Superb in Every Way!

Rating: 10/10 (26 August 2015)

I have a soft spot in my heart for this film, as it's one that I would watch over and over and over again on VHS with my Dad when I was a kid.
Back then the fun of the movie was all in the basic gist of the action scenes and the scariness of Schwarzenegger as the Terminator. Now that I'm all grown up, I appreciate this movie for its being so very well-crafted. For a lot of folks, it's the film's sequel, "T2: Judgement Day" that is the memorable blockbuster movie, and I loved T2 when it came out myself. But I really think that the original is the better film overall. It's the perfect blend of sci-fi and horror--many of the scenes could work well with an 80's slasher movie.
And yet the film is more than just sci-fi, and certainly more than just horror. It's an engaging tale that makes us care about the characters--even John Connor, who hasn't even been born yet. Linda Hamilton's portrayal of Sarah Connor is fantastic, and the on-screen chemistry between Sarah and Kyle adds to the depth of the film.
The thing that I think I like most about this movie is its simplicity. Perhaps by 1984 standards "The Terminator" may have been groundbreaking in terms of effects, and I'm sure that the robotic Terminator was a convention that not many people had seen done in such a way at that time. Still, the effects are archaic by today's standards, adding a simplistic feel to the movie.
But more important is the fact that the script and the storytelling of the film work in just the right way. This isn't a movie that tries to do too much, even though its narrative would have invited that. The film gives you just enough information about the future world from which its villain has come. The restraint used to make an otherwise very complicated tale into one that is accessible to the audience is what makes this movie so clever. Its pacing, its dialogue, and its script all are simple--and yet they come together into a robust tale that draws you in and makes for a completely enjoyable experience.
That said, it's not often that I give a film 10/10 stars, but I feel obliged to for "The Terminator". It tells its story in a way that feels perfect, and in so doing leaves us with much to appreciate. It's a truly excellent film.