A Classic

Rating: 9/10 (23 January 2006)

The Terminator is the quintessential action film and the best of the series. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator, a cyborg from the future who is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), because she will eventually give birth to John Connor, the man who will become the leader of the human resistance in the war against the machines. The soldier Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) is sent back to protect her.
T1 has a dark and gritty atmosphere that the second and third films do not have, which can be partially attributed to the fact that most of the movie takes place at night. IMO, the film's strongest quality is Arnold's terrifying presence; whenever he is on screen, there is a feeling of impending doom. This aura of dread makes it feel like Sarah and Kyle's chances of survival are about a million to one. My heart just goes out to them whenever I watch it. Another one of The Terminator's strongest qualities is the fact that it is paced perfectly. Just like every action film, there are breaks in between the action scenes, which presents the danger that the movie will drag. But Cameron times these scenes perfectly so that it never feels like the movie is dragging. All of the action scenes keep you on the edge of your seat rooting for the good guys. The excitement never lets up!
Cheesy love stories are usually a weakness in action films; fortunately, The Terminator's love story is actually very touching.
I have to praise the special effects. Sure they aren't impressive by today's standards, but when you consider the fact that this movie was made on a six million dollar budget, it is amazing they turned out so well. Stan Winston is truly a genius. As for the sound, I recommend the original mono track as opposed to the new sound on the DVD. IMO, the guns sound muted with the DVD's sound FX.
Of course this isn't a perfect movie. Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton are not exactly the best actors in the world, but to Hamilton's credit she improved in T2. But this is only a minor criticism. The Terminator is a must-see for every action fan.