Rating: 7/10
Review date: May 6, 2002
I find it amazing how I just watched this movie eighteen years after it was made. Regardless of that, this is still a good movie even thought most of the aspects seem outdated today.
The story goes where the earth was devastated by nuclear war started by a supercomputer known as Skynet. The machines send the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to the past to kill the Sarah O’Connor (Linda Hamilton), the mother of John Connor who is the resistance leader for the humans in the future.
Connor quickly sends Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) back in time as well to protect his mother for the sole purpose of preserving the lives of mankind. If Reese fails, mankind’s fate in the future will be sealed…
Schwarzenegger’s role as the Terminator is very memorable here as the heartless killing machine. There is not much to say except that he kicks lots of ass throughout the show while a lot of guys are also trying to kick his ass in return.
Another notable appearance here is Linda Hamilton who plays her part quite convincingly alongside Reese as a woman who is shocked and finds it unbelievable that she is targeted for assassination by a cyborg from the future. Biehn is alright as Reese who is assigned to protect Sarah; he conveyed this really well on the screen.
The storyline is very interesting because it deals with the issue on how robots would someday take over the world as well as the slight mention of the time travel paradox as always but what matters is the action.
I find Terminator very outdated from the surroundings, the background, the clothes worn by the characters as well as their hairstyles; they just look very eighties for me and I don’t dig it that much.
However, one needs to learn to appreciate old movies like this especially one that features cool special effects (based on 1984 standard obviously) and lots of actions.
I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone who is obsessed with technology simply because this movie is too old to be enjoyed from that aspect. Watch this movie if you want to see how Schwarzenegger looks like back in the eighties and also only if you want to know one of the best action movies in human history so far made by the famed director, James Cameron (who directed Titanic more than a decade later).
So rent this movie from your nearest rental shop and expect nothing less than Schwarzenegger kicking lots of sorry asses as well as great special effects although don’t complain if some of them looks rigid and very computerized.
Memorable quote: “I’ll be back…”
-Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator-
(c) 2002 Martin Taidy