A classic

Rating: 9/10 (20 June 2009)

James Cameron's breakout second film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the ultimate killing machine sent from the future to 1984 to kill Linda Hamilton, who will one day give birth to the son who will save mankind from the war with the machines.
What could been a typical low budget direct to video B movie is given style and substance by all involved. More a sci fi action thriller than its horror film plot suggests. Arnold is made for the role of a killer cyborg and his lines are kept to a bare minimum to give him as much menace as possible. Linda Hamilton plays the damsel in distress against type and Michael Biehn is good as a damaged hero from the future. Mention should also go to Lance Henrikson and Paul Winfield who do a wonderful double act as the cops investigating the Terminator's killing spree.
It's a testament to Cameron and the work of Stan Winston that this film looks like a big budget film rather than the $6m it actually cost. Featuring bold and striking designs that are as much a part of the success of the Terminator as Arnold was, it's a brilliant start to the series 9/10