The Terminator (1984) Review

"Come with me if you want to live!"
-Kyle Reese


In 2029, humanity is at war with machines.  The machines get desperate and send a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) before she can give birth to John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance.  The humans send Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) back to 1984 to protect Sarah from the seemingly unstoppable cyborg.


What Works:

The Terminator has a very simple premise, but executes it expertly thanks to director James Cameron.  He gives some excellent action sequences and plenty of thrilling moments.  The movie does a great job of creating a sense of danger.  You know that the Terminator is always coming and nothing can stop him.  It makes for a very tense film.

The pacing is also excellent and the movie flies by.  We get action sequences at a pretty steady pace and just when things start to slow down, the Terminator comes back.

Speaking of the Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger is fantastic in the role.  He's utterly terrifying and on the rare occasion he has dialogue, he delivers it expertly.  It's no wonder this role has become so iconic.

Finally, both Biehn and Hamilton do a great job as well.  Biehn is so incredibly convincing I almost believe that Terminators are real.  They are both very competent characters and the decisions they make make sense (for the most part).  It's very refreshing for this type of movie and it makes them easy to root for.  Plus they're easy to connect to emotionally, so even though we only get to see them over a few hours of their lives, we are emotionally invested in them.


What Sucks:

I just have a few nitpicks with the movie.  In the early parts of the film, some of the bit part actors aren't great, there a few editing missteps, and some of the effects haven't aged well, but nothing too major.


Verdict:

The Terminator takes a simple premise and executes it brilliantly.  The acting of the three leads is great, the characters are awesome, and the action sequences are thrilling.  It's not perfect, but it's no wonder this series has been so enduring when you have an original film as awesome as this one.  The Terminator has absolutely got it going on.

 9/10: Great  

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