and you root for him from the moment he finds Sarah. Him being John’s father is a clever twist because I don’t remember guessing that someone from the future would conceive his savior. You can say that the romance between both characters was rushed in order to secure the twist, but there is another way to look at it. Linda Hamilton is able to begin depicting Sarah Connor as someone who’s unsure of what lies ahead of her. When she meets Kyle who reveals her future, it is a wake up call for her and it may frighten her, but it makes her determined to ensure the future as well. She sleeps with him because she’s flattered of him not for just literally but also metaphorically saving her life. She finally embraces her bravery when she finishes the terminator. On her own by the end, you root for her more than ever to protect her son from the worst that’s yet to come. Seeing this in display is able to set the stone of an icon she’d become within this film and the sequel Judgment Day. It is in her perspective where we truly accept “There is no fate but what we make for ourselves” as it symbolizes only we are capable of making our future the way it will turn out. While this movie is better than expected, I can admit that I’ve noticed a few flaws overtime. First off, why didn’t the cops pick up Sarah when the murder spree began? If she wasn’t answering the phone, they should’ve went straight to her house and she would’ve been under witness protection much early on. The weirdest thing Kyle does was loading a shotgun before using it as a blunt instrument to rig a car. That was pretty stupid because a shot could’ve went off and he would’ve blown his cover at that moment. The terminator was smart to shoot at Kyle during the last chase, but why didn’t it shoot at the tires? If it knows Sarah is driving, shooting the tires would’ve crashed the car and kill both of John’s parents right than and there. I’m not trying to root for the villain but if the machine was so smart, it would’ve done that. Ignore these issues and you’ll still have a god time. To wrap up, The Terminator was ahead of its time and James Cameron showed that he can craft something that is complex on paper yet incredible to witness onscreen. If you love pure action or the concept of time travel, than you will get another payoff of the best of both worlds.
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