Terminator? Darn Near Killed Her!

Rating: 10/10 (4 November 2012)

Lean, mean and efficient. Like its title-character, so is James Cameron's breakthrough film, "The Terminator." Securing its status as a sci-fi classic almost immediately upon impact, it made a star out of a certain Austrian bodybuilder, introduced Hollywood to one of the finest blockbuster directors of our time and forever changed the landscape of both the science fiction and action genres.
The film opens with a muscle-bound machine -- or a "Terminator" as they are more commonly known -- (Arnold Schwarzenegger) arriving in Los Angeles, strictly for business purposes. It seems he has been sent back in time after his creators -- the man-made machines that have taken over and enslaved civilization -- have exhausted all their resources in trying to squash a pesky pest in resistance leader John Connor. His mission: destroy Connor's mother, (Linda Hamilton) before he has even been conceptualized, thus ensuring victory for all machine kind. Soon enough the bad bot finds a thorn in his side, as the resistance has found a way to send one of their own, a solider by the name of Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), back in time to preserve the future fruit of Miss Connor's loins.
What is often forgotten about the film amidst its cultural impact is just how tightly-paced and well oiled it really is. There truly isn't a moment of fat to be found here. Keeping things under the two hour mark, Cameron crams just as much action as he does character into the film. Sure, there are action scenes galore and you can bet it'll keep you on the edge of your seat. Crucial to the film's success though are moments where the film breathes, letting in moments of social commentary and humor like fresh air at all the right moments. To be sure, the Terminator's pursuit of Kyle and Sarah is made all the more intense because you believe in them and are placed amidst the chaos via your own investment in the characters.
While Schwarzenegger is absolutely unforgettable as the unstoppable killing machine, the film is certainly helped a great deal by Biehn's intensity and commitment to material that may have sounded ridiculous on paper. Hamilton plays it straight as the girl-next-door type caught in the crossfire. Shame her career never really extended beyond this film and its sequel, as she really embodies a character you want to root for. Of course, none of this would even matter if not for Cameron's knack for white-knuckled action and tension. Almost like John Carpenter's "Halloween" with a robot, the film is stripped down and singularly focused. As Reese states early on, The Terminator will not stop until Sarah is dead. Keeping true to such a theme, the film is intense from front to back.
While there are certainly things that date the film -- some rough effects by today's standards, Linda Hamilton looking a bit like Joe Dirt -- it has held up remarkably well over the years. At close to 30 years of age, there are few films that have come along in its wake that can even compare. Even if you've seen it a hundred times, it still entertains like few films of its ilk can. Truly a bonafide classic, "The Terminator" stands in a class by its own. Be sure to look out for the equally awesome sequel, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," but beware of the diminishing returns brought on by two later sequels and a well-meaning but utterly unnecessary TV series.