A Major Influence In Future Sci-Fi And Action Films

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 2012)

The Terminator is a science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd and William Wisher Jr. and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from the year 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, played by Hamilton. Biehn plays Kyle Reese, a soldier from the future sent back in time to protect Sarah.Endlessly imitated, The Terminator made the reputation of co-writer/director James Cameron and solidified the stardom of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Kyle Reese is a member of the human resistance movement, is teleported back to 1984. His purpose: to rescue Sarah Connor, the mother of the man who will lead the 21st-century rebels against the tyrannical machines, from being assassinated before she can give birth. Likewise thrust back to 1984 is The Terminator, a grim, well-armed, virtually indestructible cyborg who has been programmed to eliminate Sarah Connor. After killing two "Sarah Connors" who turn out to be the wrong women, he finally aims his gunsights at the genuine article.
It is a blazing, cinematic comic book, full of virtuoso movie-making, terrific momentum, solid performances and a compelling story.This is the film that cemented Schwarzenegger's spot in the action-brawn firmament, and it was well deserved. James Cameron's story and direction are pared to the bone and all the more creepy. But don't overlook the contributions of Linda Hamilton, who more than holds her own as the Terminator's would-be victim, Sarah Connor that helps create a new generation of rugged, clear-thinking female action stars. It's surprising how well this film holds up, and how its minimalist, malevolent violence is actually way scarier than that of its far more expensive, more effects-laden sequel.Added to that,with its impressive action sequences, taut economic direction, and relentlessly fast pace, it's clear why it continues to be an influence on sci-fi and action flicks.