The Terminator
by James Cameron
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lance Henriksen, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul WinfieldDirector: James Cameron
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: Adam Greenberg
Writer: James Cameron
Producer: Derek Gibson
Producer: Gale Anne Hurd
Writer: Gale Anne Hurd
Producer: John Daly
Writer: William Wisher Jr.
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 107 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-06-05
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Movie Reviews of The Terminator
Movie Review: The BEST and always will be!
Summary: 5 Stars
My title is two-fold, because not only do I think 1984's THE TERMINATOR (T1) is the best and undisputed of all the Terminator movies, I also think it's the best and undisputed of James Cameron's films! I really think that after this original classic, Cameron totally lost his ability to tell a solid story and got too caught up in special effects extravaganzas. Don't believe me? Then watch (I mean really WATCH!) the first sequel to T1, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (T2). It has fantastic effects, but ZERO character development or story! It is the template for the typical, mindless summer action movies that come out in drones in today's CGI-laden film world. The characters in T2 are one-dimensional throughout and the dialogue in that movie is inane and borders on atrocious! Cameron got it right with T1.
T1 is an superb amalgamation of several genres working in perfect synergy: science fiction, horror, action, love story, AND speculation! And all this happens in an amazingly short running time, but the film doesn't feel incomplete (T2 is twice as long and feels totally incomplete!). Quite simply, T1 has "no fat" on it. Everything seems necessary to propel the plot along.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance is a wonder to behold to this day! I still don't think enough people appreciate how great it truly is. He is totally convincing as a machine, and nothing to do with the fact that he is an actor of limited range (ok, maybe that's part of it!). But imagine how hard it must be to literally be "emotionless", but to react not as a human would, but as a programmed machine would, and he pulled it off. Most other actors that play robots (including the ones in the sequels) tend to play it the same in an all-too obvious, monotone manner, and aren't able to hide human characteristics.
The other two main performances should not be overlooked either. Both Michael Biehn (as futuristic rebel soldier Kyle Reese) and Linda Hamilton (as Sarah Connor future mother of resistance leader John Connor) deliver knockout performances as well. The actors really "sell" the movie and lift it to a higher level than lesser or miscast actors would have.
T1's main draw is it's claustropobic, unsettling, atmospheric, noirish tone and feel throughout, thanks in large part to the memorable beating, bouncing score that accompanies the Terminator whenever he shows up. The film's first big set piece is at the aptly named Tech Noir dance club and that scene signifies the entire mood of T1. Then the iconic "I'll be back" police station showdown puts the icing on the cake! Set mostly at night, the underlying theme of T1 is doom, dread, and hopelessness, yet the film never bores as it moves at a fast pace, has gritty dialogue, strong characters, and a pulse-pounding climax.
The undisputed, original king of the action, sci-fi genre!
Summary of The Terminator
In the year 2029, the ruling super-computer, Skynet, sends an indestructible cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) before she can fulfill her destiny and save mankind.This is the film that cemented Schwarzenegger's spot in the action-brawn firmament, and it was well deserved. He's chilling as the futuristic cyborg who kills without fear, without love, without mercy. 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--thus creating, along with Sigourney Weaver in Alien, 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. --Anne Hurley
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