Man vs. Machine

Rating: 9/10 (30 July 2011)

IMDb Top 250: 168
The Terminator is a great action movie which can be eye candy or thought provoking, depending how you want to see it. At it's core, Terminator is about a violent cyborg trying to kill a woman. But it offers an eerie version of the future, and explores a conflict that was then unused- man vs. machine.
First and foremost, Ahnold. He's huge and intimidating, which just a little too much sneer. But accompanied with kickass weapons and a surprisingly good score, he dominates scenes like he was meant to.
The action is big, with some really cool scenes and chases. The 80's violence is much better than the 2029 action, which comes off as very cheesy to a modern audience. I can't really criticize though, as I have no idea what the standard was back then. The SFX also can't be criticized, but they haven't aged very well. The metal terminator looks like stop-motion, very jerky and it's distracting.
The story is a big winner. Vast, with lots of expansion room, and the plot tells a tight story with a twist. The time travel is very well handled, and reasonably makes sense. I can't wait to see T2 tonight.
The Terminator is a really cool action movie with brain and brawn, like District 9, a favourite of mine. As far as 80's action goes, I like the Terminator better than Die Hard. If you find it, see this classic. I'll be back.
*Edit- November 26, 2011* I change my opinion about few films. Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, and now The Terminator demand a second viewing to see if my opinion really changes.
The Terminator is an equal movie to my first viewing. But I realize that I underrated it the first time. The whole 80's-ness of it is awesome, with the punks, the sleazy L.A. streets, Reese's Nike's, tape recorders and Technoir. The music stands out more the second time, as do the hammy lines delivered by Michael Biehn in the first Act. But the future scenes feel a little better. They're really desolate and hopeless.
It's hard to describe, this film succeeds more than any other Terminator because of its atmosphere. It's a dark film, but it has heart. Where the sequel goes for the (mostly) more family approach (*shudder*) The Terminator is a pure, unaltered effort for the sake of cinema. It's so fresh. This is my favourite James Cameron film, beating out Aliens. I believe this stands among 80's classics like Back to the Future
8.3/10 *Edited score- 8.5/10*