Superb! An Excellent Beginning For An Excellent Director!

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2003)

James Cameron's best, most original piece of work. Forget T2: Judgment Day (actually, it's great sequel to this great original), Titanic etc. The Terminator started it all, long before Cameron was sailing with Leonardo DiCaprio on that stupid love-boat. Forget every other Schwarzenegger movie, this one started it all. Arnold's best work yet! He was brilliant as this walking hunk of machinery, why? Because that's what he seems to be; a monstorous, mechanincal tyrant, a cold blooded killer. Michael Biehn defined the phrase "action star." He play Sgt. Kyle Reese like a flute, note for note. He plays his character with emotion, energy and depth, much better than most Hollywood "action stars." Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor was just fine, I didn't find anything about her performance dazzling, but it was good. This movie is called The Terminator, but the stars of it are Reese and Connor. Without Reese, there was no story to the events taking place, without him, we'd have no idea about what was going on. And, like most movies, this one is about a girl, Sarah Connor, once the girl next door, a simple college student and part time waitress, who becomes wrapped up in the future in the making. Story summary: In the year 2029, machines, that humans built to serve them, have taken over, and now the humans either serve them, or fight against them. The leader of a Resistance force, John Connor, learns of the machines devious plot to kill him. The machines; Skynet, will send back their ultimate weapon; a highly advanced, cold-blooded killing machine, a Terminator. Skynet will send back a Terminator (Schwazenegger) to the year 1984, nine months before John Connor would be born, by killing his mother. John sends back the first volunteer to 1984 to protect her, Sgt. Kyle Reese. With Reese to protect her, teach her, and guide her, Sarah Connor must survive this ordeal, or the human race is doomed. The odds are not good, Reese with no modern weapons or help must protect Sarah, or die trying.
Intelligent, original, and insightful film that would remain a classic to date. I rate it 9 out of 10 for a great story, wonderful acting, and superb directing. A good start for the up and coming James Cameron, the maker of Titanic-woopty friggin' doo, Titanic-Schmranic, The Terminator is without a doubt, much better.