A great movie that quickly became very dated

Rating: 3/10 (26 June 2019)

Note: My first time watching this film was in 2019.
Taking off the rose colored glasses, this would be a B-list action flick that would be quickly forgotten if it were released today. It brought a new level of thought into blockbuster action flicks, but there have been successors that use time travel in an action movie much more effectively. Also, the premise was well thought out with few plot holes, but it was always explained in a way that seemed to highlight a lull in the action rather than build tension for the next scene. The acting was very minimal and forgettable, reminiscent of acting in B-list action films today.
Saving the most obvious for last, the effects were very dated. The computer generated effects have aged the worst. The clothes and hairstyles are a close second, but they can be forgiven as accurate for the 80s. However, the future costumes can't be forgiven. Everyone literally wearing burlap sacks with faces covered in dirt is both cliched and unrealistic.
Finally, the music screamed 80s, not only in style, but also with the disconnect between the score and what's happening on the screen. Movie scores have been one of the slowest film aspects to consistently make progress, and this film is a good example of the inconsistency that remained in the 80s. It's just becoming common to see scores written to evoke emotion for the film's specific scenes, but movies like The Terminator still miss the mark by under- or overplaying the emotion in the scene.
All-in-all, it seems like it has all the makings to be an 80s classic, and I can see why it became as popular as it is today. Although I can also see that if it were released today, it would not be nearly as innovative or memorable, and I can certainly see why young Arnold thought this movie wouldn't amount to anything. Perhaps that is why the Terminator reboot series has been performing poorly in the box office.