Sarah Conner...

Rating: 8/10 (1 May 2008)

What can you say...The ultimate 80's Sci-Fi actioner, James Cameron's bleak vision of the future is filmed in a dark, noirish style that oozes substance with clever narrative devices. The narrative however, is kept pretty linear, nothing else is happening but what you are seeing happening. Character development and narrative subtexts are also kept to a minimum so we are firmly concentrated on the action and the simple task that this unstoppable killing machine is trying to achieve. This is a formula Cameron would successfully repeat and more for his spectacular sequel T2, one of the best examples of a sequel surpassing its predecessor in terms of quality. However, he had a bigger cast, crew and lots more money for that and there is no doubt he would have made most of his later films like The Terminator if he wasn't given loads of dosh! (Damn Titanic studio execs!) However, The Terminator is a great, original film in its own right, perfectly suited to its 80's setting and besides it is also notable for making a star of Arnie. His monosyllabic T-800 became a cultural icon, getting more menacing as the film progresses into a thrilling climax. The great score by the underrated Brad Fidel (no not the Blackburn Rovers goalie!) only adds to the thrilling effect.
8/10