Original ‘Terminator’ serves up thrilling sci-fi
James Cameron’s original The Terminator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn and Linda Hamilton, is a clever, wholly absorbing movie that perfectly sets up the franchise. To call it a classic is almost an understatement; this movie is iconic and memorable, thanks in no small part to Schwarzenegger’s towering central performance.
The plot involves Schwarzenegger as a “terminator,” a machine sent back in time to kill Hamilton’s Sarah Connor. The reasoning behind the murderous plot? Connor’s son will lead a resistance movement in the future, and that doesn’t go down so well with the evil machines. Biehn plays Kyle Reese, a man who tries to help Sarah in her seemingly impossible journey to escape the terminator.
Cameron, who wrote the screenplay with Gale Anne Hurd, doesn’t complicate the characters or plot. This makes The Terminator a highly accessible film, which is in stark contrast to some of the sequels that come later. Time-travel stories can be confusing, but not so with this 1980s gem. There’s the present day and the future; Sarah, Kyle and the terminator represent the overlap. That’s about it.
Both quiet scenes and more action-filled sequences fill the plot; however, the film never feels overwrought with too many punches and cheesy one-liners.
The acting is one of the weaker points of the film. Hamilton, Schwarzenegger and Biehn are enjoyable, for sure, but it’s tough to buy some of the highly dramatic scenes. One looks back to this seminal flick as an example of a visionary director’s early foray in the science-fiction genre, not for the thespian nuance. That said, Schwarzenegger is a lot of fun with his monotone, droll line readings. He looks and acts the part of a big-muscled enforcer who is unable to be human.
The special effects hold up fairly well; however, the sequels far eclipse the original. One has to almost look the other way when some of the prosthetic work is displayed, but audiences can’t fault the technology of the times. For a movie that came out 30 years ago, The Terminator does just fine.
Cameron brought the cinematic goods for this important film in the science-fiction genre. It stands as a memorable movie worthy of a franchise. It simplicity and cleverness make up for any negatives. Plus, try to name a 1980s sci-fi movie that has sparked such a legacy.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
- The Terminator
- 1984
- Directed by James Cameron
- Written by Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd
- Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn
- Running time: 105 minutes
- Rated R
- Rating:
