The Terminator (1984)

Next week sees the release of “Terminator: Dark Fate”, a film that promises to be a true successor to the original two movies in the series, with James Cameron, Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger all returning to the franchise that catapulted them into the stratosphere. Whether you’re cautiously excited like I am to hopefully see the first great “Terminator” sequel since 1991, or if you’re rolling your eyes that Hollywood is, once again, trying to recapture the magic of the first two films, you can’t deny that James Cameron’s “The Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” are absolute classics.

1984s “The Terminator” is a gripping, unique and brilliantly paced low-budget film that expertly blends science-fiction with action, whilst also employing shades of the horror genre to create a compelling sci-fi slasher. Whilst its ground-breaking masterpiece of a sequel would improve upon every single aspect of the original, “The Terminator” is still essential viewing!

Although the structure and content of its plot may seem pretty conventional now, it cannot be understated how contemporary “The Terminator” was when it was first released. The film’s use of time-travel, cyborgs and a dystopian future are all used excellently and creatively, giving the series an iconic and distinct style.

The core premise of a woman who will give birth to the leader of the human resistance, who’s destined to save us from unstoppable killer robots is still such a fresh and genius spin on the “chosen-one” plot line found in most blockbuster franchises, which provides “The Terminator” with a core idea that the audience can invest in and root for.

I’ve never gone into this in any of my previous reviews (because most of his movies aren’t on the Into Film website) but I am a HUGE fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’s probably the only actor that I feel compelled to watch every movie in his filmography, because Arnie has a screen-presence and charisma that is so entertaining to watch. “The Terminator” houses one of his best and most interesting performances, as he unusually plays a villain here, rather than a protagonist. What’s so surprising however, is how absolutely terrifying he can be, the warmth and likeable charm that you see in his later films like “Kindergarten Cop” and “The Last Action Hero” is nowhere to be found here. Whilst his role in “The Terminator” isn’t one of my personal favourite Arnie performances, he plays the robotic and imposing robot killer so phenomenally!

The other cast members in “The Terminator” are also superb, Michael Biehn is spectacular as Kyle Reese and Linda Hamilton is exceptional as Sarah Connor (although she is a LOT better in “T2”); the two actors have believable chemistry, their relationship adding humanity to the otherwise insane narrative.

James Cameron’s direction here is truly superb, the action is easy to follow, the dialogue sequences have an excellent sense of pace and are captivating to watch and the cinematography has a grime and grit to it that the more polished sequels lacked.

On the action side of things, “The Terminator” is very good, but pales in comparison to other Cameron-directed movies like “Aliens” or “True Lies.” The action is non-stop, hard-hitting and hard-edged (this is a film that really goes for its 15 rating), but the noticeably sped-up footage found in the chase sequences hurts the atmosphere in the movie. However, “The Terminator” values tension and suspense over action, so I don’t really mind that the action isn’t mind-blowing.

Brad Fiedel’s work on the “Terminator” series is incredibly underrated. The “Terminator” theme is an oft forgotten masterwork; its rhythmic metallic pounding and operatic chorus are guaranteed to give any fan chills. The rest of the score here is also fantastic, it’s not as epic or intense as the music found in “T2”, but its synth filled score has an almost video game-like sound to it.

The main elements of “The Terminator” that severely date the film are its special effects. While there are some decent practical effects, the close-up shots of the T-800 removing its damaged eye and the shaky and wobbly stop-motion endoskeleton that pursues Sarah and Kyle during the final scenes look pretty poor by today’s standards. I appreciate that “The Terminator” was made on a miniscule budget when compared to its sequels, but that fact of the matter is, whilst “T2” is a timeless film with visual effects that still look brand new today, the first film is very much of its time.

To summarise, although I don’t love “The Terminator”, I still enjoy it for what it is. It’s a heart-hammering and edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that never gives up from the first scene to the last frame. It features one of Arnie’s stand-out performances and contains some eye-widening direction from the master of action, James Cameron. I’m definitely in the “Terminator 2” camp when it comes to my favourite entry in the series, but the first film is still great.