It almost feels like I am starting a new trend here on my blog, reviewing classic Schwarzenegger movies, but I can assure that this is just pure coincidence. Having watched Predator two days ago, I also found myself drawn back to the Terminator franchise. It was just me being lazy on a sunday, flipping through movies, and deciding that I was just in the mood for another film that just seriously never gets old. What is amazing though is that this film already dates back to 1984. I really am getting old.
Sarah Connor is a waitress at a diner who lives a pretty normal but not very exciting life. However she will soon get more excitement in her life than she signed on for. When women who are also called Sarah Connor are getting killed, she begins to get the feeling that she is being followed. She finds refuge in a dance club while waiting for the police to arrive. But then a huge individual aims a gun at her, and just as he is about to pull the trigger, the big guy gets shot by a young man. Introducing himself as Kyle Reese, he tells her to come with him, if she wants to live. And not a moment too soon, because at that moment the man who almost killed her is getting up and starts the pursuit. Escaping together with Kyle, he tells her that the person that is following them is not a man, but a machine, a cybernetic organism called the Terminator. He and the Terminator come from a future where mankind is almost wiped out by an automated defense system called Skynet. Sarah ofcourse does not believe him, but as the night continues she is soon forced to reconsider. Meanwhile the Terminator continues the hunt, and it absolutely will not stop….ever….until she is dead….
Now unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of years, it is almost impossible to have never heard of this classic movie. It created one of the most iconic oneliners ever put to film “I’ll be back”. It pretty much became Arnold Schwarzenegger’s trademark. Now what to say about a film such as this. The term classic is an understatement. It really redefined the action movie genre at the time. It featured amazing special effects (even though they are somewhat dated now), and terrific action sequences that these days you hardly see anymore. But ofcourse another thing that was so great about this film were the characters.
The Terminator itself, played by Arnold, could not have been cast any better. It is the role that made him an instant superstar, and honestly nobody could have done a better job than him. Kyle Reese, played by one of the most underrated actors ever, Michael Biehn, is also one of those characters you will never forget. Heroic in every sense of the word you feel an instant sympathy for the man who travels through time to save the woman he loves. And then ofcourse there is Sarah herself, played by Linda Hamilton, who grows from being a simple waitress into the saviour of mankind. Great stuff.
Now seven years later, the sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day came out. Technically superior, it is almost always being hailed as the better movie. I disagree however. As much fun as the sequel was, I think the original Terminator had a much more gripping and tense atmosphere. Throughout the entire film, you felt a sense of desperation and hopelesness, much more so than in part 2. Unfortunately though, the franchise is now pretty much dead. Terminator Genisys, released in 2015, became a box office disaster and because of that any future plans have been put on hold. With the rights now back in director James Cameron’s hands I still have hope though. So who knows: maybe he will be back. (Oh come on, you knew that last line was coming right ?).
If you have yet to see this movie, track it down ASAP. Yes, some of the effects are now a bit dated, but is is still and always will be a fantastic film, and one that every scifi and action movielover should see at least once in his or her life.
I give the Terminator a 10 out of 10 score.