A beloved favourite of mine

Rating: 10/10 (11 November 2016)

Widely regarded as something of a classic in the realms of science fiction and action films, I think that this film is an underrated horror film and may be in fact one of the most frightening films I have ever seen, due to the fact that I had a fascination for it as a child. Director James Cameron, better known to modern audiences for his bloated epic TITANIC, truly succeeded in creating a classic film, one which I would watch many times over his later, waterlogged dreck. THE TERMINATOR was a hugely popular hit and created a new movie monster, the big, silent, hulking figure of Arnold Schwarzenegger in what I believe to be his best role as an unstoppable killer. The fact that the monster is human - and thus able to hide amid fellow humans - is relatively original (depends on who you speak to, but acknowledgement definitely goes to Harlan Ellison) and his sheer indestructibility is really awe-inspiring.
All of the different factors work in this film. The score is unforgettable, a thumping, deadly beat which turns up whenever the Terminator is on screen, and it sends chills down your spine (much like the music for THE OMEN). The film portrays Los Angeles as a dark, dirty, bleak city to live in and the film reflects this. It has a gritty feeling much like the earlier classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and the little touches, such as the Terminator's infra red vision, are chilling.
The actors in this film all give brilliant portrayals and are totally realistic, many of them have since gone on to greater things. Schwarzenegger emerged as an action movie star after this film put him on the map and has since become phenomenally successful, with a string of hits in his belt. Biehn has also kept in the movie business but hasn't found many hits like this one, apart from Cameron's 1986 smash, ALIENS. Hamilton has also gone on to bigger-budgeted things like DANTE'S PEAK and her portrayal of Connor as an unsuspecting woman caught up in the violence is a performance which brings real depth to the character. She turned this around in the sequel where Connor became a lean, lithe killer out for survival. Paul Winfield is great as the hard but kind cop, and Lance Henricksen, who was originally considered for the role of the Terminator, makes the best of his small role. Earl Boen is also memorable as the laconic psychiatrist. Roger Corman regular Dick Miller puts in a welcome cameo appearance as the ill-fated gun store owner, while Bill Paxton and Brian Thompson appear in early roles in their careers.
This film is also surprisingly gory for a mainstream movie. One scene, in which the Terminator rips out his own eye, parallels the ultra-violence popular in Fulci movies. People are repeatedly and violently shot and mutilated. To keep things moving along there is a ton of action in the film, with hundreds of bullets flying everywhere and numerous car chases. The only spot where things let up is near the end where Reese and Sarah hide out in first a tunnel and then a motel. This section of the film tends to veer into mild tedium and is the only part where Cameron could have done better.
The film has many classic, totally brilliant moments. One of these is the Tech Noir scene, which builds up suspense carefully before exploding into violent carnage. It's a nightmarish and completely effective moment, with the music slowing down, people dancing in slow motion. Another scene is the one where the police station is single-handedly destroyed by the Terminator, this shows how unstoppable he is and is again very violent and effective. The final future 'dream' sequence in which the dying, diseased survivors are killed by another machine is also brutally effective and very moving. Other memorable moments are the scene where the metal Terminator rises from the flames, which is almost Biblical, and the entire fight in the factory, which is basic human vs. machine action, where the Terminator keeps coming back time after time before being finally crushed to death.
Cameron returned with a successful sequel in 1991, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY. The film contained then state of the art CGI effects in the "morphing" T-100 terminator, and signalled the return of Schwarzenegger and Hamilton (and also Reese in the Director's Cut). Although the film contained a lot of action and violence, it was not as effective and horrifying as it was basically a string of action scenes one after the other, and more designed to show off special effects work instead of telling a story. However the sequel is still hugely enjoyable and well worth seeing if you liked this one.
Overall, THE TERMINATOR is a true classic in the realms of killer robot movies, the best one ever made in my opinion. It also clearly shows how science fiction and horror can be mingled together to form a pleasing whole. An excellent film for those of us who like action as well as horror, it's got everything you could ever want: time travel, gun battles, car chases, fights, gore, explosions, fire, melodrama, romance, an excellent score, and true gut wrenching horror. Excellently fantastic!