The Terminator (1984): A Review

In the future, man is all but extinct. The leader of the resistance, John Conner, is the only thing the machines think is allowing the human race to hold on. In an attempt to stop Conner from being born they send a cyborg, known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time to kill his mother Sarah (Linda Hamilton) before she can give birth to John. Learning of this plan, John decides that the only way to stop them is to send back a hero of their own. Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) must now attempt to disable this monstrous killing machine before it is able to kill Sarah Conner.

As far as early science fiction films go, this is one of the best. Believe it or not, this was actually a pretty low-budget film in its time, but the story is so dark and terrifying that it broke records when it was released. James Cameron is, in my opinion, the best sci-fi director to ever touch the genre. This really shows through with this film. The relationship development between Hamilton and Biehn is quick but believable. Biehn especially does an amazing job as the male lead. Arnold has very few lines in this film, but shows a talent for playing a cold calculating machine. Both of the first two Terminator films deliver a very clear anti-war message. They also show us that we should most definitely question the relentless march of technology. Not that we should all become luddites or anything. With technology advancing the way it is, a cyborg could be a real possibility in the next twenty years. That idea makes the film even more terrifying. Today we look at this film as simply an action film, but in 1984 it was nothing less than a horrific story that scared a lot of people. I give this masterpiece a 10/10, one of the best sci-fi films ever made.