This time he actually did come back...

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2016)

Being a pre-teen back in 1984, it was inevitable not to get familiar with all the action movies of the 1980's. And the 1984 "The Terminator" starring none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger definitely was one of the biggest action movies of the mid-Eighties.
I am very sure that everyone is familiar with the "Terminator" franchise and the plans of Skynet. But for those of you not yet familiar with the franchise, this 1984 movie, which started it all, is about a cyborg (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent from 2029 back in time to 1984 where his mission is to terminate Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son will lead humanity in a war against the machines. But the humans of 2029 has managed to send back a single soldier (played by Michael Biehn) to prevent this from happening.
There, essentially the entire story wrapped up with a handful of words. Despite its simplicity, then there are layers underneath the storyline which adds lots of flavor and detail to the story and the universe of the "Terminator" franchise. Things which will come to be realized and utilized in the later movies.
For a 1984 action movie then "The Terminator" was just off the charts. It had great special effects, heaps of non-stop action, and best of all it had Schwarzenegger. It has all the ingredients that a good action movie need in order to be successful. And you must agree that the "Terminator" franchise has been successful throughout the years since 1984.
Director James Cameron does what he does best here, and that is putting together a riveting action movie that grabs the audience by the you-know-whats and doesn't let go before the end credits start rolling. James Cameron really has a talent for memorable action movies.
The cast in "The Terminator" also really had a lot of credit due for the success of the movie. Anything that Arnold Schwarzenegger touched in the mid-Eighties was bound to be an action success. And alongside him in this 1984 movie stood Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton, both of whom put on equally good performances and held the level of Schwarzenegger formidably.
"The Terminator" is one of those types of action movies that never grow old. Sure certain effects are hopelessly outdated by what Hollywood dish out today, but they were really great back in 1984. And the effects do serve their purpose well enough, especially given that this movie is driven by a mixture of story, character and effects.
Lots of action and lots of one-liners, "The Terminator" is an entertaining movie that is well-worth spending 107 minutes on watching.