Logan Sork Film Reviews
The Terminator
Today, the Terminator franchise remains one of the most iconic and recognizable brands in all of cinema. And, despite most of the sequels being watchable at best, it continues to entrance audiences to this day with its commentary on technology, fun characters, and great action. Still, a lot of people forget that this big sweeping franchise that spans generations started out as nothing more than a low budget horror film. Yes in 1984, then unknown director James Cameron took a big gamble on a science fiction film with a limited budget that starred a couple of nobodies and a former bodybuilder. Cameron took a risk and boy did it pay off big time.
The Terminator is written and directed by James Cameron and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, and Paul Winfield. The story follows the titular Terminator (Schwarzenegger), a robotic assassin who’s has been sent back in time from 2029 to 1984. His objective is to eliminate Sarah Connor (Hamilton) a woman who will one day mother the leader of the future resistance who will fight against the evil machines in the post-apocalyptic future. To protect Sarah, the resistance sends back Kyle Reese (Biehn) a resistance soldier. The future of humanity is at stake as Reese must find and protect Sarah and destroy the Terminator, who will not stop until his sinister objective is complete.
One thing this film makes apparently clear throughout it just how brilliant James Cameron is as a writer and director. A lot of people tend to forget how great he really is and this film is a testament to his talent. The film was limited to a small budget and Cameron stretches every dollar he can get. The direction in this film is taught and tense and feels more like a slasher film than a science fiction action film. When the action goes down though it’s great, starting off with small skirmishes and getting bigger as the film progresses. The writing is also very good as it keeps the exposition to a minimum, leaving in only the most important parts for the audience to understand the concept and forgoing everything else. This helps to make the pacing better, moving the plot along briskly without tripping over any unnecessary complications. Another director might have made this film more complicated than necessary, but Cameron was smart and knew what to focus on and the story benefits greatly from that.
The film is also complemented by some great performances and characters. Linda Hamilton is great in her first outing as Sarah Connor and while she may not be the bad ass action heroine most audience know her for in this film, the seeds are planted in this film. Not only can she hold her own against the machine but she does so in a uniquely natural way, in which she relies on her street smarts and not military smarts. The military expertise in this film comes from Kyle Reese who is portrayed excellently by Michael Biehn. Biehn brings a soft soft-spoken yet world-weary demeanor to the character, someone who is perfect to get sent back in time to explain everything without losing sight of his objective. The two leads have great chemistry and the dynamic that forms between them is genuine and well written.
But the one who really steals the show, of course, is Schwarzenegger as the T-800 Terminator. While it’s easy to see how iconic he has become in the role, people often forget how scary he was in this first installment. While later films made this type of terminator the hero, here, he is a stone-cold killing machine who is willing to do anything to complete his mission. Schwarzenegger not only brings a physical menace to the role but also a calculated and cunning intelligence as he dispatches his victims with relative ease. There are also some create one-liners given to the character and Schwarzenegger delivers them with his iconic accent and solidifies them as some of the all-time greats.
Of course, the Terminator wouldn’t be as iconic without the great special effects that brought the character to life. The facial prosthetics that Schwarzenegger wore in wide shots may not have aged as well today, but the actual terminator effects are a different story entirely. For this, Cameron enlisted the help of legendary special effects artist Stan Winston and together, created one of the most iconic movie skeletons of all time. The scenes in which the Terminator works to repair itself are both amazing to look at and also disgusting, a testament to the realism that was achieved thought these effects. And when the final form of the machine is revealed in the third act chase, it cements the the titular character as one machine you do not want to mess with.
Any faults with this film are mainly budgetary because, besides those restrictions, everything about the film is nearly perfect. It’s well-directed, smartly written, contains great characters and amazing special effects. When you watch the film, it’s clear why it has grown into such a cultural phenomenon as it’s filled to the brim with iconic moments and imagery. Aside from a few dated special effects, this film really has stood the test of time and will continue to do so.
8.5/10